118
David
“… and of course, it couldn’t just end there.” I paused listening for some reaction from Lucy, but all I heard was Lucy’s soft breathing on the other end of the line. She had fallen asleep.
A smile tugged at my lips as I whispered, "Goodnight, Lucy. Sweet dreams." I hung up the phone, careful not to wake her.
With that solved, I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel and looked over at Duke. He wasn’t looking at me, staring out the window as if that would make me change my mind about all of this.
“Are we going to have to do this all night, Duke, or are you going to tell the truth?”
I watched him. His jaw worked as he shifted in his seat. I smiled and shook my head. “You’ve never been very good at lying, so I can only guess that you masked the truth somehow. Vague replies?”
He glanced at me. “It’s not important.”
“You are important.”
He flinched and my chest tightened seeing him so uncomfortable. I sat back and looked out into the darkness of the night. Dawn wouldn’t be for several more hours. I needed sleep before my magic started getting antsy to over compensate and I ended up awake for a week without reason.
“I’m an alpha of a pack, David, and just like I would offer anyone sanctuary, I’m offering it to you. You don’t have to take it, but I’m not letting you out my car in some sketchy side of town with no way of knowing you’re actually entering a building.”
I wouldn’t be letting him out on a sketchy side of any town, but he’d figure out that soon enough.
He glanced at me again and crossed his arms. “I-I don’t… I really… I’m fine, David. I-It’s better this way.”
I tilted my head. “You honestly believe that?”
“… I can’t.”
I frowned. “Can’t?”
“I-It’s better not to think about it. I’m okay, really. I don’t want to be a burden. Don’t want to owe anyone anything.”
I set my jaw and took a deep breath. “You owe me nothing.”
He glanced at me.
“You will owe me nothing. If anything, I as an alpha owe you a great deal. I… don’t know the specifics of how you ended up at the orphanage and where you went, but I know that you’re in desperate need of help. I’m offering it without a price tag.”
He shifted. “There’s always a price tag.”
“Fine, would you feel better if you we come to an agreement?” I smirked, a plan forming in my mind. “I tell you what I want from you upfront, sign a magical contract. You don’t like it I’ll take you wherever you want and we’ll never talk about it again.”
He shifted again and nodded. A bit of relief filled me. Between him and Lucy, I was going to be a roiling ball of fury for at least a month. There were only so many reasons that Duke would be so distrustful of me, distrustful of the help I was offering.
I pulled my backpack up, pulled out a piece of parchment and a self-inking quill, and started to write.
“Assuming you sign this and accept my offer of sanctuary, there may be additions to my side of the contract from the Council, such as provisions for your education and your living arrangements after you graduate, but none of that can override the base terms we agree on right now.”
Duke turned to look at me, wide-eyed as I started to write and explain the oath I was making.
“Proper care of yourself, school attendance, and agreement to have an assigned body guard and Blood Moon panic button. You will carry it with you everywhere. It works a bit like your ring except it will bring you to the safe room at the estate. Medical checkups and counseling if needed… this agreement doesn’t exclude you from joining my pack, but it is also not an official claim. You’ll be a ward of my pack and thus under my care. Your current handler will be notified as soon as we get this to my liaison and your case will be transferred to him. Any questions?”
His eyes glossed over and he shook his head. I signed and sealed it so the emblem of the Blood Moon pack appeared at the bottom of the page before I offered it to him. He sniffled but he took the quill and signed, sealing it. An emblem appeared beside his name that I didn’t recognize. I eyed it before rolling it up and sticking it in the cup holder between us.
“Now, where are you staying, Duke?”
He shuddered. “Under a bridge in the park.”
I clenched my jaw. “Have you… left anything you want there?”
He sniffled again and nodded, hanging his head. I cranked up the car and said nothing as he sniffled quietly beside me. I parked on the street outside the park and locked the car, walking with him through the dark and scanning the area. He’d set up a ward around the bridge. I followed him down the slope as he cast a spell for light and started to grab his school supplies and the few other belongings he had. I took the heavier bag from him and led him back to the car. I put everything in the trunk and climbed into the driver’s seat before heading to the Blood Moon Estate.
As we made our way down the neatly paved road, I heard his sniffling dying down. He gasped and leaned forward in his seat. I smiled.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” I asked, looking up at the compound. “It’s been here and added to for centuries. I’ll give you a tour after you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep.”
I climbed out of the car as I pulled up. Duke slid out of the car as the front door opened and a pair of staff members, Ben and Jacob, came out.
“Duke is now a ward of the Blood Moon Pack; he’ll be staying with us until he decides he’d rather not. Set him up in a guest room near my room. If you could make a note for Blue, call Maggie, and tell me if Trent is awake.”
Duke flinched. “Y-You mean tonight?”
I pat his shoulder. “For the transference. It shouldn’t take long.”
He didn’t seem to find that assuring, but he said nothing as we walked inside. Ben took the majority of Duke’s things and Jacob went to make a note for Blue.
We made it to the dining room just as Blue came into the kitchen in a silky gown with her hair tied up in a scarf. She narrowed her eyes at me.
“I didn’t tell them to wake you.”
“I was already awake, you little troublemaker.” She turned her gaze on Duke and her gaze softened. “Hi dear, I’m Ivy, but everyone calls me Blue. I’m the house manager of the Blood Moon Monstrous.”
I snorted. “I told you to hire more people.”
“We manage just fine. I don’t want them getting lazy.” She came closer. “You’re a bit on the thin side.”
Duke turned bright red and looked down. “Well…”
She shook he head. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you fattened up and filled out in no time.”
She took a seat and materialized her journal out of thin air as Duke took a seat. Amos lumbered in, yawning.
“Children and adults should be in bed,” he said and cocked an eyebrow. “As should wives.”
She said nothing, making notes in her journal. Soon, Trent came to join us, sill dressed from the day with a glass of something in his hand. He brought his working journal with him and smiled.
“I hear we’ve got another ward. Welcome to the party,” Trent said. “Hopefully, you’re nicer than the other one.”
“Don’t be mean to Maggie,” I said, shaking my head. “He’s come along way.”
“Which is more than I can say for many.” I looked up at Hito walked. His hair was pulled up into his usual bun.
“Don’t be surly so late at night, Maggie.”
He scowled. “I still detest that nickname.”
“No you don’t,” Blue said as he took a seat and offered Duke his hand.
“I’m Hito Magari… though many simply call me Maggie. I’m the healer. I expect you not to lie to me about the sources of your injuries and I will do my best to make treatment as painless as possible.”
Duke’s eyes widened and he looked over at me.
“Maggie’s a bit prickly on first meeting, but he’ll take good care of you.”
“True,” Trent said. “You’re family now… So, who do I need to contact?”
Duke lowered his head. “About that…”
I frowned and I knew that things were going to get more complicated than I first thought.
He cleared his throat. “I… Well, I’m not entirely sure.”
I passed the contract over to Trent. He opened it and started taking notes before passing it to Blue, as Duke seemed to stumble and stagger through a very vague statement about his situation. The more I listened the more I realized what he was saying. Trent’s eyes went cold.
“You don’t know who your Handler is,” he said. “What barrack have you staying at?”
He flushed. “Uhm… the free variety?”
Trent’s eyes bulged and he looked at me. Maggie and Blue looked at me. Amos let out a soft sigh and stood.
“I’m going to make coffee. This is going to be a long night.”
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