Celeste's POV
I keep waiting and waiting. 'Where are you?' I ask him for probably the hundredth time that day.
'On my way to you,' he assures me, a calmness to his voice. A certainty perhaps. Either way, he's told me this every time I've asked. Not once has he told me to stop asking or gotten annoyed with me.
I squint as I stare at the trees ahead, sure that Xavier will come out at any moment.
Lycer is quiet just a few steps behind me. There's a limp to his step that I don't ask about. I tried to make him rest just a few miles back and he seemed to get frustrated. I'd never seen Lycer get frustrated with me before. I stayed quiet after that.
A sound echoes through the forest and I stop. Familiar and fulfilling in a way a sound shouldn't be able to be.
'What's wrong?' I didn't realize I had stopped completely until Lycer's question came. I didn't respond.
Staring intensely at the trees before me, I wait. Then, it comes again. Clearly this time. "Celeste!" My heart stops then starts up with a vicious pattern.
"Xavier," I whisper. My feet take off running before my brain can even acknowledge a needed action.
The ground is icy below my feet and I don't care. My toes dig into the mushed earth as I run with all my might, my arm held tightly around my middle. Dodging trees and lightly tripping over roots, I quickly stumble forward.
And then I see him. I stop running but the world continues to spin around me. "Xavier?"
He takes a hesitant step forward. "Celeste?" He hurries his steps, stopping just in front of me.
"Xavier," I breathe out. My hand lifts, shaking until it lands on his chest.
His hand lifts, curling as he gently runs his fingers over my cheek. "Celeste."
"Xavier!" Shouts come from the direction he was coming from. He doesn't seem to care, not taking his eyes off me.
Until a bark comes from behind me. A quick glance reveals Lycer standing in wait. Dried blood mars his fur, making for an unsettling picture as he stares between Xavier and I.
Xavier is quick to pull me behind him, letting out a growl deep in his chest.
"Xavier!" Jacob emerges from the tree line, Josh following shortly behind in his wolf form. Jacob, and Xavier, both only wear shorts. Jacob is still pulling his up properly when he emerges from the trees. Jacob and Josh eye Lycer only for a moment before going into a defensive position.
I lift my hand, gently laying it on Xavier's back. "Xavier, this is Lycer." His growl stops and I let out a breath of relief.
"Stand down," he instructs the guys as well as several more of our wolves who emerge from the next tree line. "Charlie, see to his injuries."
'I'm fine,' Lycer sends through the proximity link.
"Lycer, please." I step in front of Xavier. Xavier's hand finds my waist and pulls me back to him, his hand resting on top of mine that's still wrapped around my middle. "You've been limping all day." One of the wolves shifts, sorting through a bag another carried until he pulled out a pair of shorts. Charlie slipped them on and made his way over to Lycer. Lycer growls as Charlie gets closer. I glare at him until his eyes find mine and he stops.
"Already healing, Alpha. He needs to rest it to let it finish setting." I nod. That's as good news as we could hear.
'Her arm,' Lycer brings up.
"What's wrong with your arm?" I turn to face Xavier. His eyes fall to my arm curled around my middle. I use my better arm to shrug off the coat. I hiss as the weight settles over my injured shoulder and as I peel the coat back from that too. The cold air is no help as it nips at my injuries.
A growl shakes the trees around us as Xavier eyes my shoulder and follows it down the cut on my arm. He holds out my opposite arm, observing the long cut there too. I hiss as his grip tightens just a bit too much on my wrist. He immediately loosens his hold, grabbing onto my hand and circling my palm softly.
'They used a magi weapon.' Lycer takes a hesitant step forward, past Charlie. 'There was nothing I could do. I'm sorry.' Xavier doesn't respond. Instead, his eyes briefly flicker to Lycer with a look I know to be annoyance.
I squeeze his hand. "I'm okay," I whisper. His eyes find mine, flickering between them and my injuries.
"You will be," he promises. He pulls me forward until I'm held against his body. His lips find my forehead and they stay there for several moments.
'Xavier.' My eyes find his as I link him. 'Introduce yourself to Lycer. He's the reason we're out.'
'He's also the reason you were taken,' he argues.
'He's my best friend.' I pout my lip and his eyes drift down. I want to reach up and press my lips to his but I can't. Not in front of Lycer. Or Josh for that matter. 'Go.' I push him in Lycer's direction. Pulling the coat back on as best as I could, I make my way to Jacob and Josh.
I'm surprised when Jacob pulls me into a hug. I pat him on the back at first, not quite knowing what to do for an awkward moment and then relaxing into his hug. "Welcome back." He pulls me back, ruffling my hair. "Xavier was a nightmare without you."
'It's true,' Josh links, coming up beside us and nudging my side with his head. I run my hand through the fur on top of his head.
"I'm glad to be back." I poke at Jacob as I look over my shoulder at Xavier and Lycer who are several feet back. If I wanted to, I could pry into their conversation. The proximity link doesn't allow you to close any particular person out. But something about these two interacting tells me to allow them some privacy. "How do you think it's going between them?"
'Well, if Xavier is wise he'll befriend your friend. Same with - Lycer?' Josh looks to me for confirmation on the name and I nod.
"If I know Xavier, he's either laying out or thinking of several threats." I let out a huff of laughter. He's probably right. I hope he keeps any negativity to himself.
"Aren't you cold?" I poke at Jacob again.
"Freezing. Can you shift?"
"Lycer said he's worried my wounds might reopen." He pulls back the shoulder of my coat, wincing when he sees the injury. "Is it that bad?"
"Celeste you're barely moving your arm and you're asking that?" Josh's head nudges me again as he lets out a whine. I loosen my arm around my middle, trying to lift it. A burning stabbing feeling spreads from my shoulder downward. I wince, biting my lip before going back to holding my middle. "Shifting might reopen the wound. Could heal it?" He gently touches the flesh around the wound before letting the coat settle back into place.
'Your friend said they used a magi weapon?' I nod. 'It's probably best to let Zay look at it first. We brought Charlie but Zay is more likely to know and understand the magi weapons and their effects.'
"So no shifting to get home?"
Jacob and Josh both shake their heads. "Sorry, Celeste. Better safe than sorry."
An arm wraps around my waist and lips find my temple, Xavier's nose landing in the same spot as he takes in several steady breaths. His hand shakes against mine on my stomach. I put my second hand on top of his, squeezing it firmly as I tilt my head back to look at him. "Let's go home."