Enforcing Boundaries

Chapter 21

Magnus

Lachlan woke up a few times in the night, usually just long enough to drain the glass of water I kept ready for him. Once he had to go to the bathroom but refused to let me help, so I watched as he took shuffling steps around the perimeter of the room and down the hall, keeping one hand on the wall to steady himself until he made it to his destination. He made it halfway back on his own before he admitted defeat and let me carry him back to bed.

I hated knowing he was so ill because of me. This transformation... this was just so we could be together. It was humbling and I wanted to think of something I could do for him, some gesture that showed just how much this meant to me. For now, all I could do was be there for him, and I wouldn't even be able to do that for much longer.

I was exhausted from staying up all night, but I hadn't been able to convince myself to sleep. I had wanted to make sure I was ready whenever Lachlan needed me and anyway, it was comforting to watch the rise and fall of his chest and know that he was still okay.

I crept out of bed, hating the weight of responsibilities that dragged me from my mate at a time like this. Lachlan rolled onto the space I had been inhabiting and frowned. I felt his forehead one last time, trying to gauge whether he was cooler than yesterday. I thought he was, but maybe that was wishful thinking. I was going to buy a thermometer on my way back here later.

I made it a few steps away from the bed when Lachlan groaned a little. I turned back around and saw him blinking up at me. Then I saw the exact moment he realized I was leaving. His eyes widened and his whole expression crumpled.

I rushed back to the bed and flung myself down next to him, wrapping him up in my arms and pulling him against me. Lachlan's nose pressed against my throat and he clung to me. "Stay," he said.

I kissed his head and didn't respond. He was still waking up, I thought. If I gave him a minute, he would either fall back asleep or he would realize that I had to go. Wasn't that why he had started this whole process without me, knowing that him being human meant I would keep having to leave?

I took in a deep pull of his scent while I could. I still felt the strain of our time apart and now I was leaving again. At least it was just for the day. I should be back by evening, and maybe he would be feeling better by then.

I waited another minute before peeling Lachlan's arms off me and carefully easing out of the bed. Lachlan didn't stir. The blankets were only halfway up his chest, so I pulled them higher. He wasn't shivering as much today, but I didn't want to chance him getting cold, especially now that he wouldn't have my body heat to warm him.

The door to the spare bedroom was shut and I thought I was going to have to risk waking Luin by knocking, but then I realized his scent was coming from down the hall. I found him in the kitchen, eating an orange at the table. His eyes stared down at the orange segment he held as deft fingers peeled off strings of white pulp. Those eyes were filled with such despair that I froze as my chest ached in empathy.

Where Luin had been almost glowing yesterday, his skin was dull and pale today. The skin under his eyes was a deep purple and the lines that bracketed his mouth weren't from habitual smiling, but from repeatedly wearing expressions just like this. Solemn and hopeless, almost grimacing except that his expression was a bit too vacant for that.

The orange segment was clean, but instead of eating it, Luin just stared at the bit of fruit in his hand like if he just looked hard enough it would solve his problems. I must have made some small sound because his eyes snapped to mine and he instantly drew himself upright. An easy friendly smile spread on lips that now looked like they had never felt sorrow and between one blink and the next, the purple under his eyes and his pallor vanished.