"Some cultures hold hands with friends, Alex," I growled. "Nik is an old friend." Pitching my voice low and switching to Russian, I whispered, "Don't talk if you can avoid it." Doc still blocked most of Alex's view of me, so he probably didn't notice.
Nikolai squeezed my shoulders in agreement.
"You're looking pretty good for someone who got stabbed a week ago." I managed to get my voice back under control, and it came out sounding strong and pissed. I certainly was pissed.
"Fortunately, I wasn't alone." He glanced around. "You look good for someone who's sleeping with a vampire. Not anemic?"
Doc growled.
"Can I roast him," Nikolai whispered in Russian.
"I wish."
Alex, his warning delivered, smiled and left. The reminder that he, and the others, knew our secrets, sent chills down my spine and made my heart race in fear.
Nikolai held me against him while we watched Alex get into his red Mustang and drive off.
Doc finally took a breath and turned toward us. He didn't even seem upset that Nikolai was holding me while I shook.
"Fuck," I growled after a minute.
"Why did we not attack him, if he is so dangerous?"
"Unfortunately, in these days, if we got caught, it could really land us in trouble. Like, jail or dead." I hugged myself.
Doc nodded. "We need to solve this particular problem before it blows up for all of us. Unfortunately, I don't know how." He clenched his fists and glared in the direction Alex had driven.
"Yeah, well, not going to happen on an empty stomach. Let's go."
Doc opened the door for Nikolai, and the mage climbed in a bit more gracefully this time.
I got in the back, and Doc got in the driver's seat.
Nikolai turned to look at me once the diesel was running. "Who was that?"
I sighed. "Someone I'm really glad I didn't end up dating."
The mage laughed. "Yes, he seems disagreeable."
"Very."
Doc and I filled Nikolai in on that part of the story while we got food and parked in a valley overlook to eat.
∞ ∞ ∞
Doc left us alone in the truck while he ran inside the admin building. It was Sunday afternoon, but he thought he could at least get a guest pass for Nikolai for the next couple of days.
"There is something I cannot figure out," Nikolai said, switching to Russian. The language caressed my ears.
"Only one thing?" I answered slowly, testing the words, enjoying my ability to speak the new language.
"Ah. Yes, many things. But one question for now, I suppose. You and Doc are married, yes?"
The question took me by surprise, leaving me speechless for a moment. "Well, we're together, anyway." Marriage hadn't even crossed my mind yet. How on earth would we handle something like that? If we even decided to go there. That was a conversation we needed to have sometime in the future.
"Ed and Allan? They…" He trailed off as if unsure how to continue. He waved his hand around for a minute before sighing.
"I'm with all of them."
"Married to all of them?"
I thought about letting him flounder for a while, but his life was hard enough right now. Those questions were a little personal, though I supposed he was living with us, so he needed to know our dynamic. "No, just together. Like I said, one happy wolf pack."
"Ah. Werewolves and their packs. I see. Though I am surprised Doc went along with it. The supernatural community does treat such things a bit different than regular humans. I suppose that hasn't changed much."
"He's been part of their pack longer than they have known me."
Nikolai nodded. "I see. You truly are untrained?"
"My birth parents died about the time I was born. Somehow, I was adopted into a non-magical family. Apparently, my parents actually tried to find someone to teach me, but couldn't."
Nikolai nodded. "Mages can be particular about who they train, when they have the luxury."
"And you won't teach me?" I didn't want to push, but I needed to know his reasons.
"Sofia, to teach you properly, I will have to spend a great deal of time with you. Our magic resonates. It will draw us together. Even if we decided we hate each other, if we continue to work magic together, it will bring us closer. I can teach you basics without risking that, but not more. I do not wish to incur the wrath of your pack. Nor would I wish to cause any difficulties. The time we will have to spend together for you to learn the basics will probably push their limits as it is." He looked sad. "Also, I'm not so certain I'm ready for another student. The last one nearly killed me."
"What if our magic didn't resonate?"
"Finding someone who resonates with you happens now and again. It's not terribly rare, but it's also not so common that it is to be taken lightly. If it did not, I would be able to teach you the basics and maybe a touch more, but that would be it. Families typically have resonance, which is why you are usually trained by family. When mages search for their own mate, they typically look for someone who has resonance with them. Resonance means that we cast magic in similar ways. If we did not resonate with each other, sharing languages would have been more difficult, not impossible, but not as easy, and I would have waited until I had recovered more to attempt it." He shrugged.
"Not everyone casts magic the same?"
"Yes and no. Magic is basically the same for all mages. However, the small details of how a mage shapes spells varies. It may have something to do with bloodlines. I don't truly know."
"Okay. Well, will you teach me some of the basics at least?"
"Though I'd rather refuse, I do not believe I can. You are all doing quite a bit for me. I will try."
Notes of fear entered his voice again, but before we could talk anymore, Doc returned.
"Guest pass acquired. You can shadow one of us for the week,
