“How about you let me take a turn?”
Harvey stepped back. “Be my guest.”
“Are the rules about being born a Varu different for Mah?” Nox hammered the post. Vibrations ran up his arm, jarring his arms.
“Will work better if you let go when you bring it down.”
Nox did as Harvey suggested. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” He moved two of the posts a few feet away. “As for the rules. They’re the same.”
“And that’s because Mah are Varu.”
“Exactly.”
If Nox was Varu, and having a wolf wasn’t like having the Anubis, what if Luca could give him one? He’d live longer, and they’d have more time together.
Nox made another strike, sinking the post several inches.
“That’s good.” Harvey positioned another.
Nox started the post, and they traded places again. “Has a Mah ever taken a Fenrir?”
Harvey stopped, but it was a long moment before he looked at Nox. “If you’re asking if you could take a wolf, the answer is no.”
“But if Mah and Varu are the same?”
“If a Mah was willing to walk away from taking a Sarvari, disown his bloodline, and the council would allow it, then yes. Butyoucan’t.”
“Why not?”
Harvey hit the post then stood there with his hands on the handle. “Because you died.” He took a breath. “The ichor is for the dead. The Fenrir is for the living.” He made another strike. “I’m sorry.”
So was Nox. “Not your fault.”
“I know. But that doesn’t mean I can’t apologize. Someone needs to and the people who did that to you never will.”
They’d have to feel guilty, which meant they’d have to care. And they didn’t because they would have never brought Nox back to life if they did.
A curse and a blessing.
Luca’s laughter rang out with the voices of others.
A blessing because Nox had Luca.
A curse because he would leave him sooner than he wanted, no matter the outcome of purging the ichor.
Gravel crunched under the tires of an approaching truck.
“That should be Max with the food.” Harvey dusted off his hands.
The driver’s side door opened, and Tanner got out and locked his gaze on Nox.
“Fuck.” Harvey dropped the post hammer and stepped in front of Nox as the other beta stormed over.
They met chest to chest, and Tanner shoved Harvey aside.
“You don’t belong here.” Tanner grabbed Nox by his shirt and yanked him forward.