Page 13 of Hexes & Heartstrings (Shifters of Bastion Keep #2)

"But it surely helps to know just who we're fighting for, yeah?

So first! We're going to go for a little run.

" Marka pinched her fingers together. " Suuuper short, just a twenty mile round trip.

It's a straight shot to the foot of the White Mountain anchors, which will give us plenty of time to mingle.

I want every guardian here to pair up with someone they don't know.

Learn about each other. Find out their favorite food or some shit.

Newly arrived guardians, find the oldtimers.

Because when we return? The experienced guardian is going to spend the rest of the day showing you around and introducing you to the staff that work here.

The ones that make our food. That clean the castle halls.

The ones that make sure there's damned toilet paper in our bathrooms. The people whose very existence is why we're called guardians. "

Yi's lips thinned into a line. "Lady Marka, I had other training plans for my pack today."

"Yeah?" Marka stepped forward, crossing her well-muscled arms in front of her chest as she looked down at the fellow royal.

"Well, I think that when it comes to training, being fucking able to tell friend from foe and not harming those under our protection are the more important lessons.

And since your pack doesn't seem to have those parts mastered… "

Lady Yi's face was calm as Marka trailed off pointedly, but her scent radiated cold fury. "Quite."

Marka nodded and turned her back. "Awoo, let's move out!

Yacob, take the lead. I want a slow pace so people can talk.

Finnegan! We'll get you your cardio another day, for now I want you to rev up a humvee and fill some jugs with water.

Anyone else who can't jog or run because of injury, help him out. Not you, Lady Yi."

"I—"

Marka tsked as guardians began charging past her, most shifting into their animal forms for the drill.

"You are to meet with Lady Usenko in the war room in half an hour, I was just coming to tell you.

And some personal advice? If you are going to be taking over as garrison commander, like we're planning…

" Marka gestured towards Russell's ribs, an act that immediately drew Bruin's attention.

"This is the kind of thing you're supposed to fix, not gloss over. "

"I will take what you say under advisement. You haven't seen the wider world, yet, holed up here in your lands."

"Twenty-nine minutes.Tick-tock!"

Then Marka charged off down the trail, howling, while Yi strode back towards the castle at an unhurried pace.

The five that had bothered Russell were among the last to leave. The dog shifter shot him a furious glare before going, but the werecroc had an abashed posture with a low-hanging tail as he left.

"Are you okay?" Bruin asked him, checking him over. Russell felt a tingle in the air, and smelled the earthen scent that accompanied his little witch's magical talents as he pressed fingers against his ribs. "Why are you favoring this side? Oh!"

Russell winced.

"Hang on, I keep healing crystals with me." Reaching into a small pouch that was at his hip, Bruin pulled out a purple amethyst. "Yeah, I know you're a shifter and will heal soon, but I can tell you're in pain, so let me fix this."

Bruin put a hand gently against Russell's side, whispering an incantation.

Bone and sinew,

Knit anew.

"Did someone accidentally hit you while training?" he asked, the crystal glowing brightly as a coolness began washing away the pain.

"No." Russell considered staying quiet, not wanting more trouble with Lady Yi, but lying was a bad thing. "I was punched."

"Hang on, do you mean intentionally? Why would anyone want to do that? You're the best!"

"I said some things. I made a mistake."

"You mean someone else misunderstood you and didn't bother finding out," Bruin said heatedly.

Russell watched as Bruin pulled the gem back, which had begun to flicker with his anger. Bruin then took deep breaths in and out, and his scent gradually calmed… a little bit. Once the crystal's flickering regained its steady glow, Bruin returned to his healing.

After another moment, when Bruin pulled his hand away, Russell patted him on the head.

"Thank you. I feel better."

And he did. Not just from the healing charm, either.

He felt glad, somehow. As his little witch stored his gem back in its pouch and then put his hands on his hips so he could glare at the retreating guardians, Russell thought about why.

Maybe it was because Bruin had immediately taken his side?

Apparently to his little witch, there wasn't a question that Russell could possibly have done anything wrong.

Grabbing him, he crushed him tight.

Bruin reached up to run a hand through his hair. "You're a good person, Russell. I'll talk with Marka later, see if she needs to tell me anything, but for now let's focus on you. Is there anything you need or want?"

Russell considered the question, but shook his head.

"Okay." Bruin looked around at the empty training field.

"I don't really feel like finishing today's cardio.

Instead, I think I'm going to do some gardening to clear my head.

Tend some herbs, make sure my earth crystals are topped off, maybe even make a quick trip to Town to buy some snowdrop and hyacinth bulbs for planting. "

Russell tilted his head, then nodded. That made sense. If Bruin wasn't feeling up to exercising, he should do something else.

"And if you don't have any other duties," Bruin continued, taking his hand in his, "I'd love it if you joined me. You could help me dig some holes, and be my ride into Town."

Oh!

"Yes," Russell said, taking his hand back so he could clap happily.

Spending the rest of the morning with his boyfriend soon turned the sad day into a nice one.

In fact, by lunch time, Russell was feeling happy enough to suggest a last-second picnic idea.

Russell borrowed a basket from the kitchens, and Leona, who by now had heard the gossip about the morning's altercation, was delighted to make him his favorite roast sandwich for the trip.

She was less excited to make for Bruin a double-layered bologna and American cheese sandwich on plain white bread, at Russell's special request, but still willing.

"You're a good lad," she said fiercely, giving him a wedge of sharp cheddar to munch on.

Russell and Bruin took a trip out north, Bruin carrying their basket in a hard bottom backpack as he rode on Russell's back, and they soon came up on one of the many mountain streams.

After a nice lunch, with Bruin exclaiming with delight over his surprise sandwich—"It reminds me of home, thank you!"—Russell shifted into his wolf form and laid on the bank. His tail wagging, he watched Bruin wander around, carefully gathering different plants for his witchcraft.

"So this kind of moss is great for making blood-stop poultices," Bruin was saying cheerfully as he knelt at the bank of the river, diligently scraping some from a rock to store in a jar. "And best of all, there's enough here I can pack a whole jar full without damaging the local growth!"

It was nice to listen to his boyfriend talk about his craft, but Russell found that something else was starting to occupy his mind.

Getting up carefully, he approached his boyfriend.

Bruin hadn't bothered wearing a shirt and had tossed aside his sandals earlier, so the only thing he had on was a pair of cargo shorts.

And right now, bent over that he was, the crack of his ass was exposed.

Russell never wore underwear himself. Ser preferred silken briefs, with the occasional thong.

And Bruin preferred boxers, which he only wore half the time.

At first, Russell had thought that maybe his boyfriend preferred going commando like himself, but over time he'd come to realize that no, his witch was just too lazy to bother finding clothes, sometimes.

It was cute. It also sometimes led to things like today.

He growled, putting his paws up on Bruin's shoulders and pressing his hips into him. Bruin carefully set aside his jar and tools.

"Feels like I'm not the only one wanting to pack something to the brim," he teased. "Is this what you want?"

Russell whuffed. "You brought lube."

"How did you…? Right, shifter sense of smell. Yes, I did bring it, just in case. I also have what I need to cast an accommodation charm, so I can take you in any form. Did you have something in mind? You can tell me."

Russell thought about it as he lowered his muzzle down, sniffing the wonderfully earthen scent of his orc boyfriend, then stepped back and made the shift into his human form. Carefully, he picked Bruin up and carried him back to their backpack.

Russell sat down on his spread out kilt, Bruin held in his lap, and began running his hands up and down his boyfriend's torso.

In return, Bruin eased Russell's shoulders back until they were pressed up against the ground, then sat up, sitting astride his waist. With his mouth split open wide, his tusks displayed, and a wiggle of his hips, Bruin reached a hand out to the side pouch of the backpack.

"Okay."

◆◆◆

Afterwards, they lay on the kilt together, Bruin resting his cheek on his chest and twirling his fingers through Russell's chest hair. It was quiet, apart from the normal sounds of the stream and the birds and the insects, which was nice. No electrical hums at all.

A great way to start the afternoon, Russell thought. Maybe good enough to make this morning's troubles be forgotten.

"About this morning," Bruin said.

Or not.

Russell rumbled a whine, moving an arm so he could drop a hand on top of Bruin's face. His boyfriend laughed.

"I know, I know, you don't really care about things that have happened," Bruin said, sobering up. "Live and let live, right? But if they were assholes to you, they might be assholes to others. It's the job of everyone to stand up against bullies."

And then Russell felt him thrust out his jaw, reminding him that his little witch came from a different family background, one without royals like Lady Yi, or even the Usenko family.

He took his hand off of Bruin's face, moving it to stroke his head.

"It looked like Marka handled it well," Bruin continued. "So that might be the end of it. All I'm going to say is that if it happens to you again, or if you see it happen to someone else, let me or Sergiy know, okay? I care about you and don't like to see you sad."

Russell thought about it, decided that telling the truth was something he could do, then nodded.

"Okay."

Bruin's scent began settling, and then he proceeded to stretch an arm across Russell's broad chest, burying his face into his side. Russell stroked his teddy bear's forehead, thinking he'd let him rest for a half-hour or so before heading back in time to prepare for tomorrow.

This morning had not started out the best, and tomorrow was a scary trip to the Umbral, but for right now?

Right now, it was a good day, and that was good enough for Russell.