Page 49 of Hold my Reins

He’d figured that working in a monster town would be a little strange. But magic and frost giants and shape-shifting boyfriends had not been something he’d planned on.

Rox followed the horse along the lake road for a bit before Lynck left the road and headed into the forest. Rox mounted the curb and parked on the grass, hoping that no one noticed and gave him a ticket.

The two of them piled out of the truck, Thursten with his ax slung over his shoulder, like stalking a horse through the woods in the early hours of morning was a normal thing to do. Perhaps it was in the monster world. He glanced at Thursten, who had a weapon to defend himself. Why didn’t he have a weapon? For a second, Rox considered grabbing a tire iron or a spanner, but if Bothvar was also armed with an ax, it wouldn’t do him any good. Besides, he was the distraction.

Lynck, in his horse form, strode through the woods, looking like liquid moonlight. He never turned his head or changed direction, never doubting where he was going.

Rox’s pulse thumped in his ears, and even though the night air was cool, he was sweating. His skin was clammy, his stomach tight. He’d never gotten into fights at school, mostly because he was the odd quiet kid everyone ignored. Hell, he was sure even some of his teachers didn’t know he existed until they had to write his report card.

Yet, there he was, about to confront the frost giant who was trying to steal his boyfriend. That was a more familiar situation, although, to be fair, the last time a boyfriend—and they’d barely been that—had left him for someone else, all he’d done was shout and make a scene.

Not his finest moment.

“What if we die?” he whispered.

“Then we will be dead.”

Rox glared at the troll. “Not helpful.”

“Your question was terrible.” Thursten glanced at him. “What are you worried about?”

“Everything.” The wolves that lived in the forest, the guard that protected the portal on this side, frost giants, magic, and the portal itself.

Thursten grabbed his arm and pulled him behind a tree. Through the trees, Rox saw three tall men with blue skin and white, glittery hair. Frost giants. And Lynck was strolling toward them.

Thursten whispered in his ear. “Here’s the plan…”

twenty-three

It had started as a whisper in a dream. The urge to wake up and walk into the forest. Then, it had intruded on the dream of running in the shallows of the lake on four feet with Rox on his back. In his dream, he ran forever and never tired, and Rox never let go.

Usually, in the dream, he’d shift back and fall to the sand in a pile of tangled limbs and lust. Today, the urge was to leave Rox and run in the other direction and head towards the woods.

Lynck woke up, and for several heartbeats, he wasn’t sure where he was. Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the bedroom. Rox slept, curled on his side with his back to him. They had shared a bed every night this week.

The need to get up, shift,and walk into the forest persisted.

It was only as the chain around his neck warmed against his skin that he understood what was happening.

Bothvar had arrived.

He reached out to shake Rox awake but drew his hand back just as fast. It was better to let him sleep. He’d realize Lynck was gone in the morning, and by then, the danger would be over. If he woke Rox, Rox would want to help.

Instead, he stared at him a little longer, wanting to commit every line of muscle to memory to enjoy later. When the heat became too much, Lynck eased out of bed. The need to run on four feet almost made him drop to the ground, ready to shift.

He shouldn’t shift in the house. The chain became hotter. With one fingernail, he lifted it off his chest, but it still burned the back of his neck as he crept through the house. The need to obey and stop the pain from consuming his thoughts.

As soon as he stepped out into the cool night air, he crouched and let the shift take over. The burning stopped, and he sighed with relief at being on four feet again. He hadn’t thought it possible in this world. It was an itch he hadn’t realized needed scratching. He shook from nose to tail and took a moment to re-orientate himself to the changes in his body. For a few moments, he enjoyed being shifted…but he couldn’t shift back.

Now, he was stuck in his other form, and the need to head into the woods consumed him. If he lingered much longer, the bridle would burn again.

He hesitated, his gaze on the house where Rox slept. They hadn’t finished the song. They hadn’t done so many things.

His heart ached with the death of so many dreams at once. His mistake had been daring to dream. To think that someone like him would have the chance to play the song in his heart for his mate and have it returned if only for a fleeting moment. He wanted to take Rox for a ride and swim with him in the lake…

He wanted a life with him.

The dying dream was bitter on his tongue, and his heart was silent.

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