Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 88

The thick tangle of gray hair falls in a pool of silver hues in front of his eyes as Adriam inspects the back of his head, a shaved undercut and the waves of gray that play interesting games with the crystal blues peering at me through the dense forest of hair. 

he still took my breath away, the youth that I left in the past didn't hold a candle to my version, causing my wolf to whimper in the back of my mind. Regret, endless streams of regret flooding into my consciousness. Should I grovel? That he still made me quicken, threatening to flush with the intensity in which he gazed upon me, it should have been enough to prevent me from acting on my desire. 

Even though he was upset with me, it was a look of longing. His wolf responded to mine, the beast rattled my mental cage and I felt his do the same. They were desperate to reconnect, my mate, my soul, before me yet I couldn't touch him due to my own disgusting instinct to satisfy an urge I'd yet to get control over. It was unfair to continue to lean on my newness to the breed, I was plenty experienced when I wanted to be. 

I feel my face crack, showing my concern, causing the corner of his lip to twitch with his desire to comfort me.

"Your skull feels intact, I think it's healed nicely. You're healing quickly, faster than normal. Frankly, you look like a totally different person than when I saw you on the television..." Slipping his finger under the chain, Adriam considers the way it burns his skin before retracting the digit. Bronzing silver from the age, yet laced with strands of glimmering pieces as if hair had been woven into the chain. 

It was a beautiful piece if it wasn't made to ward off the devil.

While it didn't burn the warlord, it did bruise the skin beneath. "With this on, I doubt you will be able to shift. Undoubtedly, it is aiding to suppress the pushback of Fenrir attempting to surpass the seal. Fenrir must grow to gain power, think of it as a magical waist trainer."

Alpha would be locked away? How would that work? He was short tempered before but perhaps now he would have an easier time with Fenrir under control. Could he stay like this? Could we truly leave the end of the world trapped under a seal and chain? The same seems to be crossing his own mind as the conflict passes through his expression, causing him to tighten his jaw with the subtle distaste at the suggestion.

Verando frowns, shaking his hair and shrugging out of Adriam's grasp. His eyes leave mine, he wanted to be done with this. Despite any connection I might be feeling, first and foremost, I had betrayed him. That pain could not be so easily erased in the moments he needed me most. I couldn't be there for him, I'd driven a wedge between us. It'd been so different to be on the other side, to cast him out and wallow in my pain, yet Verando was so different than me in this aspect. 

It was uncharted territory for both of us.

Stretching on his toes, Adriam palpates the high cheekbones and flexes the man's jaw. "Must have been a hell of a punch to unhinge you like this. You're so thick-headed."

Verando watches the Frenchman, speechless beyond the irritation with the exam. "How long..?" He manages, touching the slender shoulders, stilling the tiny professional who was so wrapped up in his process that he'd hardly offered an explanation. "When... how?"

"Nic warned me when he went back in time. I was able to figure out the rest.. we have been unable to reach you, there was a barrier in some sense, I won't go into all the details, I'm sure Tomas would much rather fill you in. But we were only allowed to make contact once Nic resurfaced from the dragon realm." Adriam allows half-heartedly, offering me a small smile before turning the man around abruptly to inspect the tattooed brand.

I expect a scolding, tense, I rub my bicep as I feel his gaze flick up and down my body before he turns back to allow Adriam to palpate his back. "Thank you, Nic."