Chapter 13: Chapter 13

Millan is hunched over and surrounded by a multitude of books and papers in a far corner of the library when Jace finally finds him.

He tries to be subtle in his approach, wanting to observe the omega and see what he’s up to- a training habit. But as soon as he enters Millan's vicinity, the latter doesn’t even have to look up from his reading material to spot him.

“Were you here to stalk or to talk? I can’t tell if you’re trying to be subtle.”

The little shit, Jace can’t help the smile creeping up on his face.

“How do you always know when I’m there?”

Millan does look up now, dumbfounded.

“Your smell, obviously.”

“My smell? But I use scent neutralizers...” Jace tries not to sit on any books as he settles next to Millan who’s chuckling.

“Scent neutralizers don’t really cover scent. It’s like a band-aid on an open wound.”

The skeptic look on Jace’s face urges Millan to extrapolate.

“A werewolf’s scent is layered like an onion. The neutralizers only cover the most obvious part of it, but I can still smell tobacco leaves, pine and cinnamon on you. Not sure about the cinnamon yet actually, but something like that.”

Jace’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“Okay…” Jace shakes his head in disbelief. “Your sense of smell is honestly the best I’ve ever heard of. Even my brothers can’t describe my scent that well.”

Millan shrugs while getting back to his books.

“Had to learn...” Millan stares at the word ‘starboard’ of the sentence he’s been trying to understand for the past fifteen minutes as he tries to push away the sudden flashbacks of his first year alone.

He remembers the hours, no, the days, spent desperately training his nose to differentiate between smells. That year, he had thought he wouldn’t survive the constant attacks from alpha rogues. He’s amazed he did quite well frankly.

“So… actually, I’m here because Weston wanted to make sure you ate breakfast this morning…”

That startling statement effectively pushes the somber thoughts away and Millan looks up to see if Jace is joking.

The beta isn’t.

“I umm. What?”

“Did you eat breakfast this morning? If not, I can prepare you something.”

Silence falls on them as Millan tries to make sense of the situation.

“Just. Okay. So… Weston wanted to make sure I ate?”

Why would he make sure the freeloader rogue on his territory eats?

And, most importantly, why does it send butterflies to his stomach?

Jace laughs softly.

“Yes, Millan. He’s the one who sent me here to make sure you eat. By your reaction, I’m guessing you didn’t, so let’s go.” Jace gets up, waiting for Millan to follow.

Millan ignores the butterflies and frowns. He has so much research to do in such a small amount of time. Besides, he’s so accustomed to starving that he isn’t even hungry.

“No, actually, I’m fine. Thanks though. I really need to read this... so…” He expects Jace to leave it at that and leave him alone.

Instead, the beta purses his lips and picks up one of the discarded books on the floor.

“’How to Build A Boat’ by Jonathan Gornall. Is it any good?”

“It’s shit. Turns out there is nothing in there to actually teach you how to build a boat.”

Jace tilts his head curiously, a little amused.

“You want to… learn how to build a boat?”

Millan sighs, closing the book he was reading, unable to understand half the words.

“Yeah. Once I’m out of Weston’s Territory, I need to cross to the Eastern Lands.”

He shrugs as if it isn’t the biggest worry in his life, as if it isn’t a total suicide mission.

Judging by the almost comical face Jace is pulling, the beta is aware it isn’t a small feat. Once he gets back to an almost controlled expression, Jace shakes his head and takes a deep breath, trying to process this.

“There is absolutely no way you’re doing that, Millan.”

Millan can see how hard Jace is trying to keep his voice down. Millan frowns.

“Actually, I don’t have that much of a choice. I’ll do it or die trying.” Millan tries to act confident although he knows the idea is crazy.

“Are you completely insane? Crossing the fucking ocean on a makeshift raft by yourself? Surely there’s another option.”

Millan takes back the book from Jace’s hands.

“You’ve known me for three days, not even. You have absolutely no right to dictate what I can and cannot do. And I know how to take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for nine years.”

To Millan's frustration, Jace keeps shaking his head dismissively as if what he said was a complete bullshit and should just be forgotten, or maybe that is just the rebellious streak in Millan being defensive, and Jace doesn’t really mean anything bad by it.

Either way, Millan will not waver. He needs to do this to survive. He will do this.

There’s no other way and he doesn’t have much of a choice.

“Once Weston hears about this... I mean, he’s never going to let you do such a stupid thing. Hell, he’ll never let you out of his sight again once he knows what you’re up to.”

Millan frowns, staring at Jace, absolutely confused.

“What does Weston got to do with any of this?”

Jace realizes he might have spoken out of terms, and turns his gaze away.

“Just… forget it. Can you just... come with me and eat some fucking food?”

“No. I’m busy at the moment. Thank you.”

Millan opens another book and turns his attention to it, effectively ending the conversation, leaving Jace distraught and alarmed.

As the beta gets back to Headquarters, he is desperate to report back to Weston, hoping the Alpha can put some sense into Millan.

*****

It’s passed noon and Millan's head is full of sailing terms.

From what he could gather a sailboat seems like the best option. So he’s gone and got every book of the library on the subject.

Jace was probably right, it’s the most dangerous and preposterous idea he’s ever had, but the more he reads into it, the more conceivable the project becomes. He does have experience in building things from scratch.

In the past years, he’s had to learn how to build tools, weapons, shelters... he once built a whole cabin to hide on a particularly hostile territory. The strategy had worked for almost three months, but he was forced to get medical supplies from a city nearby and one of the pack’s werewolves discovered him...

Millan absentmindedly brushes his fingers over a scar on his stomach and shudders at the violent memory. He closes his eyes and tries to regain control of his thoughts, bringing them back to the ‘fascinating’ mechanics of a helm.

He decides he’ll make a smaller prototype and try it out in a fountain or a pond since the heavenly Blayne Headquarters seems to be full of those.

Then, he’ll just have to replicate it... only bigger.

Easy.

Millan sighs, shakes his head and focuses back on his work. No room for doubts. It’s either that or get killed by one of the surrounding packs.

After his talk with Jace, he isn’t too surprised when he hears a commotion at the entrance of the library and a very distinctive scent wafts through his nose.

Weston.

Feeling like a misbehaving child who’s been caught, he tries to push his nerves aside. He isn’t a child and there’s no way he’ll be scolded like one.

By the time Weston finds the corner he’s sat in, it seems like the whole library has gathered around, curious to know what has gotten their normally so calm and collected Alpha so agitated.

“Have you lost your damn mind?”

Weston is visibly boiling with rage and towering over Millan who’s still sat on the floor, surrounded by an impressive amount of books.

He would never admit it, but the Alpha does intimidate him a tiny bit.

“Hi, Westy. You sure know how to enter a room dramatically.”

“I’ll reiterate. Have you COMPLETELY lost your damn mind? Crossing the fucking ocean on a makeshift raft? Do you actually WANT to die?”

“Okay. I know the idea is a bit rough-”

“A bit rough?”

“-but hear me out. I honestly think I can pull it off.”

“Oh great! So you’re insane AND delusional! Fantastic!”

“If I can just find a hardware store nearby, I can get started on a prototype. It really doesn’t seem so hard.”

Weston, in lieu of an answer, starts to close the books displayed around Millan on the floor.

“Hey! I’m reading those! I just have to put down a plan first... Will you please stop?”

Millan tries to get the books back, but Weston’s way too strong and keeps getting the upper hand, shoving them on the shelves.

“Weston, you’re being unreasonable!”

“Oh! I’M being unreasonable?”

“Look, I can test out my prototype in a pond or a fountain somewhere at Headquarters and then, you know…”

Weston keeps putting away the books so violently he almost rips some pages.

Millan sees one of the librarians wince more than once.

“Once I got the prototype, I just need to replicate it bigger. No big deal.”

That has Weston stopping, three voluminous books in one hand.

Millan isn’t thinking about how big Weston’s hands are.

No. That would be weird.

Right?

“No big deal? You are saying that this is no big deal? Have you ever built anything in your life, Millan?”

“I’ve built a cabin once.” Millan regrets it as soon as he says it.

“Oh really? You built a cabin? Great! Bravo! And did it float and give you the ability to cross the fucking ocean?”

Why is Weston’s anger so hot? Millan speculated before shaking his head and focusing on things that should matter more now.

“No. But it did hold up pretty well.” Millan can’t help his cheeky grin.

Why is it fun to make Weston that furious?

“It held up pretty w- Okay. Enough. I’m not giving this crazy idea any more room to grow.” Weston has gotten all the books back on the shelves except for the one Millan is holding.

The smaller wolf follows the Alpha’s gaze and presses the surviving book to his chest protectively.

“Not this one! I’m reading this one.”

“Yeah, that’s the problem.”

Weston forcibly takes the book from Millan's grip who is not nearly strong enough to stop him.

“Weston!”

“There’s no way I’m letting you read those books, Millan.”

Now that has Millan frustrated enough to ignore how hot angry Weston looks.

“Letting me? Letting me? You have no business LETTING me do anything. I can take care of myself. I think I’ve more than proven that by just being ALIVE after nine years alone out there!”

“With ideas like that? It’s a wonder you’re still breathing!”

“Well I am! And without an Alpha to tell me what I can or cannot do.”

“Whatever. This argument is pointless. You’re staying here anyway.”

“You have no ri-” Millan looks at Weston, stunned.

What did he just say? Staying there? Did he hear him right?

No. He is hallucinating, making him hear things that he actually wishes to hear but wouldn’t admit. He looks at Weston and sees him staring solemnly at him. It made Millan’s heart skip a beat.

“W-What? What did you just say?”

“I’ve talked to the Council. We’ve agreed to let you stay.”