Boundaries

Chapter 20

"Shut up." Dylan mutters, his eyes never leaving the gash on Orion's forehead.

Orion smiles, but regrets it immediately as his split lip tugs again.

"Ow." He mutters and Dylan sighs, moving his attention to Orion's cheek bone.

"What happened?" He asks quietly. His voice is even and scarily calm, something Orion knows better than to believe.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Orion mutters.

Dylan gives him a look.

"Dad wanted to set up a patrol near here. They were set to come around at 3pm." Orion says quietly.

Dylan's stomach drops.

He doesn't like to think about what they would have done to him if they'd found him here. Alone. But his stomach heaves at the thought of what Ironhill's Alpha would do to Orion if he had found them together.

"Orion..." He whispers.

The older boy shakes his head.

"I told him it was a stupid idea. Better to do it at nightfall, and on the southern edge of our territory. This border is the furthest from the town, it wouldn't make any sense to cross here." He explains heavily.

Oh, how he had paid for those words. He knew he would, as soon as he had said them. He had not been wrong.

"And?" Dylan asks urgently, cleaning the angry skin of Orion's cheek.

"Dad was pissed. But the elders agreed with me. Praised my dad for doing such a good job training me." Orion says bitterly and Dylan laughs.

Everything Orion knows, he's learnt himself. He and Dylan both know that.

"I think that's the only reason I'm still alive." Orion whispers.

A sickening shudder crawls down Dylan's spine. He grabs Orion's hand without thinking, needing the reassurance that his best friend is still here. Real and breathing. Orion's fingers clutch Dylans tightly, his lips lifting halfheartedly.

"He played it cool for the rest of the meeting, but as soon as we got home he lost it. Told me if I ever showed him up like that again he'd..." Orion trails off, looking into the woods.

He squeezes Dylan's hand so tightly, the younger boy loses all feeling in it. But he doesn't strictly mind, instead relishing in the heat of his touch, the comfort of feeling Orion's body so close, thrumming and alive, his hand so smooth and fitting perfectly in his own. Orion's touch is so familiar to him, so comforting, that they hardly notice the electricity anymore.

Dylan dabs at Orion's split lip, swallowing tensely.

"I'm sorry." Dylan murmurs and Orion sighs, glancing down to meet worried baby blues staring back at him.

"Don't be." He murmurs.

Dylan hesitates, exhaling lightly before continuing to dab at his best friend's split lip.

He hates having to fix Orion up, which is more often than he'd care to admit, but there are certain perks. He gazes at the soft, supple lines of Orion's full lips, dabbing carefully as he imagines what it would be like to kiss them.

He leans in closer, examining the cut. He cradles Orion's jaw, brushing his thumb against the torn flesh delicately, careful not to apply any pressure. His brows tug together as he imagines what had caused this. A fist? Or something sharper?

Only when he looks up, does he realise how close he is.

How their lips are just inches apart.

And how Orion's eyes are trained on Dylan's lips.

Before he can lean in, a sharp rustle interrupts them from the Ironhill tree line to Dylan's right.

He crouches in front of Orion immediately, growling and baring his teeth as he threatens whoever may be lurking there. He blinks in surprise when a small rabbit hops into view, laughing softly to himself.

"Look, Orion!" He says, pointing.

But Orion is staring at Dylan, perplexed.

Not because they had nearly kissed, or because Orion's heart is still pounding in his chest at the prospect. No, he would torture himself over that thought later.

It's because his best friend had just put himself between Orion and danger.

Dylan's not stupid, not by a long shot. In fact he's incredibly shrewd. He knows what would happen to him if Orion's pack found them together, which is why they are always so careful.

Bluewood pack have always been more reasonable. Less violent. They would never harm Orion. But Ironhill?

They'd kill Dylan.

They probably wouldn't kill Orion. They'll need him when his father dies. But Dylan? He wouldn't stand a chance.

Orion tries to swallow the fact that Dylan, the nearly fourteen year old future Alpha of Bluewood, had just risked his life to spare any further harm coming to Orion.

When he looks back at Dylan, he sees him differently. In fact, he never sees him in quite the same way again.