Banner seemed a little on edge as they walked their patrol, easy enough for Buchanan to decipher by her body language but the why eluded him. There was no reason for her to feel unsafe on their own borders, especially with him there. It was no secret that Buchanan would die before he let anyone harm her. Yet, despite his curiosity, the burning desire to ask her what was wrong that he bid back, he did not pry. The change in the patrol route was strange but again Buchanan did not give voice to his opinion of this. Perhaps she simply wanted a change of scenery. Which he might have believed if he did not notice that something was amiss with her. It wasn't anything he could put his paw on, rather a fact he derived from her body language, the change in the patrol route and the fact that she'd been unnervingly quiet lately. Which wasn't necessarily rare for her per say but he'd gotten used to her being talkative around him. Again, he did not pry. It was easy enough to revert back to the “need to know” basis he had operated with. If he needed to know: she would tell him.

Yet, he was torn. Wanting to ask her all the same, to let her know he'd noticed. To let her know he cared. To remind her that he would listen if or when she was ready to talk. At first, he thought it had been him. Especially with her recent promotion to Alpha. He was so proud of her but in some ways this caused the subjugate some small measure of anguish. Did he treat her like his superior (like she was); as his Alpha? Or as his wife who was his equal in the spouse sense? Or did he somehow figure out how to accomplish both? As he contemplated this (and not for the first time) he was unaware of her own inner turmoil until she blurted it out.

His own thoughts were frozen and whisked away to focus upon her words. I met Warbone. It was a name he was, at least, aware of. His altercation with Stark and Tam was known among the Marauders. The dark wraith fixed her in his silvern gaze, trying to determine how he felt about it. He hadn't met the male himself but he already processed him as a threat. To Stark. To Banner. To Marauder's Keep. “What happened?” Buchanan inquired, inviting her to tell him all that she was comfortable (or could) share with him. “Did he hurt you?” He hadn't noticed any wounds on her but she had been ...not quite herself lately and though Buchanan had wished it hadn't, the consideration had made itself known to him.

The threat of what Buchanan would do to anyone that hurt her was obvious, and he would not hide it. It would be more than enough to spur him to come out of retirement and the ex-founding alpha (as mysterious and unknown as he was to the assassin) did not scare him.

Banner assured him that Warbone hadn't hurt her, offering him an apologetic smile though he was relieved that she hadn't spoken the words. She had nothing to be sorry for. “Good,” Buchanan drew in, his tone taking on a steel edge as he considered what threats this Warbone might have in store for Banner if he knew the truth. “He doesn't need to know. The going-ons of Marauder's Keep aren't any of his business,” And in an uncharacteristic way Buchanan's lips curled into a wry, sardonic smirk. “At least not anymore. He forfeited that right when he left.” The ex-assassin did not feel the need to tell Banner that giving him information beyond that Stark was Alpha would be like giving him the keys to the castle but telling him not to seize it. Information was power. No doubt his mate already knew that giving Warbone important information would give him the upper hand. Besides giving Buchanan more to be anxious about. Banner was capable and no doubt that given her temper free reign she was a force of nature to be reckoned with but that would never stop Buchanan from worrying.

“What did you talk about?” Buchanan invited, allowing her to decide whether she wanted to tell him or not. If she did not want to, he certainly wouldn't press her for the information. When he felt the touch of her side press against his, the tension he had not even been aware he'd been carrying in his shoulders eased and he realized after the fact that he had been walking rigid, on edge. Her touch calmed him, reassured him. His hyper-vigilance was a side effect of The Officer that Buchanan would never drop but Banner made it more bearable and he allowed her touch to relax him. With Banner the world would dissolve away until there was nothing left but just him and her if he'd let it. As they were border patrolling he was not so keen to let the world melt away and lose himself in her. As if to re-enforce this to himself his gaze swept over what he could see of the Marsh's landscape, aware once more to anything out of the ordinary.

“He sounds delusional,” Perhaps it was an unfair judgment for Buchanan to make, yet it did not change his opinion on the matter, regardless. From all accounts: Warbone had intended to just be left back to the rank he'd abandoned without resistance and question. Perhaps if his original wolves had still remained he might have been successful. Perhaps some of them did remain — Buchanan didn't really know — but even if they did it didn't matter. No wolf in their right mind would trust a man that had abandoned them so blindly without the hesitation and fear that he would do so again. And fear was something that Buchanan understood well. He had never forgotten the terror he felt as a child under The Officer's care: simply he'd been brainwashed, conditioned to think that it was normal. To become nothing more than a puppet that would do The Officer's bidding without question, without hesitation and without mercy. It had been fear in the need to preserve his own life that had allowed Buchanan — or rather whom ever it was he'd been before Ghost — to become Ghost.

Banner had bumped her side against his once more before she put space between them. Her next words were met with Buchanan's silence as the assassin was slow to decipher their meaning in her small, embarrassed voice. His brows furrowed together, silvern eyes moving rapidly as he turned the word over in his mind as if it were a puzzle. Propositioned her how? The pieces clicked together and his jaw clenched as the realization dawned on him. He was too busy trying to figure out how he felt about the fact that a would be usurper had propositioned his wife for sex to be embarrassed about how long it had taken him to figure it out. He felt equal measures of entirely uneasy and angered about it. He was protective over Banner and if other males were bold enough to suggest it who was to say the next time he wouldn't take? The thought was near enough to make Buchanan physically ill.

Banner did not deserved to be given lewd comments, nor taken advantage of; and while Buchanan wasn't sure he was close to what she deserved he tried his very best. His hackles bristled against his spine and the muscles of his scarred shoulders pulled taunt. Despite that Banner tried to lessen it by mentioning that she thought he was joking Buchanan couldn't help but doubt it. “That's not usually something men joke about, Banner. And even if it was a joke it was a shitty one,” He spoke sourly. “If he ever propositions you again I will tear his tongue from his mouth and if he touches you, I will kill him.” It sounded like he needed to be knocked off a few pedestals anyway which Buchanan would gleefully do. Banner was free to do as she wanted, of course, her mate-ship to him did not make her his possession but as Buchanan did not foresee Banner cheating on him he felt confident enough to give voice to his threat towards this mysterious Warbone.

There was a part of Buchanan that felt guilty when Banner let out a quiet 'oh' when he informed her that he doubted it'd been a joke. Yet, the fact that another male had propositioned her wasn't something she should have been brushing under the rug. It wasn't a no big deal sort of thing and he didn't want her to think it was unimportant. Perhaps it was Buchanan's overbearing desire to protect her despite that she probably really didn't need it. Regardless, he had no intentions of apologizing for his words. He meant them, and he would no problem repeating them to the male in question should their paths ever cross.

Buchanan's steps ceased when he noticed that Banner's had and his silvern gaze sought her slowly, unsure how she would take his threat towards Warbone. He realized that he was supposed to be “retired” and was supposed to be on the path of philanthropy but Banner was his family, his wife and there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for her, to keep her safe. His docked tail lowered slightly, though the effect was lost on the stub that was left, his shoulders tensing as he expected to be reprimanded for being so forward. Not because he thought that Banner would but because The Officer's punishments for speaking out were still so very ingrained in his mind. Confusion drew across Buchanan's face as Banner admitted that it was the most romantic thing she'd ever heard her voice heavy with emotion.

Despite that he knew she was being serious Buchanan let out a low, throaty laugh of relief at the unexpectedness of it. Out of everything he'd expected her to say — perhaps to chide him, or tell him it was unnecessary — he had not expected her to find it romantic. Although he understood. In a way he had just professed that there was no limits to his love for her. That he would do anything for her without hesitation. “He doesn't want me as his consequence.” Was all Buchanan had left to say on the matter. He had said all he needed to say on the matter of Warbone. He could only hope that the ex-Alpha left Banner alone from here on out but if he didn't well...Banner knew what Buchanan intended to do.

Banner drew nearer, possibly the only being on the planet that was allowed to invade his personal space, especially without asking. He didn't mind, but then again he never minded her being in close proximity to him. Buchanan had long since assumed the nerves had died where the flesh of his shoulder was marred with his kill tally — though it was still missing the mark for The Officer — he wasn't sure how to go about doing it himself for The Officer had always marked him but he wasn't so sure that it was something he could ask Banner to do for him. To Buchanan's great surprise he felt when Banner pressed her nose to his marred flesh there. It was not a painful sensation, but he was surprised that while likely mutilated the nerves were not dead. The sensation was something that was both sickly and sweet that caused a slight shudder to ripple through him.

He felt the warmth of her cheek against his marred flesh, glimpsing down at her from the corner of his eye. It hit him again just how lucky he was. That Banner accepted and loved him for what he was, what he had been, and all the gruesome details in between. Damaged as he was, she'd taken him. She made him feel normal even though the dark wraith knew he'd never be half close to it in reality. Try as he might, he could not change what The Officer had done to him, what he had done for The Officer. He could not wipe out the red in his ledger and yet, the beautiful woman at his side didn't seem to mind.

She murmured in agreement to his final statement, and the grim smile was a terse thing as it pulled at his lips. In some sick way, he was glad to have a pending target on Warbone. Not that Buchanan wanted the man to become his next mission — especially not at the expense of Banner — but he missed the thrill of the real hunt. It was a horrible, dark thing in his mind and he fled from it, leaving it in the darker recesses of his mind, focusing upon the husky and low words his mate was speaking to him. It caused warmth to flood him and a slow fire to burn in his belly. A low purl rumbled in his chest. “That's good,” Buchanan drew lowly. “Because I'd like to be your consequence.” Oh god, that was cheesy. He was so bad at this; but then again it wasn't really his fault. There had only ever been the mission and anything and everything else was just a distraction and displeasing The Officer made anything he'd ever thought of doing abruptly not worth it. He had no experience himself and just hoped that he hadn't killed the moment.

Buchanan felt very fortunate that Banner didn't mind his cheesy lines, even though, he was just fortunate that Banner didn't mind him at all. That, for some reason that might always elude him that she loved him for all the good, the bad and the ugly. Still, he wasn't going to complain. Perhaps it would always be a mystery to him because all he could see was The Ghost. That had been all he'd been. He saw a thousand different times he could have ended The Officer's tyrany, break his hold on him but he'd been too scared and then, later, brainwashed to see them with the clarity in which Buchanan looked back on it now. “As I love you,” He murmured, brought back to the present by her deceleration of love for him. He chuckled softly at her grumpy growl, her pout damn near the cutest thing he'd ever seen in his life. “No,” He shook his head in protest. “It's not your fault I'm so distracting.” He teased and then snickered at his own attempt at arrogance. It was all said in jest of course, if only because arrogance was not something Buchanan afforded himself. Nor could he ever have it. Arrogance was not something that omega's had and Buchanan was no different from any other omega out there. And he was content. If not still a little stressed about how he was meant to address her — as his wife or his superior. Although, Banner had never forced him into submission (not that anyone ever had to force him, really). The line between leader and wife was blurred and he was hyper vigilant enough to silently worry about it even if she (or anyone else) wasn't bothered by it.

Buchanan grinned as Banner teased him in a purr, an embarrassed chuckle leaving his lips as he thought her words over. He knew that she was jesting with him, and he knew that she knew there was only one gal for him, only one that he had eyes for and it was the one walking beside him. There had been once, he thought very briefly of Phiipa, but he banished thoughts of her. She had been his chosen replacement for The Officer and beyond that she had betrayed him, disappeared without a word. Life without The Officer and, accordingly, a replacement was pretty damn good in Buchanan's books. It was not without it's strife but it was a story of recovery and his will to become more than the weapon that The Officer had crafted him into. The fact that he had support and help of Banner made things easier, admittedly, because she inspired him. To be the man that he felt she deserved, to make her proud of him instead of being a disappointment to her.

Her kiss shattered his absent thoughts and he followed her as she darted across the border and into the Keep. Her mood had turned playful and Buchanan sauntered towards her, more than willing to indulge her.