by DJ Phoenix
She opened her eyes, panicked she would shoot out all this heat and hurt someone. Luke took her other hand and intertwined their fingers. “Look at me, everything is going to be okay. Let your magic flow, accept it. Your cousin has things under control, he’s protecting the pack.”
Cynthia took a long breath and stopped trying to keep the overwhelming heat tucked inside. Her bones hurt with the effort, and her brain felt like it would squish out through her ears. She couldn’t form it into anything like Adam had told her to, so she let go. The gold cord tying her to her mate disappeared.
Luke kept his grip on her hands, but she felt his fingers slipping away. Her knees hit the altar floor and she felt her gown fly open. She had a second to consider her body being exposed to those present before she felt her bones shift. Her arms and legs shortened, her back arched and muscles began to pull and stretch and rearrange within her. She saw paws where her hands had been grasping the floor. Then her head jerked up and a howl escaped her throat as her face finished forming a snout. She tasted blood as her canines lengthened in her mouth and her eyesight became sharper and her ears twitched as she picked up gasps from the pack. Then she looked to her mate.
Luke
Luke took in the beauty of his mate. She was glowing. The magic descending over her had finally released her own Fae magic along with her wolf. She looked at him with panic in her eyes, and all he wanted was to hold her and tell her it was all going to be alright. But she had to accept the magic that was rightfully hers; she needed to be all of who she truly was.
He knew Adam was protecting the pack, so he did the only thing he thought would help her, he told her to let go. He would stay right by her side no matter what.
Her hands slipped away as she did just as he’d told her. She hit the floor as her first shift took over. Luke saw her bones and muscles stretch, shrink, and rearrange to form her wolf. Her skin grew fur; it was a beautiful russet color that matched her fiery hair. Finally, a howl broke through the night as a ray of pure magic shot out of her snout and into the night sky. When she looked at him, he knew she saw the awe in his eyes, and he couldn’t help it, she was a magnificent wolf, and she was his.
Adam approached the altar and let them know the magic had been contained and it hadn’t hurt anyone. Cynthia’s wolf whined and nodded its head in understanding. Luke took in the tall Fae and smiled at him. The man had helped his mate through the release of her magic and her wolf. Luke looked over his pack; all were standing, waiting for him to shift so they could follow and run as a pack. Thanks to the Fae, they too were safe; the magic had shot straight up to the sky instead of somewhere it could have struck one of them. He was without a doubt indebted to his mate’s cousin.
Luke stretched his hand towards Adam. “Thanks for being here, and thanks for helping my mate through this. I am in your debt.”
Adam released Luke’s hand. “Don’t mention it. I was sent to protect my cousin and help her in anything she needs. She’s family, and now, so are you. If you allow me, I would like to fly with the pack.”
Cynthia’s wolf whined again, and Luke ran his hand through her pelt, stopping to rub her ear. “Of course you can join our run, you’re family now, might as well get used to having you around.” There was laughter in his voice, his happiness at having finally completed the bonding with his mate too much to contain.
Luke stepped back and let his pants fall to the ground. His shift was fluid and quick. Soon a large black wolf stood in his place. The beast approached his mate and rubbed himself along her side, leaving his scent on her. Cynthia’s wolf reverberated deep in her chest, happy to finally meet her mate, then returned the gesture. The two beasts circled each other, touching their snouts and heads to each other. All the while, his four and Margaret surrounded the couple, vigilant and protective of their Alpha pair.
Chapter 29
Adam
Adam stood with the enforcers, keeping watch over his cousin as he was tasked to do. Their queen had been adamant that Cynthia was the one the prophecy spoke of, but he had to see it for himself. So, he volunteered for this mission because he was curious about his cousin. Then, after he discovered Cynthia’s stalker and, what’s worse, evidence that one of their own was involved in her kidnapping, he agreed with his queen and understood her concern for Cynthia’s safety. Cynthia didn’t know it yet, but she was the most important Fae alive, and if the prophecy were true, their people’s only hope for survival.
Adam stared into the night, reliving the events of the past couple hours.
As soon as the threat had been neutralized by the Alpha, and Adam was sure his cousin was safe with her mate, he flashed to his queen’s private office. “My Queen.”
The queen bolted from her seat behind her desk. “Adam! Have I taught you no manners? Explain why you are in my office unannounced!”
Adam had the decency to feel ashamed for just a minute before he decided what he had to say was far more important than barging in to his grandmother’s office unannounced. “Grandmother, please, I wouldn’t risk someone finding me here when I am supposed to be off on a sabbatical if what I had to say wasn’t of high importance.”
The queen looked to the floor and gasped. “What on earth have you done?”
Adam took a bored breath and shook his head. He didn’t understand why everyone always thought the worst of him. “I didn’t kill the shifter. Cynthia’s mate killed him. That’s why I’m here. This wolf managed to get through the pack guards and kidnapped Cynthia.”
The queen was gone and his grandmother was speaking now. “Where is she? If this wolf is dead, was she found alive?”
Adam took a deep breath—the women in his family were going to be the death of him. “She is fine. She was beat but she’ll recover. Her mate has taken her home and they will complete the bonding ceremony tonight, so I must get back soon. I’m here because I thought you should know that one of our own helped this wolf.”
The queen’s collected self was back in an instant, and she was the fierce leader his people loved and revered. “Explain. I’ve been cloaking her since we found her. Breaking through my spell would have taken an enormous amount of magic. I haven’t felt anyone using any more magic than is usual for our people.”
“All I know is that wherever this wolf went, he left a scent that I have never come across before. It was there and then it just faded, making it impossible to track; not even the wolves with their heightened senses were able to track him. The only reason we were able to find Cynthia was because the wolf used a secret tunnel to get her out of their home. We followed it until we came to a dead end that had been sealed by Fae magic. Before you ask, no I couldn’t trace the magic.”
“Dammit! This is bad.” Adam had rarely seen the queen lose composure, but being that this involved her granddaughter, he understood. He had been pretty pissed too. “No one can find out that we know a Fae is using wolves to do their bidding. I will be looking for the Fae responsible while you start training Cynthia. She must learn to control and use her magic. Her life will depend on it.”
Adam let out a sarcastic laugh. “You do understand that she is bonded to a wolf? An overprotective, overbearing, controlling by nature, wolf. He is going to flip when he realizes the type of training she will endure. He might even attempt to kill me. You might lose your only grandson.”
His grandmother was back, and she touched his cheek gently like grandmothers do when they talk to a loving grandchild. “I chose you because you are strong. Not even an overprotective, overbearing wolf can overpower a Fae such as you. They don’t understand the depth of our power, we have always kept it controlled, but we will use what force is needed to keep our race from perishing. And I will do what I must to keep my granddaughter and future queen safe.” She stepped back and looked down at the dead wolf. “Now take this wolf away from my sight. Hide the body somewhere only you know. We might need it as proof when we find the Fae behind this. And Adam, keep your eyes open. This shifter is dead, but the Fae that c
ontracted him is not, they will not give up so easily. This was just a setback in their plan to stop the prophecy.”
Adam bowed to his queen and kissed his grandmother’s cheek. “I will do everything in my power to teach her and to keep her safe.”
“I know you will. Now go and be safe. Do not come back unless I summon you. There is unrest among our people, and I haven’t finished sorting out those who wish for the prophecy to fail from our allies.” She sat back behind her desk and picked up the book she had been reading when he flashed into her office.
Great! Now what do I do with this corpse? Adam decided on a location he knew had been forgotten by his people several centuries back and flashed there. He wrapped the body in a cloth and put a preserving spell on it; even though this place was forgotten, a rotten smell would definitely attract attention to it.
Adam flashed back to the cabin mansion, as he had heard Cynthia call it. He appeared in the living room where he was met by the glowing eyes of the four enforcers. Adam rolled his eyes. Wolves, it’s going to take all my self-control to not zap them into extinction. He raised his hands in sign of surrender. “It’s just me, your friendly neighborhood Fae. How is my cousin?”
Matt answered, “Dr. Miller is upstairs with her now. We should have news shortly.”
Adam nodded. “Thank you.” He took a seat despite knowing lowering himself amongst wolves could be seen as submissive. He was just as dominant as them, but he had no choice, he had to keep them calm. Making them feel threatened was not the best option right now. Though it would be fun.
Adam sat on a chair contemplating the conversation with his grandmother. He had truly grown to like his cousin, so he was honored to be her guard. Then he was given the responsibility of training her and teaching her how to yield her magic and whatever gifts she had been granted by the gods. His responsibility had just substantially increased: He was to protect the future queen of the Fae at all cost. And he had to do it all despite knowing that her bossy and overprotective mate was going to strongly object to some of the rigorous training methods all Fae had to go through. Yep, this was going to be fun.
About The Author
Once upon a time, DJ Phoenix was a preschool teacher. God blessed her with a big imagination that served her well as she embarked in daily adventures with her students. However, life changing circumstances led her to put her thoughts to paper one day, and that was how her first novel came to life. She is now working on her second and third books, and she can't wait to share them with you.
She has been married for twenty-two years to her best friend, and together they have raised five amazing human beings. She is thankful to God for the gifts that He has bestowed upon her, and His continuous blessings.