Centering myself, I paused to take one more cleansing breath before zeroing on the wick. There was a brief flicker of something, followed by a faint tendril of smoke. Then nothing. “Ugh!”
“No, keep going. You almost had it!”
Shaking my muscles loose, I reached inside for my magic. Instead of glaring at the candle, yelling at it to light, I whispered my request, imagining my energy rolling out of me like ocean waves. That flicker happened again, a soft glow as it gradually flared into a tiny flame.
“I did it!” I exclaimed, proud of my accomplishments. Not taking my attention from it, I attempted to make the flame grow. Pushing out my magic, I instantly lost control of it, the blast of power causing the candle’s wick to explode. Not only did it destroy the taper I was using, but it also melted or disfigured most of those Christina had bought as back up. Everything was a mess.
“Like I said, it’s all about intent and control. You got it, but then became over eager. Magic shouldn’t be forced. It needs to be handled gently, carefully, letting it flow naturally. You have the talent, Darcy. Just don’t let your impatience override everything.”
Mikey coughed loudly, making us turn to look at him. He had a slightly amused, mostly annoyed smirk on his face and I cringed. Not only had I set the candles on fire, but the ends of his whiskers were smoldering, as well. “If I could get your assistance, perhaps?”
“I am so sorry. Oh, my goodness.” I scrambled over to him and gently extinguished the glowing tips. “I’m so embarrassed.”
“There’s no need to be. It happens to all of us,” he soothed.
“It’s no use. I’m not going to be able to control this. My magic is too big and I’m too inexperienced,” I complained. I hated hearing the doubt in my voice, but this was no time for denial. The reality was: I just didn’t think I could do it.
Mikey snorted out a hot shot of air from his mouth. “Watch and learn.” Gesturing to one of the candles that hadn’t been completely destroyed, Christina moved it so it sat in front of his clawed feet. “Size and experience don’t always matter.” Knowing he held my attention, fire shot from his left nostril, a hot fiery blast that lit up our surroundings and caused me to duck my head briefly to protect my eyes. When it dimmed, I peeked cautiously and saw the candle unharmed, a steady flame dancing.
“How?” I couldn’t believe it. The amount of energy Mikey had used should’ve caused the cavern to erupt into a blaze.
“Control. Setting my intent and telling my magic exactly what I needed done.” Pursing his lips, he blew out the flame. “And I didn’t let go of my intent until I was sure my task was complete. Now, you try.”
With new determination, I took his words to heart. Just as I was about to let my magic free again, I paused. “Maybe you should all back up a bit. Just to be safe.”
“We’re confident in your abilities, Darcy. Believe in yourself.”
Christina nodded and pointed to the candle.
Closing my eyes, I mustered all the faith I could find. Just like everything else in my life, I wasn’t going to stop until I conquered this.
Chapter 16
Two hours later, the candles had melted into waxy puddles on the ground when Mason found us exhausted. Vivien had always made it look so effortless. After countless attempts to channel my magic, I now had a somewhat firm grasp on it. Lying back on the ground, a light sweat soaking my t-shirt, I was ready for a break.
“Perfect timing,” I groaned, not bothering to get up and greet him properly.
“Problems?” Mason asked, a worried expression on his face. He looked down at all my hard work before glancing at Christina and Mikey. “I’m guessing something went right.”
“Darcy’s getting there. She simply needs practice. I’m impressed she did so well.”
“Yeah, and my insides are a nice soft mush now, for all my efforts,” I laughed. “Ugh, I’m so exhausted. Tell me this gets easier.”
“It will . . . eventually,” Christina admitted. “But I’m serious. You did good tonight. It takes some a whole lot longer to even harness that amount of power.”
Mason stood over me, extending his hand. I didn’t want to move. I felt completely wiped out. The only place I was interested in right now was my bed, even though the hard ground was mighty tempting. “Care to sleep here with me?” I batted my eyelashes at him, hoping he’d agree.
“Nope, I have something else in mind. Come on. Time for a break.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me up on my feet.
“Bed?”
“Nope. It’s a surprise.” He grinned, mischievously. “Consider it a reward for your hard work.”
“The only reward I want is a long soak in a hot bath, followed by a soft mattress underneath my body.” Waving goodbye to Christina and Mikey, who’d begun talking quietly together, I tugged on Mason’s arm. “I’ll make it worth your while . . .”
“I’m sure you would, but this is more pressing.” Mason winked and, finding ourselves back at the elevator, he pushed the button to go up.
My mouth closed mid-reply as my eyes widened. He thought there was something more important than the next few hours in bed with his wife, revisiting every inch of our bodies with gentle touches and breathless kisses? I wanted to slap him, to remind him nothing trumped that; but, like always, his playful grin won me over.
“Fine.” I sighed, poking my tongue out. “Show me what has higher priority than my plans for us.”
Placing a quick kiss on my lips, Mason cocked his eyebrows. “There’ll be plenty of time for that. I promise. You need this more.”
“I’ll be the judge of that, Mr. O’Connor.” As he led me out of the house and held the passenger door open for me, my curiosity turned to skepticism. “Do you think it’s wise for us to go out alone at night?”
“You’re with me and we won’t be long.” Sliding behind the wheel, Mason looked at me, turning the key to start the car’s ignition. “Trust me?”
Him? Always. It was the mad man hunting me down that I didn’t.
****
“Okay, you were right.”
“Want to say that, again?” Mason teased, tightening his arms around me. The sounds of the waves crashing against the shore were almost hypnotic, and I could feel the tension from the past few days slipping away.
His surprise was bringing me down to La Jolla Cove. Beaches, during the day, were always refreshing; but I preferred them at night. With the sand cool beneath my feet and sunbathers gone, I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. I loved the smell of salt in the air– something about it resonating with me. It was perfect and, as a soft breeze blew across my skin, I wasn’t afraid to admit Mason was right.
“This was just what I needed. I don’t know what it is about the ocean, but I could stay here forever and just listen. Everything fades away to where nothing else matters.” I tilted my head back and kissed under his jawline. Hand in hand, we walked down to where the incoming tide was just out of our reach, and sat, my frame fitting in between Mason’s legs so he could wrap his arms around me. I felt sheltered and loved. Leaning back against him, the only feeling swirling about inside me was happiness.
“That’s why I thought it was a good idea to get away for an hour or so. Just so you could recharge. I don’t know the woods around here for us to go for a run, so this was a good second option.” His fingers traced back and forth over my bare arms.
“Thank you. You take such good care of me.” Letting out a contented sigh, I stared out into the darkness.
“You still worried?”
“Yeah, but I’m more exhausted than anything. Everything’s taking a toll and there’s no relief in sight,” I answered. I was still completely resolved to following through with whatever was needed, but that determination didn’t prevent the weariness from creeping in.
“If I could take this from you, I would, sweetheart. In a heartbeat,” Mason whispered, his warm breath fanning over my ear.
“I know. I just need to keep believe that it’s ha
ppening for a reason and that I have the strength within me to face whatever comes.”
“Well, you’re not alone.”
“Never alone.” I smiled. “I think that’s what makes this easier.” Nuzzling into my hair, Mason murmured his agreement. “How are things back home?”
Noticing I’d changed the subject, he stopped. “I called Wade earlier and he said things are running smoothly.”
“I think it’s cool you invited your cousin to stay, as well. An extra set of claws might come in handy with Julian. Between them both, the Pack’s in good hands while we’re away.” Just the thought of him, knowing he was out there somewhere, toying with us, caused me to shiver.
“Everyone is worried for you and sends their best. Alex has been really helpful and I’m sensing a hint of a bromance between him and my third-in-command.” Mason chuckled at the thought before returning to a more serious tone. “We’ll keep you safe, Darcy. I swear to you, and I don’t ever go back on a promise.”
“I know, I just . . .” I turned to the side so I could look at him. “I hate not knowing. I expected him to surface by now, but Devlin says all his sources have come back with the same reports—quiet. Is this part of the game? Draw out the anticipation before striking? Do we even know that he’s alive? What if he’s been dead for years and all this is for nothing?”
My heart began racing again, as my anxiety spiked. Giving voice to my fears and doubts, I scolded myself for giving in to them. I didn’t want them taking hold and smothering the hope and belief I’d been so carefully cultivating. Part of the battle was keeping a positive outlook and not allowing negativity to govern my thoughts and emotions. For the most part, I’d been success in maintaining my perspective, but every now and then—like in this very moment— it slipped out.
“Ssh, beautiful.” Mason traced his finger over my cheek, trying to calm the riot of nerves flaring inside me.
“I’m being serious. These questions need answering. It doesn’t do any good to ignore them. What if there is no boogey man in the shadows? Or even worse, what if he’s worse than we could ever imagine?”
A slight tremor passed through Mason into me, telling me all I needed to know. He held those same fears. He’d asked those same questions, and the fact that he remained silent, told me he didn’t have the answers, either.
“I don’t know. I know that doesn’t help, but I won’t lie to you. I just don’t know.”
“So, basically we’re screwed?” I blurted out a short laugh.
“We are never screwed. Ever.” Pointing up to the blackened sky, he redirected my attention. “This is part of why I wanted to bring you here. With the moon in this phase, the lack of light lets the stars shine brighter. Look up and tell me what you see.”
Settling back against him, I did as he asked. “Stars?”
“And?”
“I don’t know. More stars?”
“True, but you also see perspective. Billions and billions of stars, an entire universe of wonder.”
“Is this your way of telling me our problems are small and insignificant?” Hurt crept into my words and through our connection.
“I would never tell you that how you feel was nothing, Darcy. Emotions are important. They can motivate us into action and, when we listen to them, prepare us for any possibility. I want you to always trust your instincts and your heart. Never suppress or belittle them, because they serve a purpose. My point is, don’t let that you feel overwhelm and control you. Don’t let moments of insecurity overshadow your hope and divine ability to rise above any challenge. Each of us is powerful beyond measure. Don’t let doubt make you forget that.”
This was another reason why I loved Mason—his gift of being able to look beyond the surface to the essence of a matter. “It’s hard not to get distracted, though. There’s so much to prepare for, to think of. Sometimes I feel like I’m going to explode with every thought demanding attention. It gets too much inside my head and no matter how hard I try, I worry whatever I do won’t be good enough. Fighting, learning my magic, protecting myself, and those I love. I want to be ready, but that small voice inside tells me no amount of time would help me get to that point.”
“I could sense that turmoil starting to surface again, and whenever I get like that, I love to look at the stars. Not to make myself feel stupid for worrying, but as a reminder to breathe. There’s something calming about knowing that throughout time, people have done the exact same thing. Others have looked to the stars with weighty problems, questions, their hearts yearning for peace and have found it. They may not have seen the solution in the sky, but I know they received what they needed right then and there—those brief moments of stillness where they could stop and breathe. With that kind of peace and clarity, you can harness the calm you need to carry on. Does that make sense?”
“Have I told you how wise you are?” Mason knew exactly what I needed to hear, delivering his message with all the eloquence of someone whose sole purpose was to ease the burdens of the one he loved. “Thank you. I needed to hear this.” Keeping my focus upward, we sat there quietly, enjoying the newfound peace between us. He was right. No matter what happened from here on out, I had to keep breathing and remembering it would all work out. “I love you.”
“I love you, too. I hope this helped.”
“More than you know.” I turned and sat up on my knees, so I could take his face between my hands. “I feel much better.”
“Good. I hate it when you feel like everything’s out of control.” He cocked his head to the side a little, smiling. “Anything I can do to remove that frown from your brow and make you smile is high on my list of priorities.”
“Anything?” My gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips.
My heart melted at the way his face transformed, softening before a heated smolder replaced it. I didn’t bother letting him answer. Pulling him forward, I met him halfway, brushing my mouth over his. Maneuvering my body so I straddled him on his lap, I kissed him again—this time deeper, letting my tongue trace his lips briefly before touching his own. There was no rush or frantic urgency as his hands gripped my hips, anchoring me in place. My hands never left the whiskered surface of his cheeks, my thumbs tingling as I rubbed them over his skin. There was always this electricity between us—like a bonfire waiting for the right spark before igniting.
I didn’t want the instant combustion of our desires exploding and warring against each other. For now, I was content with the simmering pace that all but liquefied my insides. The gentle, tender kisses that set my heart aflame and propelled me dangerously toward that one place where nothing would matter. Mason always put me there—sooner or later—whether by the way he was savoring my taste and mouth right now, or the other intimate acts that left my body on fire and quivering with spent ecstasy. It was a fine line for us; even more so since we’d become mated.
As his tongue dipped one more time with mine, and the heated pool stirred in my lower body, I knew it wouldn’t be long before languid caresses wouldn’t be enough. Once the hunger between us was stoked, there was no abating it. Moaning into his mouth, his hand slipped under my shirt and my back arched at the contact. Mason carefully lifted me before laying me back onto the sand. A second later, his body covered mine, my skin alive every place he touched.
“You taste so sweet,” he whispered, leaving my mouth so he could kiss his way down my neck, sucking on the one spot that drove me crazy. Nipping at it, grazing his teeth back and forth, I whimpered low, needing more. More of what he was doing. More of him.
“Mason,” I breathed out, my fingers fisting his t-shirt, hoping it would keep me from falling apart. He rocked his hips against mine, a steady pace that showed me how close he was to losing control as well. With the sound of the waves crashing near us, the moment was perfect; and I was about to ruin it. If I had my way, there would be no clothes between us right now; my body was craving his and it was only voice of reason, warning me that this wasn’t the time or place. “We need to
stop before we give the locals a show.”
“And?” His mouth was like heaven and he made it hard to focus.
“I’m serious. Isn’t this illegal? Public indecency or something?”
“The only thing illegal is what I’m about to do to you.” He was clearly caught up in the moment and one more rock of his hips and I would be there, too.
“Mason,” I groaned. “Julian.” It was the only thing I knew that could instantly dump ice-cold water over our libido and it did the trick. Mason rolled off me, covering his face with his arm. We lay there, out of breath, our desires still razor sharp and at the surface.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I guess I was more tightly wound than I realized.” He shook a little as he reined in his emotions.
Resting my head on my hand, my elbow crooked, I gently patted his still heaving chest. “Never apologize.” Leaning in to briefly kiss him, again, I sat up completely. “But there’s nothing stopping us from going home and continuing.”
This perked him up and I tried not to laugh out loud when he jumped to his feet, tugging me up a second later. “Then say goodbye to the beach. Let’s go!”
Picking up our shoes and brushing off the sand, we didn’t waste any time heading back to the car. Excitement churned inside me at the thought of what was to come, my fears left behind at the shore. It was worth the risk we took leaving Mikey’s house and everyone behind, so we could get some alone time and perspective. I felt lighter than I had all day and it was because of my mate. There was no doubt he’d always take care of me—even when I wasn’t aware that I needed it.
Standing at the driver’s side, Mason winked before opening the door. “Ten minutes to get back, five minutes to say hi and bye, five minutes to get you naked and in my arms. Think you can wait that long?”
Forever Changed (The Mystic Wolves) Page 14