by Janelle Peel
He froze.
Stepping back, I dropped my robe to the floor and swayed my hips to our bathroom with Jackson hot on my heels.
Seemed like Mel and Jonas would just have to wait.
Blaze
“Hey, what did you need?” Sora asked, making her way into the courtyard.
He threw his arms wide, “Have you practiced anymore of your magic?”
She shook her head, “No. I’ve been kind of afraid to use it since…” she shivered, “the Chosen thing happened.”
Blaze nodded in understanding.
“I know I need to… I just, it’s hard to explain. I feel them all,” she tapped her sternum. “What if one of them gets hurt? Will I feel that, too?” Her worried sapphire eyes swirled with silver specs as they met his own.
Reaching out with one thick arm, he tucked her smaller frame into the shelter of his own. “I don’t know, Love. Let’s start small, okay? Can you move the water from the pool?”
She sighed, “I’ll try, but move over there,” she pointed to a stone bench, “just in case.”
He squeezed her shoulders once before flashing to the bench.
Her eyes closed in concentration and her hands lit with silver flames. With his enhanced vision, he could see ripples form on the surface of the pool. The water lifted, similar to a tap that was turned on and fluidly moved toward her in a thin stream. Her brows furrowed in thought for a moment. Slowly, the liquid began to disburse into tiny droplets. Opening her eyes, she raised one hand to the steel, domed roof above them. Perfectly orchestrated, the drops obeyed the motion.
He watched, completely mesmerized as more water flowed from the pool and spread out above them. Her quick intake of breath drew his attention to her face and he gasped. The normal blue of her irises was completely overtaken with liquid mercury. She smiled as she exhaled and raised her other hand above her head. The temperature of the air dropped as she splayed each finger.
He saw a bright flash of light just before his eyes closed involuntarily.
Sora
I marveled at my creation. It almost looked like clouds, high above us. The water refracted from the lights, casting mini rainbows throughout the courtyard. Blaze gasped and I almost lost my concentration. I couldn’t look at him now, I was almost there…
I reached for my well and my silver flames flared higher than ever before in response. Magic pulsed from my fingers in one massive shockwave that I directed upward.
BOOM!
I hit the ground flat on my back.
Slowly, I opened my eyes as cold snowflakes kissed my cheeks. I watched for a minute or an hour, completely awed by their tiny, perfect shapes.
A black nose entered my field of vision, obstructing my view. Bright blue eyes gazed into mine from a small white face. My ears rang and I grinned, “Hi, Bex.”
Her breath whispered across my face before she backed away.
Propping myself up onto an elbow, I looked around for Blaze. The entire area looked like a winter retreat. Every surface was covered in snow.
Sound slowly started to return.
“Is … okay?” Nat asked.
“I don’t …, he’s not responding!” Mel answered.
Viv flashed to my side and pulled me from my mini snowbank. My teeth began to chatter as I looped an arm over her shoulder. Goddess, I was suddenly freezing. “W-w-whhhat’s w-w-r-r-oo-nn-gg?” I stammered.
Julian’s voice came from behind me, “Open the roof!”
Jackson answered, “I can’t, it’s frozen closed!”
“Get him inside, NOW!” Julian screamed in panic.
What was happening? Sluggishly, my head finally obeyed my commands and found Blaze’s stiff body being lifted into Jackson’s arms.
No! I stumbled a step away from Viv and promptly faltered. Her quick reflexes were the only thing that stopped me from face planting into the snow. “G-g-g-o-o. B-ll-a-zz-e,” I managed to chatter.
Viv scooped me up and my world blurred.
Viv
“Just run the water! No, not hot water! You idiot, cold! It has to be cold or she’s going to get hypothermia!” I shouted.
Mel scrambled to obey my instructions while I held my icy friend. Sora had stopped shivering which was a very bad sign.
Jackson entered the bathroom, “Blaze will be okay. He’ll warm up, eventually. Seeing him frozen over like a popsicle really freaked Julian out, though.”
I sighed and looked down at Sora’s blue lips. “Always got to go above and beyond, huh? Just had to make a blizzard indoors, didn’t you?”
The tub was half full as I stepped into the cold water and settled Sora between my legs. It was a dammed good thing the cold didn’t really bother me anymore, I thought.
Nat sat on the edge of the enormous tub. Slowly, she lifted her hand to Sora’s forehead and closed her eyes. Her lips moved, but I couldn’t make out what she was saying. Tears trickled down her cheeks after a moment and she whispered, “Please, Goddess.”
Chapter 2
Sora
The sounds of soft laughter drew me awake.
Bells chimed and a familiar voice tinkled, “Hello, Daughter.”
Opening my eyes, I found the Goddess’s gaze. Her pale blue eyes softened as Her face continued to change shape, never settling on one long enough to commit to memory.
Her pink, bow shaped lips lifted into a grin, “Your friend Viv is very displeased with you.”
My brow furrowed.
“Do you remember?” She asked.
My thoughts rewound as I took in the sandy beach and glowing Moon from my previous visit.
Snow, I’d made snow. My heart clenched, Blaze!
“Shhh, he is fine, I promise you.” She said.
I let out a relieved breath and sat up. A wave broke near my feet, sending a cool spray of mist up to my waist. I was naked. What. The. Hell.
The chiming of Her laughter sounded. “Does it really matter? The form I have given you is beautiful, some of my best work, in fact.”
Trying to ignore my nudity, I lifted my gaze to Hers, “What are we doing here?”
“Here, you will learn your magic.” She smiled, “There are some things I must explain, first.”
At my nod, She continued, “Your body was not prepared for that level of magic. It was my hope that you would use your power sooner, but you were afraid.”
I closed my eyes in shame. Whatever had happened was all my fault.
“No,” Her voice cracked like a whip. “The fault is mine. I have not had a Chosen in so long. I should have better prepared you.” Her tone softened, “It is my oversight that we will remedy here. First, welcome to Empyrean. Time moves differently here. Once you have trained, you will return to your Mate. You may miss a day, or a week, it depends upon how quickly you can master your magic.” She lifted her hand and gestured down the beach, “Second, Sara and Marta will train you.”
I gasped as two figures made their way down the shoreline.
Marta was shorter than Sara, and had red, chin length hair. Her bright green eyes caught mine as she smiled.
I shivered while my stomach flipped. She was the Pack’s Mage, and I had killed her to protect what was mine.
Soft fingers touched my chin, turning me from the approaching women.
“What happened had a purpose,” She said. “Marta knew what she was doing, and holds no ill will toward you.”
Tears pooled in my eyes, “But,”
“No.” Thunder rolled overhead, punctuating her words, “This was preordained to happen long before you were born. The guilt is not yours to bear, it is mine.”
“Got Her all worked up already, Sora?” Sara’s soft voice met my ears.
I scrambled from the sand and launched myself at her naked form.
A sob ripped from my chest, “Sara!” It didn’t matter that I’d never met her before she had died. She was a part of my Clutch, my Mate’s last living relative before she was found dead in a bloody circle by the Pack. She was min
e.
Sara giggled and patted my back. “It’s okay, you’re fine, I’m fine. Everyone is fine.”
Marta cleared her throat. Awkwardly, I released Sara and stepped back. A genuine smile lit her face, “Sora, I am very pleased to finally meet you. I’m Marta, Servant of our Goddess, and former Mage to the Pack.” She held her hand out.
Hesitantly, I mirrored her. As our palms touched, silver flames lit the air. Sara took my other hand and Marta’s. My chest tightened and a feeling of completeness entered my well. The fire pulsed in a bright light before winking out.
The All Mother smiled in approval, “It has begun.”
Daisy
The RV jerked to a stop, pulling me from my tedious task. Thank the Goddess, I thought my eyes were going to cross if I had to read one more line of that cramped print.
So far, I hadn’t learned a dammed thing.
Standing, I stretched and let out a jaw cracking yawn. “Cooper? Where are we?”
Silence met my ears.
Still playing the jackass, I thought, and made my way to the passenger seat.
A neon sign winked ‘Campground Vacancy’, in bright yellow letters.
“Stay in the RV,” he bit out.
I stuck my tongue out as his door slammed. He prowled to the shack marked, ‘Office’.
This whole trip was going to suck. Not only did I have to worry about the Council, I had an epic asshole to deal with. Sighing to myself, I leaned my cheek against the passenger window.
A few minutes later, he hopped back in, shifted the RV into drive, and rolled us down the gravel lane. He squinted through the windshield and muttered to himself, “34, 35, 36…” At spot number 37, he parked.
Deciding I’d had enough of his ridiculousness, I opened the door and stepped out into the cool air. Cicadas buzzed all around and a coyote called in the distance. Sage brush greeted my eyes, lit by the lone lamp high above our spot.
Cooper busied himself with the hookups while I went for a walk.
It could be worse, I supposed. Reaching into my back pocket, I pulled out my phone. Fuck, of course, no service. Dammit.
Shrugging internally, I made my way back inside and grabbed my bag. Maybe a shower would help calm my nerves.
Cooper
He still couldn’t believe he’d gotten paired with her, Mage Daisy Montgomery. It seemed she had no idea that her family was directly responsible for his brother’s death. Granted, Ren shouldn’t have been playing with Blood Magic in the first place, but to have sold him out to the Council before even speaking to his family? It was insane.
He was only a toddler at that time, as was she, but it made little difference in his mind. The Montgomery’s were the catalyst for Ren’s death, which resulted in his parent’s heartbreak. The loss of their oldest son was too much to bear. They took their own lives; leaving him in a foster family until he was 16.
Frustrated by his thoughts, he built a bigger fire than he’d originally intended. Fuck it, he thought, and hosed it down with gasoline.
Looking left and right, he was pleased that the Office attendant had placed them far away from any other campsites. He glanced back at the RV. Not a single curtain was out of place. Calling to his center, he lit the fire with a silver flame.
Settling on a log, his thoughts drifted to Daisy’s question. He’d been told that he’d be assisting her, and that was it.
What was this Chosen?
Viv
Nat’s magic finally ignited and warmth entered Sora’s unconscious body once more. Exhausted, she slumped backward.
Mel caught her before she could hit the unforgiving, travertine floor.
She growled, “I’m fine,” and sat forward with a jerk.
I shifted my grip on Sora and nodded for Jackson to add warm water. After he’d turned on the tap, my brow lifted and I gazed at Mel curiously.
He shook his head.
“Nat, Sora said that magic is draining. Maybe you should go get some food?” I gave her the ‘mom’ look.
Her bottle green eyes met mine and she lifted her upper lip. Heaving a sigh, she muttered, “Okay.”
After she’d exited the room, I slapped Mel’s shoulder. “Go after her, stupid.”
His dumbfounded expression turned to one of enlightenment. Nodding, he followed Nat.
“Idiots,” I mumbled, moving Sora’s head back onto my shoulder.
Jackson settled his large frame on the edge of the tub. “Calm, Babe. They’ll figure it out.”
I snarked, “Not if he is as dumb as you were.” I smiled, taking the sting out of my words.
His answering grin told me that he knew that he was stupid with our Mating.
“She’s leaps and bounds from when we met her. She’s going to be an amazing Alpha.” I smiled, recalling her sass.
Jackson chuckled, “Yes, she does remind me of a certain someone. Mel is going to need all the help he can get.”
I splashed a handful of water at him, “Shut up.”
He wiped the water from his face and turned off the tap. Tipping his head to Sora, he asked, “Is she going to be okay?”
I nodded, “I think so. Look, her toes are already a healthy pink and she isn’t shivering. We have Nat to thank for that.”
His expression shone with contemplation, “But, doesn’t her magic only work sometimes?”
“Yes,” I shrugged. “I heard her say ‘Please, Goddess’, just before she was able to heal Sora.”
Jackson rubbed his chin and stood. “I have some issues to finish with Jonas, will you be okay?”
“Don’t you dare leave me,” I snarked. “Help me get her out of the tub so I can dry her off and get her into bed. Then you’re going to tell me what these issues entail. Then, and only then, are you allowed to leave me. Are we clear?”
“Yes, Mistress Viv,” he whispered with a grin.
I smiled, “Dammed right.”
Nat
Julie, the heavy-set head cook, catered to my every need as I sat at the small kitchen bar. She didn’t even bat an eyelash when I asked for 2 raw steaks; merely hit the fridge and plated me up.
Curious, I asked, “Julie, do you like being a part of the menagerie?”
Her round cheeks dimpled, “Of course. My family has served this Clutch for decades. I can’t imagine my life anywhere else.” Patting her bun, she turned back to her tasks.
My brow lowered. Decades, wow. Taking another bite, I reflected at how far my own life had come.
Orphan.
Blood slave.
Mage.
Wolf Shifter.
It’d been a wild ride so far. I was still figuring out where I had landed and what Sora had seen in me to take me in. She’d tricked Master Zane into thinking I was dead, called off a valuable alliance; and kept me. All with little regard to herself, or the position she’d be put in. I’d truly lucked out.
Sure, I healed her, but something told me that she would have been fine without my intervention. That didn’t change anything, though. I had to get my magic under control.
As I was pondering just how to accomplish that task, the swinging door opened and Mel prowled into the small kitchen.
He sat on the wooden stool beside me and rumbled, “Are you okay?”
I grit my teeth in annoyance for a moment and took a deep breath to gather my wayward thoughts. “I’m fine.” There, I patted myself on the back. I didn’t scream or anything.
“Good,” he paused. “I would like to speak with you, whenever you have time.”
I watched him from the corner of my eye as I ripped another bite from my meat. His eyes shown with concern as he watched me swallow.
“Did you want some?” I asked, shoving the plate toward him.
His brows furrowed while he licked his lips, “No. Eat, then we’ll talk. If that’s okay.”
Hmm, I wondered, where was the bossy Alpha? Shrugging, I replied, “Fine. I’ll meet you outside in ten minutes.”
He hesitated. His eyes skittered to the cook
before he answered, “Thank you. I’ll be there.”
Weird, he had seemed hungry. Whatever.
I finished my steak and hopped down. As I lifted my plate, Georgia, the other cook, whisked it from my fingers. “Thank you,” I called out.
She bobbed her head before retreating through the swinging doors.
The cool evening air kissed the skin of my bare arms and legs as I stepped outside. The sun was just lighting the horizon to the east.
“Hey,” Mel rumbled from the other side of the stone porch.
I settled my rear onto a cold step, “Hi.”
The darkness cast his usually open face in shadow. After a pause, he said, “I think you need a crash course in Shifter etiquette.”
My brow lowered and I snapped, “What the hell does that even mean?”
He lifted his hands in a placating manner, “No. I don’t mean to sound judging. You’re obviously an Alpha. Take Bex, as an example.”
My blood lit. Standing, I growled, “Watch your mouth, Wolf.”
Fur sprouted sporadically on my face and arms as my jaw elongated. The bounds of my tank stretched to their limits as my upper half partially shifted. I didn’t care what was happening to my body as I towered over him. My next words were distorted by my maw, “She eesh mine.”
Mel
Well, Nat’s fusion definitely proved his hypothesis.
His Wolf gnashed his teeth, MATE!
Lowering his face, he tried to contain his instincts. In a soothing voice, he continued, “Yes, she is. The weak usually seek out protection from the Alphas of the Pack.”
Her low growl shook the brown strands of his hair.
“She is not weak, only small. Yet, she has chosen you as her Alpha over me.” He waited to see if his words would penetrate her need to protect Bex.
Slowly, her fur receded and her jaw shrank back to reveal a very confused human face. Plucking at the hem of her ill-fitting top, she gathered the waistband of her shorts and muttered, “Sorry.”
He rolled one thick shoulder, “It’s okay.”
After she settled beside him once more, he continued, “That was a partial shift, we call it a fusion. Only the most dominant shifters can achieve it, and even then, usually only with the Pack’s innate magic backing them.