Chapter 22
EMME
I’d thought my first shift, when my wolf and I were virtual strangers, had been the toughest transition in my life. But today, two hours deep into my first magic lesson, I was once again on the ground breathing through what felt like cracked ribs.
Magic was going to be my toughest transition. I could already tell.
Slade had been forced to do intense workouts on the other side of the field, so his dragon didn’t growl and threaten to snap the witch-wolf like a twig every time Constantine had to attack me with a spell.
Beyond my ribs, the real travesty here was being too winded to even admire Slade’s firm ass as he trained.
“You’re fighting against the magic,” Constantine said for the fifth time, yet somehow still not sounding irritated with me.
“Whenever you get close to drawing on it, your wolf steps in. Since that side of you is the strongest, it slams the magic down. You have to learn how to mingle both sides of yourself. Turn them into allies.”
Do we really need this guy? I projected into the group, sending the message to all my mates for once.
Want me to kill him for you? Slade offered, his dragon all puffed up in the bond, smoke billowing from his lethal jaws.
I laughed, fairly sure he was half joking.
Not even close to half, he drawled.
Talon’s laughter filtered through as well, and when I caught a glimpse of sky, I knew he was still flying. There’d been no strain from our bond, but it didn’t mean I wasn’t missing him.
I hated any of my mates being away from me.
I vote we kill him too, Finley chimed in, his bear rearing up with a bellow. Emme survived just fine without him. Just fine was probably a stretch since Constantine had been keeping me magically hidden.
Aw, Shortcake. Come home so I can rub your shoulders… and other parts of your body. You need to relax, and I haven’t finished my weapons training.
Hunter’s beast released a warning growl, as if he wanted to jump on Kellan and tear him in two. If you mention your weapon, annoying pup, you’ll be neutered in the same breath.
I snorted out loud, relieved at least that having all of their voices in my mind hadn’t brought on the nausea and headache again. Constantine was watching me closely, but didn’t say a word, as if he knew I was focused internally with my pack.
You don’t have to use your magic if it feels wrong to you, Hunter said, always the voice of supportive reason. We’re strong enough without it. Maybe there’s a reason you’ve never had it in your life before now.
A great point, but there was one part I needed to clarify.
It doesn’t feel wrong, I admitted, and it wasn’t as painful as I expected to acknowledge that.
It’s familiar enough that I must have been interacting with it all along, even if only in small increments.
It was enough to build a bond. I just need to figure out how to release it.
After so many years of being caged by Constantine and my beast, that was always going to be the hardest task. Thanks for your unwavering support, I said as my wolf brushed by each of their beasts. I’m going to try again.
My mental block returned so I could focus, but I felt their reassurances drifting through still.
“Okay, time to call on my magic again,” I said out loud, straightening my aching limbs and ignoring the dull throb in my uterus. I wouldn’t have much longer before I needed to empty my disc again, so I needed to get this done.
Drawing on the magic, swirls of energy rose until my limbs tingled with the power. This sensation felt like I was being smothered in bubbles, and I wanted to flinch away, but that had only gotten me blasted by Constantine’s energy all afternoon.
Blasts I was supposed to be countering.
“Okay, you need to keep drawing your magic around yourself,” he said. “Thicker and stronger. Shielding is the first magic we learn, and it’s relatively easy. It’s just using the energy to coat your skin in a protective layer. You can feel it, right?”
“Yes,” I bit out. “I can feel it all over my body, and it makes my wolf want to tear our skin to pieces.”
“Push her down,” Constantine returned with more fire. “Control the beast.”
In my chest, my wolf snarled and raged, but if there was one thing I had experience with, it was controlling her.
We have no other choice, I said to the wolf, getting a snap of her jaws in response.
Her unease riled up the other beasts in our quintet, but they didn’t push through to communicate again. We all had to deal with our discomfort if we wanted to be able to take on a witch.
With one final snarl, my wolf finally backed off, giving the magic its first real chance to grow.
Constantine murmured under his breath, and I could soon scent the slight tinge of sulfur in his essence.
For the most part, both of our magic-scents were hidden by the shifter essence, but this close there was a faint waft.
“I’m going to use a low-level blast of energy,” he warned me. “It’s basic magic. No real finesse, but it can knock your opponent off their feet. Your job is to counter that energy. Block it with your own.”
Sure, that sounded easy peasy lemon fucking squeezy. “It’s not basic magic to me,” I reminded him through gritted teeth, already cranky, sore, and about to bleed through my pants. “Which you’d know if you didn’t just toss me to the wolves, literally, and fuck off out of my life.”
Constantine’s expression hardened. “You’re feeling sorry for yourself, and I’m not saying you don’t have reason, but it’s not going to win this fight.
I did the best I could, and I would make different choices now that I know your destiny.
But I wasn’t blessed with foresight. All I wanted was to keep you safe.
This training is another way to keep you safe. ”
He was right, and even knowing I was being a bitch, I couldn’t help that comment. Still, I wasn’t usually the type to dwell on my hardships, and I didn’t want to start today. “Yeah, you’re right and I’m sorry,” I muttered. “Hit me. I’m going to try and block it.”
With my wolf still subdued, I could really force that icy swell of power to expand. My body felt too full, and I kept waiting for it to burst from me in a violent display. Instead, the power slipped free, a shimmer of golden energy that had Slade slowing to watch us.
“More, Emme,” Constantine said, his eyes lighting up at my display. “You’re still holding back.”
My teeth literally ached from the amount of magic surrounding me. I wasn’t sure there was any more energy to expel. As only a quarter witch, maybe this was all I had to give.
“Are you drawing on your pack and wolf?” Constantine asked suddenly, as if he’d just figured out what I was doing wrong.
“You told me to control her so the magic can go free,” I bit out, my teeth starting to chatter. “And how would I draw on the pack? Their energy is their own.”
His magic swirled hotter, and I recognized the signs of his attack. This is going to hurt.
“You don’t push her away, just make her less dominant,” he said. “You must join all the sides of yourself if you want to be strong. Your witch, wolf, and omega sides. The omega can share power with her pack, as you very well know.”
Deciding that instinct would have to be the guide here, I released the reins of my wolf, and stopped blocking the pack bond.
My wolf rose to join the already powerful waves of magic, and along with that were the five other beasts.
Bear, wolf and dragon essences swirled until I wasn’t sure which energy belonged to who.
No one in my pack spoke, but they also didn’t hold themselves back from me, as if there weren’t any part of them off limits to me and my wolf. As terrifying as it was to think I could hurt or drain them, I also knew we couldn’t play it safe. Not if we wanted to win against Jewels.
When our essences were just one huge swirl of magic and shifter, I pushed it against my already tingling skin. Constantine released his attack, which looked like lightning as it shot from his fingertips, and I shoved all of my pack at it. Six beasts, leaping together.
Our quintet collided with Constantine’s spell, and it shattered so loudly that birds flew off squawking in the forest miles from us.
Constantine slammed into the ground, and for once I didn’t lose my footing.
There was no pain, and for a brief moment, I wondered if I could fracture the very earth I stood on with the energy I held in my hand.
“Dial it back, Emmeline,” Constantine shouted, but not only did I have no idea how to do that, I also didn’t want to. This was pure power. With it, I’d never have to be afraid again. No more kidnapping or losing people I loved.
No more enemies lying in wait to take us out.
“Snow,” Slade roared, the magic so loud that I barely heard him. When I turned his way, I could see the outline of golden beasts in front of me, as if they were partially superimposed over my skin. Not just my wolf, but all of theirs. Ours.
“Sweetheart,” Slade continued, in front of me, his hands held up placatingly.
It was such an unexpected position to see the dragon shifter take, that a fraction of my brain snapped out of my power-induced haze. “You need to bring our quintet back into our essence,” he continued. “Separate out the magic. Let our beasts free.”
The thought that I’d caged them against their will horrified me, and I immediately let all magic slip back inside. It released like an elastic band that had been stretched to fit us all, everything springing right back into place with my wolf standing center of the quintet.
My five mates surrounding me.
Collapsing to my knees, I gasped in air, as if I’d been unable to breathe for many minutes. Slade crouched with me, wrapping himself protectively around my body. “Our beasts burst from you,” he whispered, and I felt the tremor that rocked through him.