Chapter 22 – REGINA
REGINA
The dark lights of the Cauldron turn Sadie's blue-black hair into an iridescent halo as she leans forward, watching me with undisguised fascination.
The coffee shop is bustling, students hunched over laptops, professors grading papers, and the occasional supernatural being trying and mostly failing to blend in with the humans.
"Do it again," Sadie demands, her heavily-lined eyes wide with excitement. "I've been trying to get that spell right for months."
I grin. It's nice to impress someone with my actual skills rather than just my rare classification. Especially someone as hard to impress as Sadie.
She and my sister, who has been notably aloof since finding out I'm sharing a pack house with four himbo wolf shifters, would definitely get along.
"Fine, but this is the last time," I say, glancing around to make sure no one's watching too closely.
I extend my hand over the table, palm down, and draw on the well of energy that now lives inside me. That steady, pulsing connection to four alpha wolves that never seems to dim.
The power rises eagerly, almost playfully, responding to my call with an enthusiasm that still catches me off guard. It's nothing like the carefully rationed trickle of power Kyle allowed me.
With a subtle flick of my fingers, I pull at the air molecules above the table, compressing and cooling them until tiny ice crystals form. They dance and swirl in a miniature vortex before arranging themselves into a perfect crystalline lotus flower that hovers an inch above the wooden surface.
"Holy shit," Sadie breathes, reaching out but stopping just short of touching it. "That's elemental manipulation without a focus object. Do you have any idea how advanced that is?"
I shrug, trying to appear nonchalant even as pride blooms in my chest. "It's just basic thermodynamics with a magical push."
"Basic my ass," Sadie snorts, still staring at the ice flower. "So far, the best I've managed is a sad little slush puddle that ruined my grimoire."
With another gesture, I let the flower dissolve back into vapor. No evidence left behind. A habit from years of practicing magic in places where I wasn't supposed to.
"You're really fucking good," Sadie says, leaning back in her chair. "Like, scary good. And your control is insane. Is that from the bond?"
I take a sip of my latte, considering. "Partly.
The steady energy flow helps with accuracy and Villeneuve's been helping me learn ways to channel it more efficiently.
" I trace the rim of my mug with my finger.
"It also helps not to constantly worry about running out of power.
When you've spent years rationing every drop of magic, you learn to be efficient. "
Sadie's expression darkens. "That walking bag of dicks really did a number on you, didn't he?"
"That's one way to put it." I don't elaborate. I don't need to. Sadie understands the magical community's politics better than most.
"Well, his loss is my gain. You have to show me how you're manipulating the crystalline structure without fracturing it." She leans forward again, eyes gleaming with academic interest. "And then maybe you can help me with this banishing spell I've been working on. The matrix keeps collapsing."
I laugh, genuinely touched by her enthusiasm. "I'd be happy to help. I could use the practice before Monday when I get roped into whatever assignment Villeneuve has waiting for me."
"So the job is going well?" she asks. "He hasn't tried to lure you into his office so he can grind your bones for his tinctures?"
"You've been talking to your brother," I say flatly.
She cackles. "I'm just surprised you managed to get those idiots on board."
"What do you mean?" I ask, even though I have an idea.
"You really don't get how shifters work, do you? Especially alphas."
I sigh. "They're not happy about it. Me spending all this time around Villeneuve… but at least he filed the pack application. And now I can start paying for my own stuff."
"Oh, I'm not talking about the pack's crazy conspiracies about Professor Hottie," Sadie says with a smirk. "Look, even if you have a job now, none of them are going to be okay with taking your money."
She has a point, as much as I hate to admit it.
Before I can respond, my phone buzzes with a text. I glance down to see Killian's name on the screen.
TOP DAWG
We're ready whenever you are. All four of us are practically climbing the walls.
I feel a flutter of nervous excitement in my stomach. Today is the day I've been both dreading and looking forward to.
Watching the pack run in their wolf forms for the first time since that terrifying night when I fled through the forest.
"I have to go," I say, gathering my things. "The pack is waiting for me. They're doing their run today."
Sadie's expression softens slightly. "First time seeing them shift since the bonding?"
I nod, unable to hide my apprehension.
"You'll be fine," she says, surprisingly gentle. Gentle enough it actually makes me more nervous for some reason. "Those four would gnaw off their own paws before hurting a hair on your head. Can't make any promises for the fleas, though."
And there's the Sadie I know.
"They do not have fleas and you know it," I say, rolling my eyes as I stand. "I'll text you about that banishing spell."
"You better," she calls after me. "I want all the benefits of my future sister-in-law being the TA for the hardest prof on campus. Gimme all those nepo points."
I laugh and wave in acknowledgment as I push through the door and head toward the forest that borders campus. The afternoon sun is warm on my skin, but a cool breeze makes it a perfect day for a run, according to Sean's enthusiastic texts all morning.
As I walk, I try to sort through my complicated feelings about what I'm about to witness. The last time I saw the wolves in their shifted forms, I was running for my life. Before that, my only experience with a shifted lupine of any variety ended with half my face being carved open.
Not exactly positive associations.
But these aren't just any wolves. They're my wolves. My mates. My pack. The bond between us buzzes with reassurance, as if they can sense my anxiety even from a distance. Through it, I can feel their excitement, their eagerness to share this part of themselves with me.
They've already proven they accept me. All of me, even the parts I struggle to face. I want to do the same for them.
The forest path winds deeper into the trees, away from campus and curious eyes.
The pack house sits on the edge of a protected wilderness area, giving them plenty of space to run without fear of discovery.
As I approach our meeting spot, a small clearing about half a mile from the house, I feel their presence before I see them.
Four distinct energies, familiar as my own heartbeat now. Waiting for me.
I step into the clearing and find the guys standing in a loose semicircle, still in human form, dressed only in loose shorts that can be easily discarded.
"You came," Killian says with clear relief. He steps forward, taking my hands in his. Shit, he really does look tired, like he's as stressed out about this as I am for some reason. "We weren't sure if you would."
"I said I would," I remind him, trying to keep my voice steady. "I want to see this part of you. All of you."
Sean grins, brimming with his usual chaos energy, only tonight, it's turned up to a hundred. "It's gonna be awesome, Storm. Wait until you see how badass we look."
"No badassery," Killian says pointedly.
Sean groans. "Right, right, I know the drill."
"Are you sure you're ready?" Micah asks, his eyes searching mine behind his glasses. "We can wait if you need more time."
"I'm ready," I say, with more confidence than I feel. "Just... go slow at first, okay?"
Rowan nods, understanding in his gaze. "We'll take it at your pace. If at any point you want to stop, just say the word and we'll shift back."
Killian squeezes my hands once before releasing them and stepping back to join the others. "We'll shift one at a time so it's less overwhelming. Rowan first, then Micah, Sean, and me last."
I nod, steeling myself as Rowan moves to the center of the clearing. He gives me a reassuring smile before closing his eyes. The transformation is both more and less dramatic than I expected. His body doesn't break and reform in some horror movie spectacle.
Instead, it's a fluid, almost graceful transition. One moment he's a man, the next his form blurs and shifts quickly, and suddenly a massive silver-gray wolf stands where Rowan was.
My heart hammers in my chest, old fear rising like bile in my throat. But through our bond, I feel nothing but Rowan and his calm intelligence, his steady presence. The wolf's eyes are the same dark brown as his human form, watching me with patience.
"It's still him," I whisper to myself, forcing my breathing to slow. "It's still Rowan."
Micah steps forward next, his transformation just as smooth. His wolf form is slightly smaller than Rowan's, and his fur gleams with hints of gold in the sunlight. His eyes remain the same warm hazel behind his light markings.
Sean practically leaps into his shift, his excitement impossible to contain. His wolf is powerfully built, both muscular and padded, with the same mischievous gleam in his eyes that he has in human form.
Definitely the giant wolf I spotted from the window.
He shakes himself all over, then prances in a circle with his head held high, showing off.
I can't help but laugh at his antics, the sound breaking apart some of the apprehension inside me. These wolves, these specific wolves, are nothing like the monster in the basement that attacked me. Through our bond, I can feel their distinct personalities, their love for me.
Finally, Killian steps forward, his jaw set.