16. Lumi
Chapter 16
Lumi
“ Y ou have no endurance or muscles. Your form is crap. Speed isn’t going to do anything compared to a shifter or vampire. You can’t shift, not even a tingling of anything. No claws are randomly forming, or canines sharpening, or anything. Honestly, I don’t know how you’re even alive,” Emeric says, chuckling to himself, his blue eyes shimmering in the fading sunlight.
“Please, tell me what you really think,” I say between heavy pants as I roll my eyes at him. We’ve been training all day, taking breaks only to refuel, and then we’ve been back at it. Running, strength training, practicing hand-to-hand combat. But even if I was the fastest, strongest human alive, it wouldn’t be enough to defend myself against a shifter, vampire, or witch. Not that I’m even close to being a strong physical human.
After tossing me a towel and a water bottle to where I’ve collapsed on the grass, Emeric still stands shirtless above me. There’s not even a drop of sweat or at least a sign he exerted any of his rippling muscles today. I wipe the sweat from my brow as I down the water in long gulps.
When I look up again, Emeric is sitting next to me on the grass as a strand of his sandy blonde hair falls over one of blue eyes. I reach up and sweep the hair out of his eyes without thinking.
I pull my hand back abruptly, like I just touched a hot fire.
Emeric grins cockily as he studies me. “Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” I sit on my hands, so I don’t do anything else stupid.
“We’ve just spent the entire day together. I pushed you to the limit of what your fragile human body can handle.”
“Can we please stop pointing out that I have a fragile human body? I’m well aware that I can’t shift.”
“I’m sorry.” He sighs, leaning back on his elbows. We both stare up at the fading sun dipping below the trees just beyond the stone walls that surround the massive backyard we’ve been training in all day. This place is a fortress of thick stone walls, but I don’t know if they are just meant to provide privacy or actually keep anyone out. A shifter in his wolf form could easily jump it, so could a vampire, and a witch could blast through the wall.
I look back at the mansion of glass walls that face out into this backyard. I keep expecting to see Ambrose’s golden eyes staring out the window each time I do. But if he’s watching us, he disappears before I spot him.
“What is going to happen to Ambrose? Are the others going to try to kill him for killing Baelor?”
A dark chuckle leaves Emeric’s throat. “No, Ambrose is the most powerful alpha that exists. No one would be foolish enough to try to take him on. They’d end up dead just like Baelor.” He pauses. “Well, Nyx might be the only other alpha stupid enough to challenge Ambrose, but he’d lose. The others respect the hell out of Ambrose and know he’s the only real hope we all have of breaking the curse.”
Nyx —my heart jumps into my throat before I remember that Emeric can hear every beat of my heart and change of my respirations.
“But you don’t have to worry about any confrontation happening anyway. The other alphas all went back to their respective territories until the next full moon.”
“How will the next alpha of Baelor’s pack be chosen?”
“There will be a challenge the day before the next full moon. Their beta will be in charge of the pack until then. And usually the beta becomes the next alpha, but not always. Whoever wins the challenge will become alpha at the full moon ceremony.”
“Is that how Ambrose became alpha? He challenged someone?”
Emeric bites his bottom lip. “It’s really not my story to tell.”
I frown, staring at Emeric intently. Warmth spreads through me as I stare into his crystal blue eyes. A lump forms in my throat as I let my gaze dip down across his bare chest. I swallow it down quickly, but I can’t hide how my cheeks pinken, or my heartbeat quickens.
Emeric frowns as he stares at me, and I know he notices my body’s reaction.
I open my mouth to ask what’s happening to me. Why I’m so attracted to him, but he speaks first.
“It’s the curse.”
I take a slow deep breath, hoping it will ease the hot, tingling ache starting in my core and working itself wild through my body. But all it does is give me an inhale of his crisp, clean scent. The tingle turns into an unquenchable ache.
“The longer you go without completing the marking ceremony, the worse these symptoms will get. The other males will go wild, trying to make you their mates, and you will become intensely attracted to every male around you. It’s meant to confuse you, to prevent you from finding your true mate, and keep the curse alive.”
I bite my lip and clench my fists to keep from jumping Emeric’s bones. “How do I know that Ambrose is my true mate?”
“I can’t answer that. Only the two of you can.”
“Well, that’s not helpful.”
Emeric chuckles and every muscle in my body trembles trying to keep from touching him, kissing him, choosing him.
“Don’t do that,” I grit out, closing my eyes and trying to block the feelings out.
“Sorry. It’s why it’s so important that you are ready to complete the marking ceremony by the next full moon.”
I grind my teeth together as the agony overtakes me. Sweat drips down my brow and off the back of my neck, and my hands become clammy.
“Why is it affecting me so much right now? And why don’t you seem to be affected?”
“Because we spent so much time together today. Any male you spend this much time with is sure to cause this reaction in you. But soon, it won’t take this long for you to have these feelings. Soon, it will be only a matter of minutes with another male before your lust overwhelms you.”
Fuck, I’m not going to make it a month . And I have no idea how I’m going to learn to shift. We spent a whole day training, and I’m no closer to figuring it out than I was when we started.
“And you?” I spit out, cracking my eyes to look at Emeric, concerned that he might be affected now. That he might have just as strong an urge to kiss me as I do him.
Emeric smiles brightly with his kind eyes as he tucks a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.
I shiver at his touch, but he doesn’t take things further. He doesn’t lean in to kiss me. He doesn’t draw our bodies closer together.
“You never have to worry about me being affected by the curse.”
I frown. “Why?”
He shakes his head, staring off with a faraway look on his face. “It doesn’t matter. What matters is teaching you how to shift.”
I roll my shoulders back, trying to control my feelings as well as Emeric can. But I can’t help but wonder why he isn’t affected by the curse.
“Why are the vampires and witches cursed? I always thought it was just the wolf shifters after the Wintermoon pack member rejected their mating bond,” I ask, trying to change the subject.
He raises an eyebrow at me. “No one knows for sure the details of the other species’ curses. The wolf shifters were the first to deal with the wrath of the gods. But shortly after, the witches and vampires angered them enough to have their own curses inflicted upon them.”
“What are their curses?”
He shrugs. “Everyone is secretive about the details. No one wants to give another species the advantage of knowing their weakness.”
The sun dips below the horizon, and the sky quickly begins to fade into darkness.
“You told me that your eyesight at night is the only heightened sense you have, correct?”
I nod.
“Good. Then we will start practicing at night, see how good your eyesight really is. If it’s not as good as a wolf shifter, then we’ll see if we can improve it with practice, see how much you can control it. From there, we can see if we can get any other senses or flickers of you being more than just a human girl.” Emeric stands up.
“I am more than just a human girl,” I snarl, joining him at his side. The attraction immediately vanishes as soon as he calls me a human girl.
His eyebrows shoot up in my direction, and he bites back a smile. He did it on purpose to get rid of my lust, so I can’t stay mad at him for long.
Suddenly, his head snaps up. His body becomes still as a statue, and I know he’s listening to something.
“Get inside the house and lock the door. Now!” Emeric barks his order at me.
Before I even take my next breath, a sandy-colored wolf with crystal blue eyes and a golden hue is running toward the outer wall. My eyesight sharpens as I look toward the wall, but I don’t see anyone other than Emeric. But I know we are under attack. It’s most likely another male that scents me and thinks I’m his mate.
Fuck, I need to get inside.
I start running toward the house, following Emeric’s order. I search the windows, looking to see if Ambrose is going to come bursting through one to help Emeric with whoever is attacking. I know Emeric is a beta, and that means he’s plenty strong, but that doesn’t mean he’s capable of fighting off another alpha or multiple pack members at once if they decide to attack.
The windows are empty as they’ve been all day. I’m three feet from the door when I dare to turn to see who is attacking and if Emeric can take them or if I need to find Ambrose.
My feet stop when I see them—white fangs, black clothing, and speed that is unmatched as they surround Emeric.
Vampires.
“Ambrose, Emeric is being attacked by three, maybe more vampires in the backyard. He needs your help. Now.” I try to tell Ambrose with my mind, but the emptiness that returns tells me he either didn’t get my message or is too far away to help.
I take three more steps and reach for the door handle.
I should go inside.
I should lock the door.
I should keep trying to reach Ambrose or anyone else who can help Emeric.
“Ambrose?” I try one more time, pleading with everything I can in my mind.
Nothing.
Fangs dip into Emeric’s fur at his neck, and he’s tossed hard against the brick wall. A high-pitched yelp whirls through the air, as a mass of blood pours out a gash at Emeric’s neck.
I don’t know how to help him, but I can’t leave him. I can’t leave him to die. I’m not strong. I can’t shift. I don’t even feel a tingling. And even if I could, I wouldn’t be skilled enough to take on three vampires alone. Emeric isn’t even able to. I do the only thing I can think of, and I’m not even sure it’s going to do a damn thing to stop them from draining every drop of Emeric’s blood.
“Stop. I’m Lumi—Ambrose’s mate. And if you let Emeric live, you can have me.”