Chapter 6 #2
My husband tilted his head up to the late afternoon sky. The boy shifted to his wolf form. He took a step forward, and I held my breath. Wolfe hesitated, and then his hand rested on the young wolf’s head. I watched them both as they walked away together.
“He heals the land,” the druid murmured beside me. “Before he sets to rip it apart with war.”
I turned to them. My mouth opened to object, but I couldn’t argue. Not this.
“Ah, for once, the Goddess grants me a gift,” the druid said with a sly smile. “Finally, you are silent.”
I punched them on their arm. “What the hell just happened?” I demanded.
“A gift short-lived is still a gift,” they mumbled sulkily.
Cody and Brand were already lifting the bodies; our pack was around us, whispering and talking excitedly, but my attention was on the druid.
“I deserve to know.”
“I don’t think I know the answer,” the druid told me carefully as they began to walk away, and I had no choice but to follow. “I think the only one who knows is Wolfe. Even then, I don’t think he’d explain it very well.” They looked over their shoulder. “Twice he’s been touched by the Goddess.”
“He looks worse for it,” I snapped.
The druid half shrugged. “Effective though.”
We walked in silence as pack members filtered through the trees and on the paths, all looking like they’d just awoken from a long sleep. None looked pissed off or confused; they just looked…sleepy.
“He held us with his Will for around seven hours,” the druid told me quietly. “They look tired; imagine what your mate must be feeling.”
I stopped walking. “I should go to him.”
The druid shook their head. “His betas will be close. It is unlikely they will let you near him tonight. Their instincts will be to protect him.”
“I am his mate.”
“They’re his soldiers.” We’d arrived at the druid’s tent. “Come inside. You can tell me what happened, and if I can, I’ll try and make sense of it.”
I stood torn. I wanted to go in. I wanted to describe it to someone, anyone. But…I also wanted Wolfe.
“Wolfe?”
His voice was almost instant. “Talk to the druid. They know this better than I do.”
“Are you okay?” It sounded so weak after what we had just endured. How could he be okay? He was exhausted.
“I just need to sleep. Come home when you’re ready.”
I frowned. What did that mean? I was ready now. “I love you.”
“Thank you, princess.”
“Rowen, you’re either coming in or you’re not. Hurry up and decide.”
I stepped into the tent. “I told him I loved him, and he said thank you. What do you think that—” I dropped onto the ground, and a whoosh of joy swept through me. “Holy…”
The druid smiled. “It’s a rush, isn’t it?”
“What is it?” Tentatively, I placed my hands on the ground.
“Magic.” The druid leaned back on their heels. “Now tell me everything.”
I explained what I’d felt, the voices I heard, the power that filled me. The whole time, the druid sat still, and then when I finished, they stood and got water, then made tea. They never spoke again until we both had a cup of tea, and to my utter astonishment, they offered me a plate of cookies.
“If you tell your husband I have snacks, I will wear your entrails as a scarf.”
“Don’t share this secret that you have snacks. Understood.” I ate my cookie. “So…what happened to me?”
The druid munched their cookie. Drank their tea. And watched me. They refilled their cup and drank it too. When I reached for my third cookie, they spoke.
“You felt the Hollow for the first time yesterday. The threat to the land awakened the power in you.” They put their cup down.
“You’re very receptive to it; therefore, the power is strong.
As you learned to adapt, our alpha went camping with the Goddess and came down the mountain filled with her heavenly grace.
Mix that with someone who is only opening themselves to their magic, and you have potential for a battle of power. ”
“It was alpha power,” I mumbled.
They nodded. “Of course, the nearest power source to you was the Hollow and your mate.” They folded their arms. “You blacked out when you rejected the alpha power. Did you grab for it first?”
I blushed. It was everything I’d ever wanted. To be an alpha of this pack. “I did.”
The druid gave me a fond but knowing smile. “And when you held it, you gave it back. Why?”
“It felt wrong. Plus, my mom told me too,” I added ruefully.
“Not your mom,” they corrected. “Luna. I heard her, I just didn’t know why.”
“So, what? I came into my magical awareness, stood too close to Wolfe, tried to steal his power, and then got the power of the Hollow instead?”
The druid picked up another cookie. “That about sums it up, I’d say.”
They were so casual about it, I didn’t know what to do. “So, what do I do now?”
Their eyes gleamed. “Now you learn how to be my apprentice.”
“Your apprentice?” I should have taken the alpha power when I had the chance. “I… What do you mean?”
“I mean, you will claim your birthright. You will be a druid.”
“We’re at war.”
“Wars will come and go. Druids are why the land still stands,” the druid said regally. They saw my look. “Fine. War first, lesson after.”
“If we survive.”
They rolled their eyes. “Yes, yes, if we survive.” They glared at me. “You’re ruining this moment for me. I hope you’re happy.”
I didn’t think I was.