Chapter 16 - Willow
Life is a strange thing, considering that only two weeks ago, I was a wolfless, useless omega in a pack that I could never call my own.
So much has happened since then, like becoming sub-alpha Thane's mate, and discovering that I'm a witch who's now harnessing her magic powers into a trap in the woods meant to keep Girdwood and the Snehvolk pack protected from the demons.
My brows knit tightly as I work to control my power, my temples burning from the strain until I'm able to slow down the pulse of magic that exudes from my palms. It turns to tiny flickers of light extending from my fingertips, until I'm able to draw the golden magic back.
The energy pools into the back of my eyes, gathering in my chest and drawing out a deep exhale from my lips.
“Well done, Willow!” Rissa cheers as she comes over and flings her arms around me for a hug. “That was amazing!”
“You're making so much progress, sweetheart!” Aurora praises with a broad grin, while Yvonne takes her turn to hug me after Rissa.
Blushing profusely, I feel a smug smile curling my lips. Brooks lifts the amplified trap and throws me a wink.
“Nice one, Willow.” He turns to his mate, pressing a kiss on her cheek. “I'm gonna set this one up. Meet you at home?”
Rissa shakes her head. “I was thinking we'd go back to Aurora's place and have a bit of a break. If that's okay with you, Aurora.”
“Yeah, of course!” Aurora chirps and slips her arm through mine. “Elias and Dawson are babysitting the kids, so we might as well make the most of our alone time.”
“Unless Thane plans on snatching Willow away,” Yvonne drawls suggestively, and I giggle.
“Er—we're supposed to go out for dinner,” I say nervously, and the other women giggle.
“Oh, like a date?” Aurora wiggles her brows as we set off back to her house.
“No, not a date!” I defend, but can't stop the natural heat from creeping on my cheeks, betraying me. “We're just friends, okay? It's all about the prophecy and protecting the pack.”
“Right!” Rissa rolls her eyes as she goes ahead to the porch and opens Aurora's front door.
Yvonne leans in. “We've all been there, honey,” she admits in a whisper. “You don't have to hide anything from us.”
Aurora nudges my arm and smiles. “You can tell us all about it after a drink or two.”
We enter Aurora's house, and she proceeds to mix us some cocktails at the bar. Getting comfortable in the living room, I glance at the she-wolves, feeling a warmth wash over me that I've never felt before.
For the first time in my life, I feel like I belong somewhere, having made friendships with the other witches in this short time. A weight feels lifted off my shoulders, and as Aurora brings over the tray of vibrantly colored cocktails, I take mine and enjoy the soft ambience of our downtime.
“So…” Aurora turns to me, the conversation redirecting to what they were teasing me about outside, and a blush crawls over my face. “What's the deal with you and Thane?”
“Yeah, I don't buy the whole 'friends' thing,” Yvonne rolls her eyes as she makes air-quotations over the word.
“Thane and I have…history,” I mutter as I take another sip of my drink, popping the olive between my lips.
“That's why you left Snehvolk before?” Yvonne asks, and I nod before she continues, “I ran away when Dawson rejected me and had his child. So I kinda know how you feel.”
“Just how much history do you and Thane have?” Rissa probes with a mischievous smirk, and I giggle.
“Not enough to warrant how I've been acting since he saved me from Blood Claw,” I sigh heavily, my gaze dropping to the bracelet on my wrist. “I'm still a virgin.”
“Oh, my Goddess!” the three ladies sing in tandem, and I blush more.
“Guys!”
“No, no!” Aurora shifts closer to me on the couch. “This is interesting. You're saying you've been unlocking your powers without having sex? That's incredible.”
“Not when you say it like that!” I exclaim, embarrassed. “I'm twenty-seven and still a virgin. I'm not exactly proud of it. I'm still a rookie.”
“You're saving yourself for the right time,” Rissa observes, to which I grimace.
Saving myself for the right time?
I don't know if there's a right time when those nightmares have plagued me, my own voice echoing that my love will cause destruction.
I know that if I let Thane in, he'll only be destroyed by my love, and I'm afraid of that.
“How do you feel about him, honey?” Yvonne asks, and I sigh.
“I thought I hated him, but it's hard to carry on hating him when he's been nothing but good to me,” I sigh again, my eyes fixed on the bracelet. The rejection it represented once no longer holds weight, and instead, it reminds me of something I can't have with Thane.
Forever.
I'm afraid of that word because I know what it means if I allow myself the liberty of exploring my true feelings for him.
“You said you're going out tonight,” Aurora mentions, one brow arched as if she's in deep thought.
“Yeah. But only as friends.”
“That doesn't matter,” she clicks her tongue, then grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet. “I have the perfect dress for tonight.”
“Ooh! Fashion show?” Yvonne exclaims excitedly as she claps her hands.
“Aha! Come on, ladies! Let's raid my closet!”
***
The witches of Snehvolk are the kindest she-wolves I've ever met, and so supportive of my night out with Thane.
Dressed in a borrowed black turtleneck dress and matching coat paired with thigh-high boots, I'm surprised by my own reflection in the mirror as I paint my lips with a crimson red lip gloss Yvonne gifted me.
I have to consciously remind myself that this isn't a date, but rather a casual dinner between two friends.
I've hardly made peace with my situation, only recently accepting that I'm a witch.
Being Thane's mate is something I can't deal with right now, especially if my nightmares come true if I explore my feelings for him.
When I'm ready, I leave the bedroom where I've been staying.
Living in Thane's grandfather's place these past few nights has been strange, only because of the house's immense size.
It's so big that I've only met Elder Charles once in four days, and that was when he welcomed us on our first night here.
It'd been a warm welcome, and to my surprise, the elder wasn't as imposing as I thought he'd be. He seems to be giving us space in his house, although there isn't a need for that.
Thane has been giving me space, too, staying in the bedroom across the hall. I'm not sure how I feel about the distance between us anymore, except that it's becoming harder to accept that my nightmare could come true.
I don't want it to come true.
Especially when I find Thane in the living room waiting for me, his long dark hair slicked back to show off his sharp facial features framed by a neatly trimmed, full beard of dark, silky hair.
He's a sight to behold in black jeans, a black T-shirt, and a black bomber jacket.
All black is a deadly combination on his build, dripping in a type of timeless magnificence and elegance that reeks of his authoritative nature.
And when he smiles crookedly, that's my undoing, a tiny dimple peeking from his beard on the left side of his cheek.
Good Goddess!
I'd have to be blind or mentally impaired to ignore what the sight of him does to my body. It seems only natural to lose my breath as I approach him, my knees weakening underneath the knit dress and quivering in the boots.
Again, I have to remind myself that this is just a casual night out—one Thane proposed so I could have a break from all my training. It's nothing more than dinner between friends.
But friends don't make each other feel the way Thane does me when he sticks out his arm like a hook, smiling silkily at me with appreciative eyes, running over the dress.
“You're looking gorgeous, Willow,” he smirks before straightening and clearing his throat. “Shall we?”
I nod, my voice caught in my throat with the lump growing from my own resistance to the undeniable.
But I can't accept my budding feelings for him if it means his destruction.