The Order

by Jaimi Wilson

  I don't blame him. During the last relationship we were in together, I fell in love with the girl, but it turned out we’d slept with her best friend and her ploy all along was to tear us apart. All because Melinda, one of our shared girls got involved with us and didn’t know the score. We were always upfront about our dealings. We wanted a woman to share us but it was usually for a limited time only, maybe a few weeks to a month. When we separated again, the relationship, if you could even call it that, was over.

  After all that went down, both Delia and Melinda were banished from our packs never to be seen again.

  That was before he met Jasmine and before we both went our separate ways. We were brought back together only out of necessity.

  "It’s not the same. Delia was after revenge for her friend who thought we had more to offer. Jasmine," I sigh wistfully. "There's something about her that just tells me she's it for us, and if we make her fight over us like a girl choosing her favourite toy, then it’s possible neither of us will end up with her. Do you really want that? To lose her because we made her choose?"

  He looks down at the floor in contemplation and I know my words are getting through to him. Benji is usually the softer of the two of us but I need him to understand how serious I am about trying to make this work.

  After a few moments, he meets my eyes. "Okay, we can try, but on one condition. We keep the air clean between us. If there's any jealousy, we talk about it. We don't let it build to the point we end up resenting each other."

  I nod and he rises from his seat, coming towards me slowly. His intentions are clear and he presses his lips against mine. My cock twitches in response and I fight back the growl that rises in my throat, knowing if I give any encouragement, it will be more than just a kiss we share.

  He looks at me with such a serious expression. "Just in case Jasmine isn't okay with us being together, I wanted one last kiss."

  I watch him walk away and try to calm my raging heart. I’ve missed the soft touch of his lips on mine, and if I'm being brutally honest, a large part of me hopes Jasmine will have no problem with us together because I’ve really missed him.

  I sigh and turn back to the dishes, knowing I need to get these done before I make dinner for Jasmine. I may also need to vacuum her room to clean up the crumbs that have fallen on the floor during her food breaks.

  Hopefully soon, I'll be making food for her when she’s awake and able to enjoy it properly.

  Benji

  "It’s been eleven goddamn days, Benji! No one should be asleep this long!"

  Liam has been growing more agitated with each day that passes without Jazzy waking. I run a hand through my hair in frustration. "Go call your witch then, and see if she has any ideas, but from what I've heard, this sleep is perfectly normal. It’s a way for her energy to be restored."

  "I don't care. She can't keep going like this. She eats and drinks, yes, but that's it. She barely even gets up to relieve herself. Josh said she doesn't even attempt to clean herself off before climbing back into bed. We had to change her sheets two days ago while she stayed in that state because she got spaghetti sauce everywhere."

  I chuckle at the reminder. Josh had told me he had to change the sheets while Liam cradled Jasmine in his arms.

  I wave him away and watch as he calls Neira, Sabine's sister. Sabine was a previous woman he dated before she decided to leave him for her job. He’s always been on good terms with her sister, so now he’s calling her to get her advice.

  My body tingles as I watch him and my wolf goes immediately on alert. That tingle was not normal.

  Liam turns, ending his call with a furrowed look on his face. "Did you feel that?" he asks, putting his phone on the dresser inside Jazzy's room.

  I nod, feeling the tingle run through me again. "Maybe it’s the boundary? We should go check it out just to be sure," I suggest, looking down at Jasmine as she sleeps. I brush a lock of stray hair behind her ear, watching as she breathes deeply in her sleep. She has never looked so precious to me and I have been kicking myself every day that she's been lying here that I didn't go back to find her sooner.

  All I had wanted was to give her space. I knew the revelation that I was a wolf wouldn't have gone down well, but the moment her palm connected with my cheek, I knew I had made a grave mistake. When she told me what her mother did, I found myself growing angrier by the second. It took all my self control to keep my emotions in check. If I ever see her dreadful mother again, I will make sure she is brought to justice for her actions and for trying to keep us apart.

  I press a quick kiss to Jazzy's forehead before leaving the room, in search of Josh. I find him on the front porch, his arms leaning on the railing as he looks out at the light of a new day as the sun starts to rise.

  "Josh, I need to go check the perimeter and need you to do something for me."

  "Is it to go inside and protect Jasmine with my life? Because I already volunteered for that job when I met her." He laughs and my heart swells at the loyalty my Beta has.

  "Yes please, just until I get back. I know she's safe here but I can't help the fear that there is something out there that will take her from me again," I admit. Then Liam walks out the front door, after obviously giving her his own goodbye.

  The whole time she's remained unconscious, one of us has been by her side almost constantly, for fear of leaving her unprotected. Even though we both know just how safe she is in the pack house, our instincts have driven us mad and our wolves are waiting for the moment she'll wake so they can shift and reassure themselves that she is in fact fine.

  "Let’s go check this out quickly. I don't want to be gone from her too long," Liam says, his voice low with anxiety.

  "Awwwww isn't this sweet? The two big Alpha males have been reduced to a gooey mess. I hope you know I plan to tell Jasmine everything that you two lovesick fools have done," Josh gloats with a smirk on his face.

  We both shake our heads and walk away from him. Josh chuckles and walks back inside the house.

  Liam and I strip down before shifting. We take off at a run to the spot we're being drawn to and are met with a sight we can't believe. A few of my wolves are being attacked on the outside of the barrier by a witch with the same black eyes and purple flames.

  As we cross the barrier to help our people, three people step out from the trees, dispatching of the witch with no trouble. As we go to check on each of my wolves, I get a good view of the three newcomers. It looks like the Order has decided to stop by. Maybe now I can finally get some real answers.

  Nine

  Jasmine

  My head pounds as I sit up, looking at the time on my phone. Only 5 am. Just great. I put my phone back down and notice a stack of plates with half-eaten food that are piled on the bedside table, as well as the bottles of water that are littered beside the bed. Jeez, I must have used way more magic than I thought. I shouldn't have needed this much food.

  My bedroom door opens and I swing my gaze around to see Liam walking into my room like he owns the place. When he notices me wide awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, he pauses mid-stride.

  Something close to relief crosses his face before he moves quickly to my side table and takes all the plates, piling them in his arms as if he's an expert waiter. He takes them from the room and comes back in with a plate filled with bacon, eggs, sausages, grilled tomatoes, and mushrooms. He hands the plate to me, and I smile in thanks before digging into it, completely ravenous.

  I pause halfway through eating, noticing Liam still standing there, watching me devour my food. "How long was I out?" I ask before I continue eating.

  He keeps watching me with a small smile on his face for a moment before answering. "You've been unconscious for eleven days. You would eat, drink, and use the bathroom in a kind of weird state. You were kind of aware, but not quite. You didn't respond to either Benji or I while you were eating or drinking, so we just let you be. To be honest, when I came in here, I thought you might still be in that state."
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  I'm floored by his words. Eleven days?! That shouldn't be possible. Then again, I've never exactly done a spell quite so potent before.

  I place the now empty plate on the side table and reach over to grab a drink from one of the bottles of water that are beside by my bed. I gulp it down greedily before I meet his gaze. "What happened while I was out?" I ask curiously. My head still feels like it’s splitting open from the inside out. The more I focus on the feeling, the more I realize it’s actually the earth trying to warn me that someone had crossed the barrier.

  The pain only got as bad as it did because I was in my coma. I think if I wasn't out completely, it would have just been a nice dull throb until I noticed it. As it is, now that I've acknowledged the pain, it's already begun to ease.

  I send out a quiet thanks to the earth for warning me and feel an answering warmth flow through me, making me relax instantly.

  Liam cocks his head, intrigued. "What do you mean?" he asks as he stands, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. I study him, fascinated by all that muscle. His black hair and violet eyes are looking even more striking with the dark shadow of stubble that coats his jaw. I just want to reach up and caress it to see if the stubble is as soft as his wolf coat.

  I return my focus to the matter at hand, smirking over at him. "Really? You're going to play coy with me? I was the one to put the protection barrier up, so even though you and Benji are bound into it, I am still its maker. When I awakened, it was because my head had begun pounding yesterday, which began to slowly pull me from the coma. My body was being told I needed to help because someone had crossed the boundary. So, I'll ask again, what did I miss?"

  He chuckles darkly and moves towards me, taking a seat on the chair close to my bed. It looks like it was moved, because I'm certain before I passed out it was in the corner of my room. "You're right," he sighs, sounding defeated. "Yesterday, we were out patrolling while Josh guarded the pack house and kept watch over you. We both felt off as if we knew something bad was going to happen. We both felt drawn to a particular area where it turned out a few wolves were being attacked by a witch. When we got to them, we realized the feeling was because they had crossed the circle line you had formed. We immediately jumped into action and tried to stop her before she could do any more harm. When we appeared, she became more focused in her attacks, and if it weren't for the Order showing up, it’s very likely one of us would have died."

  "Wait, wait, wait," I say, holding up my hands. I needed to process what he said, sure I had heard him wrong. "The Order is here?"

  He nods, and I pale. "Fuck!"

  Shit, shit, and double shit! I'm a fucking moron! I jolt to my feet and start pacing, wondering how I could have been so fucking stupid!

  Liam stands and grabs me as I pass, stopping my nervous pacing. "Jasmine, what's wrong? Why are you acting scared like you're a criminal on the run?" His grip tightens on me, and my magic flares, making him loosen his hold and step away. He took a deep breath. "Sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you, but my wolf was just reacting to your fear."

  "It wasn't fear you were feeling. I'm just anxious." I sigh and grab his hand, leading him back to the bed. "Liam, how much do you know about our magic levels?"

  He shrugs, keeping hold of my hand, and I can't help but smile down at it. His hand in mine feels so natural. I thought it would feel weird being so close to him like this, but I feel deep in my heart that I can trust him.

  "There are five magic levels among witches. Level five is meant for those whose magic is barely there. So, those who are able to only do small tasks like lighting a campfire, or flicking light switches on and off.

  "Level four users are slightly stronger and can do things like manipulate the weather around them. They could form a small fire and then manipulate it slowly to make it grow into something monstrous and devastating."

  He nods as I talk, letting me know he understands what I've said so far, so I continue.

  "Then we have our level three users. The majority of witches are a level three. They can summon almost anything, but have a harder time keeping it steady and their magic drains very quickly.

  "Level two is the required level to become an Order member. They can summon most magic and can use it for most anything you could dream of. While they too get drained, they don't drain as quickly as a level three does, and level two would be likely to go into a similar coma with any magic use above their level.”

  "So, you're a level two, then? Why is that so important right now? It doesn't explain why you reacted the way you did. I mean, so what if you have the same power level as the Order? It’s not like you want to be one of them, so it shouldn't matter," he rants, and I smile at his protectiveness.

  I wonder if he will be as defensive of me when he knows just what I'm capable of. "No, Liam. I'm a level one."

  I expect gasps, screams, maybe even some flickering lights or some shit, to make the moment a little more dramatic but he remains quiet. After a minute, he asks, "What's a level one?"

  I can't help it, I laugh. That moment was so anticlimactic. I thought for sure he'd be shocked by my reveal. I still remember the day I found out I was a level one, I cried because it meant I would become a target.

  My assessor told me I was a level one, but to never tell another person in my life. Level one users can do pretty much whatever their heart desires, but we still suffer the magic drain.

  Neira, my assessor, had sat me down and told me all about the level one and level zero witches. Level one, while rare, are feared by the Order. And level zero witches are practically extinct. The last known level zero died long ago, at least according to Neira. She advised me to keep under wraps what level I am on the off chance the Order, though I was more worried about my mother, would want to use me for the power I could wield.

  "Level one users can do much more than a level two, and our energy drain is nowhere near as bad as it is for lower level witches. Basically, I'm a level two, but with more benefits. Like yesterday," I shake my head, remembering how long I've been asleep. "I mean when I put the circle up. That day, I drained every ounce of magic in me, but now, I'm fully refreshed and recharged. I could probably use a couple more days of light rest, but for the most part, I'm back to normal."

  He sits in silence for a moment, processing my words before he abruptly stands, flinging my hand away. "You have to run! If the Order is here for you, who knows what they'll do with you."

  I shake my head sadly. "No, Liam, I can't run because they will just follow me and track me down. The only thing I can do is meet with them and hope that they don't sense what level I am. Neira covered it up on all my records. She labelled me as a two, both with the Order and the Soldiers."

  He stares into my eyes, as if looking for something. Maybe fear? All I give him is strong-willed determination. I know what the Order is about. Neira was a part of a group of witches who refused to remain under their thumb and moved to the cities they barely frequented. The Order seemed to always alternate between Maine and Virginia. My theory had been they were trying to help the wolves stay safe and keep their population up. But lately, other thoughts have been forming in my mind, thoughts I don't like that contradict my earlier theories.

  Finally he sighs, resigned. "Okay, let’s get this over with."

  I nod grimly. "I'm going to have a quick shower first, okay? I've been asleep for the past eleven days, and I'm trying very hard not to smell myself right now."

  Liam grins at me and takes a hesitant sniff, before wrinkling his nose. "Yes, that may be a good idea." He walks to the door, while I stand with my mouth open in shock. Did he really just imply I stink? What an ass!

  As he’s about to close the door behind him, he pokes his head back in. "Maybe wash yourself twice, you know, just in case." He winks and closes the door. I smile, hearing his deep chuckle as he walks away.

  I walk over to my bags and dig through them for a pair of black skinny jeans and a grey tank. I pull out my favourite bra, a wire-free grey o
ne with pale pink lace along the cups. I don't worry about underwear, knowing the outline will show through my jeans, no matter which I choose.

  I shower, taking my time to thoroughly wash my hair and give myself a second wash, just in case. I shave my legs and underarms, surprised by how much the hair grew in eleven days. It was seriously bad. I don't think I've ever gone without shaving for more than three days.

  Once I'm satisfied that I’m really clean, I climb out, wrapping myself in a towel before grabbing my clothes to get dressed. Halfway through changing, my bedroom door opens to reveal a majorly pissed off Benji.

  He stalls when he sees me standing in just my jeans and bra. I turn my back to him, and pull my top on. When I turn back to face him, he seems more together but still shaken.

  "What do you need, Benji?" I ask, crossing my arms over my chest, noticing the way his eyes dilate as he gaze is drawn to my chest.

  He slowly lifts his eyes and meets my smirk with one of his own. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay, Jazzy. Liam told me you were awake and about your magic level. Why didn't you tell me?"

  The hurt in his voice surprises me. It wasn't like I consciously meant to tell Liam and not Benji, he was just the first one to come in here. When he told me the Order was here, it all just spilled out without me thinking.

  "Benji," I sigh, stepping closer and reaching out to place my hands on his shoulder. I look up into his eyes. "I'm sorry I told Liam first. I swear, it was an 'in the moment' confession. I just woke up and found out I'd been out for eleven days. Then I found out the Order had arrived, and it just messed with my mind. Besides, Liam needed to know, as did you. I have no idea what the Order will do if they find out. You need to prepare for the fact that they may take me."

  He presses his head to mine, growling. "I won't let that happen, Jazzy! I just got you back! You're mine! I don't care what the Order says!"

  I sigh and roll my eyes. "As much as we both want me to stay, it’s up to the Order what happens. You know that. We need to be careful. If they are at all responsible for what is happening with the witches, then we need to come across as extremely obedient. We can't let them even suspect us of disloyalty, or they may execute us before we have a chance to stop what is happening. For the wolves’ sake, promise me you won't let your temper get in the way," I beg, my eyes imploring him.