by Leia King
“She’s with her father. He’s teaching her about her power.”
“What? She was in the shower when I came in. I must’ve fallen asleep for fucking ages. Why didn’t she wake me up?”
“Haven’t you heard the expression of letting sleeping dogs lie?”
His eyes narrowed. “Wolves are not dogs, Shaye. How many times do we need to have this damned conversation?”
Shaye held up her hands in surrender. “I’m just saying. Everyone knows never to wake a sleeping wolf. Cora has been with her father for the last couple of hours. I came up here to talk to you about twenty minutes ago and I found you asleep. You must have been exceptionally tired. You never were much of a sleeper.”
Ryan cracked his neck and released a heavy sigh. “A lot has been happening.”
“I know. I’m sorry, Ryan.”
He merely nodded.
Her voice took on an excitable tone and he knew she was trying to cheer him up. Her next words had her succeeding. “Congratulations on your son.”
Smiling, he said, “I appreciate it. Thanks, darlin’.”
“I thought that would make you smile,” she said, grinning. “It’s what you’ve always wanted.”
“It is. He’s wolf, too. Well… mostly.”
“Let’s hope he won’t be as stubborn as his father,” she jested.
“He’ll need to be,” Ryan said, unable to keep the sadness from his voice. “Life… it’s only for the tough.”
“Ry?”
Scrubbing his hand over his face, he told her, “Cora comes with a lot of complications. A shitload of baggage.”
“You’ve always known the White Realm Princess was your mate, though.”
“Yeah, I know. I just… I didn’t think it’d be like this.”
“It is a lot.”
“Everyone wants a piece of her. Her power, her blood.” His eyes flashed. “Her body.” He pulled at his hair. “It never stops. You know we’re at war because of her? Because Luca crossed me in his bid to get to her? He went after the wolves. I had no choice, Shaye. I had to protect them by taking a stand.” He slammed his fist down on the bed. “I had to claim my birthright as Wolf King. You know I never wanted that! Never! But, because of all the bullshit she brings, I had to.” He drew in a breath, trying to calm himself. “I mean, I’m trying. I’m fucking trying to be okay with all of it because I love her. She’s my woman. But…”
“It’s much easier said than done?”
“Yeah.”
He saw her frown.
“What?”
“Something has triggered this upset in you.”
She walked to him. The next thing he knew, she was grabbing his hand tightly. A spark of white light erupted at the joining of their hands.
“What are you doing?”
She released him and drew back. “I see.”
“See what?”
“The waterfall. What happened there is what’s triggered all of this.”
“I guess,” he murmured, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“It’s because you’ve suppressed your dark side for so long. The magic of the waterfall called it forth in a sudden rush. No one would have been able to prevent it, Ryan. You didn’t stand a chance.”
“I hurt her, Shaye. I mean really fucking hurt her. There was blood… everywhere.”
“I know. It wasn’t your fault.”
“That guy, David, said the waterfall just brings someone’s innermost desires to the surface.”
Shaye shook her head. “I know of that magic. It’s more complicated than that. It brings your most suppressed self to the surface. Not necessarily your desires. You’ve lived in the human realm for two centuries and your power is just a fraction of what it was when you resided in the Dark Realm. You haven’t felt the full power of the dark aspects of the wolf for that long. You weren’t prepared for it being thrust to the surface suddenly. That’s all.”
“But that darkness is still in me, Shaye. The beast.”
“We all have darkness inside of us. But some of us choose to learn how to control it.”
“Cora wouldn’t let me anywhere near her afterwards. She’s scared of me.”
“She was just in shock. Explain it to her, the way I have. She loves you. She’ll understand.”
“Yeah. Okay. Maybe she will.”
His eyes wandered around the room and something out of place caught his eye.
A cup on the bedside table.
He snatched it up and inspected the contents. It was the tea that David had said he’d made for Cora. He picked out one of the large, golden leaves and sniffed it. There was no scent. Impossible. Everything had a scent. Everything. He brought it closer, frowning with confusion.
“What’s wrong?” Shaye asked.
“This tea leaf doesn’t have a scent.”
“What? You can’t smell anything?”
No being in any of the realms had a keener sense of smell than a wolf. And the Wolf King, himself, had the keenest sense of all. If he couldn’t smell anything there was a problem.
“Nothing,” he told her. “David made this tea for Cora. I don’t trust that fucker, Shaye.”
Shaye took the leaf from him. “I’ll have the coven look into it for you.” She waved her hand over it and it disappeared before their eyes. “It’s in their hands now.”
“Thanks.” He slumped onto the bed and leaned back on his hands as he asked her, “So what did you come here to talk to me about?”
“The full moon is two nights away. We should leave the day of so I have time to set up the spell to protect your wolves from the anticipated attack from Luca and Michael.”
“I know.”
“It means you might have to leave Cora behind here.”
“What?”
“The training with her father will take a while. She can’t leave until she completes it. Once he shows her how to unleash her powers it won’t be safe until she is able to perfect her control.”
“Oh,” Ryan said, taking in the news. “Well, there’s no choice. I need to protect my wolves.”
Shaye grinned at him.
“What?” he asked. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m just proud of you, that’s all.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“You really are the Wolf King, Ry. You’re a good leader. You always put your wolves first, no matter what. You will win this war.”
Ryan reached out and drew her to him, enveloping her in a tight hug. “Thank you. You’re a good friend.”
“As are you. You’ve had my back so many times. Now I have yours.”
He smiled and pulled back. “I need to get to that Royal Court meeting,” he said, looking through the windows at the sun setting outside. “They’re gathering at nightfall. It’s time. You coming?”
Shaye looked surprised. “I’m not invited. I’m not a member of the Royal Court.”
Ryan chuckled. “I’m asking you to be a member of mine.”
“What? You’re serious?”
“Yeah. Josh isn’t here. I could use an advisor at my side.”
She curtseyed in front of him. “I would be honored, your majesty.”
Ryan shook his head. “Hilarious.” He crossed to the door. “Let’s go.”
5
“Hold it steady!” Vazra commanded.
Cora gritted her teeth and fought to hold the ball of white light that her father had tossed her way at bay. It was so powerful that her right palm was shaking under the strain of trying to hold it steady.
“I… can’t.” It forced her onto one knee.
“You have the strength, Cora. Do not be afraid. Let loose. Do you feel that strain deep within?”
“Yes. It… hurts.”
“That is because you are keeping it at bay. It needs to break free. Let go, child!”
“I… can’t. I won’t be able to control it.”
“It doesn’t matter. Let me worry about that. Do it or we stop this training r
ight now. There is no point if you are not all in. Just so you are aware, if you do not do this, your child will not make it to term. You need the full force of your magic at your disposal, both to nourish it, and to survive the birth. Your baby needs you to do this. Ryan needs you to do this. He has wanted you and a child for three hundred years, Cora. Are you really going to take that away from him?”
“I… I don’t want to. Of course not.”
“Do this!” he bellowed.
Her father’s words rang in her ears. Let loose. Let it go.
His speech had reached something deep within her. Fiery resolve. Conviction.
She focused on the painful strain deep within her. The heart of her power. She squeezed her eyes shut.
And then, for the first time, she set everything free.
She screamed as she felt it surge up and out of her.
“Good! Good, Cora!”
“Oh my God,” she gasped when she opened her eyes and saw the result.
Her father stood, both his palms outstretched in front of him, holding up a shimmering, translucent barrier against hundreds of silver balls of light that were pushing against it. She could see the strain on his face, the sweat trickling down his forehead as he fought to hold it at bay.
Their eyes locked and he smiled at her proudly. “You see your power now?”
She nodded in shock.
“Now, I need you to call the magic back to you. Slowly.”
“Okay. How?”
“In essence, do the opposite of what you just did. Instead of casting it away, call it back to you. Slowly, Cora.”
She climbed to her feet and held out her right palm. After a few moments, the shimmering balls of magic started to return to her. She gasped when the first one hit her palm and a rush of energy racked her body as she reabsorbed it. The sensation caught her off guard and she lost control. She watched in horror as the rest of the orbs rushed towards her all at once in a frantic bid to get to her first. She screamed.
“Stop!” Vazra commanded.
To her surprise, every single orb froze in mid-air. Vazra dropped his barrier and walked towards them. He held out his right palm in front of them. And then he held his left out to Cora. “Come, daughter. I will return your magic to you through myself.”
She pressed her right palm to his left.
“Brace yourself,” he warned.
“Okay.”
She watched him concentrate. His hand trembled. The orbs gravitated towards his right palm, forming an ordered line. Unlike her, he didn’t even flinch as each one passed through his palm and was absorbed. She felt a rush of energy hit her, coming from the point of their joined hands. He was passing her magic back to her, using himself as a conduit so she could absorb it a lot easier without the intensity.
“Just breathe and accept it. It is your magic, Cora. It belongs with you. Do not treat it as an invasion. Welcome it and it will stop being uncomfortable,” he coached her.
She followed his instructions. Before long, she no longer felt the uncomfortable rush of energy. It became a welcome tingle of sensation instead. She smiled happily. She was proud that she’d accomplished something at least.
When the last orb of magic had passed back to her, her father released her and grinned. “You’re doing well.”
She made a face. “I guess.”
“It requires total concentration to master complete control over your power. It takes practice. I wanted you to draw it back to you and absorb it so that you could start to learn how to be at one with it. Your magic is not a separate entity from you.”
A round of applause came from behind her suddenly.
She spun around to see Ryan smiling at her and clapping. Shaye stood beside him and nodded her respect.
“Impressive,” Ryan said, stepping into the throne room.
Cora smiled shyly and then shook out her hands. “They burn,” she told her father.
He chuckled and took them in his, rubbing them gently. “Just as when a student first picks up a guitar and the strings make their fingers bleed until they build up calluses, the same applies to using your magic. The more you do it, the less you will feel the burn.”
Her father moved away as Ryan approached, giving them some space.
Cora noticed Ryan hesitating. He was clearly unsure about whether to touch her. She flashed a smile and it reassured him enough. He came to her and wrapped her up in his arms. She moaned peacefully and melted into him, resting her head against the warmth of his chest.
She heard his thoughts inside her head. I’m sorry.
I know. It’s okay. I was just freaked out for a while.
Shaye told me the truth about the waterfall. It doesn’t bring out your desires. It brings out what someone has been suppressing the most. Yours was your unexplored sexuality. I guess, you’ve been holding out on me.
Cora chuckled aloud. Looks like.
And mine was the darkest part of the wolf.
I thought you were in control of that?
Not of the darkest part that’s rooted in the Dark Realm. Living in the human realm for so long, I haven’t had to deal with it for two hundred years. I’m out of practice. So, when it rose within me thanks to that awful magic, I wasn’t strong enough to push it back down. I will never hurt you like that again. Please believe me. I swear that you are safe with me, my love.
I know, Ryan. I’m sorry I reacted like that earlier. I was just shocked.
You’re sure?
Yes. I promise.
Good, because I couldn’t stand it if you were really afraid of me.
“No, baby. I love you,” she said aloud, tightening her hold on him.
“Next time, check with me before you touch anything that doesn’t look normal to you,” Vazra said with a wry grin.
“Definitely,” Cora agreed.
Her father’s gaze strayed to Shaye, who was hanging back, watching their reunion. “Shaye, nice to see you again.”
“Thank you, your majesty.”
“She is here in an advisory capacity to me,” Ryan announced.
Cora thought she saw something flash in her father’s eyes. He didn’t seem happy about the news. But it was gone so quickly that she couldn’t be certain. He nodded with a smile. “Very good. A nice choice, Ryan.”
Shaye beamed at the compliment.
“Shaye, you are a very accomplished witch. Perhaps you would like to assist me with Cora’s training after tonight’s meeting?”
Shaye hesitated. “Her power is beyond mine, your majesty.”
Vazra waved his hand dismissively. “I will be present. There is nothing to worry about.”
Cora pulled away from Ryan and took Shaye’s hand in hers. “You should join us. Ryan speaks highly of your magical abilities.”
“He does?” Shaye questioned, shooting Ryan a glance. “And here I thought he was always intimidated by my magic.”
“Intimidated? Imagining things again, are you, Shaye?” he teased.
“You’d better get used to being around magic, baby,” Cora said.
The three of them laughed.
“Glad to see the newlyweds have made up,” a voice called from the doorway.
David strode into the room. He was presenting a smarter, clean-cut look in a tailored, navy suit. Was there a dress code for the Royal Court meetings?
She saw Ryan’s eyes narrow and felt his entire body tense. He thought David was a threat? His response to David’s presence was a wolf’s territorial reaction.
Shaye stepped forward, gripped Ryan’s shoulder and flashed him a warning look. A silent understanding seemed to pass between them. It had Ryan drawing in a calming breath, forcing himself to relax.
That was all shot to hell in the next second when David tried to hug her. Oh, no.
Ryan stepped in front of her blocking David’s access to her.
“Thanks for helping my wife out earlier,” Ryan said, taking a step closer, forcing David to back up. It seemed he was using his fake gratitude
as an excuse to get in his face and demonstrate a warning without having to look like a hostile crazy person in the process.
David smiled politely and held his hand out to him. Ryan’s eyes flashed, not liking the prospect of shaking his hand. He looked out at everyone gathered around and grunted. He was in a compromised position. He knew he didn’t have much of a choice without looking like an asshole.
He plastered on a smile and took the hand being offered to him, shaking it.
“Fuck!” he exclaimed, all of a sudden, jerking back.
He glanced at his hand and growled in fury.
“What? What is it, baby?” Cora asked, reaching for him.
“Sorry,” David said, gesturing to his ring. “I forgot this was pure faery silver.”
“Oh my God!” Cora cried, grasping Ryan’s hand to see what he’d done. She gasped as she saw a first-degree burn spanning the width of his fingers. “Are you okay?” she asked, worriedly.
He pulled his hand away. “Fine. It’ll heal.”
“David! I told all members of the Royal Court not to wear any silver!” Vazra reprimanded him.
“I sincerely apologize. It must have slipped my mind,” David said, eyeing Ryan steadily.
Cora frowned. Had he actually done it on purpose? Had he intentionally hurt her husband? No, that couldn’t be the case. The David she’d known had been a gentle, kind soul. He must’ve just made a mistake.
Ryan’s good hand clenched in anticipation of a fight.
That fucker had done it on purpose. He was sure of it.
He wanted to rip his head off for it. But he couldn’t murder one of Vazra’s Royal Court members, especially not right in front of him. It’d probably incite a goddamn war.
“Ryan, let me see,” Shaye said, suddenly stepping between him and David.
When Ryan refused to give her his hand, she grabbed his wrist forcibly. Cora came to stand beside her and she grimaced at the sight of the burn. Shaye waved her hand over it and then released it.
“There. Good as new.”
“Wow,” Cora breathed. “Amazing.”
“Thanks,” Ryan told Shaye.
“Of course.”
Before he could return his attention to that asshole, David, Vazra gestured for him to follow him over to the Sacred Table of the Royal Court.
