by A C Wilds
“Good morning, how did you sleep?” I ask him as I lay across his chest. I can hear his heartbeat in my ear. It’s a bit quicker than normal.
“It’s a good morning. I got woken up in the best way possible. You’re amazing, you know that?” He responds, stroking his hand down the side of my face. Laying here with him is making me have all these girly feelings. The excitement of something like love is fluttering in my chest.
“Well, I don’t know about that, but I do know that I need some coffee, and food before we need to go see the ninja warrior this morning,” I say, jumping up from the bed and grabbing the robe I left on the chair last night. I pad over to the bathroom and take care of business before I join Shax and the guys in the lounge.
Everyone is seated at the table eating and drinking. The mood is light this morning, and I see a bit of hope and possibility for the first time. We’ve all been through so much in the past week, that it feels good to just enjoy each other before the day starts. It makes me think of all the mornings we can have like this in the future; if we ever get through this mess.
“Morning Azra, how did you sleep?” Cass asks, while rising from his chair, and holding out one for me. He places a gentle kiss on my head as I lean into him. He’s freshly showered and smells like frost and light. I pour myself a cup of coffee, add the appropriate amount of creamer, and lay back to enjoy it.
“Well, thanks. That new bed is amazing. I can’t wait for us all to fill it,” I say, with a sly smile as I put the cup up to my mouth and take a sip of the magical beans. Shax gives a wide smile, he’s going to be the first to partake in a little swordplay.
“Az, that’s kinda gross. I know you guys are like all in love, but I don’t want to hear these things,” Logan exclaims. I almost spit out my coffee at his observance. He’s a smart little bugger.
“Sorry Wolvie, I’ll try to keep the adult speak for when you aren’t in the room,” I say.
“Ok, what’s the plan for today? I was thinking since we need to go see that prick of a Fae that I might get in on this battle training. Since it seems I’m going to have to go bat for you in this war. I need to be able to kill Fae and help protect you,” Grey confesses. He has a look of determination in his eyes. I feel the thin line between revenge and acceptance for what he is. He still needs to embrace his Fae side.
“I think that’s a good idea since up until a few weeks ago we were both human, or at least I thought I was,” I say, with a bit of excitement. I think having Grey to back me up will help with my training. I don’t trust Gunner and his tricky magic. He may have a motive all his own. He’s either going to be an ally or an enemy. The only problem is...will he be my mate?
The training building was the same as it was yesterday. Guards outside in their armor and the challenge in the air. Gunner is setting some obstacle courses up when we enter. He doesn’t notice us at first, but my magic and I do. His shirt is off and his muscles flex as he picks up a heavy hay bale and stacks it on top of another. His pants are low slung on his hips, and you can see the slight “v” just under his abs. My mind clouds over for a moment, and I can’t think of anything else as my magic takes over. I snap out of it just in time, before his magic can latch on to mine. When my eyes focus again, I see him staring intently at me. His green eyes are ablaze like emeralds, so impossibly green they could never be considered ordinary. I can feel the tension in the air, and it’s so much worse than it was yesterday.
“Azra, are you ok?” Shax asks, with a worried tone. His gentle touch on my shoulder brings me back to the present.
“Yes, um…I’m fine. The magic is just getting a little hard to control. I don’t know how much longer I can force it to not mix,” I respond, truthfully. Someone better come up with a way to shut it down. I might not be able to hold it in much longer.
“I’m going to drop off Logan with Anna. I’ll be back before training is over. I saw a library on our way back the other day, maybe they’ll have something in there to fix this…problem we are having,” Cass says. If anyone can find an answer it’s him. I give him a quick kiss, and Logan a hug before walking off to meet Gunner.
“Morning,” he says, with a look so sensual that it could melt panties. His chocolate hair is messy atop his head, the curls arching in usual circles waiting to be touched. His tattoos are on full display, his chest and arms bulging with intricate designs. There is a wolf over his heart that looks so real I have to do a double take to make sure it isn’t moving.
“Morning,” I reply. His appraisal of me is just as deep as mine is of him. His energy is gently stroking the outer parts of mine, and I quickly lash out to snap his back into place.
“Where did you learn that?” He asks, with his head slightly tilted to one side. His eyes hold mischief and his smile holds promise.
“Learn what?” I retort. “How to get you to stop fucking with my magic? I don’t know, I’m just sick of you pushing at my boundaries when I clearly don’t want you to. I have three mates, I don’t need a fourth.”
“Yes, you do. And not only am I ‘pushing your boundaries’ I’m trying to see if you can shield. Your mate over there has that power, and since you turned him Fae, I figured you did too, I was just testing my theory,” he replies.
“You mean the thing Grey did when we fought the dragon?” I ask.
“I killed the dragon, you tried to fly. Big difference,” Grey corrects, in his sarcastic tone. This makes me turn around and stick my tongue out at him. Fucking cheeky bastard.
“Whatever, you all know what I mean. The invisible shield that Grey projected when the dragon was spitting his fire. That shield. You think I can do that, because I smacked your magic?” I question.
“You not only blocked it, but you sent it back. The first half of training today is going to be physical. We will continue on with combat and sword training, and then the second part we can focus on your magic.”
“Don’t you think we should all teach her our own magic? I mean you definitely can’t conjure my fire, and I can’t your earth. Cassiel’s lightning is unique too. I think this should be a joint effort. As much as I hate that, it’s what’s best for Azra,” Shax says, with a princely tone. He’s not going to budge on this. I feel some of his alpha dominance come through the bond, and Grey grits his teeth. If Shax wasn’t so powerful, Grey would be my next guess for alpha.
“You have a point, Prince. If the Queen wants the Changer at her best, we need to give her everything she needs,” he says, with a bit of heat in his tone. He’s walking a fine line between flirting and testing Shax’s patience.
“Keep it in your pants, Assassin. The only ones that are giving Azra everything are her mates,” Shax rebukes.
“Exactly,” Gunner says, as he strolls away to the weapons. I can feel the tension rolling off the guys. This is going to be some fun training.
We spend the rest of the morning fighting with various weapons. My Changer sword is my favorite though. It fits so nicely in my hand, and when I use it, it’s like an extension of myself. I’m not very good, but I think eventually I will be able to take care of myself. Grey got in on the action too. He took up learning the bow and arrow very quickly. Shax showed him how to stand correctly, and how to line up the target. By the third shot, he was already hitting the inner ring. He’s a natural.
“Ready for earth magic training?” Gunner asks after we have had lunch. The two guards from outside the doors wheeled in a large cart with various types of food, and drink. After expending all that energy, I was starving. Now in a bit of a food coma, I don’t really want to train. I want to crawl into bed with my guys.
“Sure,” I lie. “Whenever you are.” I get up from our impromptu picnic at the haystacks and make my way over to Gunner who is standing near some potted plants in the far corner. It’s extremely weird that there’s a little bit of all the elements in here, but I guess a training facility needs to be ready for everything.
“First thing you are going to do is try to find your magic. You have t
o get to the part of yourself where it comes from and pull a little out at a time. Project it in your mind, where you want it to go, and then release. Don’t use too much, or you’ll probably blow something up,” he says. I roll my eyes and make a get-on-with-it face. “Then push that energy into the plant, and make it bloom.”
“Thanks for all that confidence,” I say, with a smirk on my face. Some teacher he is. Looking for the place where the bonds are, because they are the strongest magics, I have, I find the pool of energy in my center. It’s a blend of all different colors, one more beautiful than the rest. I begin to mentally draw from the pool, using a tiny piece and spinning it into a rope. It reminds me of taffy, thick and solid, but can be pulled into thin pieces.
The rope forms into a beautiful red color. I push it down my arm a little, and out of my fingers. I can see the energy leave my finger and jump onto the plant. It engulfs it and begins to seep down into it. The red mixes with the green color of the stem, highlighting its outline, so it almost looks like it is encased in shiny rubies. The plant's own energy begins to hum, and a bud forms at the top of the center stalk. It starts out small and white, wrapped in the green of the leaves, and grows bigger the more energy I put into it. A beautiful white flower, that looks like a rose and a peony blossoms out of the bud. Once complete, my magic snaps back into place, and I’m in awe of what I just did.
“I made a flower!” I exclaim, excitedly while clapping my hands together in a very girly manner.
“You didn’t make the flower, you gave the plant enough energy to grow it quickly. You can’t create matter, only shape it to your will,” Gunner explains. His professor like tone is in full effect, and I’m a little insulted by his lack of enthusiasm.
“That was amazing Azra!” Grey yells, from the other side of the room. Shax is standing next to him clapping his hands. At least they get how awesome that was.
“Let’s continue, shall we?” Gunner asks. I don’t think his eyes could roll more into the back of his head. What’s with this guy and compliments?
We work on my earth magic for the better part of an hour. He teaches me to identify plants by feel, and how to manipulate them for different things, like creating rope vines and obscuring oneself on the battlefield. We touch on earth movements as well, and I can now create small earthquakes, although nothing to make a lasting effect.
Cass returns to us, just as I’m finishing up with Gunner. He walks into the room looking extremely disappointed. His eyes are set, and his jaw is ticking. Cass isn’t usually mad, so this is something of a shock.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, with a concerned tone. I hope that anything hasn’t happened, or worse something is about to happen.
“That whole damn library full of books, and I couldn’t find one thing to stop a mating. There isn’t a lot on Changer lore, but everything I read confirms what he said. In order to make the shift in power, you need a fourth mate. All four elements need to be in alignment in order for it to work. We need him Azra,” Cass says, defeated. He doesn’t want Gunner any more than the rest of the guys.
“It’s ok, we can look elsewhere. Don’t beat yourself up because the first attempt failed,” I say, while walking toward him, and opening up my arms for a hug. He feels so good next to me. I want to bury myself in him and drift off to sleep.
“You won’t find anything. I don’t know how many times I have to say this, I’m your mate Azra. There is no running from this. You need to accept the fact that we need to win this war together, the five of us. You trying to do it half-assed is stupid, and will get you killed,” he spits out. It seems that his patience is wearing thin, and I couldn’t give two fucks about it.
“Listen, I don’t care what the magic or universe wants. If my mates say you’re evil, and not to trust you then that’s what I’ll do. You’re a killer. Someone who does the Queens bidding at a moment notice. You killed Sola! How is that something I am supposed to accept?” I yell. I’m trying my hardest to hold on for the guys. I know Gunner is this bad guy, but my magic is screaming at me. It’s starting to get painful.
“You have no clue what you are talking about. The difference between me and them is light years apart. Shax has no idea what happened that night, and Red is a fucking stuck up prick. Don’t think for one second that the decisions I make every day are easy. Do you think I enjoy this? That I enjoy killing for someone else? Confession, I don’t, but I’m very good at it, and that makes me have a target on my back just as much as you do,” he shouts. I can feel the anger pulsing off of him. His words hit my soul, and I begin to doubt myself.
“That was a pretty fucking speech dude. You really got me with the confession part, but it still doesn’t prove who you are. Azra is one of the most important things to me. I will not let her be vulnerable with a Fae fucker who kills other people’s sisters, regardless if you wanted to or not,” Grey counters. His posture is relaxed, but the rage and anger he carries with him wants out. It is evident in how his wings are fluttering, and his fists are clenched at his sides. His eyes stay pinned on Gunner, and for a brief moment, I feel like he might actually hit him.
“Fuck you, bird boy. Azra when you come to your senses, ask Shax where to find me. I’m not going to keep doing this every day. My magic wants you, it wants to make you mine, but if you don’t want that, then I can’t be around you. It’s too hard to control. We’ll be fucking screwed when Michael gets here, but what does Faerie mean to you? Not like you actually give a shit,” Gunner spits out, while walking away from us. My mouth is hanging open at his statement. Of course, I care. How could he say that? But he doesn’t know me, he knows nothing of what we are trying to do. I must look like a stuck-up spoiled brat.
Chapter 15
Collision
The next morning Gunner is a no show. The building felt empty without his presence. Even though I’m supposed to hate him, my magic is calling to him. Instead of wasting the day, Shax and Cass took it upon themselves to show me how to use their powers. Fire magic is easier for me to conjure than the lightning or the wind. Shax assumes because he’s alpha that I’m able to channel it better. I think it’s because I have an affinity for it. It feels more natural in my hands, the heat of the flames and the cracking of desire to burn. Lightning feels cool and the surge of electricity vibrating through my body, like I’m charged up.
Three hours into it, and my magic is spent, and the guys are exhausted. I haven’t figured out to control the amount of output yet, so basically, all the haystacks are burnt to a crisp and all the targets that are used for combat have lightning burns. It was a productive day, but I’m exhausted.
“Do you want to take a break? I think I might need some food in order to replenish my energy,” I ask. They are both laying down on the floor staring up at the ceiling. Shax taught me how to conger his fireballs and throw them. They aren’t very big, but it could be an excellent distraction, or to knock someone on the ass. Cass has shared how to get a spark out of my fingertips. Good for close combat where I can electrocute someone.
“Lunch should be here shortly. Greyson should also be back from his meeting right now. Anna is willing to keep Logan with her for the duration of this battle, she’s truly a good Fae. I think that it’s best for Logan even if Greyson is having issues with letting him go,” Cass says, with a bit of concern in his voice. Logan has wiggled his way into all our hearts. He’s our little brother now, someone we should be protecting. Grey is finally realizing the danger Logan could be in should he be anywhere near the battle.
“Anna is a kind Fae. She works with a lot of children who have lost parents, or whose parents are just neglectful. She will take good care of Logan,” Shax says, reassuring us all.
The guards walk into the room at that moment pushing a cart of food. The smells are delicious, and my mouth starts to water from it. I’m the first one up and at the table. I smile kindly at the guards, but all I get is a mean stare and a partial eye roll. Apparently, not everyone thinks I’m special.
“
I can’t believe I left him there! With a Fae! I must be out of my mind. What if he gets hurt? What if they bully him?” Grey shouts as he walks through the door. His face is red, and he’s having a hard time controlling his anger. I place the sandwich I was about to eat down and go to him. His energy is all over the place, I try to help him calm down.
“It’s what’s best for him. You know how dangerous this all is. What if someone takes him, or he gets caught in the middle? What if he gets hurt because of us? You would never forgive yourself, and neither would the rest of us. He’s with Anna and the rest of the boys. He’s safe and being looked after. This isn’t the Light, Grey. We need to move on from that,” I say while grabbing his bicep and looking into his eyes.
He stares back at me, and before I can think too much on it he has me in a possessive kiss. Throwing all his emotions into it. His big hands tangle in my hair as he pulls me incredibly close. His reaction to our joining is instant, and I can feel his hard cock pressed against my stomach. I thread my fingers around the back of his neck and groan into his mouth. I can feel the other’s excitement through the bond. It seems like they are all into it. I’m a bit nervous asking though.
“Azra, if you don’t want us to all fuck you in this training building, you need to stop kissing Greyson like that,” Shax growls, with so much heat it goes right to my core. I turn around, and both guys are glowing in enthusiasm.
“I don’t think I want to stop,” I say, staring into his eyes. The look of hunger that flashes back at me pulsates the air with magic. Tendrils of all their energies shoot at me smashing into my chest. It feels like acceptance... like we are all bonded now.
That was intense, Grey says into my mind.
Yeah, it was, Shax agrees, also in my mind.
“Holy shit! Can you hear each other?” I ask, astonished.
