Magic Awakened: A Paranormal Romance Boxed Set

by K.N. Lee

  “When am I gonna meet him? You know I have to approve.”

  “My mom approves. Doesn’t that count?”

  “Nope!” Tracey said cheerily. “Have you started applying yet?”

  “For jobs? Or schools?”

  “Either. You decided what’s happening next?”

  “Not yet.” While things were going great with Magnus, Zelda didn’t know yet what to do with the rest of her life. She was no closer to determining her goals. “What about you?”

  “I’ve been offered a position at the office Mom goes to.”

  “Really? That’s great!”

  “Yes and no. Mom’ll freak if she sees me there. She thinks I don’t know about her… condition.”

  “What? Since when?”

  “She’s been having a lot of issues lately, and I can’t risk rocking the boat. Don’t worry. I’ll find another place. I’ve sent out my resume to twenty different places already.”

  “Twenty? Wow.” Despite her tendency toward perfection, Zelda hadn’t done research yet on possible jobs or looked into programs for her to get an advanced degree. She had been too wrapped up in Magnus, honestly, and that scared her. The idea that someone could have such an affect on her life terrified her.

  “How’s your research going? Making any headway?”

  “Not exactly, but I am going to talk to a hospital and see if they can’t help me.” Zelda had recently learned that a hospital was conducting a study on schizophrenic patients and was hoping they’d give her some fresh insights or even look over her notes so far.

  Plus, she had been studying Magnus’s blood more, too. Through her work at the veterinarian’s office, she made a connection to be given a sample of wolves’ blood—the animal—and she was slowly isolating similarities and differences between the two.

  The link between Magnus and the wolf was lacking. If only she had more blood from other werewolves…

  That night, Zelda woke suddenly. A noise? A dream? She wasn’t sure.

  She rolled over, but that creepy feeling of being watched had her sitting up. Her hand reached beneath her mattress for her gun.

  “It’s just me.”

  “Heather! What are you doing here?”

  The werewolf stepped forward from the window. “I didn’t mean to alarm you.”

  “Most people knock on doors and wait to be let in. Or they call first. It’s kinda rude to just show up at someone’s place. Actually, it’s creepy that you broke into my bedroom.”

  “You left the window unlocked.” Heather shrugged. “So it’s not breaking in.”

  Zelda left her gun in its hiding place. “What brings you here?”

  “I wanted to give you fair warning.”

  “Now that doesn’t sound ominous at all.”

  Heather laughed, her ponytail swaying. “For a human who knows and accepts that werewolves are real, you’re more jumpy than I would have expected.”

  “Maybe it’s because I know,” Zelda muttered. “Warning about what?”

  “I’m going to talk to Leviticus tonight.”

  “About?”

  “About us separating. We cannot divorce. It is not an option. One of us would have to die for our marriage to be dissolved, and honestly, I think that would be worse for both sides.”

  “Why?” she blurted. “Why can’t you divorce?”

  “It’s in our DNA. It’s the nature of the beast. It’s why there are rumors about soulmates. Every time a werewolf has tried to divorce his or her spouse, to break that bond, both werewolves turned rabid. Most of the time, it would result in bloodshed. On every occasion, the wolves in question had to be put down. It’s not pretty.”

  “That’s…”

  “Insane?” Heather lifted an arched brow.

  “I was going to say incredible,” Zelda admitted. “There’s still so much I don’t know yet about werewolves.”

  “Haven’t you asked Magnus?”

  “Some, yes, but…”

  “How is he doing?”

  “Very well. I’ll be sure to tell him you asked about him.” Zelda leaned forward. “Tell me more about being in a pack. About the bond of a pack. About…” She swallowed hard. “About the bond between spouses.”

  “Within the pack, the alpha rules every member. The alpha female rules the females, but the alpha has say over them as well. When an alpha gives an order, it can’t be denied. That is what it means to belong. There’s loyalty—”

  “Sounds like forced loyalty,” Zelda murmured.

  “In a fashion, maybe you can make that argument. While you’re born into a pack, when a wolf reaches twenty-five years of age, the werewolf can decide if they want to find another pack or remain. Most remain. That loyalty cannot be said to be forced.”

  “Why twenty-five?” Zelda shook her head. “How old is Magnus?” His age hadn’t come up.

  “He is twenty-five.”

  “So he was cast away before he could decide if he wanted to stay or not.”

  “Yes.”

  And after he had been forced to return so he could recover, he then decided to leave. Maybe not just for her. Maybe because he could not remain loyal to a pack that had abused and betrayed him.

  A rush of love filled her.

  Love.

  Yes.

  She did love him. But could they really pursue a future together. Could it last? Would she be happy living in Clinton? There was no major laboratory there. Where would she work? Would she be forced to have a long commute? What if they were wrong, and she couldn’t have any children with him? What if they couldn’t form a pack strong enough for him to not become sick again?

  Could she ask that of him? To take a chance on her?

  “When humans marry,” Heather said quietly, “it doesn’t affect them, not to the same degree that it affects us. We change once we’re married. Our minds and our bodies belong to each other. It’s sacred. It’s life-altering. It’s not something to enter lightly.”

  “That sounds… serious.”

  “It is. Leviticus and I can hear each other thoughts when we want to. That’s how close the bond is. To some extent, when issuing a command, the alpha can do the same with his pack, but this is on a whole other level.”

  “Wow,” she murmured. The idea of opening one’s mind to be able to hear the voice of another…

  Schizophrenia. Those who suffer from the affliction hear voices. No one ever thought that the voices they could hear might belong to someone else. Maybe if she could do brain studies on werewolves, especially if they were mentally communicating with their spouses…

  But even more than the idea of a possible breakthrough for her research, she found herself thinking about what kind of a bond she might develop with Magnus if the two of them were to marry. Would any of the properties of a werewolf marriage apply to them? Or would it only be a human union?

  Would it matter?

  Not to her, but it might to Magnus.

  “I don’t think that there will be an issue with either pack coming after Magnus,” Heather assured her. “No one other than myself knows where Magnus even is.”

  “No one but you and Leviticus.”

  Heather nodded. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but her cheeks might have colored some. Did she love Leviticus? She obviously had feelings for him. It must be nearly impossible to have such a close bond with another and not develop feelings for them.

  “Do you think it will work?” Zelda asked.

  “The separation? I think so. I hope so. I think we need that. There have been so many fights breaking out. No deaths, but it’s only a matter of time.”

  “Where will you go? Or do you think Leviticus will take the Nightshade Warriors and leave? How far away can you two be and still be married? Is there a geographical restriction?”

  “I don’t know. To my knowledge, a separation like this has never been attempted before. I doubt we’ll be able to be that far apart though. Philadelphia is a large enough city that the two packs can both reside
in it without being too close together. I hope.”

  Zelda nodded, but inwardly, she was grimacing. It was silly. For all she knew, another pack or even more were already within Philly, which meant it wasn’t suitable for Magnus, even if the Nightshade Hunters and Blood Warriors both left.

  “I just thought I would come and let you know.” Heather moved toward the door.

  “I consider you a friend, too,” Zelda said.

  Heather laughed. “But you would prefer I call next time.”

  “My beauty sleep might appreciate it if you at least wait until morning.”

  Heather winked, and the werewolf left.

  It took a long time for Zelda to fall back asleep, and when she did, she dreamed of Magnus and what the future might hold in store for them.

  Chapter 31

  Magnus had gone back and forth a hundred million times. He didn’t know what to do.

  After two months, he decided to quit his job and started his own construction company. It was small, but it was growing, and he was loving every minute of it.

  Everything with Zelda was going well, extremely well. He hated that they didn’t live closer together. At night, he felt alone once they hung up. He craved her. It wasn’t about lust. It was something more, something stronger, something deeper.

  He loved her, and he wanted her to be his.

  And for him to be hers.

  Marriage between werewolves was almost sacred, which was why what Laci pulled was understandable. Being linked until death to a werewolf like Kyle… it wasn’t a fate anyone would wish.

  He’d have to explain to her, everything, what their marriage might entail.

  But what if their marriage wasn’t like that of one between werewolves? He knew Zelda. She was the kind of person to want to experience things for herself. She didn’t just want to learn about things. She became invested. She submerged herself into everything she did.

  It was one of the things he loved about her.

  Honestly, he would be a little disappointed if he couldn’t connect with her as deeply as he wanted to. The nature of a werewolf, of being in a pack, opened their minds to others in a way a human’s couldn’t.

  No. If all he could have with Zelda was a simple marriage, he would be glad of it. As long as he had her, that was enough.

  But tonight, could he really do it tonight? Would it be fair to her? Would it take attention away from all she had achieved?

  He stared at himself in the mirror. The knot in his tie was perfect—it had only taken him five tries. He hadn’t nicked himself while shaving, and the pinstripe suit looked sharp. Maybe a little overdressed, but that was all right. He was so proud of Zelda he could burst.

  In three hours, she would be graduating.

  Yes, he was going to brave Philadelphia and coming in close contact with a pack, but it would be worth it.

  Traffic wasn’t bad until he neared the city, but he had left early enough that he arrived and claimed his seat thirty minutes before the ceremony was to take place. Zelda texted that she didn’t have time to see him beforehand, and he was so anxious he couldn’t stay sitting. He jumped to his feet and was going to find a place where he could pace to kill time when his jaw dropped.

  “Heather? What are you doing here? Leviticus?”

  “Zelda didn’t tell you?” Heather asked as she claimed the seat beside Magnus.

  “I know you two are friends, but she told me you two had separated…”

  “The packs separated,” Leviticus said. “We have not.”

  “It’s not easy,” Heather said, patting Leviticus’s hand, “but when you really want something, you find a way to make it work. We love each other. Our packs hate each other. We’re still together. Our packs aren’t. We rule them separately. For now at least, it is working.”

  “So are you alpha then to the Blood Warriors?” Magnus’s head swam.

  “Yes.”

  “Full alpha?”

  “Yes.”

  “And none of them have tried to pursue you?”

  Her scowl was fierce. “They know not to challenge me.”

  He laughed. “Yeah, I bet they do.”

  The graduation lasted several hours, and Magnus’s hand hurt from clapping so hard when Zelda’s name was called. As glad as he was that Heather and Leviticus had come, it meant they had to increase the number of those at the table. Tracey was there, along with her mom. Magnus got a kick out of Tracey. She was a little hyper and intense, but she loved Zelda like a sister, and that was all that mattered.

  But more than anything, he wanted everyone else away.

  When Zelda opened her mouth after they finished dessert, Magnus had to cut in, afraid she was going to invite everyone back to her place. “I hate to steal Zelda way from everyone, but—”

  “Just ask me know,” Zelda cut in.

  “Excuse me?”

  She laughed, smiling widely, her dark eyes bright and merry. “Either ask me or I’ll ask you.”

  He shifted his seat back and lowered down on one knee in front of her. He’d have to alter his speech slightly, but so be it. “Zelda, you’re a smart girl. You know a catch when you see one. You better let me marry you before you make a…” He grimaced as a shock of harsh pain lashed through him. Agony had him wanting to drop to the floor, but he forced himself to continue on. “Please say you’ll marry me,” he finished through gritted teeth.

  Her smile was kind, but her eyes were filled with so much concern that he wanted to cry. “I think you’re the one getting a catch,” she said, “but, yes, Magnus, I’ll marry you!”

  He wanted to leap to his feet, pick her up, and twirl her around, but he couldn’t. Magnus could hardly hold up his head.

  What was going on?

  Dimly, Magnus could hear someone talking.

  “Too many times… His body… not handle…”

  Zelda. She was talking. About him, if he had to guess.

  He was hustled, and he groaned. His eyes opened, and he realized he was sitting in her truck.

  “Where…” He didn’t have the breath to finish his question.

  “Back to your place.”

  “But what about—”

  “You’re more important.”

  “But—”

  “No buts. I want to marry you. I said yes, right? That’s in sickness and in health. You’re sick.”

  “Why did it affect me so much?” Already, he was feeling a little bit better. Only a little. Considering how poorly he had been feeling, that wasn’t saying much, but at least he could talk without gasping for breath every few seconds.

  “Either you’ve developed a sensitivity from your lack of being in close proximity to other werewolves, or else it’s a cumulative thing. It’s been building. Each time you have a reaction, it’s getting worse and worse until…”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Yes,” she said, but he noticed the truck leaped forward. She’d pressed down hard on the gas.

  It didn’t take them long to reach his place, so he must’ve been out of it for a long while.

  Magnus passed out again, and the next few days, he was out of sorts.

  One day—morning? night? he wasn’t sure—he felt a hand clasp his.

  He forced his eyes open.

  “Hey. Glad you’re aware.”

  “Zelda.” His mind was foggy, but his body felt stronger.

  “You have to join a pack.” A sheen covered her beautiful dark eyes.

  “You… You are my pack.”

  She shook her head. “A real pack, Magnus.”

  “Zelda.” He grabbed her hands and placed them over his chest. “You are my pack. I love you. You might not be my wife yet, but I already feel like you are. To leave you now would betray what we have. I love you. I need you in my life. If my body rejects us, if my body won’t let me love you, then I don’t want to live.”

  “Magnus, I can’t—”

  “It’s not up to you.”

  “I won’t—”

&n
bsp; “Not your choice.”

  “You’re impossible,” she grumbled.

  “I never though it possible to love someone like you.”

  Her lips slowly transformed from a tragic frown to a blinding smile. “Fine. Can you stand?”

  “Yes.”

  “Dance?”

  “Yes.”

  “How does tomorrow work for you?”

  “You’ve planned everything for a wedding for us?”

  “It’s more of an elopement, really. Honestly, you have no one to invite, and my mom’s busy with work, and Tracey’s still so new at her job that they won’t let her take off time, so… I only need you, too.”

  And so they married the next day. It was quaint and intimate, and there wedding night… Day after day, night after night, Zelda tended to him, until two weeks later, he noticed something.

  “You’re pregnant.”

  She laughed. “How do you know?”

  He lifted his shirt. Since this last bout, he had a massive sore near his heart.

  It was completely gone.

  She gaped. “But…”

  I’m telling you. You’re pregnant.

  Her eyes widened.

  I love you, Zelda.

  Maybe she couldn’t hear his thoughts, maybe not yet, maybe not ever, but she could read it in his eyes, and the kisses and caresses that came next spoke volumes.

  Two more weeks, and even Zelda couldn’t deny it. She was pregnant. Her body was changing faster than she seemed to think normal, and when it became obvious that she wasn’t going to make it near forty weeks, that by twenty weeks already she seemed to be maybe a month away.

  Magnus grew nervous. Not that he wasn’t ready to be a father. He was. He was more than ready. And Zelda was ready to be a mom, too. Bless her, she had run his construction company for him while he had been recovering, and after he resumed working again, she had secured a position after a forensic laboratory. It wasn’t the line of work she wanted to remain in, but she loved him enough to put her career somewhat on hold until he was better, wholly and completely, stable enough to maybe move closer toward a major city that would have a laboratory fully stocked so that she might be able to both do work and further her research.

  But was Zelda ready for the very real possibility that their baby might be a werewolf? That her theory might be right? That he could birth werewolves more than others could? With a human?