Becoming Elemental

by Ryann Elizabeth

  She stepped toward me again and tried a different technique, but I blocked her again and immediately kicked her legs out from under her. She hit the ground hard, flat on her ass. I stepped back and tried not to laugh, because I didn’t even use my gift at all. She hauled herself back up, looking even more pissed. Her face was blood red. “Okay, let’s go again and this time I am not holding back,” she said. Bring it on, Amazon Bitch.

  Alexis came at me with everything she had and this time, I leaned out of the way of a punch, but missed her leg sweeping mine out from under me. I landed on my ass this time. She didn’t give me a second to recover before punching me in the face. Harrison hauls her back from me. “Alex, she gave you a chance to get up when you were down. Give her the same courtesy.”

  My cheek stung like crazy and I was irate. She wanted to play rough? No problem. “No, it’s fine, Harry. Now that I understand the rules, we are on more even ground. Let’s go!” I wasted no time going after her this time. I jabbed her again in the same spot at her ribs adding a little air to it and immediately punched her in the face with my other hand, again adding a little air to it. Her head swung to the side and I saw blood coming from her mouth, but I didn’t let up. I roundhouse-kicked her on the other side of her jaw and put a lot of air into it. She hit the ground hard and didn’t move for a second. Did I kill her already? Good grief, it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours. I really need to learn better control.

  She started moving a little and groaned. Harrison went over to her and helped her up. She was bleeding heavily from her lip and her cheek was already swelling. Oooo, that is gonna look great in a few hours! Yes, take that, Amazon Bitch. She looked at me with an “I want to kill you” look and I reveled in it. I smiled a knowing smile at her and raised one eyebrow. She would know better than to mess with me again. I may be small, but I packed quite a punch – literally!

  I walked over to her and said, “Are you okay, Alexis? Sorry if I hit you too hard. I sometimes just really get into it and get a little carried away. Do you need some ice?”

  “No, I’m fine, thank you. Harrison, I think I am going to go in and take a shower. Wanna join me?” she asked while looking at me, prodding me for a response. She may not be able to kick my ass, but she could mess with me through my boys.

  I tried not to react, but I was fuming. Harrison said, “No, I’m good. Bre really needs to continue to train, so we will be here a while. Go on in and shower, then rest. That cheek looks bad.”

  As soon as she was gone, Harrison looked at me and said, “You shouldn’t have done that. She might be able to tell you used a gift. But between you and me, it was kick-ass!” He lifted his hand to high-five me. I slapped his hand and laughed.

  “To be honest, Harrison, I barely even used air, except on that last kick. I could have taken her without a gift, but I wanted her to hurt a little. She has been messing with me since she got here and I am done,” I replied.

  “I get it and don’t worry, she shouldn’t be able to tell. But I know her and she will be out for your blood now. She will mess with you even more since you bruised her ego by knocking her on her ass, twice. Just be prepared and try not to kill her. I saw the ceiling in the work out room. Thinking about her while working out?” he asked.

  “Maybe,” I quietly said.

  “Why don’t we go for a run around the property to calm down?” he suggested.

  “That sounds perfect, let’s go.” Harrison and I jogged part way around the property and stopped to take a break near the woods.

  We were resting on a large rock when Harrison asked, “You don’t usually have a temper, so what is it about her that gets you riled up?”

  “She won’t stop touching you or insinuating things she would like to do with you. I mean, really, she just asked you to take a shower with her! I don’t like her near you guys. I know it sounds selfish since I am not dating any of you, but she is the devil and I don’t like her here.”

  Harrison chuckled and rubbed a thumb down the side of my face. “I wouldn’t like anyone touching you, either, so I get it.” He looked directly at me when he said this. It reminded me of when we were in his bed and I thought he was going to kiss me. He leaned in a bit and all I could think about were his lips. I stared down at them, willing them closer, and they came. I looked up into Harrison’s eyes and it looked like he was asking permission, so I nodded just a bit. He then slowly lowered his lips to mine and softly kissed me. He was so gentle, completely different than when Chase kissed me, but just as exciting. His hand cupped the back of my head and I leaned into him. I could feel his muscular chest against mine. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rubbed my hands up his back. He pressed harder into the kiss and I opened my mouth a little. He immediately dived in with his tongue and tasted my mouth. I raked my nails down his back and he moaned. Our tongues played with each other until liquid fire was running through my body. I tried to pull him closer, but we were already chest-to-chest and I was all but sitting in his lap. Harrison broke the kiss, breathing heavily, and looked at me. My lips felt swollen, but wonderful. “That was even better than I expected. It was the hottest kiss I have ever had.”

  I smiled up at him, “I have to agree with you.” I turned, leaned my back onto his chest, and sighed. He wrapped his arms around me and I was in heaven. “I wish we could stay out here forever. I feel more relaxed than I have in a while. Thanks for getting me away from her for a bit.”

  “I told you I would do anything for you and I meant it.”

  Chapter 14

  Harrison and I made our way back up to the house and heard a commotion. Something wasn’t right. We ran into the house and smelled smoke. Is the house on fire? We walked into the kitchen to see Chase’s hands on fire as well as one of the cabinets. Harrison quickly suppressed the fire. I ran to Chase to see what damage was done to his hands and saw nothing. They were completely normal, not blistering and peeling like I thought they would be. I looked up at him. “What happened and why aren’t you burned?”

  “I have no idea. I was just reaching for the cabinet to get a glass and my hands exploded in flames. I freaked out at first and tried to use air to put it out, but all that did was make it worse. Then I realized I wasn’t in pain and tried to relax to make it go out, but it wasn’t working and the cabinets were on fire. That was when you guys walked in,” Chase explained.

  Mason and Carter ran into the room and saw the damage. “What in the world happened?” Mason asked.

  “We’re not sure, but it looks like Chase has the fire gift,” Harrison said.

  I looked in horror at Chase and asked, “What type of Elemental is Alexis?” He just looked me and didn’t answer.

  “Fire,” Harrison finally answered.

  My stomach dropped and I couldn’t breathe. No, no, no. Not Chase! He has completely ignored her the entire time she has been here. How can they be bonded? Has he been lying to me this whole time? Did the kiss in the library not mean anything? Was he really protecting her that day? I ran from the room and out the back door. I needed air. I couldn’t breathe.

  “I’ll go after her,” Chase said, but Harrison must have stopped him.

  “Let her go, you are the last person that she wants to see right now.”

  “I’ll go,” I heard Carter say as his footsteps also became noticeable to my panther hearing.

  I ran and ran and ran until I found myself back at the rock Harrison and I had just been sitting on. I sat on it and tried to catch my breath. My chest felt so heavy, like a huge weight was on it and I could only take in small breaths. Tears were streaming down my cheeks and I felt like I was about to pass out. Carter ran up to me, pulled me tightly into his chest, and began rubbing my back. “Breathe, Bre. I’ve got you.” He didn’t say anything else. He just held me and let me cry.

  Eventually, I was able to breathe and the tears slowed down. Carter released me and wiped the remaining tears from my face. “I’m sorry, Carter, I just didn’t expect that. It caught me by surprise.”
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  “It’s okay, I understand. You and Chase were getting really close and it hurts to think of him with someone else. That’s one of the hardest things about bonding. Before you know who your bonded is, you can get close with someone else and then get left behind. It happened to me, too.”

  “What? When?” I asked.

  “Before college, I was really close friends with another Animal Elemental, Julie. We were best friends and I cared deeply for her. I thought she would eventually become my bonded, and she did, too. But she started hanging out with a guy named Ty. He had just moved into the area, and after their first kiss, they knew. She is now bonded with him and they have a little one on the way. That was one of the reasons I left and moved out here with the rest of the guys. I couldn’t stand to see them together. Julie was really sweet about it, but she couldn’t help how she felt about him. They were meant to be and I just needed to deal with it.”

  “Oh, Carter, I am so sorry,” I said.

  “I’m fine with it now and I can see them together and it doesn’t really bother me anymore. It just took time,” he said.

  “I don’t know, I can’t stand her. I can’t imagine her with anyone I care about. This feels like my worst nightmare. I need to get out of here. Are you ready to go see that movie? I need a distraction.”

  “Absolutely! Let’s go back to the house and you can take a shower. We can go get lunch and see the movie. I checked and there is one playing at 2:30.”

  “That sounds perfect. Thank you, Carter. You always know how to make me feel better. I don’t know what I would do without you.” I leaned forward and hugged him tight. I laid my head on his shoulder and took a deep breath.

  We walked back to the house and I intentionally avoided the kitchen and went straight to Carter’s room. I got in the shower and just stood there, and then I started to cry again. I sat on the shower floor and curled up into a ball. With my head between my knees, I grieved what felt like the loss of a part of my heart. Chase was my grumpy guy, my Oscar the Grouchy Elemental. How could he be in love with that viper? How could fate put those two together? She wouldn’t know or probably care that he loves his car almost as much as his family. She wouldn’t understand how he still grieves the loss of his sister from so long ago. She wouldn’t get that he is sometimes ruthless and mean, but it was because he cared so much. He probably felt more than anyone else in the house; he just hid it from everyone, but I could see it. I knew his heart, and it shouldn’t be with her. She didn’t deserve him.

  After crying out everything I had, I finished my shower and got dressed. I didn’t care what I looked like and just put my wet hair up in a ponytail. I walked into the bedroom and saw Carter waiting for me. “Feel any better?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Somewhat. Ready to go?”

  “Yes.”

  We left the room and went down to the garage. Carter walked me over to a black Audi SUV and opened the door for me. I got in and waited for him. As we were pulling out of the garage, I saw Chase standing at the front door looking at me. He looked forlorn and that made me feel a little better. I turned from him and looked straight out the windshield. No more tears, Bre. It is what it is and there is nothing you can do about it.

  Carter chose a great little hole-in-the-wall family restaurant; I agreed with him that those were the best. I was still upset and didn’t eat much, but tried to get excited about the movie. After lunch, we drove to the movie. It was fantastic! I was able to forget about Chase and Amazon Bitch for a little while and actually enjoy it. Wonder Woman is a badass with a heart of gold, and I hoped I could be half the woman she was. As we started toward the house, Carter asked, “Are you ready to go back? We can take a detour if you want.”

  “I have to face it sometime, so I might as well get it over with. Thank you, though. And thank you for today. You take care of me all the time. I hate that I always seem to be dumping my problems on you.”

  “I want you to. I like being here for you,” he said.

  “I think the reason I always turn to you is that, like I have said before, you get me. You understand me better than I do sometimes. You and I have a connection that started that first day with the animals. No one can truly understand the thrill and exhilaration of connecting with an animal unless they experience it for themselves. You and me, we are the same, and I love that.”

  Carter didn’t say anything for a few minutes and I was afraid I may have said something wrong. We pulled into the garage and he turned the car off. He looked to me, took my hands in his, and said, “Bre, I feel exactly the same way. When I was with Julie, I liked being around her and we were the best of friends, but we didn’t connect like you and I do. I feel like we have a deep connection that goes beyond friendship. That first day when you hugged me after learning how to speak to the animals, I thought my heart was going to explode. I have never felt that way about someone. The other four types of Elementals look down on Animal Elementals, but you didn’t, you embraced it and understood the beauty and wonder of being able to connect with animals. I love that about you.”

  “Carter, they just don’t know what they are missing. Being an Animal Elemental is extraordinary. I am so glad I get to share it with you.” I looked into his eyes and saw a longing. I thought he wanted to kiss me. It made me nervous. I kissed Chase and he ended up bonded to someone else, then I kissed Harrison. I know in their world having more than one bonded is not uncommon, but I’m not bonded with any of them, I’m just kissing them. And so far, none of them knew that I’d kissed any of the others.

  Carter leaned in closer, staring at my lips, and heat filled my body. I licked my lips in anticipation and he groaned. “Bre, you are killing me here.” He rubbed circles on my hand and it sent tingles up my arm. Just as he was about to touch our lips together, there was a knock on my window. We jumped back from each other and my heart was racing. What the hell?

  I looked to my window and saw Chase standing there. What did he want? I tried not to be mad at him; it’s not like he can control who he bonds with, but anger is better than hurt. I opened the door and stepped out. “What do you want, Chase?”

  “We need to talk – alone.”

  “Chase, I need some time to work through this. You’re bonding to someone I can’t stand and it is really hard on me. Please give me the space I need to come to terms with it. I’m not ready to talk to you about your new lover yet.”

  Chase ran his hands through his hair, “Bre, I just need to talk, please,” he pleaded.

  “Not now! It’s only been a few hours, so back off. I know it is not in your nature to let things linger, but I need space!” I yelled and then stomped off to the house.

  I walked in and saw Amazon Bitch, with her cut lip and swollen, now yellowish-brown cheek sitting in the family room flirting with Mason. “Seems like the pot calling the kettle black to me! One not enough for you?” I stomped off to the basement to hit something before I hit someone.

  I wrapped my hands before remembering that I killed the punching bag already. “Ugh, this sucks!” Harrison walked in and without saying a word, grabbed the punching mitts. He stood in front of me and held them up. I connected with my panther power and started wailing on them. Harrison took a step back a few times when I hit the mitt extra hard, but he didn’t say anything and continued to hold his hands up. I guess Chase or Carter told him about my new gift. I wanted to be the one to show everyone. I was proud of my connection to Mea and wanted to share it with the guys, but Amazon Bitch was in the way, again. I wasn’t sure how much more of her I could take. I was ready for her to just leave with Chase and be over with it. I continued to hit the mitts, taking my frustration out on them when I really wanted to take it out on her. After I finally exhausted myself, I crumbled to the floor.

  Harrison took the mitts off and put them away. He came over to me and sat beside me on the floor. “It’ll be okay, Bre. Chase didn’t choose her, it just happened. What’s even crazier is he doesn’t even like her. I have never heard of a bond wher
e one doesn’t like the other. There is usually a strong attraction and deep connection when you meet your bonded. He said he didn’t even kiss her, and he wouldn’t lie about that. He is as torn up about it as you are. He made us promise not to say anything to Alexis and just see what happens. He is adamant that he is not bonded to her, but the proof is there in our scorched cabinets. I guess we need to get someone here to fix that and the ceiling in here. Between the two of you, the house might not be standing soon.” I chuckled at the truth in his statement.

  “Thanks for coming down and helping me out. I really needed the release.”

  “Anything for you. By the way, cool paws!” He winked at me.

  “Well, I guess I can’t stay down here forever. What are you fixing for dinner? I am starving since I didn’t eat much at lunch.”

  “I’ll fix anything you want. What are you in the mood for?” Harrison said.

  “Ohhh, will you fix your fettucine alfredo with blackened chicken? I need cheese!”

  “Of course. Come here.” He grabbed my arm and pulled me into his lap. I sat sideways and laid my head on his shoulder. “It’ll be okay, we will work through this.”

  After Harrison left to start dinner, I sat on the workout bench and tried to relax. I knew I was going to have to see her soon and I needed to be in the best frame of mind possible. I sat there for a while until I felt up to walking upstairs, but paused when I heard talking. I guess I forgot to disconnect from my panther powers. As I was about to reign in my panther gift, I heard my name. It was Bryce talking to Chase. I stayed behind the basement door and listened, “Chase, what can we do? You obviously have the fire gift now and Alexis is a Fire Elemental. What else could it mean?” Bryce argued.