by Jaimi Wilson
"Do you mind if I stay? Or would you prefer to be alone right now?" he asks softly, pretending as if he doesn’t notice Liam standing behind me, even though I’m sure he must be glaring at Jenkins with jealousy.
My gaze runs over him, sensing his intentions and I find no negativity in them. He emits nothing but good vibes and his presence, while surprising, is incredibly comforting.
I smile up at him, grateful he's asking rather than just assuming. Some wouldn't be so considerate. "You can stay if you want. I just wanted some time to connect with the earth, and process everything," I explain. He studies my position: legs crossed with my hands digging into the dirt.
He grins widely and sits down opposite me, mimicking my crossed leg position so our knees are touching. "Have you ever connected with the earth? Like really connected?"
The excitement with which he asks has me smiling in response. I've connected briefly to return energy to the earth after I used my magic, and while I felt connected to her in those moments, it was never more than that.
"I've connected to give her energy and some days she thanks me by gifting some of her own back. Is that what you meant?" I ask, curious if there is another way to connect with the one who gave us life, as his words seemed to imply.
I've never met another person who has ever talked to her, or communicated with her. It has me giddy with excitement.
His eyes go wide and he shakes his head in awe. "You can gift her your energy and receive some in return? That's amazing," he breathes, staring at me.
I fidget, uncomfortable with the intensity of his gaze. After a moment, he looks away, as if just realizing how uneasy he is making me.
He clears his throat. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable, it’s just fascinating. Anyway, I've never quite talked to the earth the way you have, but I'm happy to show you the way I do it, if you'll let me?" he offers. His eyes shift from the intense stare he held, to holding a smidgen of hope, and I know I can't say no.
I look down at his knees where he's placed both of his hands palm up, waiting patiently for my answer.
I'm suddenly very aware of Liam still standing outside my shield watching us, but he hasn't said a word this entire time. I glance over at him, worried I'll see jealousy in his eyes because of the way I’m allowing Jenkins to stay with me, but I see nothing but curiosity in them. Although, it’s not like he has any reason to be jealous anyways. It's just magic between two people.
I smile at Liam to reassure him that everything is okay between us, before turning back to Jenkins. I slide my hands into his, marveling over the warmth from his soft hands.
He smiles nervously at me and I return the gesture with a confident one of my own. Magic always makes me happy and learning more earth magic gives me even more reason to be excited.
Jenkins clears his throat, giving my hands a gentle squeeze. "Close your eyes and imagine the earth the way she appears in your mind. All those times you’ve gifted her your magic, think of how she appeared to you. Summon that image."
I grin broadly and close my eyes. Usually most males witches will refer to the earth as a man rather than a female. They stupidly assume something all-powerful like the earth would have to be male in order to control and harness such power.
My eyes flutter open to watch him for a moment as he sits with his own closed. He breathes in deeply, his face looking relaxed. I quash the sudden desire I have to reach out and cup his cheek, instead closing my eyes again and doing as he asked, conjuring up the image of the earth as I’ve always pictured her in my mind.
As I look at what I imagine is her human form, I relax, feeling loved and safe. Her green eyes glow as she smiles down at me. She reaches out a hand to graze across my cheek, cradling it in her palm with such love and acceptance shining in her eyes.
The energy crackles between us and that’s when Jenkins appears beside me in my mind or wherever this is. I'm never really sure where I am when I visit this place. It’s my happy place, the place I go to in my mind to deal with the shit that goes on in my life, the shit I can’t really run from so it doesn’t surprise me we’d end up here. What does surprise me however is the woman.
Jenkins turns and gazes up at the woman with awe for a moment, before dropping to his knees and bowing. The lush tall grass brushes against my calves, and I take a good look around at the grassy meadow, which seems to run on forever.
When I look back at the earth, it’s to see her smiling warmly down at Jenkins. Soft music plays in the background, not unlike a lullaby. A light encases us, burning brighter with every second that passes, until I can no longer see her.
Do not fear, sweet daughter of the earth. We will meet again soon.
In the blink of an eye, we're back in our physical bodies, sitting across from each other. I feel different, though. Calmer and more at peace than I did before.
Jenkins smiles at me, his own eyes reflecting the peace I feel. "Thank you for letting me see her as you do. It was truly an honor."
I blush, feeling like I just shared something intimate with him. "That's okay," I murmur, sliding my hands out of his. "Is that not how you usually see her?"
He frowns, rubbing his hands together nervously. "Um, no. When I try to connect with her like we just did, I only ever see the silhouette of a woman with long flowing hair and green vines wrapping around her as if she's trapped. I've never seen her full form before."
"Wait, are you saying that was actually what the earth looks like?" I ask incredulously.
He's talking about the earth as if she's a living sentient being. Yes, I believe she exists, but I imagined her more as a natural power that flows through the earth, not a physical being. The only reason I ever conjured up a human figure was because it felt right.
"She may not look exactly like what you summoned, but you formed a better image than I’ve ever been able to manage. Have you never wondered what she looks like and how she came to be?"
When I shake my head no, he runs a hand through his thick brown hair and sighs. "Wow. Okay, well that's something you should really ask your father about. I’m not great at explaining it, and seeing as he's the one in charge of things anyway, I'd rather not step on any toes."
Seriously? Ugh, my father isn't even here. As a matter of fact, he hasn't been in my life for the last twenty-five years, yet now he thinks he can try and control me? Oh, I definitely do not like this man already.
"You know I'm an adult, right? No man tells me what to do." I give Jenkins a glare, letting him know I won't take shit from yet another man in my life, whether it be him or my father.
Liam chuckles from outside my shield. "Oh, I don't know about that, Jasmine. I have it on pretty good authority you like being told what to do."
I close my eyes and rub my temples in annoyance. Of course Liam was listening to every word and chose that moment right then to speak.
My gaze swings around to give him a glare. "No one was talking to you," I growl, but am unable to stop the smirk from creeping into my expression. Sighing in defeat, I drop the shield.
He reaches me in two strides and lifts me up from the ground, pulling me to his chest and inhaling my scent. I don't stop him, knowing his wolf needs this right now.
Jenkins is watching us with curious eyes. "I thought you were mated to the other guy. Benji, I think Josh called him?"
I meet his eyes, my confidence unwavering. "I am. This is my other mate, Liam."
I expect judgment in his eyes, but Jenkins seems more intrigued than anything. "Is that all? Or do you have other mates out there as well?" he asks, and I can swear I see a slight glimmer of… hope?
My mouth opens in an ‘o’ of surprise before a well of laughter bubbles up. "Oh, hell no! Two is hard enough, thank you very much. If there were more out there, I'd send them running back to wherever the hell they came from faster than they could say ‘mate.’"
He nods in understanding, but his eyes flash with some unknown emotion that has me pausing. "Yeah, I imagine it would be incr
edibly hard." An awkward silence follows for a long moment, until he cocks his head, listening to something in the distance. "I, uh, have to go. I'll see you guys later."
We watch him leave and I glance up at Liam after Jenkins disappears into the trees. "What was that about?"
He grins down at me. "I don't think you wanna know, babe." I narrow my eyes at him and he chuckles, scooping me up over his shoulder. He slaps me on the ass when I wiggle to get free.
“Jasmine, what you saw, we should-”
I quickly cut him off, keeping my gaze fixed on the ground as he walks. “Look Liam, I can’t talk about this just yet, okay? There’s already so much going on and while I know you were trying not to hurt me, I’m still a little upset. I need time to sort through everything, so I can have a rational talk rather than just mindlessly raging, which is exactly what I want to do right now.”
He sighs in defeat, and I can feel the tension in his shoulders. “Fine, I understand you don’t want to talk yet, but we will. I won’t let it drop, Jasmine. But for now, let’s go find your other mate. We’ve been dying to get you back for some alone time."
Liam carries me back to the pack house, and then to my room, where Benji stands waiting in the doorway.
I'm dumped on the bed and let out a girly squeal of surprise before sitting up with a laugh. When I meet their gazes, though, it’s not arousal I see, but anger.
"What's wrong?" I look between them, trying to find some kind of clue as to what has sparked their anger.
Benji leans down over the bed, placing his hands on either side of my hips as he glares at me. "You. Sent. Me. Away!" he growls out, each word enunciated slowly and filled with rage.
I throw myself back on the bed, closing my eyes in annoyance. "I had to! I couldn't worry about you or myself in that moment. Neira tricked us!" I exclaim, my anger reacting to theirs. I had to protect them. There are thousands of witches out there, but only two pack Alphas. They were far more important.
"I don't fucking care! You are our mate! Our number one fucking job in this life is to protect you and keep you safe from harm!" His voice lowers dangerously as he continues to vent. "You used magic to transport me out of that building and Josh tricked me so I would leave. He told me you had agreed that if something went wrong, you'd send me out first, then follow right after. So I ran. WE ran!" he spits, gesturing at Liam, who is standing to the side, stoically silent.
I have to admire Josh's quick thinking by telling them that. To be fair, I did tell him I'd save Benji and Liam before myself.
"When we got to the pack house, Josh used magic to seal us inside. We couldn't leave!" Benji's anger is pissing me off in a big way, and after everything else that's happened recently, I’ve just had enough.
I sigh and push him back so I can sit up. "Tell me, if I were still trapped in that house, what would you do?" I keep my voice gentle, trying to calm the situation, but his wolf is in full control right now.
"What do you mean 'what would I do?' I'd fucking take all my wolves and destroy the Order for taking my mate hostage."
I smile sadly at him and then glance over to Liam. The look in his eyes tells me he knows exactly what I'm getting at. No matter who I am to them, their packs need to come first.
"Exactly, you would have rallied the pack and it could have ended in unnecessary bloodshed. Josh did what he had to as Beta. He kept you safe, and he got me out without anyone getting hurt. You should be thanking him for handling it as well as he did.
Benji grinds his teeth together as he goes over my words. I wait patiently as he digests the full impact of what I said. Once he’s had a moment to process, he’ll figure out Josh and I were both right to do what we did. We saved him from sending his pack members to their possible deaths when they're already on the verge of extinction. The whole reason I put up the protection barrier in the first place was to keep the wolves safe.
They both have every right to be pissed, but they need to realize they can’t fault us doing what was right.
I sit patiently on the edge of the bed, waiting for a response. Finally, after a long moment, Benji blows out a puff of air. "Okay, maybe you're right."
I can’t contain my smirk as I lean closer. "Maybe, huh?"
He growls and pushes me back onto the bed. "Just because I said you were right this time, doesn't mean I'll allow you to do something stupid like that again."
I roll my eyes. "As if either of us would do something like that again. Besides, I seem to remember telling both of you that something about Neira didn’t feel right. But, no! She messed with your minds, making you believe her. Quite literally for you, Liam."
Huh, I didn't realize until now that I haven't seen her since I got back. "Speaking of, do you know where she went? I imagine she probably ran off after she got her sister out, especially if she realized that Josh figured out you were spelled," I muse, thinking of how stupid she would have to be if she decided to come back to the pack after pretty much trading my life for her sister’s.
Benji grins over at Liam, and I watch as his gaze drops to the floor. He seems unable to meet my eyes.
Liam coughs, clearing his throat before finally looking up at me with guilt-filled eyes. "Neira and Sabine actually came back to the pack. They've been staying in my cabin."
Three
The earth shakes as I storm through the pack house, feeling pissed beyond measure. I haven't even been to his house for fuck’s sake! Spelled or not, he had to know I'd be upset by this!
My anger has no bounds and my magic builds inside me, demanding to be released on the person responsible for causing me such unrest.
As I storm through the house, Liam and Benji follow after me, trying their best to keep me from leaving. But I get sick of that bullshit and decide to summon a little something I learned.
My skin now buzzes with an electrical current which will zap anyone who touches me, much like a taser, only less painful. It could hurt more if I ramp up the power, but I choose to keep it tamped down.
It's a trick I learned not long after I turned eighteen. It used to happen at the most inconvenient moments. At first, I thought it was just some weird static electricity, but then I met Neira and she showed me how to master it. And while it takes a hell of a lot of concentration to maintain, it’s so fucking worth it right now.
As I turn the corner, the front door slams open, my magic responding to my will. Jenkins is standing there in the doorway, his hand raised to knock. At the look on my face, however, he quickly moves aside, clearing the path for me.
"You okay, Jasmine?" he asks as I stomp past him.
I freeze, turning to narrow my eyes at him. "I am most definitely not okay!"
I turn back to the path, marching ahead, my steps echoing across the front porch as I go. The wood echoes with my angry steps and I take the stairs as quickly as I can without falling down them.
Josh sees me coming and gets up from the large boulder he's sitting on. He hurries to my side, his face showing his worry, but I continue to press forward, my destination pushing me.
"Jas, babe, where you going?" Josh inquires, keeping a fast paced walk beside me. I can hear Jenkins, Benji and Liam all following after us but I ignore them all, including Josh. He's supposed to be my friend. He should have told me Neira was here! And even if she was here, I would have thought they'd have her locked in a dungeon or something, not leave her free to lounge about in my mate’s home!
"Neira is here, staying in Liam's house," I finally spit out. Pausing in my stride, I turn my glare on Josh, with venom in my eyes.
He takes a step towards me with hands raised in a show of peace, but I am far beyond peace right now. "I was going to tell you, but the new magic running through you is influencing your emotions right now. I knew you'd overreact and go for blood without thinking things through first."
"Overreact? Are you fucking kidding me?!"
I pull more power and feel an earthquake rumble through the land beneath us. The earth is blessing me as I rage on
.
"She traded me for her sister! She walked us into a trap, one which I knew was fucking coming, might I remind you? I mean, who the fuck carries around blueprints for a top secret house, just on the off chance they might want to scope it out?! But that's not even the worst of it! No, she spelled my mate to be influenced by her words. Then, when I had to pay a price to free him of the spell, I saw something so goddamn traumatizing that I'm torn between punching Liam in the face for lying to me, or just throwing up. So don’t you dare stand there and tell me I'm overreacting!"
Josh reaches out a hand, placing it on my shoulder in what I imagine is meant to be a soothing gesture.
I smirk in amusement as his eyes go wide, and he drops to the ground, huddled up in a ball of pain. I look down at him twitching from the after effects of my magic, before shifting my gaze to the others. "I'm sick of all the lies! If you can't say the truth, then just keep your mouth shut! Don't fucking lie to my face, because if you do, and I find out, you’ll find yourselves magically castrated!"
I spin around, resuming my angry stride. The guys remain silent behind me, their steps the only sound to let me know they are still following. Other members of the pack scatter when I storm past them on the dirt trail leading towards Liam's guest cabin, but I don't even care how I look right now. I just want to deal with this bitch and all the shit she's done.
I never thought Neira and I were friends when she assessed me, but she did help me. She urged me to hide my power level and told me things to help me remain undetected from the Order. So to learn the truth of all she’s done, whether she was a friend or not, feels like a big betrayal.
The door to Liam’s cabin swings open with just a thought, and I climb the three steps leading to the front porch. I take a step inside the door without any invitation.
