It’s only when we’re safely inside and Dawson guides me onto the couch in his living room that I notice how bad his injuries are. Gasping, I reach out to his battered and bruised arm, then reel my hand back to my mouth.
“Dawson, you’re hurt—”
“I know,” he chuckles, glancing at Gio, who remains tight-lipped. “But I am an alpha. I will—”
“Heal quickly,” I finish the sentence, rolling my eyes as I lie back on the comfortable couch. “That’s what you said the last time.”
Dawson chuckles again when I giggle, feeling the weight of my exhaustion rendering me unmoving right now.
“I’m glad you remembered,” Dawson remarks with a brute grin. “But I have to report the incident to the others. I’ll be back soon.” He offers a hand to Gio. “Why don’t you get comfortable in my room, Champ? There are a bunch of movies you can choose from.”
That brings a hopeful smile to Gio’s face. “Movies? Yeah!”
Dawson turns back to me. “Let me get this little guy set up. You should get some rest.”
I nod and close my eyes, allowing sleep to settle over me, my lips curling to a smile as I listen to the endearing way Dawson speaks to our son as he shows him to the bedroom.
He’s a great dad, even if he’s only been doing it for a week. I was wrong if I thought I could deny my growing feelings for him.
It’s impossible not to love Dawson for the man he is when I witnessed how hard he fought to protect his son today.
***
Stirring awake, I groan as I turn my head on the soft cushion behind me, opening my eyes to realize where I am.
I’d fallen asleep on Dawson’s sofa, and my eyes adjusted to the faint light flickering from his bedroom while the living room was shrouded in the soft glow of natural silver light filtering from the wall-to-ceiling windows.
I stretch and sit upright, feeling my bones creaking where my body had been idle for what feels like a lifetime. But a quick glance at the grandfather clock in the corner tells me that only a few hours have passed since we arrived back in Girdwood and took refuge in Dawson’s house.
When my eyes lower to the stained oak coffee table in front of me, I frown when I notice a note tucked under a basket with ornaments shaped like fruits. I reach out to pick it up, my heart skipping a beat when I read the neat print that says,
“You were sound asleep, so I didn’t wanna wake you. There’s food in the microwave if you and Gio are hungry. I’ll be back soon.”
The smile on my face is wider than I’ve ever felt it, my heart pounding with a sense of hope as I bite my bottom lip and feel giddy with excitement. I’m probably reading too much into his note, but the sweet, simple gesture means more to me than I would have cared to admit before today.
“What are you doing in my swamp?!”
The familiar line from one of Gio’s favorite movies puts a smile on my face, prompting me to get to my feet and go in search of my son.
“Gio?” I call out gently when I near the bedroom where the flickering light filters through the doorway, but he doesn’t respond.
Instead, I find him curled up on Dawson’s bed, hugging both the stuffed elephant and the carved wood one. I proceed inside to lift a throw blanket over his legs, then press a light kiss on his forehead before turning down the volume on the television set and stepping out of the bedroom.
I know Dawson mentioned that there’s food in the microwave, but I suddenly feel charged up enough to explore what my newly discovered powers are.
I’d been trying for weeks with Aurora to activate my powers and harness them to be used against the demon, but to no avail. Today, when Gio was being dragged off by a Moonshine wolf, I had to act fast, and my gifts sprang out like it was a miracle.
Examining my palms, I notice the tiny flickers of silver sparks coursing through my veins, and decide to give it a try outside. I don’t want to damage anything in Dawson’s house, and I’m not sure how much destruction I can cause.
Aurora once burned down Alpha Elias’s house while she was practicing her magic, and I can’t risk doing the same to Dawson’s beautiful, modern living space.
The cool air outside is delightful when I step onto the porch, proceeding to the back yard, where I plan on harnessing the magic powers I used today for the first time. I close my eyes, finding that silver light glowing as bright as ever behind my eyelids, and I’m able to tap into my magic with ease.
My palms warm with the electric current of my mystic gifts, and I smirk as I let it flow from my hands, charging it up until it feels like it can burst. That’s when I exhale, letting out the bolts of current, opening my eyes to watch it in a calmer environment.
“Woah! Incoming!” Dawson chuckles from up ahead just as I send out the lightning bolts into the snow.
He overacts as if he’s dodging fire, wearing a chuffed grin as he approaches me.
