“He did what he thought was best,” she murmured. “You know that your mother was from Harvest Moon?” I asked.
She looked up, shaking her head.
“You had family here,” I continued. “Family that died believing that they’d lost their daughter and their granddaughter in the same day. He lied to them, Shade. He lied to everyone and stripped you of your identity for no reason. I can’t allow him to get away with that.”
“Can I think about it?” she replied reluctantly.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “There’s one other thing we need to discuss.”
This was the part of the conversation that I’d been dreading even more than having to talk to her about the dinner. She’d elected to keep her amplification a secret, and though I was sure she had her reasons for doing so, I had to make her confide in me now.
“Is there anything else I need to know about you?” I pressed. “Anything important?”
“I’m not sure what you mean,” she answered as she squirmed in her seat.
“Shade,” I begged. “You’re my mate. I want to know everything about you, and I want you to trust me enough to feel safe sharing it with me. I know that there’s something you aren’t telling me.”
I needed her to tell me about her ability for her safety and for the safety of my pack.
“How’d you find out?” she asked dejectedly.
“My mother,” I replied. “She was very close to your mother.”
“I wasn’t trying to hide it,” she said. “It’s just not something I’ve ever been allowed to talk about. My father doesn’t want anyone to know, but I promise, I’m not dangerous.”
“I didn’t think you were,” I replied. “But I need to know about it. I think it’s part of why Huxley wants you. I think he plans to find a way to use it. Can you tell me how it works?” She stared at our clasped hands. “No, but I can show you.”
The Demonstration
SHADE
Caelan and I left the pack house silently. We passed the tree line without saying a word and wandered deeper into the woods.
I wanted to put as much space between us and everyone else as possible. I didn’t want to accidentally amplify someone’s emotions without meaning to.
My anxiety built as we continued walking.
This is a bad idea. Such a bad idea. I’m not supposed to share this side of myself for good reason. If I’m not careful, my amplification could be just as dangerous as my curse.
I worried how Caelan would feel about me after he felt the effects. I had no way of knowing what he was feeling and how it would come through once I amplified it. Any number of thingscould happen, and I didn’t want to discount the possibility of something going wrong.
After about fifteen minutes more, we came to a stop in a clearing.
“There isn’t anyone nearby,” he said, giving me a wary glance. “The closest wolf is at least twelve minutes away. Is that enough distance for you to feel comfortable?”
No, but mostly because I’m not sure about showing you what I can do.“Yeah. This should be fine,” I replied.
It’s now or never.I hoped thinking that would instill me with some sort of confidence. It didn’t.
“All right… Well, I’m ready whenever you are, I guess.”
He sounded a little apprehensive, and I couldn’t blame him. He didn’t really understand what was going to happen. Though, honestly, neither did I.
That was one of the things I hated the most about this ability. It was unpredictable because people were unpredictable.
“O-okay…um… Close your eyes and take a deep breath,” I instructed. “Let it out slowly and try to clear your mind. It’s best if you’re calm so only the purest emotion comes through.”
He did as I asked, closing his eyes and shaking out his limbs before rolling his shoulders to release any tension. He took a couple of deep breaths before opening them and giving me a confident nod.
