“Call in your power and show us exactly what you can do,” I instructed.
“You mean, you want me to ignite? As in, full-on fire?” She blinked, disconcerted.
“Hone every ounce of power you can feel inside of you and let it linger,Cuore mio.” Dante’s shadows exuded from his chest slowly, curling around him in demonstration. “We need you to set it free.”
“We’d like to see exactly what the extent of yourEternal Blazeis, but don’t worry. We are all protected this time.” André’s attempt to reassure her fell flat.
Our mate didn’t seem too convinced.
“Don’t worry about controlling it.” My voice sounded deeper, and a bit animalistic as it mixed with the Beast’s—not fully giving in to him. It called her attention back to me all the same. “Right now, all we need to see is how far it can go, so we can help you rein it in and wield it with purpose.”
“I’m not sure about this, mate,”Starlight sent through our pack link, and my heart warmed.
“It’ll be fine. I promise.”
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Natalia confessed, a glint of dread sneaking through her gaze.
“We can handle this. We are not made of glass,” I reminded her.
“No. You are made of fucking flesh, which I have already demonstrated I can melt quite effortlessly. Thank you.”
“We’ve all taken precautions,Meu coração. We are not vulnerable to your fire anymore.”
André’s guarantee only helped to make her scowl at him. Natalia wasn’t stupid; she knew their endearments were just a means to appease her right now.
“You cannot fear your power, or it will control you and destroy everything you hold dear.” Dante’s statement reminded us all that he knew that from experience. “You are not attacking us, only showing us what you can do. And we are protected just in case things get out of hand. It will be alright. Trust yourself.”
His suit shimmered with the now familiar magic spell he called onto it, confirming his words.
“You can do this, Natalia. Don’t hold back.” André’s translucent, silverish venom exuded from his pores in preparation, coating every inch of him like armor.
Her gaze traveled straight to me, seeming relieved I was in full beast form, but I could still sense the guilt and hesitation that flourished when she thought about using her power against us.
“Trust us. We got you…”
Holding my gaze for a long moment, Natalia cursed under her breath and cracked her neck. “Let’s do this shit.”
The blue fire ignited on her fingertips, spreading extremely slowly up her wrist, and letting me know she was fighting to control it.
“Don’t,” I warned but she ignored me, a bead of sweat appearing on her forehead as she concentrated on the flame now reaching her forearm.
“Stop overthinking, Natalia.”.
“I’m not overthinking,” she fumed at Dante, her attention never moving from the slowly moving flame.
“You have to set it free, otherwise we won’t know how to help you.”
Our mate’s deadly, red gaze snapped toward me, but it didn’t deter me. This was the most important step, even if she was afraid of what her fire might do.
It wasn’t lost on me how freaked out she’d been after her flames swept right over Aunt Zelin.
“Natalia do not hold back,” I warned again, but she continued to struggle, attempting to tame her power before it had a chance to rise.
“I’m trying?—”
“To control it,notto let it flow,” André challenged.
“Leave me alone.”
