It was kind of weird being in a room that smelled so much like Bennett, sitting on the man’s bed, with his mother.
“So Bennett and Forrest tell me you didn’t grow up knowing you were a witch.”
“No.”
“I imagine you’re probably getting headaches then. If no one is teaching you how to let out your abilities they’ll collect,” she said.
“I was but since I’ve been on the run I’ve learned to balance it out,” he explained to her.
“Oh, that’s a good word. ‘Balance’. Tell me, what do you practice on?”
“Practice? I don’t know if I’d call it that. It’s more like letting a plant die and giving the light to it so it will come back.”
“I’ve never met anyone that had an ability to heal. Only male witches can do that.”
“Wouldn’t I be called a warlock then? I thought they were male witches.”
“A warlock is witch-like, in that he uses magic. But a warlock has to channel the dark ancestors in order to use it.” She waved a hand at Lucas. His confusion must have come through on his face. “It’s a complicated business. Just know that your magic comes directly to you and can be used whenever you want, you don’t have to go through all those complicated channels like a warlock does.”
“So warlocks are weaker?”
“Not at all. They are just different. All of the magical beings are all relatively similar to each other. Just like shifters and humans. All except for you. You’re very unique, Lucas.”
“I’ll show you how I can heal if you want to see.”
“I’d love to watch.”
“I lose control of it sometimes.” Lucas looked down at his hands.
“I’ll help you with that part. And Bennett will help you get control of all your other abilities once you mate properly.”
“I have others?”
“Oh, yes. We’ll talk about them later. But one will be the ability to help Bennett protect you.”
“He’s going to protect me from the vampires? That’s like his job now?”
“More like his instinct. You’ll want to protect him too. Once you settle in, you’ll feel it. You’ve had a hard few months haven’t you, Lucas,” she whispered and took his hand.
He nodded and had to fight back tears at the caring in her expression. It was as if her giving a voice to his situation brought back all the loneliness of the last couple of months. And then he thought about Shawn. His friend was gone now. He couldn’t help but think it was his fault.
“Oh, my sweet boy. You have come to the right town it seems. We’ll keep you safe. My sons will make sure those men don’t hurt you.”
“I have a question about something. If you’ve never met anyone with the ability to heal, then that means I’m the only one. Is that why I’m being hunted?”
“Yes. That’s it exactly.”
“Oh.” Lucas didn’t have anything else to say. It sounded as if he would be hunted for the rest of his life and if he stayed, what kind of trouble was he bringing to their doorstep? It hardly seemed fair to drag them into his problems.
He had to really think about whether staying was worth getting people killed. It seems he already did that once. Maybe. Even if Shawn wasn’t dead, he was still hurting because of Lucas. It didn’t matter that Shawn had betrayed him by handing him over to the vampires. He had had a change of heart and that was where Lucas would focus.
She let his hand go when someone knocked.
“Are you done, mother? Can I have my mate back now? My dragon’s going crazy.” Bennett’s voice, muffled by the door, sent jolts of pleasure through Lucas.
Bennett’s mother grinned and shook her head. “Yes.”
The knob turned and Bennett seemed to swallow up the spaces around them. His eyes flashed to the dragon and his nostril’s flared. Forrest grinned as he entered the room behind him.
