“Yeah, I’m just,” I pause, unsure where to even begin. When I glance over and see Zane’s eyes are still glowing, I focus on the task at hand. “Okay. Let’s do this. I’m ready.”
“Okay,” Zane agrees. “Quint, you ready?”
“Yep.” He moves so that he’s facing me.
“What are you doing?”
He shrugs. “Here to catch you if you pass out, I guess.”
My eyes widen in surprise and then shoot to Evie’s. “Will I pass out?”
“No,” her answer is swift, but then changes. “I mean, I don’t think so. Right?” she asks Zane.
“You’ll be fine,” Zane reassures me, but I’m not very assured.
“Okay, okay. Just do it.” I squeeze my eyes shut.
“What are you doing?” Quint asks, but I don’t open my eyes. “You look constipated doing that.”
“Quint?” I start.
“Yeah, I know. Shut up.”
He gets quiet after that, but I barely notice. I’m too busy tensing up and waiting for that rush of emotion again. I don’t feel anything at first, but then it comes. I take a deep breath and feel my own emotions start to grow and change. I feel warmth and safety and protection at first, but then the feelings keep growing. I start to feel the intensity of those feelings grow. I gasp as the feeling of love grows and grows. I keep expecting it to top off, but it continues to grow. I hear Quint ask me something, but I can’t focus on it. “Keep going,” I manage to get out. The feelings that had been starting to lessen a moment ago start growing again. I start to feel that protectiveness grow and shift and become something more intense and more threatening. I take a deep breath and try to keep my head, but the emotions are coming harder and faster, so much so that I feel like I’m drowning in all kinds of emotion.
“It’s too much,” I hear Quint say this time.
“No,” I argue. “I can handle it.” If this is Slater, then I can handle it. I can handle his emotions; I want to be what he needs. The feelings grow and sharpen.
“Why don’t you just tell Slate to put a stopper on his emotions? Tell him to pull them back,” Quint calls out.
“No.” I don’t manage anything else. I won’t do that to Slater. He has a game to focus on this weekend, and he needs to focus,especially after his performance today. But the feelings continue to grow, and it quickly becomes clear that it’s too much for me.
“Tessa, it’s too much,” Quint says, stepping forward and putting his hand on my arm. I barely feel it. “Zane, you have to block it,” Quint starts.
And then it all goes to pieces.
The pain intensifies. There’s worry and real fear, and then a blast of anger hits me so hard, I cry out. “Zane,” Quint starts, but he never finishes. I hear an animalistic sound that makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck. My eyes fly open in time to see Slater appear literally out of nowhere. He yanks Quint away from me and throws him against the wall.
“Tessa.” The word is guttural, and I see fear and pain in his eyes. He reaches out and puts his hand on my arm. Pain explodes through me, and I scream as every nerve in my body ignites, making me feel like I’m being burned alive. I drop to my knees and try to catch my breath because while I’m trying to recover from the pain, Slater’s emotions are being shoved into my head. The anger and rage roaring through me along with fear and so many other feelings are too much. I drop my head and let out a low keening wail, and that’s when Slater completely loses control.
“Slater, no!” Zane shouts, but it’s too late. There’s a ripple next to me. Then, where once Slater stood, a powerful black wolf stands and growls so fiercely, it shakes the room. Before I can say or do anything, Slater’s wolf launches. Evie screams, and my heart stops. I lift my head in time to see Zane jump and shift midair. A dark gray wolf meets the black one. I scramble backwards, trying to get out of the way.
“Tessa, get out of the way,” Quint yells at me and then grabs me under the arms and drags me backwards.
The black wolf snarls and jumps at Quint. Quint rolls out of the way not even a second before Slater’s wolf lands. He snarlsand rushes Quint, but Zane’s wolf jumps in front of him. “Evie, get to the back room and close the door,” Quint shouts, earning him a severe growl from Zane. It’s so loud and fierce, it shakes the walls.
My mind is still trying to keep up under the onslaught of emotion, and my body isn’t getting the right signals. When Zane’s wolf backs into me, I scramble to get out of the way, and Slater’s wolf slams into his. I get caught up and can’t get out of the way. “Tessa!” Quint shouts, but Slater’s and Zane’s wolves’ growls drown it out.
I try to control the emotion overload in my brain. I am aware that if I can’t get Slater’s wolf to calm down, somebody is going to get hurt badly or much worse. I lift my head and push through the brain fog. “Slater,” I manage to get out. His wolf’s ears instantly perk, but he doesn’t look away from Zane’s advancing wolf. “Slater, please...stop.” I’m breathless. I want to rage, cry, laugh, yell...everything all at once. It’s tormenting. I can tell his wolf is torn between coming to me and protecting me by fighting Zane’s wolf and keeping Quint away from me. I don’t know what else to do. I eye the two snarling wolves and do something that I’m probably later going to think is really, really stupid. But I’m out of options. They launch at each other again and collide in a battle of will and muscle. I see blood on the hardwood floor. I don’t know whose it is, but just like that, I’m done. “Slater!” I shout. And then I march towards him and reach for him. My intention was to grab him around his middle, keeping my face and hands out of reach of his snarling mouth. I know he would never hurt me on purpose, but I don’t know his wolf all that well. I don’t know if his wolf would accidentally attack me. What happens is not that. I take one step towards the huge black wolf after calling Slater’s name. But the world suddenly tilts, and I can’t get it to tip back the right way. I take a step, but it’s to the side. There are black spots dotting my vision now, and I can’tget my eyes to focus. I feel myself falling forward, and I put my hands out to catch myself. But I never hit the hard floor. Strong arms catch me around my middle, causing my entire body to lock up in pain. The hands disappear as quickly as they came, but now I’m on the floor on my side.
I hear a soft sound, and then Slater kneels on the floor next to me in black sweatpants. “Slater,” I manage to get out.
“What is it?” he demands. “What did they do to you?”
His eyes meet mine, and I shudder at the darkness there. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I gave the word, he would kill Zane and Quint right now, no questions asked. That makes me sick, the kind of power I hold over him. I gag and try to keep the contents of my stomach down. His emotions ratchet up, and I grit my teeth. It’s too much; it’s all too much.
“Slate, pull back your emotions; you’re drowning her!” Zane all but roars at him, saying what I couldn’t. Thankfully, that means he shifted back as well. Maybe now, things can calm down.
