Page 26 of Hidden Nature

Lifting my fingers to my lips, I let out a shrill whistle cutting through the tension at the table. Startled, they all turned on me, their proverbial hackles raised, ready for a fight. My magic pressed at me, telling me it could help, so I let it flow out of me and reach out to them, soothing their emotions. When they’d all relaxed and once more returned to their seats, they watched me with apprehension.

“That’s better,” I approved with a nod. “Now, returning the topic back to Peggy. Zander, you said she’s been a spy for the Senate since she got here, correct?” He nodded after trying to speak but couldn’t. “Does that mean her sisters are also involved in this as well?”

I got a head shake telling me no. “I’m glad about that. I really do enjoy Milly and Katie. It would be sad to remove them from the pack along with her. From what I gathered from my interactions with the other side, is they needed her to create a situation where they could get me out of the pack unnoticed, but that’s where her interaction ended. Peggy, of course, hates me for some reason and was more than happy to get rid of me.”

The wolves of the table growled at this while I could feel anger coming from my connection to Rath.

“Do you believe that the only reason the Senate has been watching this pack so long are the reasons that she shared, Zander?” I asked and pulled my magic back from him, realizing that was what was keeping him silent.

“Little dove, I would appreciate it if you never do that to me again,” he warned, words tight with irritation, his eyes flashing with his wolf. His emotions told me he was not at all happy to be dominated by an omega, even if I was their mate.

“Then don’t make me do things like that,” I defended. “All of us are going to have to learn where I fit into all this now that I’m not wholly omega or wholly elven. My magic is far stronger than my omega nature, and if it feels that I’m in danger or need, it responds in accordance with that emotion.”

Noah frowned at this, reaching out toward me. “Did you feel that you needed protection from us just now?”

“No, I thought you were all being idiots, and we had more important issues to deal with than your egos,” I grumbled, running a hand through my hair, feeling the need to do something with myself.

That answer seems to relieve Noah. “While I can’t argue with you on that point, it is the nature of us werewolves to run a little more hot-tempered, especially when it comes to dominance-type problems. Mason and Zander have always rubbed each other the wrong way since they’ve met and he also loves to push Colt’s buttons to know just how far he can press the matter. It will take everyone time to adjust to this new hierarchy, just as you say about yourself. The difference is that they might actually fight it out to settle the matter.”

“Does the fighting need to happen now for things to move more smoothly?” Rath asked, cocking his head to the side as he observed the others, and they looked at him oddly. “I realize that I’m uneducated on how matters run in a pack and I might say or do things that might be offensive. Forgive me, my mistakes, they shall only happen once I assure you.”

Zander cleared his throat and shifted in his chair. “No, it doesn’t need to be handled right now but sooner rather than later would be best.”

“Very well then, I would like to borrow Finley and do some work with her on controlling her magic so we don’t keep having surprises popping up in her sleep,” Rath informed the others, rising from his chair, reaching out a hand to me. “Am I safe to assume we are protected here on pack lands to be outside?”

“Yes, as long as you stay around the house, you should be fine. Once we tell the rest of the pack about your place here, then you’ll be able to go anywhere that you please. I’m just being cautious after the attack the other day. Our people are still on edge.”

“A reasonable response,” Rath commented and we headed outside.

fifteen

Rath led me out into the backyard, not bothering to have me put on shoes or a jacket despite the wind blowing through the woods today. I wrapped my arms around myself, hoping spring was on its way and that being here in Tennessee, it would warm up sooner rather than later.

“I want you to feel the earth under your feet, let it ground you as you stand there. The world around us is what gives us our magic as much as our species does,” Rath told me as he lifted his face to the sun. “Close your eyes, let the natural energy around you greet you. This is your home. These woods will become part of your family. They’ll speak to you, alert you of something happening, or if there’s an intruder.”

If that was really true, then no matter how silly I thought that all sounded, I was willing to give it a try. Closing my eyes, I lifted my face to the sun like he was, feeling the grass under my feet as I wiggled my toes deeper into its thick turf. My magic was beating against my hold, almost as if it had a life of its own, ready to charge off into the forest. Unsure if I should release the bindings, not really trusting how it would act, it begged to be let out, vibrating through my veins, trying to greet its new surroundings.

Rath walked up to me, his height blocking out the sun for a moment, letting me know he was close. “Let it free,nin mel, your magic will do nothing unwelcome in these woods. It has as much of a personality as your wolf does and needs to be handled much the same. Between your wolf and your magic, these woods will be under your complete domain. I have no doubt. Those men in there might be alphas of the pack, but you will be queen of these woods.”

That had my eyes snapping open. “Rathal, are you telling me that I’m some kind of ruler to the Light Elves because I’m so powerful?”

“No, I’m saying you absolutely are our queen because of your power. There hasn’t been a leader of our people since the previous king and queen died in the war. None have been powerful enough to lead our people. This is why we are so divided and living in hiding,” Rath explained. “You might not want the job, but once you are well and truly exposed to the world, then that is, in fact, what will happen. Our people will flock to you because they won’t be able to help themselves. Your magic will call to them the stronger you become.”

Yanking my magic back to me, I slammed down the door, closing myself off from everything and everyone. “No.”

He tried to reach out to me, but I took a step back, shaking my head. “I’m no one’s leader. You want to know what I am? A murder, a killer, the danger that goes bump in the night. No one will want me as a leader once they find that out. If working with my magic is what will draw them to me, then I won’t use it unless there is no other option. That way, no one will know that I even exist, and if they hear rumors, then I’ll prove them wrong. I can’t be what you’re telling me, Rath. I can’t.”

“Oh, my love, if only it were that simple.” Rath sighed. “If you don’t get a handle on your powers and train, then you will end up hurting someone. Of course, you won’t mean to, but when it’s been bottled up for so long, it will need an outlet whether you give it one or not. At that moment when it bursts from you, there is no telling what might happen.” He wrapped me up in a hug, resting his chin on my head. He just held me for a moment, letting me get a handle on my reaction to the news. “Finley, you are so much more than you give yourself credit for. The fates wouldn’t have blessed you if they thought you would fail.”

“Fuck the fates,” I muttered. “What do they know, anyhow?”

Rath just chuckled. “More than any of us wish them to. Now forget everything I just told you and come let your magic play in its new home. I could feel how excited it was to be able to explore. While you do that, we will work on meditation and helping you find your celu, or source. It’s where your magic springs from. Now come sit with me.”

Slowly, I lowered myself to the ground, crossed my legs and took a long, deep breath. Then I dropped my shields so my magic could once again roam the woods. It shot out of me, making it clear that it was extremely unhappy I called it back so abruptly. Now, as it roamed the area, I could feel the energy that Rath had been talking about as my magic greeted everything growing in the forest around us. I knew what types of trees, flowers, and animals that called this place home.

The strangest part of all this was hearing everything greeting me in return, letting me know they were excited to once again have our people back. They celebrated, knowing my magic would nurture them and in return, they supported and grounded it. It was almost as if I was seeing the real world that lived and breathed within this forest. My magic didn’t stop at just the area the pack claimed. It went through the whole national forest.

“Rath, can you feel this?” I asked, keeping my eyes closed, not wanting to give up the tranquility I felt. “You must be pretty powerful yourself for us to be covering so much land.”