Zodiac Aligned

5

"I can understand that." He paused and studied me, his eyes seeing far too much. "I don't agree with what Kaden did, but I'm also not the person who can fix it. Just know that you're always welcome as a guest of the Libra pack. We'll help you with whatever you need."

“Thank you,” I said, my chest tightening with emotion. “I really appreciate that. But right now all I want is to get some answers from Roxandra and to try to move forward."

"Of course."

The Ophiuchus arrived then, and my eyes were immediately drawn to Kaden, though I tried not to look at him. Being around him was like a punch to the gut, and it suddenly became hard to breathe. I tore my gaze away from him to count their numbers but seeing Stella and the other Ophiuchus members—including Harper, Dane, and Jack—giving me looks of pity only reminded me that I wasn't one of them anymore.

I was an outcast, someone who didn’t belong anywhere. Packless.

I shook the thoughts away as Jordan joined the crowd, though everyone gave him a wide berth, and some even glared at him with outright hostility. He'd been our enemy for so long that no one truly believed he was on our side now. No one except me, anyway.

Jordan didn't seem bothered by it though. His cocky demeanor was back in full force, and he simply crossed his arms and ignored them all, like a king who couldn't be bothered with the disdain of his peasants. Typical Leo. Or so everyone assumed—but I knew better. I saw the slight crack in his facade, the flash of pain in his eyes before they turned hard again.

I wasn't sure what was worse: the other packs' pity or their anger. All I knew was that the tension had grown thick around us, and soon even Ethan’s cool head wouldn't be enough to cut it if we kept standing around like this.

When the final member of our party joined us, I breathed a sigh of relief. Larkin's small frame rushed toward me, her long hair flowing behind her, almost as white as the snow under our feet. She smiled up at me as she approached, the sun shining down on her cute, freckled face. Though she looked like a fourteen-year-old kid, she was actually one of the oldest people here, though most of the shifters probably didn't realize that. As the lone witch among us, she was just as much of an outcast as I was.

"Sorry I'm late," she said, as she shivered and pulled the hood from her purple robe over her head. "I was casting a few purification spells on the area."

"We're all here now," Ethan said to me. "You may begin when you're ready."

I counted the numbers again, avoiding Kaden's gaze, before turning to Larkin. "Do you think you could help me channel extra magic again? I've never teleported so many people at once."

She stood a little taller, her eyes flickering briefly to Ethan. "I'd be happy to help."

"Thank you."

I gave her a nod to show I was ready, and she gathered moon power inside her, her body glowing faintly with it. As she did, Ethan gestured for everyone to come closer, crowding around me in a way that made my heart beat faster. I drew upon my own moon magic too, filling myself up until I felt like I was about to burst, until it poured out of my eyes and hands with a soft white light. Then Larkin passed her magic to me, and for a moment it was too much, a bomb about to explode beneath my skin, a hurricane about to be unleashed upon the world—but then I let it out as I willed everyone to be in Toronto.

All at once, the magic Larkin had passed to me was sucked from my body, so quickly that I stumbled forward. Then my own magic rushed out behind it, and the area exploded with white light. Some of the shifters yelped or cried out, but then the light faded to spots in our eyes, and when our vision came back, we'd arrived in the lobby of Ethan's hotel in Toronto.

Relief spread through me, along with a deep, bone-aching exhaustion. My legs started to give out, but then someone caught me, and I sagged gratefully into their arms.

“Are you okay?” Kaden asked.

I should have known it would be him. Or maybe I had known, and that's why I'd so easily fallen into his embrace, knowing he would keep me safe.

I gathered the last remaining dregs of my energy and got my feet back under me. "I'm fine. Put me down."

He looked like he might argue, but then he set me down and stepped back. My legs nearly gave out again. It was only sheer force of will, and the knowledge that Kaden was watching, that kept me upright.

Larkin rushed to my side, followed closely by Stella. “You look really pale,” Larkin said. “I think you should lie down."

"I agree," Stella said, her brow furrowed with concern.

“I’m fine,” I said. “I just overexerted myself moving that many people, I think. I should be back to normal soon.” Hopefully.

While I caught my breath, I took in the sight of the hotel lobby, which had been done up in bright, golden lights while I'd been away. In one corner, an enormous white tree towered over us, topped with a glittering star. Suddenly the date hit me—December twenty-third. Only two days til Christmas. Somehow it had completely slipped my mind, with everything else that had been going on over the last few weeks.

“Happy holidays,” I said faintly to Larkin and Stella, who were still looking at me with worried expressions.

Larkin smiled and patted me on the arm. "It's good to have you back."

Ethan came up to me. “Are you well?”

“Fine,” I said, though it came out a bit more forceful than I’d meant it to. If one more person asked if I was okay, I’d probably scream.

He nodded, wisely ignoring my tone. “I wanted to let you know that your old room is still ready for you. We’ve had it cleaned, but all your things are there. You should try to rest before we begin the interrogations.”