Magicorum Box Set (Books 1-5)

3. Chapter Three

3

Chapter Three

Bryar Rose

Minutes later, Knox and I are tooling through Manhattan in a Mustang. For the record, most weres drive. Confined spaces set off our inner animals, so the subway is a no-go. With a car, you can always pull over if you start to shift. But when you’re on a subway train and your wolf goes nuts, people could get hurt. Mostly because they insist on cracking out their cell phones and asking for selfies. I used to wonder at how humans mindlessly expose themselves to danger in exchange for two minutes of social media fame. But then, I think about reality TV. Humans do crazy stuff all the time.

I glance into the rearview mirror. A black pickup truck with tinted windows seems to be following us awfully close. More howlers. Inside the vehicle, I imagine a half-dozen humans are waiting, cell phones in hand, ready to snap pictures of my wolf. I force in a deep breath.

No one is following you, Bry. It’s just your imagination.

My wolf disagrees. “Humans everywhere,” she growls. “This is not good.” This time, there’s a manic edge to her voice that I’ve never heard before. Something is seriously wrong.

Knox turns to me. “Your wolf’s on edge. What is it?”

I open my mouth, ready to explain how my wolf hates small spaces, but that’s not what leaves my lips. Instead, I say something else entirely:

“We’re going for a run, mate.”

I pop my hands over my mouth. Those words aren’t mine. The voice isn’t, either.

That was my wolf talking.

I grip Knox’s hand. “I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Got it.” Knox pulls an incredibly illegal U-turn in the middle of the Avenue of the Americas. “Change of plans. We’re going to the woods.”

My shoulders slump with disappointment. “That’s probably for the best.” Clearly, my wolf isn’t ready to meet my classmates. So why does skipping the opening feel like such a failure?

Because I hate to give up, that’s why.

Soon we’re speeding out of the city. There’s no question where Knox is headed. He owns some land up in the Adirondacks. We visit there a lot. It’s the perfect spot for shifters. Normally, when we ride to Bear Mountain, we chatter the entire trip. Not so much today, though. As we drive along, silence hangs between us. It seems to take forever to reach Bear Mountain (bear shifters owned the place before Knox got the rights.) Once we arrive, it takes even longer to make the slow march to the main clearing where we usually start our runs.

By the time we’re ready to run, the sun hangs low in the sky. Shadows lengthen. Around the clearing, the fir trees stand tall and still. The chitter of insects fills the air. The scent of pine is strong.

We step onto the grassy space. Once we reach the clearing, Knox pauses and turns to me, his face set in serious lines. He pulls off his suit coat and tosses it aside. “We need to settle things, wolf to wolf.”

“What do you mean?”

“Back in the car there, your wolf spoke to me. That was a challenge, both to you and me.” Knox starts loosening his tie. “I don’t like how your wolf has been acting, making you shift all the time. Even so, I’ve let it slide because I know she’s been cooped up her whole life.”

Here’s the situation with my wolf. The powerful fairy, Colonel Mallory the Magnificent, cast a spell on me as a baby. It locked down all my power, including my wolf. In fact, I thought I was the variety of Magicorum who didn’t have any magic per se, but was just related to someone who did. Long story short, Colonel Mallory did this to save my life. If everyone knew how powerful I really was, I’d have been killed long before I turned seventeen. Even so, the whole experience has my wolf a little twitchy.

Actually, a lot twitchy.

“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” I say. “My wolf has been locked up for so long, all she wants to do is run.”

“But your animal is out of control now. You need to give her some structure.”

“Our mate is handsome,” says my wolf in my head. “But he talks too much. We need to run now.” The urge to shift moves through me, strong as an electric current.

“Not yet,” I reply in my heart. “We’re waiting.”

In reply, my wolf pushes harder against my soul. Fur ripples under my skin. Bands of frustration tighten across my chest. Why can’t my wolf just listen?

A muscle feathers in Knox’s neck. “Your wolf. She’s pushing you now, isn’t she?”

My fingers curl with a mixture of helplessness and rage. “No matter what I do, she pops out of my skin anyway.”

“That’s why packs have Alphas. You need to set her loose, and then, let her attack me.”

Every inch of my body goes on alert. “Attack you? Why?”

“Your wolf has been through a lot. Ritual fighting is how wolves work out their place in the pack. Your wolf needs a firm hand.”

I stare at my palm. “Firm hand?”

“I’m not talking about physical power here. I’m talking magic. My power is Alpha energy, but you’ve got your own magic. Once I subdue your wolf, I think you’ll get the idea.”

My head feels woozy. “Ritual combat? Really?”

“Yes. Release your wolf and attack me. Now.”

I hug my elbows. “I’m not sure. If I’m patient, my inner wolf might just calm down on her own.”

“That’s not how wolves work, even when they aren’t of the magical variety. And a werewolf? Our animals are far more intense. I’m your Alpha, and if I let this go on for one more minute, I’m putting you at risk.”

Something in his tone sets my nerves on edge. “Meaning?”

“Your wolf will go feral. When it happens, it’s fast and intense. Your wolf will take over and you’ll disappear.”

I suck in a shaky breath. “She wouldn’t.”

My wolf’s voice sounds in my head. “We will run! I demand we shift NOW!”

That manic tone to her voice is now higher than ever before. Every inch of my body trembles with the urge to shift. I reply to my wolf in my mind.

“Didn’t you hear what Knox said?” Normally, my wolf can’t help but listen in on most of my conversations. “Our mate thinks you’re going feral.”

“Mate?” The manic tone to her voice hikes up an octave. “We have no mate. All we have is the need to run.”

A chill runs up my spine. “You don’t remember our mate?”

“No mate! Run, now!”

My blood chills. No matter what happens, my wolf always knows her mate. In fact, my usual complaint is that she won’t shut up about him.

This is really happening. My wolf is going feral.

All of a sudden, it’s like I can’t pull in enough air. “You’re right. My inner wolf is losing her mind.”

“Hey, I won’t let that happen.” Knox rests his hands on my shoulders. “Breathe, Bry.”

It takes serious concentration, but I slow my racing pulse a little. “Okay.”

“Now, you need to set your wolf loose and trust me. Can you do that, yeah?”

“I can try.”

“Good.” Knox pulls off his dress shirt over his head and tosses it aside. “Set her loose.”

Normally, the urge to shift is a constant tug of war between me and my wolf. Most times, all it takes is for me to stop fighting the urge to shift. After that, I turn furry. So that’s what I do now—I drop my guard and let my wolf take over.

Only, nothing happens.

I speak to my wolf in my mind. “You can be free now.”

“No fight strange man. I only come out to run.”

“What’s happening?” asks Knox. “What’s your wolf saying?”

I shake my head in disbelief. “She doesn’t want to come out.”

Knox stalks closer. “It isn’t a choice anymore. Your wolf needs to appear. I need to hear you say I can bring her out.”

My palms turn slick with sweat. I couldn’t stop shifting before, and now I can’t start. This simply has to end. And if anyone can help me master this, it’s Knox. “Do it.”

Knox sets his hands on my shoulders. Waves of power rush through me. Every cell in my body feels charged with energy, only it’s not mine. Knox is calling my wolf to appear.

Dots of golden light cloud my vision. My spine twists and lengthens. White fur erupts across my skin. My face becomes a muzzle filled with long white fangs. Yet another cute outfit gets torn to shreds.

I become a wolf.

Light and power surround Knox as well. Golden brightness shoots out from his skin as he transforms into a giant black wolf. His animal faces mine and speaks. Knox’s wolf voice is a basso rumble. “Heed my commands. I’m your Alpha.”

All of a sudden, it’s like I’m floating outside my wolf-body, watching everything from above. I’m no longer in control; my wolf is. Panic streams through my soul.

It’s happened. I’ve gone feral.

With all my willpower, I struggle to regain control of my body. But when my muzzle opens, it’s my wolf who speaks, not me.

“I want to run and be free,” my wolf growls at Knox. A frantic gleam shines in her eyes. She still doesn’t know Knox is our mate. “I will destroy you if you hinder me.”

Those words are like knives—each one cuts into me. It’s just like Knox said—when a wolf goes feral, it hits hard and fast. And now, another version of myself is threatening to kill Knox. It’s too terrible to be true.

Wolf-Knox replies in a low growl. “You won’t kill me.”

“I wield all three kinds of magic,” continues my wolf. “I can kill anything.”

“Raw strength doesn’t make you an Alpha.”

“Last chance. Let me free or die.”

Strangely enough, some small part of me actually feels sorry for my wolf. The way my wolf looks and talks? She truly is losing her mind. On the other hand, more of me is terrified that I’ll spend the rest of my life hovering over my own wolfish form, completely powerless.

Go get her, Knox.

Wolf-Knox digs in his front paws, lowers his head, and bares his teeth. “Do. Your. Best.”

I watch in horror as my wolf-self lunges at Wolf-Knox. From my floating spot above the fray, I watch our animals war it out—one white and one black against a backdrop of green grass. Wolf-Knox moves first. He leaps in, pinning my wolf to the ground. My animal rakes her claws along Wolf-Knox’s belly. He roars and flinches. The movement is enough of a break for my wolf. She kicks Wolf-Knox off her. My mate goes flying across the field, his claws digging into the soil to stop the force of the throw. A long line of torn-up grass opens in his wake.

From my perch in the sky, I watch the fight in terror. My body may feel numb, but my soul is a raw nerve of worry. My wolf is crazy-strong. What if she hurts Knox?

Wolf-Knox turns around and charges at my wolf. She crouches low on her front paws, getting ready for the eventual attack. At the last moment, Wolf-Knox leaps into the air. He’s a blur of black power as he whips over my white wolf’s prone form. A moment later, Wolf-Knox lands behind my wolf, taking out her back legs with a great swipe of his front paws. The air around the two shimmers with power.

Knox’s Alpha energy.

My wolf gets flipped onto her back. Wolf-Knox leaps atop her. In a fluid motion, he has his canines set against my wolf’s throat.

“Relent,” he growls.

A long moment follows while my wolf pauses, considering what to do next. The vibrations of Alpha power turn more intense. The area around Wolf-Knox and my animal starts to vibrate, reminding me of heat waves rolling off asphalt on a summer day.

My wolf shivers as the tension leaves her body. I know the moment when she gives in to the magic. “I relent, my mate.”

And then, I feel.

The waves of Knox’s Alpha power move through me again, warming my soul and strengthening my resolve. A heartbeat later, I find myself pulled back inside my own wolf-body. I’m on my back, my hind claws scraping across Wolf-Knox’s abdomen. Knox doesn’t budge. I’m pinned, end of story. Immediately, I relax my legs and expose my own neck. It’s the wolf way to show submission. The fight is over.

Wolf-Knox nuzzles into me, speaking in a low grumble. “That’s my Bry.”

“I never want to go feral again.” Searching my soul, I check on my wolf. She’s exhausted and barely conscious.

“Mate,” whispers my wolf. “We’re with our mate.”

Usually, I feel a little strange when my wolf calls Knox our mate, but this time? It sounds pretty awesome. “That’s right. Knox is our mate.”

Wolf-Knox tilts his head. “How’s your animal?” he asks.

“Ready for a nap. Can she fall asleep while I’m all furry?”

“Sure, if you want her to. You chose this form.”

I lean my head back into the grass. “No, I didn’t. You chose it for me.”

“I’m just showing you how it’s done. Did you feel the magic flow from me into you? Next time, you need to do that inside yourself, sending your own magic into your wolf. You’ve got a lot more power inside you than I do. You can do this, Bry. Set loose all three kinds of magic.”

“The last time I set all my magic loose, I killed Jules. It’s not safe.” A lead weight of worry settles into my stomach. Some days, I feel like a ticking bomb, ready to blow away everyone around me and powerless to know how to control the explosion.

“It feels unsafe because you aren’t used to it. But you’ll get there. You’ve got strength of heart, Bry.” He nuzzles into my neck once more. “That’s what’s most important.”

For a hot second, everything feels right in the world. “Keep telling me that, and one day I might believe it.”

“You’ve discovered my master plan.” Knox leaps aside and starts trotting off toward the trees.

I hop back onto all four paws. “Where are you going?”

“For a run, of course.”

“What about the art opening? I should meet the other students from West Lake.”

Knox’s eyes flare with golden light. “You’ll meet them soon enough. I almost lost you back there. Right now, I don’t want to share you with anyone.”

Once Knox speaks the words, I realize they are true for me as well. “Race you to the woods.”

“That’s my Bry.”

I take off for the tree line as fast as my paws can carry me. The night deepens. An owl hoots. Knox races along beside me. I’ve never felt more loved and free.