Power That Refuses to Sleep
869 Words
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Roseline POV
The forest smelled different now.
Clearer. Sharper.
Every sound was louder, the wind whispering through leaves, the heartbeat of the child resting nearby, even the low hum of the moon in the sky.
I didn’t know powers had sound.
Or taste.
Or weight.
But mine did.
Darian stood a few steps ahead of me in a small clearing beside the lake, arms folded, watching me with a patient seriousness that both calmed and unnerved me.
“Try it again,” he said. “Slowly this time.”
I swallowed and lifted my hand.
Moonfire flickered beneath my skin, a faint gold-silver glow swirling like restless smoke.
My fingers trembled.
“What if I lose control again?” I whispered. “What if I hurt you… or the boy?”
Darian stepped closer, his expression steady.
“I’m not afraid of your power,” he said quietly. “You shouldn’t be either.”
The child sat cross-legged on a blanket near the lake, hugging his knees, watching me with wide eyes.
“Roseline won’t hurt us,” he said confidently. “The lake chose her.”
Chosen.
The word settled heavily on my chest.
I took a deep breath, grounding myself the way Darian taught
In through the nose.
Hold.
Release slowly.
The glow responded, softening… stabilizing.
“Good,” Darian murmured. “Now let the energy gather in your palm. Don’t force it. Don’t push. Just… let it rise.”
I exhaled.
Moonfire rose.
But the moment it reached my fingers
A bolt of light exploded outward.
Darian lunged, grabbing my wrists, redirecting the blast upward. The beam shot into the sky, slicing through the treetops like a blade of silver lightning.
The child yelped and covered his head. Birds scattered.
My knees buckled.
The ground cracked beneath my feet.
“I—I didn’t mean to"
My voice shook violently.
“I can’t control it! It’s too much!”
Darian’s grip tightened.
“Look at me.”
I did.
His eyes were calm, grounding, steady.
“Power doesn’t obey fear,” he said. “It obeys intention.”
“I am trying,” I gasped.
“I know. And you’re doing better than you think.”
Another wave of energy surged through my veins. I squeezed my eyes shut.
“It wants out,” I whispered. “Like it doesn’t belong in me.”
Darian cupped the back of my neck gently, grounding me.
“It does belong in you. But it’s waking up faster than your body is used to. You died, Roseline. You came back changed. That requires adjustment.”
My breaths came short and fast.
“Tell it what to do,” Darian murmured, his voice close, steady. “Tell it to stay.”
I swallowed.
Then whispered:
“Stay.”
The moonfire flared, resisting...
Then slowly dimmed inside my palms.
I gasped in relief. My legs gave out. Darian caught me before I hit the ground, lowering me gently to sit on the grass.
“You’re learning,” he said. “Faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
I looked at my shaking hands.
“I don’t feel like myself.”
“You’re not,” he said gently. “But you’re not alone either.”
The child crawled toward me and wrapped his small arms around my waist.
“You’re a hero now,” he whispered into my cloak.
My throat tightened.
I stroked his hair shakily.
“My powers hurt you earlier… I’m sorry.”
He shook his head fiercely.
“No, they didn’t. They were beautiful.”
Darian smiled slightly.
“You hear that? Even your mistakes impress people.”
I exhaled a small laugh, the first since I’d died.
But suddenly
A violent tremor shot through my chest.
I inhaled sharply.
A scent cut through my senses like a blade, cold cedar and frost.
Kael.
My wolf whimpered weakly inside me.
No.
Not again.
Not him.
My vision blurred for a second as my heart stuttered painfully.
Darian immediately knelt in front of me, eyes sharpened.
“Roseline. Stay with me. Focus.”
“I can… feel something,” I whispered, clutching my chest. “Like a pull. Like, like someone calling me.”
Darian’s jaw tightened.
“That’s the Alpha,” he muttered. “He must have felt a shift in your spirit. Not your body, your energy.”
I shook my head desperately.
“I don’t want him to feel me. I don’t want him to know I’m alive.”
Darian gently took my chin, making me meet his eyes.
“Then we train harder,” he said. “We learn how to shield your energy. How to hide your presence. How to control this before he finds out.”
My breaths steadied.
A new pulse of moonfire flowed through my veins, gentle this time, as if listening.
Darian stood and offered his hand.
“Again?”
I hesitated.
Then placed my trembling palm in his.
“Yes.”
Because I wouldn’t be weak anymore.
I wouldn’t be hunted anymore.
And I sure as hell wouldn’t let Kael control my life again.
The lake shimmered behind us, as if silently agreeing.
My rebirth had begun.
- Writer
