Chapter 37
Elowen POV
:
Stormclaw South Training Grounds
Day One of “Let’s Not Die” School
I hadn’t even stepped onto the field before Taya jogged past me, grinning like a fox who just stole from the
henhouse.
“They’re hot,” she said, already breathless. “Like… all three of them. Is this a training session or a fuckin‘ shifter
calendar shoot?”
I followed her gaze across the field. Three wolves stood at the far end of the grass, already mid warmup, all muscle, scars, tactical gear, and that terrifying calm that screamed we could kill you with a leaf if we felt like it.
Ash, standing beside me like a tall, judgmental crow, barely looked up from his notes. “Those are Alpha King Draven’s elite warriors. Do try not to drool.” He drawled lazily.
“I’m not drooling,” I muttered. I was totally drooling. One of them, tall, broad, covered in ink and carrying twin daggers, caught me looking and smirked.
I looked away fast enough to give myself whiplash.
Across the field, Daxon was already squaring off with the biggest of the three, rolling his shoulders like he was born for this shit. Jace and Rylen were stretching nearby, both of them trying to act casual and failing miserably under the predatory glare of the warriors.
Taya gave me a thumbs up. “If I die, avenge me.”
“Please, they’ll flirt you into submission,” I muttered.
Ash clapped his hands once. “Alright, hybrid. You’re with me. Time to see what you’re capable of.”
“Emotionally? Nothing.”
“Magically.”
“Still nothing. But okay.”
We stepped off to a smaller training ring etched with silver runes and chalk lines. Ash’s magic was already humming in the ground, the air crackling as he reached into his coat and pulled out a simple wooden staff.
“Focus,” he said, his voice low and sharp. “Call the silver light again. The same one you used against the Aegis
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Chapter 37
agents.”
:
37
I held out my hand, trying to remember the feeling, the moon pulled heat in my chest, the cool burn behind my ribs. I focused on the memory of that moment, when I thought I was about to die and something else had risen up to protect me.
A silver spark flickered in my palm. Then another. I grinned. “I did it.”
And then my hand exploded. Not literally, but close. The silver light twisted into red, and a wet crack echoed as blood burst from the center of both palms, flaring out like two crimson ribbons into the air.
Ash froze. The others all turned, even the warrior wolves stopped mid–movement to stare as blood hissed against the training ward and sizzled.
“What the fuck!” I gasped, stumbling back. Ash stepped forward immediately, grabbing my wrists, his expression unreadable.
“This isn’t moon magic,” he said, his voice tight. “This is something else.”
“What’s wrong with me?” I choked out.
“Nothing,” he said quickly. “You’ve bonded to me. My blood magic… it’s bleeding into you. You accessed it.”
“You could’ve warned me!”
“I didn’t think it was possible! Suppose I’ll have to reevaluate what we know about hybrids. We’ve never been able to study the mate bonds.” He tilted his head. “I wonder if you’ll be able to access all of your mates powers. This changes things.”
I stood stock still, my eyes wide. Is this really happening. Just what I need. Magic I have zero idea how to control. Lyssira piped up in our mind link finally, she’d been resting. “We are going to be so powerful El! You should be excited not afraid!” She pranced happily around wagging her tail.
I scoffed, “What do you know you aren’t telling me Lyssi?” She hummed softly and said nothing. Of course. Daxon sprinted over, his shirt already soaked in sweat, his eyes scanning me like I’d just sprouted horns. “Is she okay?”
“She’s fine,” Ash snapped. “She just weaponized her own bloodstream.”
Taya appeared beside him, panting. “Are we calling that fine? Because that looked like a spell from hell.”
Rylen and Jace jogged up, both breathing hard, faces flushed from whatever hell Draven’s wolves had been putting them through.
“Was that blood?” Jace asked. “Because I swear I saw it move.”
“It did move,” I said, staring down at my still dripping palms. “It didn’t just explode, it curved. It aimed.”
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Chapter 37
Ash nodded slowly. “Blood magic is alive. It remembers intention. You didn’t just release power. You cast a spell.”
I stared at him. “What kind of spell?” His mouth twitched. “Destruction.”
“Of course,” I muttered. “Because I’m the universe’s favorite chaos magnet.”
Across the field, one of the warrior wolves called out, “Back to drills! The hybrid isn’t dead yet.”
“Oh bite me,” I yelled. The warrior winked.
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