Page 28 of Bullied Pregnant Mate

Out in the canyon, my powers were vital. We would have perished in the first few years if we hadn’t had the spirits to help us.

The entities crowd around me, whispering. Even though they all talk at once, I can understand them. I let their vibrations throb through me, and they blend their magic with mine.

A sharp breeze blows down from the peaks. I flinch a little, waiting for the shock of cold. To my surprise, it never comes, and I look around trying to understand why.

The wind is still tearing into the valley, bringing ice with it, but none of it is touching me. Instead, eddies whirl around my magic circle, held at bay by a pocket of warm air that stays close to my body, keeping the air around me still and temperate.

I didn’t even do that on purpose. Do I have control of the weather and earth now, too?

Excitement rushes through me, giving me goosebumps. The spirits chatter even louder, and their words become clearer to me. I gather myself, drawing in my magic so I can extend the magic circle and test my new strength.

Wait.

Nearby, I can sense two solid presences. I can see their souls, their consciousness, moving towards me through the forest.

And they aren’t ghosts.

The realization chills me, and as soon as I falter, my new powers dwindle. I can still sense the creatures in the trees, but I can’t directly see them, and I don’t know what they are.

I’ve always been able to sense auras, but I’ve never seen anything living that clearly before. Is it someone we know, or just forest creatures?

Keeping as much of my magic wrapped around me as I possibly can, I take a few steps towards the trees, trying to pick up on the energy signatures again.

“Hello?” I call, wrapping my robe around me as the icy wind finally penetrates my circle. “Who’s there?”

A low growl rumbles through the air, soft but menacing.

Now it isn’t just the chill making me shiver, but a heavy dose of fear.

“Hello?” I try again, but this time, my voice is quiet.

Two wolves break the tree line, one to my left, the other to my right. They emerge at the exact same time, obviously hunting in a tandem pattern.

Hunting?

Shit!

My breath is caught in my chest, and my stomach is flipping so hard, it feels like it’s trying to jump right out of my body. I take a slow step back, desperately trying to convince myself that these have to be wolves I know.

It’s not, though. How did enemy wolves get so close?

“It’s okay,” I say softly, taking another step back. “We can work this out. Nobody needs to get hurt.”

Both of them bare their teeth, and the one to the left of me growls and snaps, bouncing forward on his front paws. I’m so scared that I can’t even look away, let alone move, but then the other wolf bounds forward, barking and snarling.

I turn and run towards the house, screaming at the top of my lungs.

Chapter 10 - Jenks

When I wake up the next morning, the sun is high and bright. It’s still early, around seven, but I’m surprised that I slept at all. I thought I’d toss and turn all night, and watch the sun rise.

As I swing my feet over the edge of the bed, a groan of pain streaks through me. My muscles are knotted up, and all my joints are screaming.

Patrol really took it out of me. I don’t think I’ve exercised like that for years. Maybe I never have.

I wander slowly to the bathroom, stretching a bit as I walk and feeling my body begin to loosen up.

Probably didn’t help at all that I was twisted up with sexual frustration half the night.

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