Page 45 of The Manny's Fiery Dragon Bond

“But first you have to bring your wings forward. That’s what I am here for.”

I didn’t care what that entailed exactly, as long as it meant this itching would stop. I was so done with the itching.

Malric gave my hands a reassuring squeeze and winked. “Just trust your mouse. He will know what to do.”

I snorted. “I don’t think he’ll know what to do with wings, Mal.” I knew I sure didn’t.

“Shhh. Close your eyes. Focus on your breath.” Eryndor began coaching me on breathing. Something about a box. Breathe in for five, hold for five, out for five, and hold for five. I was completely lost.

“Visualize your wings. The color, the feel, the scales.”

How was I supposed to know the color? Was I supposed to pick? Was that how it worked? Or maybe by default they matched my mate’s or maybe my daughter’s. I needed a whole lot more information than he was giving.

“I can’t—”

“Shh. You know what they look like, Ollie. They’re your wings. They’ve always been there, we’re just bringing them out.”

There was no way this was going to work. As if I could just picture a massive set of wings sprouting from my shoulder blades, with talons at the end of each joint, the leathery membrane matching in color to my dragon mate. The flapping noise they would make if I fanned them out and flexed against the breeze. Only that was exactly what I was doing.

Malric gasped, and his hands gripped me tighter. “Ollie,” he said.

“Shh,” I said. “I’m concentrating.”

I swore I had them in my mind’s eye. The weight of them against my back, the way that they would flex and pull against my shoulders. I leaned forward, putting more weight on the balls of my feet to keep myself from falling backward from their weight.

“Ollie... open your eyes, mate,” Malric said.

My eye flew open, and I stared at my mate, only he was looking at something over my shoulder. His eyes were wide with wonder and his jaw hanging open.

“Mal, I was so close. Why did you interrupt me? Now we have to start over.” I shouldn’t have snapped at him. He meant well. My frustration wasn’t his doing.

“Um. Ollie. Look at your shadow,” Eryndor said.

I looked down at the ground. My shadow was there, but behind me were two wings fanned out wide. I spun, trying to look at them, except my center of gravity was off and I ended up on the ground. My wings flapping wildly, throwing me even more off balance. I landed on my mate since he had tried to catch me. He still couldn’t take his eyes off my wings.

“They are magnificent, mate. Truly.”

He helped me to get up right again. Then he walked around me in a circle while I tried to take one tentative step forward.

I don’t know why I had envisioned my wings on my beast initially. This made more sense. A mouse with wings would be absolutely adorable, though. I dared anyone on this planet to deny that.

“This is... not easy,” I said. “I can’t imagine ever flying.” Just standing and not falling took concentration. How could I ever be graceful enough to take to the sky?

“You’ll get there,” Eryndor said. “I have coached many new mates through this process. Unlike shifting to your other form, this one doesn’t always come naturally. You’re doing great. For the next couple of weeks, you should bring your wings out at least once a day and get used to walking around with them.” He made it sound so simple. “Then we’ll work on taking to the skies. Put away any valuable things if you plan to bring them out in the house, though. Plenty of people have knocked down shelves or broken windows.”

I snorted out a laugh. “I could see that happening. When I had my pregnant belly… let’s just say there were a few casualties.” More than a few, and my wings were a whole lot larger. I was going to have to reserve their release for the great out of doors, at least until I got control.

“They truly are beautiful, Ollie.” Malric grazed the back of his hand over the thin membrane between the joints.

I let out a giggle. “That tickles!”

“I’ll have to note that for later.”

After walking around—first with help and then on my own—it was deemed time to figure out how to put them away. Turned out, that was so much more difficult than pulling them out.

It wasn’t a case of simply seeing them in my head and having them be there. It called on the same kind of energy I used to shift, but without the assistance of my beast. I hadn’t realized how much of the weight my little mouse pulled when I shifted. I was more like the person who turned on the ignition of the car, while he was the one driving it. And I had to figure out how to become both, at least when it came to my wings.

Eryndor was a great teacher. And after I put my wings away and took them out, put them away and took them out three more times, he told me it was time to rest.

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