Page 18 of Challenged Mate
Part of me acknowledged it was best he hadn’t returned.
Our fated bond was doomed to break, and if this separation managed to get the process underway, the discomfort was necessary.
“Good morning, Blair.”
I watched Kayla approach the park bench I sat on.
When I wasn’t training with the female shifter, I spent my time searching for distractions, exploring the Wilds Pack community. This was my favorite spot so far.
The park was nestled on the edge of town, overlooking a small pond. A well-manicured lawn stretched out around it. A play gym stood on the other side of the shallow body of water. No matter the time of day, children climbed all over it. Their parents watched on, chatting amongst themselves, and I was sure their thermoses were filled with drinks other than coffee.
More than once, the parents glanced my way. But no one spoke to me.
“Good morning,” I returned.
Kayla sat beside me. I felt her gaze on the side of my face, and the sensation of a silencing shield fell into place around us. “How are you feeling after yesterday?”
“Fine.” I’d been working with Kayla every day, trying to access the well of power supposedly inside me. But no amount of meditation, charms, or spells were able to crack the residual concealment my mother had placed on me at birth.
At times, I swore I could feel the magic pressing against my skin, begging to be released. But I couldn’t touch it. No matter how hard I tried.
Yesterday, I finally broke down.
Missing Asher, mourning the loss of my pack, and failing to use my magic overwhelmed me. I’d ended the training session in tears—something I wasn’t proud of.
And something that, clearly, worried the kind-hearted shifter next to me.
Kayla was as kind as her brother was broody. It amazed me that they were related.
“You know, it’s okay to not be okay,” she said softly. “Chase told me what happened during the Alpha Games—how he and Asher had to break their promise not to win. You’ve been through a lot, and that depth of emotional turmoil can easily prevent someone from accessing blocked magic.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat, resisting the urge to lay my burdens on the ground for Kayla to see. She thought she knew about my troubles, but she had no idea of thedepthof my connection to her brother… or how it made his betrayal hurt that much more.
“You need to give yourself some grace,” Kayla continued. “I’ve been talking with my brother, and he suggested some ideas for how to access your magic.”
My eyes whipped towards her. “You spoke to Asher?”
She nodded. “Yesterday.”
My heart thumped.
I tried to resist, but I had to ask, “When is he coming back?”
Mother, please tell me I don’t sound as pathetic as I think.
Kayla grimaced. “He didn’t say.”
I turned away, hoping to hide the hurt I knew brimmed in my eyes. “I see.”
From what I’d gleaned from Chase, Asher and the Wilds Pack alpha, along with several other shifters from the pack, were scouting their territory for any sign of rogue sorcerers or Coastal shifters seeking retribution for their dead alpha heir. The Wilds shifters were, also, shoring up their borders with new protective wards.
It was convenient they were able to do that themselves.
Other packs had to hire sorcerers or sorceresses to do the job, which was always a tense affair. Shifters didn’t vibe with the magical race. At least, not usually. The Wilds Pack was the obvious exception.
I’d been surprised to hear the alpha had left with the group without introducing himself to me. I didn’t know what to make of that.
Part of me wanted to be offended. I mean, who didn’t take the time to introduce themselves to their future mate, for Mother’s sake?
