Page 51 of Cursed
After they fill their plates and sit down at the table, Adele stares at Nori, mildly apprehensive. “Aylin’s power is huge and a little scary. I definitely think you made the right call, not allowing Lyra to see it. Maybe try not to use it in front of anyone, except me and Ryland, for now.”
“I did try to warn you. Do you have any powers?”
Adele shakes her head. “No, I think it’s mostly an Alpha thing. Ryland wields a battle power.” A huge smile spreads across her face, clearly proud of her brother. “He received the title ‘Ryland the Destroyer’ during the war with the vampires about thirty years ago. His eyes turn red, and he can release his power with such force that it knocks the enemy to the ground, momentarily stunning them, allowing time for his forces to move in.”
Adele cocks her head thoughtfully. “I never asked if Bade had a separate power, though; I thought it was only the one.”
Hearing Nori’s heart racing, Adele’s head whips up. Nori is as still as a statue, her fork hanging in mid-air. “What is it, Nori? What’s happening?”
“Ryland’s eyes were blood-red when he burst in here the other night and accidentally almost killed me.”
Hearing the slight tremor in Nori’s voice, Adele hangs her head, resting her face in her hands. When she looks up at Nori, her face has a pained expression. “You are the twenty-first Mate Bond he’s experienced, Nori. The longer you didn’t reject him, the more he hoped you would be the one to accept the Bond. The first night you were here, he called you ‘Mate.’ Hell, he yelled at Garek, remember? That’s when I knew. He already felt like you were his Mate.”
Adele exhales sharply, trying to figure out how to explain Ryland to Nori. “While he hates Draven with a passion, I think that Beta, calling you his Mate, sent him into a tailspin. He believed the Beta’s words so completely because deep down, he never thought you would accept him or that he even deserved you. So, of course, the Mate Bond must be a trick.”
Leaning back in her chair, Adele says. “I have never seen him lose control like that. Now that he has definitive proof that the Mate Bond is real, he will do everything in his power to protect you, Nori. Even if you were to ultimately reject him in the end.”
Nori nods. “He was completely distraught, and he’s apologized about a million times. Aylin had the same thought as you, by the way. She’s urging me to accept the Bond, but I don’t know what is holding me back. So, in the meantime, we will get to know each other better.”
“That is totally fair, Nori.”
chapter thirty-two
Nori jerks upright the next morning, chest heaving, as she sucks in big gulps of air. Her heart hammers loudly in her ears; her wide eyes dart around the room.
Aylin’s voice softly floats through her mind. “You are alright, Nori. We are in Ryland’s rooms…in his bed.”
A shiver rolls down her spine, and she whispers, “I’m OK. I’m OK. I’m in Ryland’s room.”
She falls back onto the fluffy pillows, running her hands along the soft sheets to ground herself while her breathing returns to normal.
“Are you OK, now? Which one was itthis time?”
“Oh, you know. The one where Draven pinned me to the wall, slashing his claws across my face when I dropped the vase,” Nori says, frowning and still trying to catch her breath. “It felt so damn real. I swear I can still smell his awful breath.”
Aylin’s voice is full of sympathy for her human. “I am all for Beta Garek’s suggestion that we learn how to fight. Maybe if you are able to properly defend yourself, you’ll feel more powerful, and the nightmares will subside.”
“I agree. I’ll talk to Ryland about it when he returns. Today is day three; maybe he’ll be back tomorrow.” Nori rolls over, pushing her hair behind her, breathing in Ryland’s scent on the pillow. “I’m going to have to tell him about the nightmares, though. I can’t keep making up excuses. He’ll figure it out eventually, anyway. Luckily, they don’t happen every night anymore.”
Nori suddenly senses the excitement coming from her wolf. “Let’s order breakfast and shower and then practice with the powers again this morning.”
Smiling, she climbs out of the comfortable bed and makes it up, having fully recovered from the horrible nightmare. “Sounds like a great plan, Aylin.”
After the amazing shower, Nori dresses quickly and walks to the phone and orders a hearty breakfast—eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits, a cinnamon roll, and juice. When the food arrives, she stays out of the way while the kitchenstaff sets out the food. The staff is not rude, exactly, but they do give her odd glances on their way out.
When she’s finished eating, Nori works with her wolf, spending the rest of the morning practicing turning their powers on and off, one, then the other. Nori and Aylin are getting faster at accessing each power.
Adele bursts in just before lunch with a big grin on her face, startling Nori.
“Come with me; I have an idea!” Adele shifts her weight back and forth from one foot to the other. She’s so excited, the ponytail in her hair bounces up and down.
“Ok, hold on. Let me get my shoes.”
Adele frowns at the plain white canvas tennis shoes Nori slides her feet into. “I can’t wait until Amara is finished with your new wardrobe. I never want to see those things on your feet again!”
Mildly irritated by her comment, Nori frowns. “Hey, now. These are nicer than what I had, and they are pretty comfortable.”
Adele wraps her arm around Nori’s, dragging her into the hallway. “I’m sorry. I am a total clothes snob.” Then she smiles at Nori again, her excitement returning. “This is going to be great! Come on!”
