Page 49 of The Werewolf Cowboy
Two bluish-white globes the size of baseballs hovered in the air above her palms.
“This is your dark light, Katy,” he said solemnly. “Any time you need to summon your dark magick, think of that word. You don’t need a crisis, darling, like you did when you healed me. It can come to you when you will it.”
Fascinated, she stared at the energy balls. “What can I do with this power?”
“Anything. Heal. Create.” His mouth flattened. “Destroy.”
Such power awed her as she remembered how Grayson had used it to kill Cedric. Uncertain, she flicked her wrists upward, causing the energy balls to gently bounce. “What if I don’t release it? Can I take it back inside?”
“Yup, but it’ll make you woozy. Not a good thing when you’re needing it. Throw them at the trees.”
Hating to hurt the trees, Katy hesitated.
“It’s okay, darling. It’s been done dozens of times before when the pack comes here to practice. The trees can take it. Just aim one ball of light and throw, like you’re tossing out a baseball.”
Okay then. Katy selected a tall tree with a trunk bigger than a tractor-trailer wheel. She threw one globe at the trunk. The energy ball hit the tree with a soft ping. And the tree exploded, shattering into splinters.
She stared. The tree had been warded against dark magick, but her power overrode the protective spell.
“Whoa,” Grayson said softly.
Whoawas right. If one energy ball did that, what would two accomplish?
Katy looked around at the scattered splinters and remains of the tree. Concentrating, she thought of the tree as it had stood, tall and strong. She walked over and released the second ball of energy over the ruined tree.
Stepping back, she watched as the tree reassembled, until it became a tall oak with a thick trunk, fully restored.
Behind her she heard Grayson quietly swear. He joined her.
“I have this power,” she marveled. “Why is it called dark magick?”
His mouth flattened. “It’s a compromise, sweetheart. You can create all the fantasy you wish, but the longer you remain here, the more the darkness will beckon. Your folks wanted to give you a fighting chance to stay innocent until you could find a mate to anchor you. Mates center each other, balance out the good and bad. The more magick a dark Lupine has, the greater the need for a mate. If they lose them, like Cedric lost his first mate forty years ago…”
“They grow cruel and corrupt,” she finished.
Grayson nodded. “Cedric loved Lucinda. Really loved her, but when she died he went mad. He found a new mate, but it wasn’t enough. The darkness ate at him, and he killed her to restore his lost youth.”
Such hard choices. If she left and returned to her pack, she’d lose not only this tremendous power, but Grayson as well. And the thought hurt her heart.
“I can’t go back and forth between worlds?” She cupped his face in her hands. “Even with a mate to ground me?”
He slid a thumb along the underside of her jaw. “No mate, not even me, can ground you for long, Katy. You’re too vulnerable and have too much magick, darling. The temptation to use your powers in the Skin world will drive you mad. It’s why I chose to stay in the Skin world since the time I turned twenty-one, and not shift into wolf. Knew if I returned here, I’d become a threat if I went back to the Skin world.”
Grayson stepped back, away from her. Katy’s heart pounded hard with need and longing. Making love with this Lupine had reinforced her feelings for him, but the choices were hard.
For the next two hours, he worked with her, teaching her to work the dark magick and control her emotions and not let the power take over. The longer they kept at it, the more conflicted she felt. This world, with all its terrors and wonders, made her long to stay.
And yet how could she abandon Aiden and the pack that had raised her? All her loyalties as Lupine remained with the Mitchell Ranch. If she didn’t leave soon, she feared she would make decisions that would affect her future in the Skin world.
She loved Grayson, but being his mate was another matter. Carrying his mating mark would cast her as an outsider in her pack. He was alpha now of the pack.
When they returned to the lodge, leaving the unicorns in the corral, Grayson ushered into the house. In the living room, several members of his pack were lounging.
On second glimpse, she realized they were doing more than sitting. They were practicing their craft. Energy balls of bright blue, green, and lilac hovered in the air as the Lupines summoned their powers. Some of the werewolves used their magick to rearrange the oil paintings on the wall. Others threw them into the fireplace, causing a great whoosh of fire.
All the Lupines stopped and turned when she and Grayson entered the room.
“Welcome home, alpha,” Chase said quietly, bouncing a bright blue energy ball on his palm. He bowed his head. The others followed suit.
