Page 79 of Wolf Trap

I spluttered a laugh.“It’s the blonde hair isn’t it? When I was at the coven they went on and on about how I ought to alter my image. Dye my hair red. Or auburn. Or black. Blonde isn’t a normal witch hair look. But, well, it’s natural and I’m nothing if I fit in. I’m a round peg in a square hole! I’ve never fitted in.” I dropped my shoulders. That was true enough. I hadn’t really fitted in at the coven. Or at school, and before I worked for Luna, I didn’t fit in with my job. So, there’s that.

“A lot of people have treated me as an inferior, dumb blonde. Woman, witch, they always have an excuse. Austin taught me it’s about what we put out there. How we perceive ourselves will be mirrored back, and that helps. Look at you! Father of wolves. You embody that state. Because it’s natural. Still, it’s hard at times. And...” I trembled as I opened to him, his eyes intently nome. “To be honest a lot of the time I feel like I’m just winging it. Pretending to be confident. As for the mediation, don’t sweat it. It’s just awareness. You’ve experienced it your whole life. I just made you aware of it. And I’m only teaching you what I learned, I’m no guru. Awareness is what you truly are but there’s no whistles of bobbins when you get it. You’ll forget it in a minute, but I’ll keep reminding you. That said, I’m not always aware of it either.”

“I see.When I did that, when I sunk into it, I felt a kind of peace I’d never known before. So you’re telling me that Austin knows this, practises this, or is it a witch thing?”

“He will know it.And look at Luke? A dragon shifter. It’s the preternatural that gives them the edge in magic. And yes, it is peaceful. Just play with it, it’ll definitely help.”

“Ok. Elemental magic, fire, water, air and earth, where to start?” Lycaon beamed.

“Well,you can already create fire, or light. But let’s start with fire and concentrate on creating a small, controlled flame. Fire is the first, basic magic that everyone learns. It can keep you alive, but it can also kill you. Or your enemies. I want you to first wiggle your toes in your boots to get grounded, then sink back into awareness. Once you’ve done those, open one palm and feel the slight heat of a small flame, feel it before you see it. And make sure it’s small. But-”

He was already staringat his palm! “But before that, if it gets unwieldy, see water on it, see it smouldering out. It’s imperative to know how to stop fire before you start it. Or see earthsmothering it, but make sure, right now, which opposite element will put the flame out. Only then continue.” I gestured, and watched as he nodded.

His feet moved, then he closed his eyes, taking in a long breath. After a few seconds, opening his eyes he opened his palm and stood staring at it. Quietly, I instructed. “Feel a warmth in your heart, and feel it travelling through your chest, down your arm and getting hotter in your palm.”

Raising his chin slightly,I felt hot, almost dizzy. Before the next moment he held his palm at arms length and flames came firing out of his hand, almost scorching his hair!

“Stop! Quench it, quickly!”

“I can’t! I mean, shit, it’s getting bigger! Elsa?”

“Put it out!”

His face wrinkled as he shot me a look of despair. My fingers weaved, magic flooding my heart, whipping through my arm and out of my fingers.

Suddenly a torrent of water gushed from my hand, soaking him!

He stood there,drenched, the corner of his mouth quirked up before adding, “That’ll teach me! Ok, I get it. Seems I need to learn control. Thanks Elsa.”

“I… I um, I think your power is more than I had imagined. Let’s go into your cabin. You get dried off and we’ll start with something… less chaotic. Telekinesis, I think. Though I’m not great at it. Well, I wasn’t. Small objects.”

A deep rumble of laughter suddenly bellowed out of him, “I don’t know, perhaps between the pair of us, both with too muchpower that neither of us can control, we could smash Adara to smithereens?”

I laughed,“Perhaps. But we’d probably demolish all and everything around them too. And ourselves! Sorry, I didn’t mean to drench you!”

He grabbed me,and pulled my head into his soaking chest, “Elsa if it was anyone else, I’d be mad about now. I’ll let you rub me down, then I may be ready to start again?”

I wasafraid to use any magic to push him away, so I wriggled free of his grip, my hair and face damp from his sweatshirt. I didn’t want to hurl him across the field by mistake!

He tookmy hand as we wandered back to the cabin.

“No, wait! Look, you go on in. I need to ward your home. It won’t take long.”

“Alright. I’ll dry off then. On my own. I’m disappointed Elsa!”

“Magic first, then eating. Passion later!” It was too tempting to add ‘good boy’. But I didn’t. I mean, I’m not Hakon.

As he went in,I shook out my hands. Taking a lungful of that sweet air I felt the energy warm inside my body. It always started through my heart, rolled around my stomach and whipped up to my shoulders and down my arms. I intended safety, concealment. Peace, harmony. And not just for his home, but for the woodland around us.

A soft cooing from the trees echoed out as I held out my hands, palms facing outwards and the slightest shimmer in the air as the energy seeped out, growing bigger and bigger. Aftera few minutes, I felt myself wain, thanked the goddess and the green man, he was the keeper of the woods. Rolling my lips I went inside to see what my wolfman was up to.

Rubbing his hair with a towel,he stood in front of his fire wearing dry jeans. He shot me a wicked grin.

“So, moving objects with the power of my mind? Can I remove your clothes first, as a test? You know, with my mind?”

I shook my head. “Come on wolf man, you need to focus on your sorcery first!” I pointed to his groin, “And I don’t your magic wand. Much as I want you, that isn’t going to help subdue Adara, is it?”

Shrugging,his face changed. Staring at me in earnest, “Maybe? I could seduce them all with my feral sexuality?”

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