Filed To Story: Claimed by the Alpha I Hate Book Read Free
“Well, Rowena will be able to detect if the protection spell is still on Nolan, but typically it fades with time. The fact that it lasted that long with you being a beginner speaks volumes about your power.
What’s done is done, but I still believe you should know the risks involved with what you did.” She tutted.
“The risks?”
“Oh, yes. Every spell has its risks, and there’s a reason even seasoned witches steer clear of protection spells. In essence, a protection spell links the life-force of one with the life-force of another.
Nolan was very much protected but should you have died. Well, so would he.” She explained, and only now did I fully realize the dangers of the spell I had done. She patted my shoulder gently, just like grandma did. “Don’t worry, dear. Let’s go see what Rowena has to say, shall we?”
When we made it downstairs, there was no sign of the auburn-haired witch. Nolan sat on the sofa; his eyes glazed over from the mind-link he was currently in the middle of. Seconds went by before they cleared. He blinked rapidly and stood, coming to my side. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed his touch until his arm was around my waist, pulling me into his side. All of the anxiety and stress melted away, vanishing much faster than it had during training.
“Where did Rowena go?” I asked him, looking around but finding no sign of her.
“She got a phone call and had to leave, said it wasn’t a big deal.” He replied, “Cass made it to the house and said if we had nothing better to do we can help her set things up. I’ve already mind-linked your dad and the others. They’ll be there in a few hours.”
I turned to Cordelia, “Did you want to come? We’re having a cook-out tonight.”
Cordelia’s eyes softened, taking some of the years out of her face, but none of the wisdom. “It’s quite alright. Actually, I could use an afternoon of relaxing myself. I may just meditate some and take a long bath.” Her eyes traveled to Nolan’s face, “Did Rowena find any magic clinging to you, Alpha?”
Nolan shook his head, and a pang of relief stung my chest. “She said I’m clean, which is great but doesn’t explain what made my wolf go feral. She felt the echo of the protection spell Daisy did, but she was confident it wore off.”
“Thank the Goddess.” I sighed, earning a confused look from Nolan. “I’ll explain in the car.”
The middle-aged witch nodded, her expression troubled yet thoughtful. “While that is a good thing, a protection spell wouldn’t have affected your wolf in that way. If it’s magic that made your wolf lose control, then I believe Rowena would’ve been able to sense it. Is there any chance stress could be involved?”
Nolan and I shared a look. We both knew that Cordelia meant well, but she wasn’t a werewolf herself.
Stress might’ve been a factor at first, when Nolan’s protective nature had worsened, but stress alone wouldn’t cause a wolf to go feral. Our wolves were meant to steady and guide us, not send us head-
first into chaos.
No, what turned Nolan’s wolf feral had to be something else, something Rowena missed.
We made it back to the house within the hour. As we pulled into the circular drive, parking next to the granite fountain Nolan had installed, the first thing we spotted was Cassidy’s smiling face. Her cheesy grin made sense the moment Kendrick came into view, carrying bags of groceries from her car into the house.
Between the four of us, we managed to get everything set up before the first of our guests arrived, which just so happened to be grandma, dad, and Sean. I spotted Flora alongside them and smiled at how her and dad had their arms wound around one another’s waists. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary, other than my dad smiling ear-to-ear, I went back to work and waited for them to come inside.
I could hear them before I saw them, pinpointing Sean’s laugh first and foremost. It was raspy, which made sense considering my big brother was a grown man, but still had that squeak that reminded me of the scrawny little boy I’d grown up beside.
When the four of them made their way into the kitchen, I noticed instantly something had changed. It didn’t take long to figure out what that something was. The second my dad moved, untangling himself from Flora’s petite form to pull me in for a hug, I saw it.
“Dad, what the-” I stammered, pushing him away.
He didn’t take any offense to my actions, and actually smiled when I held him at a distance and scanned my eyes up and down his body. The grizzly man looked the same, only he was freshly shaven for once in his d**n life. Instead of crazy cave-man vibes, his beard gave off more of a refined lumberjack look. What made me push him away like a mad woman was that he didn’t limp when he approached me. Not only that, but his usual grimace was gone, the one signaling to the world that his knee was hurting him.
“Can you believe it, Daisy? I’m healed.” He grinned, like a full-fledged grin that brightened his eyes and removed just about every line and crevice on his face, making him look younger than I’d ever seen him.
For emphasis, he did a little spin, splaying his hands out like he’d done a backflip.
His joy was contagious and his confidence inspiring as he said, “Not only did I spend the morning in the hospital getting x-rayed, but I also had Rowena check me out. There’s no injury there to be seen. No shrapnel, no scar tissue, nothing. It’s like the accident never happened.”
Dad’s grin didn’t falter, remaining intact while I picked my jaw up off the floor. He chuckled, the sound warm and throaty, while tugging Flora over to his side.
The woman with the kind eyes and soft curls smiled at me, her pink lips matching the petals on the dress she wore. She was clearly nervous, twiddling her fingers and glancing around the kitchen with interest. I felt a tad guilty considering I hadn’t really spoken more than a couple words to Flora. The last thing I wanted her to think was that I had a problem with her and my dad being mates.
“That’s great, dad! You’re like a whole new person, but how did this happen?” I had to ask, glancing over at grandma when she made a noise in her throat.
She said nothing, currently hunched over as she stuffed our refrigerator full of her homemade sweets.
There were tupperware containers stacked on the shelves, and from a distance I could make out a couple batches of cookies and even a plate of brownies. I’d have to sneak away later on and steal a few before Nolan and Zeke scarfed them all down.
Dad heard it too, his grin widening as he shrugged. It made sense he wouldn’t be too worried about how it happened, only that it had. He jutted his chin in grandma’s direction and said, “Had to be your grandma working her magic.”
“I told you four times now it wasn’t me that fixed your leg.” Grandma huffed, swatting at him as she closed the refrigerator door.
Dad shrugged, “All I know is I hope it lasts. Flora here has been teaching me how do dance. Can you imagine that, Daisy? Your old man on the dancefloor!”
I had to grin at what he said, laughing at the excitement on his face and how it made him less of a gruff veteran and more of a lovesick puppy. Before I could get more than a chuckle out, my smile fell. What he said about dancing, it plucked a memory from the back of my head, one I hadn’t thought about since
Tristan and I sped out of the pack via motorcycle.
A familiar tickle started in my stomach as I remembered Flora and dad dancing at the wedding. Seeing him like that, his face contorted in pain and shame while his eyes b****d with longing, it broke a part of my heart that wanted nothing more than my dad’s happiness. He’d been through so much, lost out on so many things with Flora that it didn’t seem fair for him to miss out on this too.
Grandma was the first to speak, instantly noticing the fallout in my joy.
“What is it, Daisy?” She asked, coming to my side, and placing a steadying hand on my shoulder. The scent of dried lavender followed her, mixing with her floral perfume to create a scent that was familiar and calming.
Hearing the seriousness in her voice, dad broke off his silent conversation with Flora and turned my way. His eyebrows creased with concern, the same salt and pepper shade as the hair on his head.
I was connecting the dots, realizing that the burst of emotion I’d felt watching my dad and Flora dance was my magic manifesting itself. There was no point in hiding this from them, from the people I trusted more than anything in the world. Even though I hardly knew Flora, the way she looked at my dad had me wanting to trust her in the same way. She’d never replace my mom, and I knew she didn’t want to, but she deserved happiness just as dad did.
“I think I’m the one that healed your leg, actually.” I admitted, “It’s a long story, but Nolan and I figured out my magical type. I can conjure things, make them real just by thinking about them. It’s why the witches want to use me so badly.”
Understandably, no one looked too relieved to hear the truth. Everyone, Flora included, now had identical looks of unease on their faces. Dads was mixed with anger, while grandma’s had small traces of worry. They both looked at one another, then at Nolan who had just walked into the room.
“They’re not going to get their hands on you though, isn’t that right’?” Dad said, but his question was directed at Nolan.
Nolan came up behind me, his arms circling my waist and drawing an instant sigh of relief from my lips.
His masculine scent and the heat of his skin melting against my own took the edge off and filled me with a sense of confidence that came from feeling safe. Dad knew as well as I did that Nolan would sooner send the entirety of our forces into battle if it meant keeping me protected, but I didn’t blame him for needing reassurance.
Apparently, neither did Nolan, because he replied without a hint of offense in his voice. I could feel his chest vibrating against my back, quaking with the gravely sound of his voice.
“Not a chance. We’re going to take every measure possible to make sure she stays safe.”
I craned my head to look up at him, momentarily d******g in the amber pools that circled his pupils. His lips, which looked irrevocably soft and kissable, twisted into a small smirk. It didn’t matter that I was openly ogling him. Any time our eyes locked, it was like the room melted away, leaving us both alone in our own small bubble.
“Taking every measure possible doesn’t mean I’m going to be locked away like a princess in a tower, though.” I reminded them both, “I have this power for a reason, and I’m going to use it to stop the witches.”
“Daisy, maybe that’s not” Dad began, putting on his stern parental voice.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?