The Magic

LORELAI

“No,” I argued, walking past my wolves.

The witches glared, but I didn’t care. They couldn’t say no. We were asking for permission to help us save the realm.

Their precious balance should mean more to them; it meant more to me.

The sky cracked with lightning, and the ground shook as the witches’ anger became palpable.

Well, I was angry too.

“We have made our decision. The beast and Adrenna will be put to death,” the echo spoke for the witches, and my hands clenched at my sides. That decision was bullshit.

“And how does that play a part in the balance? That’s your job, right? To keep the balance?”

“How does turning them human play a part?” they countered.

“Because the magic in Adrenna can help us defeat the vampires. Without that, we don’t have the numbers. So many of us will die in this war, and for what? To teach two people who fell in love against your wishes a lesson?” I challenged them.

It wasn’t a smart move, but it was all I could do. I had to change their minds. If I couldn’t, I was going to have to do something worse.

Like ignore them and do what I wanted anyway.

“Is there another offering we can make to change your decision?” Derik asked.

The witches remained still and stoic.

“No. Our decision is final.”

They went to turn away, but I couldn’t let them leave thinking they had the final say.

Maybe they did before, but things were different now. I had the border magic, and if they were worried about then, I was guessing it was enough to hurt them.

“We were asking for permission out of respect. We are still making them human,” I announced.

The air around us grew ice cold, and the sky thundered like wild horses racing. The ground shook as the wolves’ hackles rose.

I faced the witches as they turned with menacing looks in my direction. I didn’t shrink back or let their scare tactics get to me.

My Alphas flanked me, each one huge and overbearing, ready to fight with me. It went against everything they had known and learned, but they were still willing to stand there and fight for what was right.

It made my heart swell for the mates I had been given.

How I got so lucky, I had no idea. But I was winter born, and maybe some curses were actually gifts. At that moment, it felt like it. And I was willing to use that gift.

My shadows swirled inside me, turning with the magic in there, fluid and easy, ready to be used.

That told me everything I needed to know. My magic belonged to the realm too. If what I was doing was so wrong, then why was magic so ready to defend me and execute my will?

“You dare challenge us? Your superiors?”

I scoffed at that. Inflated ego was not on my list of today’s bullshit.

“I dare do what is right for the realm. Who you are doesn’t play a part in that. I thought that doing things right and by the book would mean that the realm would be served. But that is not your intention.”

“The realm balance is ours to maintain how we see fit. We have been given that right by the realm. You do not get to decide otherwise.”

How they could remain so straight-faced through the conversation was impressive, but their eyes told me everything I needed to know. They were angry enough to kill me.

I really hoped it didn’t come to that, but with every word that left my mouth to oppose them, I was pretty sure it took me closer to my own death.

“Maybe the realm has other ideas because my magic is from it too, and it wants this. It is willing to fight for it. Can you say the same? Because I saw your magic, and it wanted me as much as I wanted it. The realm made that happen.”

“You will back down, hybrid. Or we will take forceful action.”

I shook my head, looking behind me at the pack who were glaring at the witches. My Alphas looked to me.

“We’re with you. Whatever way you want to take this,” Brax said, and the pack agreed, our link stronger, vibrating with a unity we had never reached before.

I smiled at them all, my family, standing there ready to fight to the death for me. I had never had that in anyone other than my mom.

I had to set a good example so they knew I was worth fighting for because I was fighting for them too. For a future that wasn’t ruled by power-hungry witches.

If I could sense that, then the realm could too. That was why I was guessing they were letting me keep my magic, use it to help the wolves.

And it was why I knew it would make me powerful enough to take on the witches.

“I won’t back down. We’re doing what we need to do for the pack, for the realm, and for the balance. If you can get on board with that, then you can stay; if you’re going to get in the way, then you can leave,” I said, my voice firm and holding all of the passive aggressiveness I could muster.

I wanted them to be on board; I didn’t want another species to turn against us. We’d been watching our backs for so long my neck was kinking.

But it didn’t matter what I wanted because the witches were used to being able to tell us what to do. And before, they could. Their word helped the realm balance, and we could respect that.

But with them saying no, there was nothing left to respect.

“You were warned,” the echo said in a deep, dangerous voice.

Then their eyes glowed again.

I wasn’t sure what it meant, but it didn’t feel good.

The ground rumbled again, making us all grab each other.

The witches grew, their bodies stretching up, towering over us, as the sky broke with thunder and lightning.

The torches flickered, the flames struggling against the angry wind. It whistled around us, whipping my hair into my face.

The pack was in the link, staying strong in our connection, showing no fear, ready to defend. But that was hard when the ground was moving beneath us.

And I knew it was up to me. The realm had given me magic, had shown me that I had what I needed, and my shadows were calm inside me.

They were not scared of the witches, and neither was I.

I wasn’t going to let them hurt us.

I stepped away from the Alphas and stood shorter, smaller, and cursed.

When the witches’ magic fell from their eyes and mouths that finally opened, the pack tensed. My Alphas roared, starting to shift, but I didn’t move.

I narrowed my eyes on them, on their magic.

My magic swirled with my shadows and poured out of me.

My magic slammed up against theirs, mine purple with shadows only I could see mixed in against their gold.

It was beautiful and terrifying.

The connection of magic was like a blast; it echoed through the realm, a wave of energy rebounding over all of us.

It blew me back, but my Alphas were right there behind me, holding me up as I fought against the witches’ magic that tried to take me out.

They were fucking strong, stronger than I had expected, but I fought every ounce of magic they had with every piece of my own. My shadows and magic together were strong too, and they were having a blast.

My magic was eating away at theirs, my shadows supporting it like my Alphas were supporting me.

The witches glared, fury in their magic biting down so there was more pressure.

It felt like trying to stop a building from crashing on us. My legs started to shake under the weight of it.

The air became harder to breathe, and maybe that would be my downfall. I had the magic to go against them, but did I have the stamina to outlast them? I wasn’t sure anymore.

My body shuddered as weakness started to roll through it.

“You have three Alphas to keep sated; your stamina is unmatched.” Kai grinned at me, sweating as he pushed his strength through the link to help me. I didn’t want to accept it in case he needed it afterward, but I had no choice.

The witches were keeping me at my limit, and I had no idea if it was theirs.

How long would they keep pushing? How long before I collapsed?

I couldn’t let that happen, so I drew on my Alphas.

I drew on my pack.

And they let me, offering their strength freely.

I pushed back against the witches with a cry.

They came at me harder.

My magic and shadows were trying to push further in, but the witches were just so damn strong.

“The bite. Bite her,” Derik said. I looked at my Alphas, who were eyeing each other, each holding me firm.

They looked to me, and I nodded.

“Do it,” I panted out through gritted teeth.

Kai didn’t hesitate. His fangs went through my skin, his venom instantly easing the weakness off. I sighed at the relief, the pleasure filling me.

Brax was next, biting into the top of my arm, giving me the direct strength I needed to hold my magic there. His toxin was precise, running straight down my arms and into my hands.

My magic responded, pushing harder against the gold beams that were trying to take us out.

It was so loud too, the magic meeting was like being stuck in a tornado, with wind rushing around us.

Derik planted his feet behind me and bit into my shoulder. His toxin worked its way through my body, making it stronger, fixing the weakness.

Kai’s made it to my heart first, and as soon as it did, it recognized the other two alphas’ venom in me.

My body burst with energy.

My magic flared out of me and shoved the witches back in a surge so powerful, it knocked each of the seven on their asses.

The wind died into silence, the flames of the torches blew out, and the pack stilled.

I edged closer, my shadows sweeping over the witches to check them. They shrunk back as the witches slowly rose from the ground. They were much more graceful than I would have been.

And their faces stayed expressionless. That was some fucking talent they had there.

I shuddered at the look in those eyes of theirs. They were so dark.

The front witch, the one who always had her cowl lower than the others, the one with the pretty petite features and pale lips.

She threw her arm out, gold magic trying to strike me down as she did.

I rebounded the hit easily, the venom keeping me strong and quick.

My shadows threw up a wall in front of me, my magic going with it so the next silent strike fizzled out before it got close.

The echo came out in a vicious snarl.

“I told you. We’re doing the spell. Are you agreeing to help or not?” I asked again.

“The werewolves are ours. We’ve always owned them and their magic. We may not be able to hurt you, but we can take them away from you,” the witches threatened.

The threat scared me a little, but I refused to let it show, shaking my head instead.

“

Try it. I’ll put you on your ass again.”

The witches fucking tried it. They narrowed their eyes on the pack behind me. I saw the glitter magic come back as they tried to draw out their turning magic.

Over my dead body, assholes.

I pushed my magic into the wolves. It was magic the witches couldn’t take, I knew that now for sure. It was a gift from the realm, and I was using it to keep my family safe.

The magic exacted my will easily, happy with being fed the golden magic. It cut the witches off from the wolves, the glitter stopping and falling to the ground, absorbing back into the ground.

I turned to them and raised my brow at the front witch.

Her jaw clenched.

“The wolves belong to the pack. You can’t take that from them, and you can’t take their shifting magic. I have given them that, and as we’ve seen here, you can’t touch my magic. So, what’ll it be?” I asked for the final time.

The witches rose, floating from the ground as they glared.

“You will regret this,” the witch finally spoke. Her voice was soft, small, and filled with barely contained hostility.

I expected nothing less.

They left the city, taking their malice and their storm with them.

I let out a breath of relief, then sagged into Brax, who held me up, kissing me.

I kissed him back, then turned to them and the pack.

“Go get Adrenna and the beast. We’re doing this spell and turning them human before the witches make good on their threat.”