Pursued: Silver Falls University 4, page 12
Nerves invaded my chest, but I had to trust that if Ryder thought it was a good idea, he’d already considered that aspect. Once again, I found myself ridiculously thankful for his presence. The man was so capable and knowing, and besides being extremely attracted to him, I found myself captivated and more than a bit in awe of his confidence in everything he did.
Once we arrived at the train station, Tore brought me to a bench to curl up as the others went to figure out tickets. When a weird blast of coolness passed over my skin, I looked down at my fingers, momentarily seeing them spark with purple energy. While I wasn’t as exhausted as I’d been with the Homura Stone, I could tell that the magic from the Fengari Stone had left an effect on me.
Although this time I felt more exhilarated than anything else.
I wanted to test out my new powers, but I knew this wasn’t the right place. I was starting to be able to tell the difference between magic users and humans, and if I was right, there were a lot of humans around us right now. I didn’t know what their reaction would be to magic and seeing some girl’s hands light up in different colors, but I had to figure the paranormal world and magic were secret for a reason.
“Alright, the train will be here any minute,” Julian said. He and the others joined us on the bench, most of my mates engaged in a serious discussion. “We bought an entire car for ourselves, so we’ll be able to spread out. There should be at least three cabins in it, so if you need to rest you should be able to.”
I offered him a grateful smile. “I actually feel really good, although…”
“What?” Tore asked curiously.
“I wish I could practice my magic, especially because I can tell I have so much more,” I said. “I was so tired the other day that I didn’t get the opportunity.”
“Maybe once we’re on the train,” Julian suggested. “I doubt there will be many people traveling in the middle of a weekday, as it is.”
That was true. Although it did seem rather busy out….
I nibbled my lip and let out a long, slow sigh. It was a weekday, which meant I should have been on campus, going to class.
“I feel bad about missing class,” I said for what felt like the millionth time since starting at Silver Falls, before admitting what I’d been holding in for so long. “Actually, I don’t—I feel bad that the teachers are disappointed.”
Julian and Tore shared a look before the first asked, “Do you want to continue at Silver Falls, Effie?”
My knee-jerk reaction was to answer ‘yes,’ but I took a moment to consider the question before I spoke. Before, I’d been so thrilled to get away from Gerald and Theresa, so terrified of being sent back, that I’d clung to Silver Falls as my only hope for a better life. But now that I knew there were other options out there—ones that weren’t led by reprehensible men like Hastain—I wondered if a different school may be better.
“I want to study economics,” I said, “but maybe Silver Falls isn’t the right place.”
I also wouldn’t fully admit to it, but I hoped to find a university with a bit more flexibility for class scheduling. I wasn’t used to formal schooling, so it would be a lot easier to take it at my own pace, especially since… Well, we had no idea what would happen in the future, but I didn’t want to feel tied down to such an intense schedule.
“There are a lot of other options.” Tore tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “A ton of schools that offer the same thing in places that would be far safer to live in.”
“I like that idea,” I said. “I don’t want to live anywhere near the Whitepaw pack, though—” I emboldened myself, adding, “Especially if we really do plan on settling down and having a family.”
Tore let out a low rumble that caused shivers to roll over my skin and heat to explode in my center. I inhaled sharply at the intensity in his expression, and Julian hummed softly, drawing my chin back as he examined my face with interest.
“That’s a good point, preciosa. I wouldn’t want to risk our children being anywhere near Hastain either.”
“No place for pups,” Tore agreed, making my cheeks heat.
Then I considered what they were giving up for me. “I don’t want you feeling like you have to leave your entire life, especially after years of schooling—”
“No,” Julian warned, running a thumb over my lip. “I’m serious, Effie. No more of that. We want to be here, right by your side. Always. Stop questioning it.”
“Okay.” I knew it would be far healthier to stop feeling insecure about things like that; it had just been branded onto my brain from the Whitepaw situation, so I was still getting used to being…wanted.
The sudden train horn had me sitting up, and we took our place in the line of passengers, my mates surrounding me protectively as we filed out towards the platform. Dakota wrapped an arm around me and pressed his forehead to mine. “I can feel your wolf jumping around.”
“Yeah, my magic is acting up—or wants to,” I admitted. “I need to use it to some extent, I think.”
Actually there was no ‘I think’ about it—it was nearly bursting from my skin.
Dakota nodded, and as the train arrived into the open-air station, the emerald green and gold paint flashed under the sunlight, making it look like something right out of a movie. The train appeared brand new in everything except its old-fashioned styling, the mountains and forested landscape behind it only making it look that much more idealistic. I bounced on my toes with excitement as I watched passengers depart the train, being handed luggage by the attendants on their way out. When the station was cleared of previous passengers, I eagerly approached the door, and when the attendant read my ticket, he pointed to one of the gold cars a few down from us.
I had only taken one train before this—the one up to Kirkwall—and to say this one was different was an understatement. A smile claimed my face as we stepped into a small passageway before going through a set of solid dark doors.
The scent of expensive leather and wood greeted me, the door opening into a cabin that appeared to be a lounge. There were windows from mid-wall to ceiling that showcased the landscape, and dark leather seats framed each corner of the room. A dining table sat in the center of the space, a chandelier hanging from the ceiling above.
Walking across the deep red carpet, I went to the back of the lounge and looked down the long hallway. There were three doors that had to be the cabins the guys had been talking about. Turning back around, I realized that the room I’d initially viewed as spacious seemed much smaller with all my mates inside of it. Allowing them to spread out with their bags, I opened the farthest cabin and walked in.
“Wow,” I said as I stepped into the luxurious bedroom, which even had its own bathroom. This was so cool. I wasn’t positive it was better than the jet, as it wouldn’t travel nearly as fast, but I loved it nonetheless.
“We’re going to be departing soon,” Ryder said from the doorway. “Once we get going, do you want to test out your magic?”
I totally did. I just hoped it wouldn’t be too explosive.
After nearly forty-five minutes of watching the landscape go by while I sat leaning with my back to Tore’s chest, I deemed that enough time had passed to practice. Caedmon had gone to get some sleep in one of the cabins, and Dakota had gone to shower in the second. Ryder, Tore, and Julian were sitting around with me, Ryder and Julian playing a lazy game of chess, neither of them fully paying attention to it as they pointed out various landmarks to me.
“Okay, I’m going to try,” I said nervously, taking a deep breath.
“Just close your eyes and try to focus on your original magic, then expand out from there,” Ryder suggested.
Deciding to take his advice, I closed my eyes and focused on my wolf. She was bouncing around, looking almost hyper, and I knew it was partly from being so close to our mates and the bonds we’d created with them, but it was also the new magic surrounding us. There was a thread of purple-blue magic that moved languidly through the rest, like a lazy stream cutting through a fiery orange lake. I reached forward instinctively, trying to grasp it, and immediately my eyes snapped open.
“Shit,” Julian cursed. The room had darkened, the lights flickering as a blue glow filled it. The sound of ice cracking came from behind me, and I saw across the way that the windows were frosting over. That wasn’t the wow part though.
No, the wow part was the stars that hung suspended above us, a miniature model of them and the moon rotating. It reminded me of those lights you could buy, the ones that projected constellations on your ceiling. I felt speechless and in absolute awe that I could produce something so beautiful in a natural pull of power. Despite being new to me, it felt familiar, like an extension of myself.
“I don’t know what it does, exactly,” I admitted, trying to focus it on something but not finding anything close enough. Ryder appeared in front of me and put a glass of water on the nearby table.
“Maybe it’s elemental, similar to my magic,” he offered.
I eyed the glass of water and gently used my finger to trace the rim. The magic on my fingers was pink, as expected, though lazy rivers of periwinkle now ran through it.
The glass froze.
“Shit,” Tore chuckled.
“What else can you do with your magic?” I asked Ryder, hoping he could provide more inspiration.
“There’s our shifted form, but you already have that.”
I nodded because I did. Although…had my lykos form been changed by Julian’s bitten mark? I hadn’t considered that before. I didn’t know what lykos were supposed to look like.
“Try to interact with my magic,” Tore suggested. I turned into him, examining his face which was filled with curiosity and excitement. I had a feeling that Tore liked having magic, and while fenrir wolves didn’t normally have a lot, he was in a much different position. I could tell he found it fascinating.
“I don’t know how,” I said, but before I could finish the sentence, my magic was rushing out to greet him. I let out a pleased noise as his skin shimmered with what appeared to be stars, and despite his breath fogging in the air, he stared at it with wonder before smiling at me.
“What does it feel like?” Julian asked. I was surprised to find a look of envy on his face.
“Cold and exhilarating,” Tore answered.
“I imagine you can turn it deadly fairly easily if needed,” Ryder said, sounding happy about that. I wasn’t sure I felt the same.
“Try it,” Tore said, but I was already shaking my head no as my wolf froze up. I smiled slightly in relief that my wolf seemed to be on the same page as me.
“I couldn’t hurt you even if I tried,” I admitted, turning to include all the others. “Any of you. Not only do I not want to, but my wolf would never allow it.”
“I love that.” Julian flashed me a charming smile, returning his attention to the chessboard for a moment while he figured out his next move.
Ryder was staring at me with a look I didn’t fully understand. “I want you to be able to defend yourself,” he explained. “We need to figure out a way to train.”
“She doesn’t need that.” Dakota stepped out of the second cabin, running a hand through his damp hair and looking around with interest. “We’ll slaughter anyone who tries to hurt her.”
His words should have scared me but instead they came off as…sweet? Was that a word I could use to describe them?
“It may be a good idea anyway,” Tore murmured, his gaze going distant for a moment. I had a feeling he was thinking about Isabella.
“Maybe start small?” I asked Ryder. “Maybe I can try with your sister or Ruby?”
“That’s a good idea,” Ryder agreed, the guys breaking into a conversation about what I would even need to practice.
My magic loved the girls, but I think we’d be able to view it as more of a game. A small prickle of sadness invaded my chest, wanting to see the two of them. I knew there was a very real possibility of leaving Silver Falls, but I didn’t want that to mean the end of our friendship.
I let my magic sink back under my skin, and Tore let out a grumpy sound at its departure before sweeping me up and carrying me into the final cabin. I heard Julian shout something, but I just wrapped my arms around Tore and nuzzled against his throat.
“What are we doing?” I asked, my skin already heating up from the way he was looking at me.
“I’m stealing you away,” he said. “I want to cuddle while we have the downtime.”
That sounded like perfection.
I slipped off my shoes, letting out a small yawn before crawling into the bed. It had been an insane day, and while I was relieved we’d been able to escape after finding the stone, I didn’t think we were out of the woods yet.
Tore tugged his shirt over his head, my gaze zeroing in on the bandage in the middle of his chest. He chuckled at the blatant curiosity that must have been painted all over my expression.
I didn’t know the tattoo process, but he didn’t seem to be in pain at all, and as he undid the bandage, I tracked a spark of magic that made me think it hadn’t been done with normal ink. I sat up as the bandage finally fell away, giving me an unobstructed look at the new tattoo.
Wow.
I broke into a massive smile as I looked up into his gaze, seeing warmth and affection there.
“You…you wanted that on you permanently?” I whispered as he moved to the bed. I pushed back so that he was able to move over me, his lips gently pressing down on mine. I could tell he was no longer embarrassed, which was good because there was absolutely no reason to be—I loved it. I more than loved it.
“Yes. I want to be able to look at it and always have a part of you,” he whispered as he withdrew his lips from mine. My hand pressed to his chest, right over his heart, our heartbeats synchronizing immediately. When I pulled my hand back, tears pricked my eyes.
He’d tattooed my handprint right over his heart.
13
EFFIE HARLOW
“A date? With me?” I asked. I was sitting on the couch and looking up at Ryder, Dakota nipping my neck as a nervous giggle escaped.
“Yes you.” Ryder crouched down and took my hand. “Come to dinner with me. We don’t leave until the morning. We’ve been traveling all day, and you need to relax.”
“Rich coming from you,” Caedmon murmured. Ryder scowled, but I smiled at the banter.
“What about us?” Julian was nearly pouting. “I need food.”
“Same,” Tore agreed.
“You can order food,” Ryder grumbled. “What do you say, kitten?”
“Of course! I’ll get ready.” I jumped up, causing Dakota to complain. I’d been sitting in the man’s lap since we arrived at Ryder’s house in London an hour or so ago, so he was just being grumpy. I wouldn’t tell him, but I sorta loved it.
The train ride brought us into London right as afternoon turned to evening, so I was able to get a glimpse at a city that I was already falling in love with. Don’t get me wrong, everywhere we’d been so far had been beautiful, but there was just something about London. And Ryder’s house here was gorgeous.
Not overly massive, but right in the heart of the city, a walk-up long, narrow building that looked older on the outside but was completely redone on the inside. From what I could gather, it had six floors and eight bedrooms, as well as four levels of basements, two of which were for cars.
This was a property he had put a lot of thought into.
After such a long train ride, it felt good to take my time getting ready, and once I was freshly showered and dressed in a silk cocktail dress with kitten heels, I found myself staring in the mirror. I would have never picked this outfit out in the store. I was hoping it matched…but even if it didn’t, Caedmon’s personal shopper clearly had an eye for what I liked.
I also couldn’t help but notice that I did look different. My hair looked softer, my skin more vibrant, and the way the clothes fit me, molding to my curves, was most likely because I’d been eating. I looked good. More than anything, I felt good. That type of confidence wasn’t something I’d ever experienced before now.
“Lil bit—shit.” I turned to find Tore taking me in from head to toe before he groaned and stalked back out. Before, I would’ve worried about what he thought, but I was quickly learning that Tore usually got all grumpy like this when he thought I looked good in something. I know, it was slightly confusing.
“What’s he on about—” Julian froze as he stared at me, a huge smile breaking onto his face. “Ryder’s a lucky bastard. You look edible, preciosa.”
“We should keep her here,” Dakota said, flashing a smile as he appeared in the doorway.
“I’m excited to go out to dinner, especially because I want to see more of London. I really like it here. It just feels…right. If that makes sense?” I asked, rambling a little, mostly because I was nervous they wouldn’t feel the same.
The two of them exchanged a look, Dakota’s smile softening. “Yeah it does, little wolf. I completely understand.”
“Now go eat something,” Julian said, tugging my hand and kissing me softly before Dakota did the same. I could hear them joking about keeping me here as I walked past, and when I got to the door I saw that Ryder had pulled an expensive sports car around and was talking to Caedmon outside. Tore met me at the door and had me slip on a leather jacket before kissing me hard and possessively, looking more grumpy than ever.
“Be back soon,” I promised as I walked down the steps. Ryder’s gaze ran over me, his eyes heating as his throat produced a low rumble. Caedmon turned to see what had caught Ryder’s attention, and his eyes widened on my dress. I blushed as I made my way towards them, and when I was close enough, Caedmon stepped into my space and cupped my jaw.
“Be safe tonight. I know Ryder will keep you safe, but I still worry.”
I nodded and went up on my toes, kissing him softly. All too soon the kiss was over and he stepped away and walked into the house, Ryder leading me to the car.
“I love this.” I looked around his peaceful block as the street lamps flickered on. “I wish I could see more of London. I was telling the others that this place feels different from the other places we’ve traveled. I’m still not sure why, though.”
