Chapter 61

I don’t have time to comb through my emotions and see what I think of King Harvey. How much does he love me to break protocol so we can go to this Fate Party? He is mad at me, but I am mad at him so is that fair? He listened to me but didn’t understand. Did I understand him? Of course, I would keep him away from a war zone. That is all he was trying to do… but is he overreacting?

I hear King Harvey punching the punching bag in our training room. One hit after another, each grunt of force he exerts echoes through the hallway. I wonder how loud we are when we make love… maybe that is why he jumped at buying our cottage.

Walking into the training room, I hear clear as day the power of his punches against the bag. Each punch is an impossibly hard hit against the bag. I walk by him, and watch his fist go straight through the bag.

King Harvey’s face is ashen and sweaty as he stares down at me. In this harsh light, I see the bags under his eyes clearly.

“Are you okay?” I open my arms to him and am shocked when he moves quickly to hug me tight.

“I do not wish for you to be hurt, Elena, please, understand that.” King Harvey whispers in my ear as he presses a soft kiss to the center of my mating mark. Instincts take over and I crane my neck for him. King Harvey spins me away from him.

“What the hell?!” I huff, placing my hands on my hips.

“Train. Elena.” King Harvey demands as he points a taloned finger at me. “Now.”

Turning away from him, I pause and listen to him destroying another punching bag. I wonder if he has an endless supply of them. Anyway, I open my stance and try to loosen my hands. Wiggling my fingers, I know I want to summon a shield to protect me, even if it is just a square that covers my whole body to start.

A small flame sparks at the center of my palm, but even as hard as I picture a square, going as far as to trace a rectangle with my foot on the floor, nothing happens.

I try to increase the flame in my hand, but it fades away when I stare at it too deeply.

“King Harvey, you transferred your power to me?! Nothing is happening!” I call over my shoulder.

In a blink, a warm hand lands on my lower back.

“Elena,” he starts lowly in my ear. King Harvey squeezes my hand tight, and a red-hot flame explodes between our hands. “See? Your power called out to mine. Harness your love for me, for now. Focus and it will happen.”

“Why didn’t you tell me that earlier?” I ask as I hear King Harvey continue to punch the punching bag form behind me.

“I simply wanted to touch you.” King Harvey says, sounding innocent between his punches.

I blush but keep my reply to myself. I need to focus now, for real.

Holding out both my hands, I focus on our wedding night and feel hot lava screaming through my veins. Gritting my teeth, I hold back a scream as steam explodes through my pores. Suddenly, as I fall to the floor, it all clicks.

King Harvey is right.

I am human.

His body can withstand so much more than I can when it comes to this power. I need to master it before we are surrounded by other werewolves, especially kings. I still want to prove my worth, but I will need to be trained more.

“Elena!” King Harvey cradles me to his chest and rocks me in his arms as I gasp harshly.

My throat is on fire, and I need water. King Harvey pulls out a red flask and presses it to my lips urgently. Cold water pours down my throat and I huff.

“W-why?”

“You thought too hard, Elena. You have no control. When you are better, let me hold you.”

“Di-did you know?”

“No, Elena…. But I heard your heart exploding.” King Harvey kisses me softly on the lips. “Be careful, Elena!”

We sit in silence for a few minutes as I catch my breath, and I feel fine. No pain, just a slight ache in my forearms but it fades away quickly.

Eventually, King Harvey detaches himself from me and leaves the room. When he returns, he is holding a small plastic container, an orb with a red lid, and an even smaller plastic doll inside. He rattles it back and forth with a smile, then hands it to me.

“A gift?” I smile.

“Yes, kept it.” King Harvey replies with a sweet smile. “Training, Elena. You need to visualize. That little doll is you and your shield is that the orb.”

“Oh, I see, but I haven’t managed to make a rectangle just yet!”

“No worries. Orbs are easier, a rounded shape is easier for the mind to understand.” King Harvey traces the orb with a talon, then takes my finger to do the same. “Understand?”

“Yes, King Harvey, thank you.”

With a nod, King Harvey is gone and off to train again.

Clutching the orb in my left hand, I squeeze it tightly. There are no corners in this item. There will be no corners around me, I will be safe in an orb, like a fish is in a fishbowl. I am a fish; my husband is a werewolf.

I sound insane!

Hour after hour trickles by as I try to form an orb. Nothing but red flames appear from my hand until finally I sit down. King Harvey kisses me for encouragement, and I just wish we were in bed.

My hands both itch and feel raw, and I can see blood coating the lines on my hands. I know it is midnight because of the clock that sings in a high pitch.

I am failing. I need to get this over with, I can barely keep my eyes open.

Shaking my head, I clear my mind of being a fish and just me in an orb. Using my right hand, I trace an oval around my body and step forward. I bump into something strong and light red, like glass. Drawing in a shaking breath, I turn around to face King Harvey and see him perfectly.

He runs up to me and reaches out to touch me, but his hand strikes what looks like glass.

“You have a half shield, Elena!” King Harvey screams over my shield and I hear him faintly.

“Now what?” I yell back.

“Complete it!” King Harvey motions the shape of an orb with both hands.

Squeezing both my eyes shut and the orb, I think very hard about being safe. The image of being in King Harvey’s arms enters my mind.

Opening my eyes, I step back and step directly into that glass again. I move back and forth in the orb, feeling like a hamster. King Harvey proudly places a hand on the front of my orb and smiles ferally.

“I did it!”

“You did it!!” King Harvey cries to back to me joyously.

Lowering my right hand, I am thankful the shield vanishes at once and I collapse in my husband’s awaiting arms. He holds me tight, kissing me hard.

I fall on top of him and lay on his chest as he rests on the floor.

Beta Tom walks in, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.

“E-Elena...” Beta Tom starts in a halting tone. “King Harvey.” Beta Tom bows to him and King Harvey just waves.

“What, Beta Tom?” King Harvey asks.

I can’t move.

“I would like to ask Emily’s hand in marriage, Elena.” Beta Tom spits out fearfully, managing to look me in the eyes.

I sit up automatically as adrenaline flows through my body. “Beta Tom, King Harvey has told me more about you. I am not in the mind to make any decisions. I am exhausted. How about after the Fate Party, I give you, my answer.”

“I understand. Thank you.” Beta Tom bows to us both, but his hands tremble.

I sigh. “Beta Tom… be hopeful.”

With a small smile, Beta Tom leaves us alone.