“That witch is causing a ruckus,” Dahlia’s alpha grumbled.
“Tell me about it. I’ve been fixing my wards every week for the past month,” Dahlia retorted, her voice laced with irritation.
“I’ve lodged a complaint for breaching the truce. I’m not sure what else I can do.”
“I could always take her out,” Dahlia suggested, her tone dead serious.
“That would ignite a war,” Ryder cautioned. His interactions with her had dwindled to almost nothing.
Ever since she rejected his feelings, he’d been sulking and avoiding her at every turn.
“Which pack would dare to wage a war without a witch? If they choose that path, it would be over before it even started.”
“You seem pretty sure of yourself,” Cain remarked, a hint of approval in his voice.
“Of course I am. And I’m dead serious about eliminating her. If she continues to provoke me, I won’t hesitate. I have more important things to deal with than some wannabe witch.”
“Why do you think she keeps provoking us? Do they really want a war?” Chase asked, his voice filled with concern.
“She’s probably still fuming over the insult I threw at her and her family. She’s acting like a child holding a grudge. I poked her, and now she’s trying to poke me back. She’s young and doesn’t understand the rules yet, but she’ll learn the hard way if she continues,” Dahlia assured them.
“Maybe you could just send her a warning?” her pack mate suggested.
“No physical harm,” Cain interjected.
She nodded her farewell and took her leave.
She had promised to train Nonali yesterday, and it was high time she kept her word.
She had already informed her alpha about her cousin’s presence on their land, so she didn’t have to worry about any interference from the pack.
She dropped by her grandmother’s house, scooping up Nonali with a smug grin as Ezra shot her a glare.
She quickly transported them back to her apartment before he could utter a word.
She watched as Nonali’s eyes scanned her modest belongings, but she felt no embarrassment.
“Your apartment is nice,” Nonali commented, trying to be polite.
“Yeah, one of the perks of being with a pack is that they have to provide food and shelter for their resident witch. It’s part of the Accords.”
“Why would you want to live like this? Don’t you feel trapped?”
“I have all the freedom I could ask for. A roof over my head, food in my belly, and a whole pack of people who have to be my friends if they want me to protect them from other packs.”
“Hostages?” Nonali questioned, taken aback by her choice of words.
“Just a joke. What I mean is, these people depend on me for their safety. We have each other’s backs. I haven’t wanted much in life, but this kind of camaraderie? It’s something I’ve been dreaming of since I first learned about the Accords,” Dahlia explained, hoping Nonali would understand.
“I’ve never thought about it that way,” Nonali mused.
“That’s okay. Now, let’s get down to business. What can you do so far?”
“I can levitate for short periods, I know basic potion brewing and incantations, and I can control fire.”
Dahlia sighed heavily and rubbed her temples.
She had anticipated a long day, but she had expected more from her cousin, especially considering her enthusiasm for learning about witchcraft.
“Incantations won’t do you any good if your jaw is broken. Potions are useless unless you have the ingredients at hand. Levitation isn’t entirely useless if you can do it for more than an hour. At least you’ve got fire under your control,” Dahlia grumbled.
“I’m sorry, Dahl, I just did what I was told.”
“Cheer up, pumpkin. Let your little cousin show you how it’s done. We’re going to work on teleportation today. Think of it as a game of tag.”
With that, she grabbed Nonali and took her to the forest behind the alpha’s house.
It was lunchtime, so the usual crowd was gathered out front, eating.
“Are you going to train?” Zachary asked. He’d become much friendlier toward her over the time she’d spent with the pack.
“Turns out Nonali here is completely clueless,” Dahlia teased, causing Nonali to blush with embarrassment.
“I know some stuff!” Nonali protested.
“But it’s all useless,” Dahlia countered.
“Can I watch? I’ve always been curious about what you witches can do,” Annabel pleaded.
“Me too?” Zachary chimed in.
“Sure, just stay out of the way.”
Before Dahlia knew it, half the pack was sitting on the ground, watching her instruct Nonali.
She watched as Nonali steadied her breathing and her solid form started to waver.
The wolves around them held their breath in anticipation.
A few minutes passed and nothing happened, except for Nonali’s features snapping back into place.
“I can’t do it.”
Nonali’s form began to waver again, almost disappearing, before snapping back into place.
“What’s distracting you?”
“I don’t know,” Nonali admitted.
“It’s as simple as breathing. All you have to do is want to be there. Don’t try to summon magic. Don’t stress too much. Just imagine being there, and focus.”
“If you tell me to focus one more time,” Nonali warned.
Nonali tried her best to catch Dahlia, but it was futile.
Dahlia knew she wouldn’t be able to keep up if she couldn’t focus on one thing.
The only purpose this exercise served was to entertain her pack mates, who were currently sprawled out on the ground, clutching their stomachs in laughter.
“Ezra, you’re not exactly the best teacher,” he remarked.
“She responds better to positive feedback,” he added, and Dahlia couldn’t help but notice the blush creeping up her cousin’s face.
She could only guess he was hinting at something a bit risqué she’d rather not picture.
“Maybe you need some extra help?” Sin suggested, dropping down from a nearby tree.
Sin’s gaze, predatory and calculating, swept over Ezra before settling into a look of indifference. “I was merely offering my assistance. I’m quite good at giving directions, you know.”
“He’s not lying. He’s an excellent teacher. He taught me almost everything I know about magic,” Dahlia confessed.
“A compliment?” He pretended to be shocked, but she could see the satisfaction in the sly smile playing at the corner of his mouth.
“I’m not sure I trust him to teach me,” Nonali murmured under her breath.
“We’ll continue this tomorrow. For now, practice with your man.”
“Hey, can I have a word with you?” Ezra’s rough voice floated over the thinning crowd.
Her gaze flicked from Nonali to Ezra, who gestured toward a denser group of trees.
She followed him.
“Do you actually believe that guy?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms defensively.
“He’s not a demon, or an angel, or any kind of mythical creature. He’s the embodiment of sin. He doesn’t have a soul, so he can’t form a bond like he’s pretending to,” he explained, his tone grave.
“What? He doesn’t have a soul?” she exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth.
“He’s not a person, he can’t feel human emotions. Nonali cares about you, so I’m just warning you not to be fooled by him. She’ll be the one who gets hurt when he inevitably betrays you.”
Unable to contain herself, she burst into giggles.
At Ezra’s stunned expression, her laughter intensified, causing her to double over, clutching her knees for support.
“I don’t see what’s so funny,” he grumbled.
“I’m sorry,” she managed to say between fits of laughter, wiping her eyes. “It’s just so funny, you know? That you think I don’t know everything about that man.”
She straightened up, looking the fallen angel in the eyes.
With that, she left him standing there, speechless.
