I fall backward onto my bed and stare up at the ceiling. After a short while, there’s a knock at my door. May enters. ‘Um, hey, Nina is wondering if she could borrow the spellbook from you, please?’ she asks casually.
I raise a brow. ‘Nina knows you are both banned from casting magic and spells. So, I can’t loan either of you the book. Even I shouldn’t have the book,’ I tell her.
‘Please, Magnus,’ May begs, dropping to the floor on her knees. ‘Let Nina borrow it, just for tonight?’ she pleads.
I sigh, walk over to my school bag, unzip it, and take the spellbook out. ‘Fine, but I will give it to Nina, though,’ I reply.
‘Okay,’ she smiles and skips out of the room behind me.
I stop and face May. ‘Alone…’ I tell her.
‘Oh…’ May says, scratching the back of her head. ‘I’ll just be going to my room then,’ she says, dismally with a hint of annoyance.
I knock on Nina’s door. She’s surprised to see me as she opens the door but sees I’m holding the book she wants in my arms.
‘Come in,’ she says, stepping aside.
I hand her the book, but I don’t let go. ‘Promise me you won’t get caught casting magic?’ I implore, my gaze delving into hers.
‘I’ll try my best not to get caught,’ she replies quietly.
‘That’s not a promise, Nina,’ I say, my tone gentle yet firm. ‘But I suggest you study as much as you can tonight from this book because I’m only letting you borrow it for tonight.’
A note of protest rises in her voice. ‘One night?’ she questions with a hint of disappointment.
‘I’m not risking you being exiled or hunted down, Nina,’ I assert with concern for her well-being. ‘However, if you need to study the book in the future, we will do it together so I can at least watch out for anyone snooping around.’
Nina contemplates the spellbook in her hands, and then, her gaze returns to mine. ‘Deal,’ she agrees, sealing our silent pact with a nod.
A smile graces my lips. ‘Tomorrow is your wolf ceremony, and it will be a busy day. So, read what you can now and get some sleep. You will need all the energy you can get for your first shift tomorrow night.’
I exit Nina's room with those parting words, leaving her to study the spellbook.
As the night stretches on, my wolf's restlessness intensifies, but I resist the urge to shift and struggle to get much sleep.
The morning unfolds with lively chaos of the packhouse gathering for breakfast. Pipsqueak's unexpected presence at the table raises my eyebrows until I recall her status as Zak's mate—now residing in the packhouse with him. We exchange smiles and waves.
Suddenly, Zak strides in with a growl, swiftly pulling Pipsqueak from her chair, a startled squeak escaping her lips.
‘Mine,’ he growls, casting a challenging glare in my direction.
With a quirked brow, I break the tension with a teasing question, ‘Gee, is it normal for the mate bond to make you so possessive?’
‘Sure is,’ Mia chimes in, her laughter ringing through the room.
‘The mate bond is the best thing to experience,’ Seth smiles warmly at Mia, sharing a knowing glance.
My mother smiles. ‘It’s the most magical feeling. It's like static electricity when you touch each other. You can’t stop thinking about your mate and yearn to be with them every second of the day. You feel broken and empty whenever you are apart. Oh, and let’s not forget the mind-blowing sex you have,’ she laughs.
‘Mum!’ I growl, embarrassed at her statement.
Laughter dances through the air around the breakfast table. Blushing faces and amused glances are shared.
Amelia's smile widens. ‘Nina will get her wolf tonight. I’m so excited,’ she beams, her joy radiating across the room.
‘Yeah, exciting,’ Nina mumbles dismally. The shift in energy doesn't go unnoticed, prompting a nervous laugh from my mother.
‘Let’s hope there are no dramas this time, unlike Zak’s wolf ceremony where Nina had been kidnapped,’ my mother quips.
My father nods in agreement.
Nina, in a hurry, scoffs down her breakfast and dashes upstairs. Moments later, she reappears, a satchel slung over her shoulder—housing the forbidden spellbook.
‘I’ll be back in time for the ceremony!’ she shouts, her voice echoing through the hall.
‘Okay, sweetheart,’ her father, Leon, replies.
Finishing my own breakfast, I leave to follow Nina, but she’s too fast to catch up with and runs further into the distance toward the lake.
I catch up just in time to witness Nina sit by the water and pull the spell book from her satchel. ‘Aqua Bedew,’ she utters, her wand swirling. I watch as all the water from the lake rises into a long ribbon of water and follows the direction of Nina’s wand, finally swirling into a gigantic blob.
‘This is so amazing,’ I marvel, standing in awe behind her. My presence startles Nina. With a sudden flinch, the lake's water plummets like a colossal droplet, creating a spectacular splash around us. Nina turns, her glare a storm of frustration and irritation, her previously dry demeanour now drowned in the aftermath of magical mischief.
‘You scared me, Magnus! Don’t sneak up on me like that again,’ she scolds with annoyance and surprise.
‘Sorry,’ I reply, unapologetically grinning, and swiftly take my shirt off, wringing the water out.
Nina's gaze lingers on my sculpted abs, tracing a path to my arms before finally meeting my eyes. Amused, I smirk as a blush tints her cheeks, and she abruptly strides over to a dry spot on the grass. Seizing the opportunity, I follow suit, settling myself opposite her.
‘What are you doing, Magnus?’ she asks, annoyed.
‘Monitoring you so you don’t get caught,’ I reply with casual assurance.
‘I will not get caught, Magnus,’ she groans, dismissing my concern with an eye roll.
‘What spell are you going to try now?’ I steer the conversation toward her training.
‘I was going to read about the blinking spell next,’ she says, leafing through the pages. ‘Here it is,’ she exclaims, running her fingers over the writing. ‘Focus on an area you can see in the distance. It doesn’t matter how far or close it is to you as long as you can see it. Then wave your wand and say, Skedaddle Dash. This spell will make you blink. It’s also known as teleporting you to that area,’ Nina elucidates, her eyes flicking up to meet mine with a smile.
My smile widens. ‘Think of how quickly you can get to school with that spell?’ I tell her, injecting a playful note into the conversation.
Nina rolls her eyes and stands, distancing herself about five meters from me. Her gaze fixates on a point beyond me and with determination. ‘Okay, here goes nothing,’ she says before waving her wand and shouting, ‘Skedaddle Dash!’