In an instant, Nina vanishes, only to reappear a split second later, a light weight settling on my lap. I look down to find her blushing as I hold her in my arms, and laughter bubbles from my chest. ‘I like this spell a lot,’ I tease.
Nina gives me a disapproving look, shoving my chest before promptly crawling out of my lap. ‘That’s not what was supposed to happen,’ she growls.
‘Well,’ I smile, maintaining my playful tone. ‘You must have wanted to be in my arms, Nina. Remember, the magic only ports you to where you want to be within the distance you can see,’ I jest, waggling my index finger at her.
Nina crosses her arms, narrowing her eyes at me. ‘You’re so stupid, Magnus. Don’t think so highly of yourself,’ she scolds, but a lingering blush she can’t seem to hide betrays her true feelings. ‘The spell didn’t work properly, that’s all,’ she adds with a huff.
‘I’m sure,’ I smirk knowingly, relishing the playful banter between us.
This time, Nina positions herself facing away from me, fixing her gaze on the opposite side of the lake. With a swift twirl of her wand, she declares, 'Skedaddle Dash!' in an instant, her figure blinks, reappearing on the farthest edge of the lake.
‘I did it!’ she exclaims with excitement.
‘You did it!’ I reply, my eyebrows arching in amazement.
‘I can’t believe I teleported that far!’ she says, scanning her surroundings.
Amidst her awe, a rustle emanates from a nearby bush. I motion for Nina to stay quiet. Approaching cautiously, a rabbit hops out of the bush. I’m instantly relieved after thinking someone had been watching us. Relief washes over us both.
‘It’s just a rabbit,’ Nina laughs, a blend of amusement and relief in her voice.
Twirling her wand once more, she chants, 'Skedaddle Dash,' and materializes right in front of me, laughter bubbling from her. Then, with a graceful wave of her wand, she utters, 'Nebulora!'
A thick cloud of fog materializes out of thin air. I admire Nina as she twirls and dances through the fog, which gracefully swirls around her. She spreads her arms wide, looking up at the sky with a smile, thoroughly immersed in the magical moment.
I keep Nina company throughout the day as she delves into practising spells from the book.
Noticing the weariness creeping into Nina's movements, I gently suggest, 'You should stop with the spells for now and have a rest?'
‘No, I’m fine,’ she says, a slight sway in her stance.
Quickly catching her as she falters, she doesn't resist my support. Instead, she nestles into my chest and drifts off to sleep. As I hold her close, I can't help but be captivated by the adorable dimples and the sweet smile across her sleeping face.
After a couple of hours, my attention shifts to the nape of her neck. My heart races, and I find myself leaning in. My teeth lightly scrape the spot where a mate would mark. I pull back abruptly, shaking off the almost instinctive impulse to mark her. What was that about? She isn't my mate, and yet I almost marked her!
Realizing I have no choice, I gently rouse Nina and carefully distance myself.
‘Nina,’ I say, rubbing her arm, ‘Nina.’
‘Mmm?’ she mumbles.
‘Time to wake up. Your ceremony begins soon,’ I remind her.
Nina rubs her eyes and blinks a few times. Upon realizing she had been sleeping on my lap, she crawls off with a look of guilt and apologizes, ‘Sorry.’
I shake my head. ‘Don’t be. You needed the sleep.’
‘Thanks,’ she smiles.
‘Let’s get home and prepare for your ceremony,’ I suggest.
Nina nods, and we make our way back to the packhouse.
As we ascend the staircase, Nina hands me the book of spells.
‘Thank you for loaning me the book. I’ll see you shortly at the ceremony,’ Nina smiles.
‘You will,’ I reply, watching her graceful walk to her room.
I return to my room, carefully place the book in my backpack, zip it up, and select a black suit, white shirt, and blue tie. After a refreshing shower, I dress and head downstairs.
‘Looking snazzy there, son,’ my father, Ryker, remarks.
‘Thanks. Is everyone ready for the ceremony?’ I ask.
‘We are just waiting on Nina,’ Amelia responds.
Shortly after, Nina enters at the top of the staircase, wearing a stunning silver sparkling dress paired with matching heels and diamond earrings. The sight of her beauty is enough to make my heart threaten combustion.
Flint slaps me hard on the back, jolting me out of my reverie. ‘Try to be less obvious about your feelings, Magnus. If anyone sees you and Nina staring at each other like that when she isn’t your mate, it will cause many problems in the pack,’ he warns.
‘Less obvious of what feelings?’ I ask, bewildered.
Flint gazes at me in disbelief. ‘That you are in love with each other,’ he states, assuming it's common knowledge.
I give him a puzzled look. ‘You’re seeing things, Flint. Even if Nina and I wanted to be mates, it’s because we care deeply about each other as best friends, but we are not in love,’ I assert.
Flint offers a crooked smile and raises an eyebrow. ‘You keep telling yourself that,’ he says, patting my shoulder.
I frown at his sarcastic remark.
We enter the ceremony hall, engulfed in a celebratory atmosphere as we indulge in the banquet of delectable food. Speeches are then delivered by Nina's parents and mine. However, my attention is diverted when I notice Hank at a distant table, glaring at me intensely. He's likely displeased that I secured an agreement for the mateship with his sister at my nineteenth rather than instantly. I do my best to dismiss his gaze, but an unsettling feeling lingers.
As the moon ascends, casting its glow upon the hall, it marks the moment for Nina to step into the moonlight and undergo her transformation. Leon, her father, takes her hand and escorts her to the centre of the hall, tenderly kissing her forehead before returning to his seat beside his mate, Amelia.
However, time passes, and nothing transpires. Nina shoots me a concerned look, and I respond with a reassuring smile, nodding to assure her not to fret. Hank wears a smug grin, relishing the unexpected turn of events, while the rest of the audience scratches their heads in bewilderment.
Nearly twenty minutes elapse with no sign of Nina's wolf. An air of hushed whispers fills the hall, and Nina, though holding her composure, is undoubtedly affected by the mounting tension and the absence of her wolf.
My father rises to address the gathering. ‘Quiet everyone, another round of drinks while we wait. I’m sure Nina’s wolf will appear any moment now; perhaps her wolf is just a little shy,’ he reassures the crowd.
However, another twenty minutes pass without any manifestation of Nina's wolf. A man from a different pack disrupts the uneasy silence. ‘If she doesn’t have a wolf, that makes her a human!’ he exclaims.
Gasps resonate through the hall as everyone fixates on Nina. Trembling, she searches for my support, and I rise from my seat, crossing the hall to stand by her side, offering her my hand.