Chosen One (Forever Evermore #6)(55)
“You’re frightened,” Leric murmured softly, a quiet purr. “I’m just trying to compensate.”
“Oh, bullshit. I don’t even have to be a Shifter to smell that,”
“Lie?” Leric whispered on a purr inside my head. “Is that what you were going to say, kitten?”
I thumped my head hard. “And his voice.” More thumping. “His voice is in my head.” And it wasn’t stopping as I began hearing every damn thought, but suddenly, I jerked on top of Elder Merrick, sucking in a harsh breath as I felt an influx of power down our joined tether, a heady dose, and I knew I was glowing. “And his power. I can feel his power.” Yeah, my voice sounded a little awed, but still…”Someone tell us how to stop this!”
Dead silence reigned.
“Hello?” I was starting to sweat, his voice, his thoughts, I could tell were trying to be quiet, but…they weren’t so much. “We need some damn help here!”
King Collins instantly growled, “You said she wasn’t your mate!”
“She’s. My. Chosen.” Leric’s tone was a growl. “And I would really like to be able to walk fucking straight again, so somebody give us a damn hand with this.” And…a tiger’s growl echoed.
Instantly, I jerked, and the force I had felt when I had awakened bubbled up like a fountain from my Core. I grabbed at my chest, choking. Coughing hard. Pushing it…down…frightened as a fury built within me. Coughed hard, my body racking…and it burst forth, my lips parted.
The tiniest tiger growl I had ever heard emitted from within my chest.
“Ahh!” I screamed, scrabbling at my chest with my free hand. “What. The. Fuck?”
Leric sighed, his own growling stopping, sounding damn content. “There you are.”
My chest was pumping in frenzy as quiet surrounded us, and I screamed, “I am going to start hurting people if you don’t quit staring, and help us!” I thumped on my chest as another…goddamn…bitty growl erupted. “And this shit, Leric. You are going to explain.”
“It’s a…baby tiger,” Queen Ruckler murmured, sounding awed, her voice coming closer. “Is she going to shift, or something?”
I froze. Utter and completely. “If I’m going to be turning furry, you had better warn me right fucking now before I rip your goddamn balls off for doing this!”
“Just calm down…and nothing will happen.” Elusive words, which I didn’t like one damn bit…and I instantly felt him trying to soothe me down the tether, which only worried me more. “Really, people, I know you’ve had mates before. This runs parallel. Just a little advice would go a long damn way.”
Realizing—belatedly—I was probably choking Elder Merrick, even as I sucked oxygen, I loosened my hold…a bit…and held still on his frozen lap, feeling his heartbeat pound like rapid fire against my side, racing as fast as mine, waiting…for someone to get over their damn shock.
King Collins eventually cleared his throat. “Alright,” another clearing of his throat, “normally as I’m sure you both know when two individuals of like faction are mated, they receive one mate gift.” A pause. “You’ve apparently received all, plus…others. The double vision and “tiger”…thing, aren’t usual. The other three are. To control the other three, you need to envision your power. Your gift, which would probably work best as the stars. Imagine building a wall of this between you and the other in your mind…”
He continued babbling in a calming voice, but I was already working aggressively on my damn wall of stars. It wasn’t easy. Not at all. Beads of sweat started perspiring down my temples, and I started trembling the barest bit at the effort it took, because the expanse was so damn vast. Eventually, after what seemed like forever, I muttered on a defeated breath, “It’s too much.” It was the fucking galaxies. It would take a lifetime to accomplish.
Leric grunted, his own voice breathless. “This is ridiculous.”
My brows pinched, even as Elder Jacobs started in, stating patiently how to do it, and I shook my head, murmuring, “It’s too much! Imagine the endless sky. How long would it take to block that?”
Everyone was silent for long moments, and then Elder Merrick spoke softly, his voice hoarse, “Encompass just yourself.”
Keeping my mind blank, I instantly started firing stars around myself in the ether, pulling from the ones I had already placed on the wall, twisting and turning, floating upside down at one point, my hair floating about me, until I had finally constructed the wall, placing the last fireball in place, then blowing on it, bathing it, to one large ring of stars fire around me, strong, but clear enough to see through…and instantly, Leric’s voice cut off inside my head, the emotions gone, the added power I had felt sizzling just within my reach gone…and I inhaled, wiggled my shoulders…and fucking growled like a damn tiger. A baby one, anyway, that not gone. But, I slowly peeked open one eye, not seeing anything wickedly twisted, so I let both eyes open, seeing Leric on the ground, still working on his wall, eyes closed in concentration, his face a bit pale. He was much larger than me, so it would probably take him a while longer, but he didn’t react to me opening my eyes, so the double vision must be gone.
I tilted my damp face toward Elder Merrick…only to have my cheek brush his, and through all my swirling emotions, I felt an instant jolt of arousal low in my gut, quickly pulling my face away, stuttering, “I-It…worked.”