2 Weeks Later:
Freya and Lucille heaved in and out heavily, sweat dripping from every angle, from every plane of their bodies, as they tried to keep a firm grip on the magic ball they had each created to hold an elephantine metal intact, and suspended in the air.
Before them was Margo who was relaxing on a wooden chair, watching them intensely, yet eating a grape fruit. An onlooker would think that the witch was terribly insensitive and abusing the girls, abusing the privilege given to her to train the girls-but there weren’t much onlookers anyway.
The trio were practicing outside the bungalow that Peter had given to the guests. It wasn’t an obvious establishment to the other members of the pack, unless they turned aside from the Alpha’s mansion, and walked to the backyard station. But even then, they wouldn’t see it.
The ancients, true to their word, had erected a safe guard first around the pack, and then an invisiblity one around the bungalow. Indeed, a person could be staring right at the bungalow, but not see it.
So, the pack memebers, through their meetings with Alpha Peter about the current situation of things, knew they had an alliance with the ancients, but didn’t know the location of the ancients, only that the latter were present in the pack.
Twice, Nathan had spoken in these meetings, when necessary.
The two weeks had been calm. The calm before the storm. Sheila would call it. Even Emma hadn’t called again.
Sheila had told Freya not to call either, because Emma was the one that needed the space- the redhead would decide when and how she wanted that space to be invaded. Freya had complied, even though her hands daily itched to press the call button.
Right now, her strength was wavering, weakening. Yet, she couldn’t drop the massive weight, not with Lucille still holding up her own. Her sister had gotten crazily stronger these past two weeks. She believed she had too. She wouldn’t have been able to lift the weight said to be heavier than a building, if she wasn’t.
“Keep your hands up, Freya…”
Freya sighed, but obeyed, wishing she could tap into her ancient strength, to support her magic strength. But Margo had forbade that. The same way Lucille couldn’t tap into her wolf’s strength. The training was strictly to hone their magic selfs and skills. So far, it has been working. However, the witch hasn’t spoken of teaching them spells yet.
When she and Lucille had complained to their mother, the latter had laughed, promising them that they would understand soon enough why Margo was concentrating on their inner magical strength and focus, rather than giving them magic books to digest spells.
‘Magic requires strength and focus. A good mage wouldn’t joke with either. So, capitalize on this now, and build. You will require the fortitude later. You will thank Margo later.’
Freya was tired of building. She was sure that Lucille was tired too, even though the latter had a smirk on her face whilst watching her.
‘Are you getting as old as your lover…’
Freya scoffed. Her sister’s taunts were almost as good as Emma’s.
‘You are the one with the older ancient, remember?’
Their taunts about their lifemates never escaped the notice of their lifemates, but what could the males do? Nothing.
Freya sighed tiredly, increasing her strength ratio toward the ball, amazed that there was still some left in the pit of her belly. The training was actually working. She turned aside and saw Derek who was in a similar position as them. He also trained in front of the bungalow with Kane, and sometimes Nathan, who had gotten around his anger for the young man.
Freya was beginning to either, especially since Yodah had gotten besotted to the later. Freya wasn’t sure if it was because Eva was his mate, or if her best friend had really forgiven Derek, and truly saw him as a good friend.
Right now, Derek had successfully suspended the iron weight in the air. He was however, straining under that outburst of power too. He wasn’t allowed to tap into his Lycan abilities either.
The trio were tasked with building their strength which lied in magic alone.
Nevertheless, Derek’s was different. Apart from the gush of power, which no one understood its roots yet, he could move faster than anyone Freya had ever seen, was even on par with the ancients while training. There was also the fact that he could regulate his body heat like them, and could create something out of nothing-ancient magic like theirs. The same with Eva who was right beside him.
Since the incidence of the possession, Dobah and Yodah had taken turns in training her, especially her mind and will, so that a repeat of what had happened a few weeks past wouldn’t happen again.
Freya looked away from them when she heard Claire’a greeting. Another significant presence in their days, the beta’s daughter was late for the third time in a row. Margo didn’t seem pleased by that.
“Why are you late?” The witch asked, standing up from the chair.
Claire bowed her head. “I’m sorry. I had a hard time lying to my mother, before getting away.”
Another problem was Claire’s family.
Peter was taking his time to watch them, but till then, they couldn’t be allowed into certain activities, especially this one.
Margo sighed and rubbed her face. Chyra and her mate, Caden, wasn’t improving her cause.
“Okay, get in line.”
Claire nodded her thanks and joined Freya and Lucille who nodded at her after she greeted them. She picked up the weight on the floor-without much ado-with her magic, created a ball around it, and then held it up.
Although it had been noted these past few days that her magic wasn’t on par with Freya and Lucille, it was still something beautiful to behold. Margo had decided to train her too when she had found the later watching them stealthily, a deep longing in her eyes.
Margo still wasn’t been sure if the longing had stemmed from the desire to learn magic too, or to be close to other people, other likeminded people.
So far, Claire has been making Margo proud. It was why the latter bought her excuse of parents trouble most at times.
“Listen up everyone…”
Freya sighed in relief, and released the dead weight from her hand as she saw her father step into the clearing.
Margo glared at her, but she shrugged her shoulders. She had a bunch of excuses on her mouth for doing that-The weight slipped? She couldn’t listen and concentrate on her father’s message whilst holding the weight?
No, the second one will bring more intense trainings on her-one of the reasons for the trainings was to multitask, to be able to save people whilst maintaining a magic hold on something.
The first one would have to go if she was asked. Her hand slipped.
She was glad that Lucille and Claire followed her lead.
Margo shook her head, a smile on her lips, as she moved toward the Prince who seemed to have come to pass a message.
“We have a meeting in the living room in ten minutes time. So wrap up whatever you are doing, people, and get in. You can continue when we are done.” Nathan spoke, winked at his daughters, and then left.
Freya and Lucille giggled like blushing school girls, jamming their shoulders together.
Margo sighed. When were the two girls going to grow above this? She wondered, already moving out of the area, heading to check on her daughter who hadn’t left her comatose state yet. Margo was hopeful however, that the latter would be up soon. Her vitals were improving each day.
“Finally, she lets us go. My hands felt like they wanted to break.” Lucille started, bemoaning her fate, her face a board of faux sorrow.
Freya laughed. “Claire is the one that is lucky.” She turned to Claire who seemed surprised to be given attention.
Well, it didn’t happen often. The people in the group were still careful about her, all except Jan, Curtis’ mother.
Claire shrugged her shoulders now, choosing her next words carefully, wanting to fit in by all means. These past weeks, her relationship with her other friends had turned stale. She wasn’t sure why. Maybe it was because her friends’ concerns were about some hot girl or boy in school, or about mundane things, whilst hers were on necessary things; necessary things she had heard of when she had joined the group.
Claire wished she had the same range of acceptance like her twin brother. No one even had issues with Clem sleeping over at the Alpha’s residence.
“Not really. I will have to train for longer hours, than you two tomorrow. I can feel it.” She said with a weary sigh of hers, happy when Freya and Lucille laughed, when Freya placed a hand on her shoulder and said; “You will be fine Claire. Just let the weight go if you start to feel dizzy. Tell her it slipped.”
Lucille chuckled, shaking her head. “That’s bad advice, Freya. You are not helping her.”
Claire didn’t care. She just wanted them to keep talking, especially as Derek and Eva were approaching them now with the ancient Kane, and Yodah. She believed her relationship with them will improve too if they saw her in good terms with the girls. It was necessary for her goals.