Jasmine

Benji, Liam, and I sit around for hours discussing what would need to be done about the witches and The Order. Without any incriminating evidence, there wasn't much we could do straight away, but that doesn't mean we can’t make a plan. First, we're going to ward Benji's pack. Liam was worried about his own pack and what it would mean if they went unprotected, but the only option we could see was for me to help here, and go to Liam’s pack after. There I could cast the same spell I'm about to do now. His pack, however, is a lot bigger than Benji's which means I'm going to have to limit my magic use for a few days before, so I will have enough energy to be able to do it.

I keep thinking about how the warding is going to work as we walk through the dark woods. It was lucky I had packed my crystals with me. The crystals in the bag are only the size of the palm of my hand, which is plenty big enough to protect a pack the size of Benji’s, but I'm going to need my larger quartz to protect Liam's pack.

We reach the first spot I had selected on the pack map, and I drop my bag to the ground. I pull the small trowel out, digging a hole large enough to contain the crystal. I need to put a crystal in the ground at each point of the pentagram before walking to each point and creating the protective circle, sealing it.

It's not a particularly hard spell to do, but I'm going to need to infuse their energy into the spell to ensure that it’s effective. "Guys, I'm going to need you to hold hands for me," I instruct as I get to my feet and dust off my hands.

They both look at me as if I've gone nuts. I frown, wondering what the big deal is. "Come on. The sooner you hold the hands, the quicker I can finish and move onto the next point."

Liam grimaces over at Benji before meeting my gaze. "But why do we have to hold hands?"

I sigh, frustrated. They're acting like bloody children afraid to get cooties or something. "If you want the protection over the pack to extend out to prevent against unwanted visitors, I need your energy to mix with the barrier. Benji because your pack is sworn to you and Liam because it will mean any of your wolves can come here to seek help if they need to. This way all your wolves will be able to come and go without fear of being trapped, but it will keep the witches out. No witch will be able to cross the barrier, except me, unless they have permission. I'm weaving the spell so that not even I can grant access. Now please, trust me. I can do this," I implore them, eager to get this over with.

Liam growls down at me, obviously frustrated, and I roll my eyes, equally annoyed. We could have had this over and done with already if not for them. It’s as if the moment we left the house, they began to act like they were in competition for me, and they won't cooperate with each other. It's really beginning to piss me off.

I cross my arms and glare up at him as he looks down, a few feet taller than me. "Look, Liam, by making the wards bind with both of you, it creates an invisible barrier, like a dome. No one, and I mean no one, will get in here without your express permission. But if you would prefer to refuse the wolves that extra protection because you won't hold hands..." I trail off, holding back a smirk and leaving my threat unsaid.

With that, they both reach out and clasp hands while I watch. I smile proudly. "See, that wasn't terrible now, was it?"

I focus on the task at hand, rolling the quartz across my palm. I'm imbuing it with my own magic to give it a more powerful boost of protection to stop anyone from doing harm from within the pack, on the off chance that maybe a wolf is working with the witches. If they are, they'll be bound from the moment the spell activates, stopping them from shifting until we find out who they are.

I neglected to tell the guys about that little tidbit. It would only get them worked up, and if a wolf suddenly comes to them asking why they can't shift, I can then let them in on my little secret. One of the advantages of having trust issues is you suspect everyone around you of hiding something, which just ensures I won’t be taken by surprise.

The power builds inside me as I roll the crystal, pushing my intent into it. My eyes snap open, and I watch both the guys take a step back in shock. I smirk, knowing what I look like when the magic rages within me, the bright vibrant blue shade of my eyes glows almost inhuman.

"I need you to step towards me while keeping your hands still joined. Then with your free hand, I want you both to reach out and touch my arms at the same time, which will create a circle with our bodies. Don’t resist the pull. If you fight the magic, it will hurt you. Do you understand?"

My voice has gotten deeper, affected by the pull of the magic, and I think I actually frighten the guys in this moment based on their nervous expressions.

They both nod and slowly approach me, their hands held out at the ready. I recite the spell in my mind over and over, so the moment their hands touch me, my power flares bright, lighting my skin on fire. I fight the urge to scream as the power tears through me.

I push power into the crystal, sealing it with my intent before lowering it into the hole in the ground. The guys move with me, still touching me to keep the circle intact until the crystal is covered in dirt. The moment it completely disappears from sight, the magic severs and the glow to my skin dissipates before I slump forward in relief.

The guys help me to my feet, and I smile at them. "One down, four to go."

Again and again, we go to each point in the pentagon, repeating the ritual until we reach the final point. This time is going to be different, and I know the guys are not going to be happy about what happens next.

I go through the ritual and look up at the guys the moment they reach out to touch me. We have become so in tune during this process that they sense when to touch me. A tear slips free at what I'm about to do, and they both frown, but it’s already too late.

Their hands connect. As soon as they touch, we all drop to our knees. Liam and Benji's screams fill the air, and I pant heavily, trying to finish this as quickly as I can. I finally manage to get the crystal in the ground, and the moment it’s covered, the guys are sent flying away from me, landing on the ground metres away.

I watch as they writhe in pain, their wolves being forcefully ripped from them. All spells ask for something of yourselves in return. If you don't pay the price, the spell won't work as well, and is more likely to backfire.

For this spell, it calls for something powerful, and all I could think of was the energy of the shift.

For me, I'm putting all my magic into the ritual. I’ll be drained for days after I've completed walking the circle.

I lean forward on my hands, burying my fingers in the dirt as Benji and Liam shake themselves off. I wasn't planning to ask the earth for help, but I figure a little extra oomph could go a long way.

Earth magic is particularly hard to master, but I am one of the few who it seems to come naturally to. My trainer told me she had never seen someone wield it so effortlessly, which came as a surprise given how unpredictable the rest of my magic was.

I close my eyes and beseech the earth. “Help protect us from death. In return I offer you myself.”

I feel the pull from the earth as she takes a part of my magic and let out a sigh. Offering myself up is dangerous, but I've done it before. This time, the risk is pretty much non-existent to everyone but me. The earth will only interfere if a death occurs in the pack.

I get to my feet, my legs wobbling a little as I do, feeling exhausted from all the energy I’ve used. It’s not over yet, though. I face the wolves off to the side and smile at the violet-eyed black wolf that is Liam. The sadness and pain in his eyes breaks my heart but it was only once. He had to shift to be able to offer up his energy. He takes a few steps towards me and lets me lean against him for support. I run my hands through his thick glossy coat, a smile forming on my lips. He's absolutely magnificent.

My gaze moves to find Benji, and I gasp at how beautiful he is. He stands just as tall as Liam's wolf, but instead of the jet-black coat which could blend into the night, his is a pale white, the colour of fresh snow.

His eyes sparkle a pale blue, and I can't help but stare at his majestic form. As I look between Liam and Benji, I can't help but notice they look like yin and yang, two parts of one coin.

"I'm sorry I made you two shift, but the spell needed something from you. It was all I could think of. We just have to walk the circle, and then we're done."

Neither of them shift back, and I realize they mustn't be able to just yet. We start walking again, back to the first point in the star.

As I pass over a crystal, a little jolt goes through my body, binding the circle tighter and tighter until we're back near the first point. I suck in a breath, hesitating before we cross over.

We step over at the same time, and pain blossoms over every inch of my skin, like a thousand needles stabbing me. I fall to my knees on the ground, before rolling to my back. I look up at the sky, waiting for the pain to pass. As I lay there, a dome of pure magic forms, rising up to cover the pack in a full circle.

None of the wolves will be able to see it, only I can. And unless another witch has a good affinity with the earth, they won’t be able to either. The dome rises from each side of the star we created. When it reaches out and covers the center of the star, I feel it snap in place, the protection formed. I breathe a sigh of relief.

A head nudging me makes me look up. I see Liam's wolf, his concerned gaze staring down at me as he tries to tell me something with his eyes.

I frown at him when he rolls his eyes and lies down on the ground beside me. I have no idea what he wants from me.

Benji's wolf waltzes up and starts nudging me closer to Liam as I try to climb to my feet, almost causing me to faceplant on the ground before I realize what they want. Liam wants to carry me back to the pack. "Are you sure you want me to ride you, Liam?"

Benji's wolf makes a sort of coughing sound, and his eyes sparkle with mirth. I frown, realizing how what I said sounded. "Oh grow up, Benji!"

I shake my head at his childishness as I crawl up on Liam's back, which isn't exactly easy while he's shaking underneath me with laughter.

Once I'm securely in place, my head still spinning, I grip onto his fur to ensure I won't go sliding off as he carries me back to the pack house. He takes off at a full run with Benji at our flank, and I smile, something about this moment feeling freeing and so right.

When we get back, Benji goes into the outdoor shed and re-emerges in his human form and fully clothed. He comes over and pulls my tired body from Liam’s back. He leads me into the front sitting room and places me on the couch as he glares down at me. "Why the hell didn't you tell us you weren't strong enough to do that spell? We wouldn't have asked it of you if we knew it would have affected you like this."

I shrug, hearing Liam walk in the back door. When I see him, he’s also glaring down at me from behind the couch. I stare back defiantly at them. "I was strong enough to do the spell. I'm still alive, aren't I?"

Liam growls, and I meet his violet eyes as they flash dangerously. "Only just. If we weren't out there with you, you would have most certainly died."

"I knew I wouldn't die. I did, however, agree to give all the magic I had to the spell in order to ensure the pack’s protection. It just means I'm going to need a few days to recharge my strength, maybe a week, tops. Eventually, I'll be back to full power, and it won't matter anymore."

They both glare at me for a moment longer before sighing, their anger dissipating. Benji shakes his head at me. "Okay, we understand you wanted to help, and you did. Just tell us what we need to do to help you now. You look like death, and you've gone extremely pale. Do you have any potions or something in your room that may help?"

I get to my feet, swaying a little. They both reach out their hands to steady me, and I smirk. "I'm fine, I just need to replenish my energy, so if you don't mind, I'm going to cook myself something to eat."

As I move around them, Liam grabs me by the shoulders, forcing me back onto the couch with a growl. "Stay here. The last thing either of us wants is for you to pass out in the kitchen and cause a fire because you are too stubborn to let us help you. Now, how does steak sound? I can also grill you some corn on the cob and make you an amazing mushroom sauce."

My stomach rumbles, and I can't help but groan.

"That sounds freaking amazing! Medium-well, though. I don't need my steak mooing at me while I try to enjoy it." I wink at him and watch as a smile lights up his face as he walks away into the kitchen.

Benji takes a seat beside me and grips my hands in his, making me meet his eyes. "Tell me the truth, Jazzy. Are you going to be okay? That was a lot of magic you used out there."

I sigh and rest my head against his shoulder. "I'm fine, Benji. I promise. Just tired and hungry. Once I've eaten, I'll probably go into a food coma-like state and sleep for two days. Do you mind just checking in on me from time to time? Sometimes, I can get nightmares and may lash out with my magic if I don’t know what's going on.”

"Of course, I'll check in on you, Jazzy. Liam will, too, I'm sure."

As he finishes speaking, a plate piled high with a massive steak and mushrooms is placed in my lap, and my stomach growls in eagerness. Liam comes into view and smiles. "I would be happy to help keep an eye on you while you restore your strength. Now, eat. I made you plenty, so you won't need to wake up for food for at least thirty-six hours, but I will make some high protein snacks and keep them in your room in case you eat during your sleep."

I stare down at the massive steak in front of me and remain quiet, unsure what to say. What he said was awfully sweet and his offer to bring some food while I’m still out of it is such a good idea. I don't know how he knew I would eat in my sleep, but I usually do when I’m in a spell coma.

Instead of speaking, I start digging into the food and manage to clear the plate in no time. Liam takes the dish from my lap as I lay back into Benji's arms and close my eyes, exhausted.