Chapter 8: Chapter 8

Kaelani POV

That night we looked for the tree and nothing again. It’s been almost two months and still nothing.

My frustration feels like it’s sitting right under my skin.

I head to my room after training with dad and hop in the shower. The hot water should relax me, but my mind won’t stop racing. Every time I close my eyes I see that tree from my dream.

I lay in my bed after and go into our chat.

My chest tightens as I reread old messages from Kieran.

Nyra whimpers softly in my head.

Liam: I know today was a lot mama, but I got you and if he wants to fuck up he doesn’t deserve you

Me: I know it just seems so out of place

Liam: I know, are you okay ?

Me: I will be, I just miss him too

Liam: I know mama, I do too

Me: see you in the morning ?

Liam: Always

Me: Good night my alpha 😘

Liam: Good night mama

I stare at the screen for a moment after the chat ends, my thumb hovering over Kieran’s name before I sigh and lock my phone.

Nyra whines again.

“I know,” I whisper into the dark room.

The next morning my entire body is buzzing.

Not nervous.

Not excited.

Just… buzzing.

Like my skin is vibrating from the inside out.

I head down to breakfast and I spot Aliza next to her friends by the door of the pack house and I feel sick being close to her.

My stomach twists immediately.

“She feels like Kieran” Nyra says.

“It’s worse with her” I say under my breath.

The closer I get the worse it feels.

Like something dark is clinging to her.

I move quickly to the dining room and walk over to mom.

“I still haven’t found it yet mom, I’m getting worried” I say low to her.

She looks up immediately.

“You will honey, our territory is huge I know there is a lot of ground to cover” she says.

“It’s been two months” I say as my hands begin to tremble.

She grabs my hands instantly, squeezing them gently.

“calm down Lani you will find it, relax if you get worked up it gets worse” she says softly.

I swallow and nod.

“go to school, I will have your brother and Brandon look while you are at school” she says.

“okay mom” I say kissing her cheek.

I kiss dad and head out to meet Kaia at my car.

I do my best to ignore Kieran in our two classes.

Even with Nyra whining in my head every time he walks into the room.

Every time his scent drifts toward me.

Every time he looks everywhere except at me.

When Liam, Kaia and I walk to the cafeteria the air feels heavy.

Wrong.

My skin prickles.

“do you feel that” my grandmother’s voice says in my head.

I freeze.

“Yes what is it” I say.

“dark magic, recognize it, it’s here and strong” she says.

I stop in my tracks.

My ears start buzzing.

The sound is sharp and piercing like feedback.

Lockers around us start slamming shut.

“Mama” I hear Liam say but it’s far away and distorted.

Like I’m underwater.

“Calm yourself child” grandmother says.

“How, it’s too much” I say.

“Liam help her” Kaia screams.

I hear screams in the cafeteria.

Students start backing away.

I cover my ears to stop the buzzing but it gets worse.

It’s inside my head.

Inside my bones.

I scream and it doesn’t sound like my voice.

“Mama, look at me” Liam says.

His eyes are wide with worry as he grabs my shoulders.

“It’s too much, the magic is too much” I shout.

Someone opens the cafeteria door.

The dark magic slams into me.

The force of it knocks the breath from my lungs.

Liam catches me right before I drop.

My nose starts bleeding as people start running out of the cafeteria.

“Liam!” Kaia yells.

I feel his warm hands on my cheeks.

His lips press to mine.

Then everything goes black.

I wake up to the steady sound of beeping and warm fingers locked in mine.

My head feels heavy.

My body weak.

I groan.

“where am I?”

“In your pack’s hospital” Liam says.

His thumb rubs over my knuckles slowly.

“How long?” I say softly.

“A few hours” he says gently.

My parents and Ezra come into the room.

“Lani” my mom says rushing over to me.

She starts inspecting me like she did when I was younger.

“are you okay?”

“I’m fine mom” I say.

“Kae” Liam says.

“What” I snap.

He looks hurt.

The expression flashes across his face for only a second before he sighs.

“You didn’t see yourself today, your nose was bleeding, your eyes were completely white, you created a tornado in the fucking cafeteria” he says roughly.

“You are not fine” he says more gently as he takes my hand again and kisses it.

“It’s Kieran, whatever is wrong with him set my magic off” I say.

I look at Liam.

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you” I say squeezing his hand.

“bean I couldn’t find it either, we looked all day” Ezra says.

“What’s going on with Kieran?” mom asks.

“I don’t know mom, yesterday he just started feeling cold and being cold to me” I say.

“You think it’s magic related?” she asks.

“grandma spoke to me and said there was dark magic and I need to recognize what it felt like” I say.

Suddenly the door bursts open.

Kaia barges into the room out of breath.

“I found it!” she shouts.

I jump up immediately.

“where?” I say.

“In the garden” she says panting.

“We need to go now” I say starting to get up.

“Kae, you just woke up after being passed out” Liam says grabbing my arm.

“I’m fine love” I say cupping his cheeks.

“I promise” I say softly.

He searches my face for a long moment.

“okay mama” he says before kissing me softly.

“can I go?” I say to my parents.

“Yes, we will talk to the doctor” dad says kissing my forehead.

I jump out the bed and grab Liam’s hand.

We follow Kaia to the garden.

And there deep in the middle of the garden stands a giant white oak tree.

Massive.

Ancient.

Powerful.

“whoa it’s huge” Liam says.

I walk to the tree slowly and put my hand on it.

It starts to glow like in my dream.

Then the door appears.

When we step inside I notice the walls filled with books and herbs and who knows what else.

The entire altar comes to life as I step further in.

“It’s welcoming you home child” my grandmother’s voice sounds behind me.

“Nana” Kaia gasps.

“hello sweet girl” grandma says.

“How?” she asks.

“I’m here to guide her” my grandmother says.

She looks at Liam with a knowing look.

Like she knows something we don’t.

She walks to him and whispers something in his ear.

He nods slowly.

Then he looks at me and smiles.

“step in the circle child” my grandmother says.

The moment I step into the circle my entire body relaxes.

Like I’ve been holding my breath for weeks.

The magic inside me settles.

“you need to learn to control your magic and recognize all forms of it and then you can help him child” she says.

“lean on them they will help you, it will get worse before it gets better” she says before disappearing.

The room goes quiet.

“What does that mean?” Kaia asks.

“It means whatever is happening to Kieran, this is only the beginning” I say softly.

“We need to look through these spell books and see if we can find something that has effects like what is going on with him” I say.

“So what are we going to do about this huge tree?” Kaia says.

I feel a spell rise to my lips before I can even think.

“Hoc quod est, aliud videtur.”

The wind picks up around us.

Leaves swirl.

Then everything settles.

When we step outside the tree is now a beautiful cherry blossom tree.

“wow that was so cool” Kaia says.

“I’m going to head back and give you two some time” she says walking back to the pack house.

Liam steps closer to me.

He cups my cheeks and rests his forehead against mine.

We stay like that for a minute.

Just breathing.

Just existing.

“What did my grandmother say to you?” I ask him.

He stiffens.

Just slightly.

“I don’t want to lie to you mama” he says.

He pauses.

Then looks into my eyes.

“I can’t tell you” he says softly.

“why not?” I say.

My voice cracks as panic starts creeping up my chest.

“No, come on please don’t cry” he says.

“I can’t tell you because I literally can’t tell you mama” he says gently but firmly.

“She spelled you?” I say sensing it on him.

I let out a breathless laugh.

“of course she would, I can’t know whatever she told you because it will change something if I do, great” I say.

He sighs softly.

“Let’s go, tomorrow is day 2 of ranking spars and it’s an all day event and I know you still have training with your dad” he says turning me toward the pack house and pushing gently.

We stop in front of the pack house.

“I will see you tomorrow, I got you always” he says before kissing me deep and hard.

I curl my fingers in his shirt before pulling back breathless.

“thank you” I say.

I pause.

“For just being you and being such an important part of my life, you and him really helped me come out of my shell and I’m happy that you both came into my life” I say tears falling.

He wipes them gently.

“You made our lives better mama and you will get him back” he says certainly.

“We don’t even know what is wrong with him yet” I say.

“I know mama but you will figure it out” he says.

“now go inside” he says kissing me softly this time.