Chapter Fifty Eight

Chapter Fifty Eight
“It’s not working.” Frustration surged hot in my chest, and I stomped my foot before I could stop myself.

“For powers to work, you have to live in the moment,” he explained gently. “Think about your first shift.”

I exhaled and tried again, hand trembling above the wound.

Still…Nothing.

“This is a waste of time. I give up.” I stood up angrily, ready to walk away, but his hand closed around my arm.

“I have given up before,” he pressed quietly, eyes locked on mine. “But I won’t do it again. Not when it comes to you. Try again, please… one more time. For me?”

Why did his faith in me feel heavier than the failure I was already drowning in?

He looked more eager for me to perfect this than I even felt inside. His eyes were steady, bright with that quiet kind of hope that slips past every wall you try to build… the kind of hope that makes you feel seen in a way you’re not sure you deserve.

He stood there so still, as if one wrong movement would break whatever moment we were hanging in. His hands were loose at his sides, but his shoulders were tense, like he was holding himself back from stepping in, from helping me, from taking the weight off me entirely. And the worst…no, the best part was the way he watched me, like he already believed I could do it, as if my failure hadn’t even crossed his mind.

It caused a slow, warm twist in my chest. Because what do you do when someone has more faith in your abilities than you’ve ever had in yourself? What do you do when their belief feels heavier than the power you’re trying to awaken?

For a second, I just stared at him… caught in that look. There was so much quiet hope in his eyes it almost hurt to look at him.

And then I turned back to the animal, breath unsteady, heart thudding with the weight of his faith pressing warm against my spine.

I lifted my hands again, hovering them over the wound.

I closed my eyes, inhaling sharply.

Think of your first shift.

I felt a heat burn through my muscles, racing in my veins, and with it came the terror of not knowing if I'm doing it right. 

My fingers suddenly trembled, the heat inside me stirring sharply. 

Excitement raced through me as an electric feeling poured into my mind. Instantly, my head was filled with the image of red.

And then a swooshing sound that shocked the fuck out of me, forcing me to open my eyes.

“Did it work?” Darius leaned, a desperate need for answers in his eyes.

“I.. I don't know, I felt something rushing really quickly, and I was terrified.”

The last two incidents I'd had with the blood it was a normal flow with tendrils and the entire blood system spreading in my inner eye as I worked on it.

“Oh,” he grinned, “that's because a Hare's blood rushes faster than normal. This is amazing! Can you try again?”

I nodded and tried again, locking onto the memory that connected me the first time, but once again, things weren't connecting.

I felt stuck, and I could feel a bubble of frustration rising up in my head.

Which was suddenly followed by a woozy feeling.

Then the floor seemed to tilt beneath me. The room blurred at the edges, drifting out of reach, and my knees buckled before I could catch myself. I fell into Darius’s hands without even realizing I’d moved.

Immediately, he carried me off to bed and ran outside. In two minutes or less, he was back with a cut.

“Drink,” he commanded, offering the cup. “It has Nettle Leaf. It’ll steady your blood and bring your strength back. Forgers burn through energy faster than most. I'm sorry I pushed you too hard.”

“It's fine,” I grunted, taking another sip, “you were pretty excited.”

“You seem to know a lot about these forgers. I thought everyone saw them as bedtime stories?”

“They’re the most powerful beings in our world and yet the most vulnerable. I've been obsessed with them, and whenever I'm free, I find libraries that have information about them,” he replied, settling next to me.

“That must have been difficult considering how much they hide everything about dark wolves.”

“I have my ways,” he winked at me. “Now, I have to warn you,” he suddenly became serious. “When you heal, you get weak and defenseless, remember?” he explained. “That was how the last Forger was killed. It’s the only way to kill a blood Forger well, except when the Moon Goddess decides otherwise. So you must be sure to assess your enemy before engaging. Fight with everything else in your power before Forging. Promise me?”

“I promise,” I whispered, the bond sizzling between us.

“Good girl,” he grinned, his fingers wafting through my scalp soothingly.

“What else can I do?” I wondered out loud.

“You can command blood,” Darius replied, his voice low behind me. “Make it move. Make it stop. Freeze it. Force it anywhere you want.” He came to stand beside me. “You remember how you healed the Lucain? That was only a fraction of it.”  

I glanced up at him, the weight of his words settling in my chest. My stomach churned, and I had to steady my breath. I still hadn’t come to terms with what had played out that day. I tried not to think about how mother would have felt when she realized I had saved the one she tried to kill. Would she be proud that I’d discovered my powers, if they were as great as Darius said, or would she still behave like… mother? Why was I even thinking about this now? I tried to push the thought away, but another part of me couldn’t stop reliving it, dissecting it over and over in my mind.

“Your power is incredible,” he gasped, his eyes looking deep into mine in awe. “Remember, you need to trust it completely to activate it. It’s not just about healing or controlling, it’s about understanding life itself. Every vein, every pulse… You don’t just fix it, you read it. You can push it, guide it, even influence how a body reacts.”

“With you by my side, I'll be unstoppable. I just have to stop fainting every time I close my eyes,” I sighed, my body moving closer to the warmth he provided.

“Do you know there's a quicker… delicious way to refill your energy?” He asked me as his thumb rubbed my bottom lip.

“Really?” I breathed, my boobs perking up instantly, “Tell me.”

“Why don't I show you instead?”

And he bent over my face and swallowed my lips in his.