Page 1 of Outnumbered

Chapter

One

“Why does it hurt so much?” I gasped as I lay on my back on the ground and tried to catch my breath. Each time I inhaled, I winced in pain and felt like my ribs were on fire.

“Because you’re fighting the magic instead of working with it,” Nico, King of the Mages explained, gripped my hand, and pulled me up to my feet.

“It’s not going where I want it to,” I grumbled and dusted myself off. I was trying really hard to learn to create a shield, a magical dome-shaped barrier that would protect me and whoever was inside of it from attack.

“You’re getting better each session, Ember. Don’t get too upset.” He patted my shoulder and we turned, heading towards the house.

Outside the front door stood Caleb, King of Hybrids, Prince of the Mages, Dragons, Elves, Sirens, and Wolves, and one of my boyfriends and pack members. He had his hands in his pockets, one leg bent with the foot resting on the doorframe behind him, and a soft smile on his face as he watched me. Tall, muscular, handsome, and more powerful than I think any of us wanted to accept, he was everything you’d expect a royal to be. The late twenty-year-old male was a specimen of masculine perfection.

My breath caught every time I saw him and my wrist tingled where his mark was. A sign that I was his and that also kept unwanted males from bothering me.

“Breakfast is ready,” he announced as we approached, kissed my cheek as I walked by, and followed us into the house.

The giant cottage mansion was owned by his parents, Princess Jolie of the Sirens, King Nico of the Mages, Prince Rhys of the Dragons, Prince Foxfire of the Elves, and Prince Deryn of the Werewolves. It was a place we frequented, especially for training sessions like today.

“Great, I am starving,” I said, hurried into the dining room, and sat beside Triston, a hybrid mage-shifter who took the form of a tiger, and another one of my boyfriends and packmates.

He kissed my cheek and put food on my plate. “Did you have a good training session?”

“I don’t feel like I learned more, but Nico said I’m doing better.”

“Practice is key,” Triston reminded me. “I’ve been doing more mage training as well and it’s not nearly as easy as shifting.”

“Speaking of shifting,” Deryn said as he walked into the dining room, a piece of paper in his hand. He shook it over his head, smiling. “I finally found your birth certificate.”

My fork clanked against my plate loudly as I dropped it and rushed over to try to get the paper from him.

Caleb was faster and snatched it out of his father’s hand.

Deryn growled.

Caleb’s eyes widened and then he started laughing so hard, he bent over and clutched his stomach, the paper sticking out.

I took the paper from him, nearly ripping it in my haste, and read my birth name: EmberRew Rockwood.

“Rew? Like … a red eyed white rabbit?” I squeaked.

Caleb slapped the dining table as he continued to laugh and nodded with tears flowing down his face.

My elven animal form was supposed to be … a rabbit.

“What’s wrong with a rabbit?” Nico asked as he took a seat at the table.

Jolie, Caleb’s mother, walked in. “Rabbit? What? What did I miss?”

I handed her the birth certificate and walked to my seat, shoving a big bite of food in my mouth with a frown. Really? A rabbit?

“Your name is cute,” Jolie said. “And how interesting that your debut into royal society was with a red dress.” She winked, trying to lighten my mood.

“Jolie, I’m a prey animal dating predators. What is that supposed to mean? Is it an omen? Is it a sign that this connection isn’t what we think it is?”

She pursed her lips. “No, Ember. It doesn’t mean anything like that. It’s just who you are. Does this change how you feel about her?” Her question was aimed at Caleb and Triston.

“Of course not,” Triston said and put more fruit on my plate. “Just means we know her animal form now.”

---