Page 153 of Gift from the Nexus

Me being able to translate orders, plans, warnings, what have you, mentally and instantaneous is something that could’ve helped tremendously while we were out in the field.

Yeah, I have to open my mind up more and listen to more voices at one time so I know what thoughts to respond to, which quickly can give me a headache, but in times of need or importance, this is huge. Just like any other time I’ve had to navigate and work out something new with my gift, I’ll grow used to it to the point the headaches will stop.

“Shit. Have all your gifts been growing like this with your bondings?” Jamie asks me, eyeing us all like we’re his next experiments.

“For the most part, yes, but they’re all very different. Draken can shift into any size he wants, his blue flame can destroy just about anything, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t a shifter alive, other than Willow, who could command him to do anything. I can command people with my thoughts, dig deeper into their memories, and now talk to others, apparently. I haven’t seenCorentin develop any new abilities, but his gift has doubled, probably tripled in strength. He moved through the entirety of our property that day we couldn’t find Willow in under a minute. Caspian, we’re waiting to see.”

“That’s insane. You five are going to be unstoppable,” he says with an astonished shake of his head.

That excitement creates even more and after everyone has a turn letting me talk in their minds, I sit back and listen to the happy out loud conversations.

I use it to keep my mind distracted because Jamie’s words stick to me hard. It plays on repeat for me to hear. Unstoppable. Sure, that could be a good thing when my—our number one priority is keeping Willow safe, but at the same time I can’t help but think.

Do we need to be unstoppable because of what we’re going to have to face?

My body and mind say it’s time to wake up thirty minutes before my timekeeper does. So after wasting a minute lying here, staring into the dark room, unable to force myself back to sleep, I slowly, quietly get out of bed.

Tiptoeing around the floorboards that I know creak, so I don’t wake the others up, I grab my shoes by the door and head out to the back lawn. There’s no point bothering with going to my room and changing. I can run just as fine shirtless with these sweatpants compared to any of the others, and once I’m done, it’ll be time to put a uniform on anyway.

The thoughts are already racing as the cool morning air greets my lungs when I take off sprinting down the trail. I usually don’t come out here until the sun is at least on the verge of rising, but Iknow this path like the back of my hand, so I don’t need my sight to show me the way. Plus, this morning is different.

Yeah, last night was a blissful dinner and it brought Will so much joy, but now I feel so much anxiety and dread. It’s of my own creation because I feel it in my heart everything’s going to be fine today, nothing bad’s going to happen, but my own paranoia is fucking with my thoughts.

It takes me no time at all to reach our tree. Hell, I may have even beat my record getting here since I was so distracted, and as soon as I see the beautiful, blooming Willowrries, I release a deep sigh.

Everything’s going to be fine.

Bending the limbs to my command, I walk my way up to my escape and the lingering scent of the flower below follows me. When I open the door, it mingles in with the scent of Willow that’s never left this treehouse since the night we bonded. It’s like a drug. The way the sugary coffee scent and the flower merge together so perfectly, working instantly on calming me down, is addictive. I’ll probably go mad if this smell ever leaves this room.

Lowering myself to the floor, I practice my deep breathing and stretches to loosen my mind and body. I know this bout of fear that I’m facing stems from her kidnapping because I’ve never felt this worked up before a mission. It’s always just been my men I worry about, and they can hold their own. And I don’t say that in a way that makes it seem like I doubt Willow can. I know she can. I just also know I’d never survive without her. None of us would.

Me and my brothers would simply cease to exist.

“Room for one more?” Her voice coats me and all the air in my lungs rushes out as my body completely relaxes.

“You still have…sixteen minutes you could be sleeping,” I tell her, reaching my hand up for her to hold as she lowers herself to the floor. “I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t. They all started tossing and turning. Everyone’s a little nervous this morning.”

“You don’t feel nervous at all. Well, a little but not nearly like us,” I say, cocking my head to the side.

Her bright smile is contagious, one I don’t fight to match.

“I’m a little nervous, yes, but I’ve accepted how this mission is going to go, and I’m perfectly okay with it,” she says confidently.

“You’ve seen it, haven’t you?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t.

“Bits and pieces.”

I won’t push because it’s wrong to put her in a situation where she wants to tell me but can’t. I’m sure she already feels that way, so I refuse to make it harder for her. Although, her admitting that little snippet to me just then does fucking wonders. It’s like she commanded me to calm down, everything will work out, and my body just accepted it.

“Thank you, little warrior,” I say, pulling her into my lap.

Cupping my cheek, she pulls my face close to hers and we fall into a long, slow kiss. It’s everything I needed and so much more. Just a few minutes alone with her was all it took to make everything inside of me right again.

“Anytime. Now come on, my gorgeous, green-eyed giant. We have a forest to infiltrate.”

I throw my head back, laughing as I stand with her still in my arms. Transporting us to her room rather than walking or running back, she was very right in her assessment of the guys. I feel their anxiety and nervousness keenly the moment we step through. Walking Willow over to her bathroom, I set her gently on her feet, give her a quick kiss, and shut the door before turning to my brothers.

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