Page 48 of Enchanting the Alpha

FORTY-SIX

“Subtle, Whiskers,” Romi muttered.

The familiar just winked, adding a few floating hearts around her and Xabir for good measure.

As they moved across the street into the park toward the starting point, Xabir kept his hand at Romi’s waist, his touch grounding and warm. Around them, the area buzzed with laughter and the sound of barriers breaking down one game at a time. Even the earlier fight’s tension had transformed into something electric and hopeful – a shared resolve to prove that unity was stronger than division.

“Ready to make history?” Romi asked, her magic already reaching for his energy in that familiar dance.

Xabir’s smile held equal parts tenderness and challenge. “Are you kidding? With you? Always.”

“First challenge,” Arlo announced, reading from a glowing scroll. “Navigate the enchanted maze while sharing magical abilities. Shifters must remain in human form, and each team member can only use their partner’s type of magic.”

Xabir turned to Romi, eyes gleaming with competitive spirit. “Ready to try some shifter magic?”

“Only if you’re prepared to channel your inner potion master.” She grinned, pulling him toward the maze entrance where shimmering magical barriers created twisting pathways that shifted and changed.

Felix explained the rules. “Each team must collect three elements – air, earth, and water – but you can only use your partner’s magical style. No shifter abilities, no witch magic. You have to guide each other.”

“Sounds simple enough,” Xabir said, right before stepping into the maze and promptly floating three feet off the ground.

Romi burst out laughing. “You’re pushing too hard with the magic. Witchcraft is about finesse, not raw power.” She demonstrated a gentle weaving motion. “Like this – picture the energy as silk ribbons rather than steel cables.”

Xabir’s brow furrowed in concentration as he attempted to copy her movement. He managed to lower himself to the ground, though not without a few wobbles that had the watching crowd chuckling.

“My turn?” Romi asked, eyeing the water element suspended in a magical bubble ahead of them. She closed her eyes, trying to tap into the primal energy Xabir had described. Her first attempt sent a splash of water everywhere but the collection vial.

“Feel it in your core,” Xabir murmured, stepping close behind her. His hands ghosted over her shoulders. “Shifter magic comes from here.” He touched her sternum lightly. “Raw and instinctual.”

The next time Romi reached for the water, she channeled that wild energy. The liquid flowed smoothly into their vial, though the force of it left her hair slightly frizzed.

“Well done!” Madame Zephyrine called from the sidelines. “Though perhaps with slightly less enthusiasm next time, dear.”

They worked their way deeper into the maze, trading tips and gentle teasing as they went. Xabir’s attempts at witch-styleair manipulation created a minor whirlwind that had Whiskers doing barrel rolls. Romi’s shifter-inspired earth moving nearly buried them in flower petals.

“Having fun yet?” she asked, brushing petals from Xabir’s hair.

His response was interrupted by a magical barrier suddenly becoming semi-transparent revealing Thane and Maya in the next section. Thane appeared to be covered in some sort of sparkly purple goo.

“Don’t ask,” he called through the barrier. “Though I suggest avoiding Felix’s ‘surprise enhancement’ in section three.”

“Noted,” Xabir chuckled. He turned back to find Romi already tackling their next challenge – a series of floating platforms they needed to cross using only each other’s magic.

“Think light,” she advised as he prepared to attempt his first witch-style levitation.

“Think fierce,” he countered, demonstrating the powerful stance she’d need for shifter-style jumping.

They made quite a sight – the dignified alpha wobbling through the air like a drunken butterfly while Romi bounded between platforms with somewhat excessive enthusiasm. Their magical auras tangled and sparked, creating shimmers of light that had Bella frantically taking notes about “unprecedented magical resonance patterns.”

“Last element!” Arlo called out as they approached a swirling vortex of air. “And may I say you’re both providing excellent entertainment value.”

“Glad we could help,” Romi said dryly, right before her too-powerful shifter leap sent her crashing into Xabir. He caught her easily, though the impact spun them in a circle.

“I’ve got you.” Their faces were very close now, and for a moment, the game faded into background noise.

“If you two are quite finished making eyes at each other,” Felix called out, “there are other teams waiting.”

Romi felt her cheeks heat but didn’t step back. “What do you say? One last magical swap?”

---