Page 98 of Bitten Shifter

“You can do this with all your senses—smell, taste, touch. It’s about directing the magic where it’s needed, the same way you use your technomancer abilities. You already have discipline,and that’s a big advantage. Soon, it will become second nature, responding before you even think about it.”

“Thank you,” I murmur, gratitude flooding me.

“Do you think you will be all right if I drop the boundary spell?” Mary asks.

I pause, checking my shifter magic. The wild energy remains firmly in its box. Feeling stable, I smile and nod. “I will be fine.”

“Excellent.” With a swift flick of her wand, the soft blue glow around us dissolves. I brace myself, expecting a sudden onslaught of sound, but the world remains calm. Everything hums at a normal level.

Mary’s smile is warm, her pride unmistakable. “Well done, Lark. You have taken to this more quickly than I anticipated. Feeling better?”

“Much better, thank you.” The tension in my shoulders finally eases.

She picks up the sensory band, holding it gingerly between her fingers as though it might bite. “You don’t need this anymore. May I dispose of it?”

“Please,” I say, eager to be rid of it.

Mary crosses to a sealed bin markedmagic wasteand drops the band in without ceremony. As it lands, the faint hum of its magic sputters and fades, winking out of my senses.

“Good riddance,” she mutters, brushing her hands together as if shaking off its lingering essence.

“Now, let’s talk about shifting. How many times have you shifted?”

“Twice,” I reply. “Once when I completed my transformation at the warehouse, and once in my sleep.”

She hums thoughtfully. “A resting brain—your shifter magic decided to be sneaky. It shouldn’t happen again. Did it hurt?”

“Not when I shifted in my sleep,” I admit, “but the first time was incredibly painful.”

Mary leans forward, eyes gleaming with interest. “Let’s return to your senses. You can control touch now, right?”

I think about it and nod.

“If you can control touch, you can also decide whether your muscles and nerves feel pain. You can turn it down—or off entirely.”

I gasp. “I can do that?”

“Of course!” she exclaims, excitement lighting her face. “Nature has its own balance, and that’s yours. You shouldn’t feel pain when you shift. It should be as seamless as blinking. Rather than experiencing bones breaking and ligaments stretching, you will learn to use both types of magic. Your shifter magic will nullify the pain, while your mage magic will speed up the process. With practice, you will be able to shift in seconds—just like that.” She snaps her fingers, clearly pleased by my wide-eyed reaction.

“I really could do that?”

“Absolutely! You will also be able to shift specific parts of your body at will. Let’s start small.” She glances at my hands. “Try a single fingernail. Once you master that, the rest will follow naturally. I don’t expect instant success,” she adds with a teasing glint in her eye, “but by the end of today or tomorrow, you should manage to shift that one digit. Then we will move on to the entire body.”

“Why are you helping me with my shifter magic?” I ask, curiosity lacing my words.

Mary pats my hand gently. “Because, my dear, your mage magic is already beautifully refined—we only need to show you what is possible. For you, that might be anything. You have been focusing without a wand, and that’s rare. Even I need one for channelling my spells. That’s your sigma nature shining through—you have always been a sigma, Lark. Becoming a wolf simply brought it fully to the surface.”

I blink, trying to absorb her words.

“Now, let’s try something simple,” she continues. “Place your hand on the table and wiggle your index finger.”

I obey, giving my finger a small wiggle.

“Good. Now focus on your nail. Make it thicker.”

I raise an eyebrow, feeling slightly sceptical.

“This is basic shifter training,” Mary says with a confident smile. “You have got this.”

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