Page 28 of Owned By Four Alphas

Elian staggered to his feet with a curse, his eyes narrowed. “Fuck, I thought you really had it that time.”

“I…I nearly did but you…youburnedme!”

“Your enemies won’t exactly be causing you pleasure,” he said, frustration raising his voice. “I thought you got it under control. Clearly, I was wrong!”

Shame burned hot on her cheeks, her magic still thrashing under her grasp. “Maybe if you’d have given me some warning, I might have—”

“That’s not the point, Selena,” he growled, “you will have no warning. You need to be able to control yourself when things surprise you!”

Seeing the crestfallen look on her face, he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Look, let’s try again tomorrow. I’ll get you those books.”

She nodded, her throat painful and thick, and didn’t say goodbye before leaving the workshop.

As she made her way through the palace towards the library, shame and anger clashed inside her, settling uncomfortably in her stomach. Elian could dress it up however he liked, but the truth remained—she was getting worse, not better. These days, she was having to give more and more energy to keeping her magic under control. It seemed to want to burst from her at the slightest provocation.

Approaching voices brought her out of her reverie, and she quickly straightened her back, pasting a pleasant look on her face. Two nobles, alpha Fae, were walking towards her. When they saw her, they fell silent.

She smiled at them as they passed, resisting the urge to curtsy to them. They smiled back, thin and altogether most unfriendly, merely nodding their heads to her.

Sighing, she continued down the corridor, only to stop short when she heard one of them lean over and whisper to the other, “Such a shame Lord Elian is mated to her. I hear she’s only getting weaker.”

“What did you say?” she turned, her voice raised, fists balling at her side.

The Fae male turned back, a wicked tilt to his smirk, “Oh! Your Highness, my apologies, I didn’t say anything! Perhaps you’re hearing things. All that training must be…tiring for you.”

The other male tittered. Her blood began to heat.

“No,” she said, gritting her teeth together, “I can assure you my hearing is not at fault. I’d like to know what you said.”

The male raised an unimpressed eyebrow, “I don’t know to what you’re referring, Your Highness.”

“You had something to say about Lord Elian. About how it’s ashameI’m mated to him. Isn’t that right?”

Stupid nobles. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard them whispering, wasn’t the first disrespectful comment she’d received. She’d ignored it all, kept her head held high, told herself that it was mere gossip and nothing more.

But her magic was still crackling in her veins, her emotions still high, tears still threatening to fall after her…her…disappointingElian.

“Your Majesty, I can assure you thatwehave no problem with Lord Elian being mated to a…ahem…human.”

“Oh really?” she snapped, “Because it sounds to me like you’ve got a problem with it. So why don’t you tell me? Let’s get it all out into the open! I’ve hadenoughof you Fae and your stupid lack of clarity and your hidden thoughts and yourcondescension—”

“Your Majesty,” the male said, his eyes widening with fear as her skin began to glow, as her fingertips began to thrum with power.

“No! Don’t you dare call me that to my face when all you have are cruel words behind my back!”

The candles flickered, the shadows danced, and her blood sang for release.

The Fae were backing away slowly, exchanging frantic glances, “Really, Your Highness, we didn’t mean it, it wasn’t—”

A window shattered with a piercing crash, shards of glass raining down onto the floor.

The males dropped low into a defensive stance, weapons materializing into their hands, their eyes wide and frightened.

Selena staggered backwards, her magic pulsing through her, building, falling, crashing,burning.

She couldn’t control it. Another window smashed. She tried, desperately tried, but it was swallowing her whole.

Glass crunched underfoot as she stumbled, her vision blurring with silver light. Flashes of her father’s face, of fire, of pure, shining magic threatened to blind her.

---