Page 7 of Fire Touched

Moira smiles in that nauseating, love-sick way she does. ‘He says it’s part of his connection to the earth. That it can’t hurt him.’

Ella smiles between us. ‘That sounds so handy,’ she says, all nice-ness to my griping.

Carter is silent, as usual.

I know I’m not the only one with sore feet, but I’m usually the only one to complain about it. Ella never complains about anything. It’s one of those annoyingly-sweet things about her that makes me seem more annoying, no doubt.

I waggle my bare feet in the grass. Killian and Elijah finally catch up to us. They’ve been walking a ways back all day.

‘Time to stop for lunch, my girl?’ Killian wraps an arm around me.

‘Is that all you think I care about?’ I demand.

Elijah is wrapped around his mate like ivy clinging to a wall.

‘No,’ Killian says reasonably. ‘That, and your feet. Would you like me to carry you?’

Ella hides a smile.

‘I would not,’ I say, though, really there’s some appeal to the idea. ‘Why can’t we just run as wolves the rest of the way? I’m tired.’

‘Because we need to cross the land perimeter as humans,’ Elijah says. ‘If Water and Fire wolves run across our lines you’d be attacked on site. This way as we approach, they’ll see me and let us in.’

Moira nuzzles into him. ‘Walk with me?’ She slides her hand into his. ‘Tell me about your family. Am I going to meet them?’ I watch them continue walking as Elijah starts talking about his father.

I glare up at Killian.

He wraps his arms around me, encasing me in his warmth. ‘I know you’re grumpy, and I know I don’t always help that, I’m sorry. I’m sure we’ll be sleeping in real beds tonight.’ My mate plants a kiss on the crown of my head. ‘I’m sorry your feet are sore. I’ll get you new shoes as soon as I can.’

I pout up at him as we walk. ‘Will you give me a foot rub?’

‘You want me to touch those blistered, gnarly things—’ Killian shouts as I shove him. ‘I’m kidding! Oh, god, now you’re going to drown me or something, aren’t you?’

I have a better grasp of my Tide power than my Fire. I glance around and spot a lake not too far off, glimmering in the late afternoon sunlight. ‘It’s a thought,’ I growl.

Killian winds an arm around my waist as the others trail ahead. The lands out here are beautiful. Long, sprawling vistas of soft, green grass. Tall, strong trees. As though the lands themselves so close to Terran flourish.

‘Killian, I don’t want to keep practicing my fire power.’

I sense his body stiffen as he bites down his initial response. After a careful breath, he turns to me slowly. ‘Why not?’

I tuck my hands into the back pockets of my jeans, hoping I won’t rip the old things right in two. I hate these old, grubby clothes. ‘I just—’ I take a moment to gnaw on my bottom lip, feeling the silky grass lick between my toes as we walk. I tilt my head back, soaking up the watery light, soft, fluffy clouds far in the distance promising rain. ‘It doesn’t feel like mine.’ As we walk, we get closer to the lake. I jog a little closer, my mate at my heels. ‘Look.’ Standing on the edge of the lake, the water snaking through the ground in a quiet trickle, I clasp my hands together, then spread them wide. Every drop of water parts, cleaved aside, leaving a portion of the lake bed dry and empty. ‘This is me. My power.’

Killian’s auburn eyes are sad. ‘Do you really think that?’ He turns me, letting my hands fall, the water sliding home. This close, heat radiates from his body.

‘I do,’ I whisper on the breeze. ‘I’m no Fire wolf.’

Killian’s brows draw together, but he doesn’t speak as he hugs me.

‘Come on, slow pokes!’ Moira calls. ‘We’re nearly at the border! We need to cross together!’

I wonder what Terran will be like. Will there be huts made of dirt and sticks? A grand estate where Elijah’s father and the alpha live? What will the pack be like? Killian and I follow quietly, my thoughts on Elijah, wondering if the rest of his Pack are as cool and calm—and kind—as he. As steady as a rock, you might say. I laugh silently at my own pun.

Carter strays slightly from the group. Ella follows, herding him back, no doubt not wanting him to seem separate to us as we enter Terran’s grounds.

We approach a line of light that seems to come from the earth itself.

‘What is that?’ Ella gasps.

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