Chapter 7

Nadine

I woke up with my racing heart.

I felt the power coursing through my veins, and terror flooded me as I realized that what I had experienced in the last 24 hours had been very real. However, I could not remember what had caused such an alteration, although I knew very well that it was a nightmare.

When I opened my eyes, I wished I wasn't standing on a hill with all my mates watching me with a frown.

“Since when do you have night terrors?” I asked Aris with red eyes, and I knew he was too upset. “I'm going to kill every single person who hurt you.”

I frowned, not understanding what was going on, then something in my mind clicked Aris' power, and I looked at him in horror. I couldn't believe it.

“Tell me you didn't get inside my head,” I said in fear. “Tell me you didn't see anything.”

“I had to do that to keep you from staying upset; I had a hard time feeling your terror,” Aris said unapologetically. “I had to wake you up right away or you were capable of sending power anywhere, and I got the feeling you didn't want to hurt anyone. I couldn't read your thoughts before, but after you removed the seal on your power, it was a matter of effort.”

I cursed through my teeth, and Biel gave me a serious look.

“Why is the Anarkhia Order hunting you?” The wizard asked pointedly. “I want the truth.”

Biel's questioning immediately put me in a bad mood, so I stood up and felt the power wanting to leave my hands, but the mate bond held it in place so it wouldn't be a problem. I didn't know whether to be grateful to have my mates next to me or sorry.

“I don't owe you anything,” I repeated once again crudely and I looked at all my mates so that they would understand. “I don't owe any of you.”

“We know that, Nadine,” Drago said calmly, and I was surprised. “You don't owe us anything; you are right to say that. However, whether we want to or not, there is a sacred bond that leads us to you, and we have an instinctive need to care for you. What happened today gives me to understand that this man has years of hunting you, and you avoid him so that he does not gain your power. Does your fear lie in what the anarchists can do to us?”

The dragon was not only smart; he was cunning and knew what to say to me to appease me.

“Is that why you don't want to bond with us?” asked Connor gently. “Are you afraid that the power you have will get more out of control? Are you afraid of hurting others?”

His deductions were accurate, but there was much more to it than just that.

I nodded to dodge any more uncomfortable questions and kept the biggest secret that everyone would instantly kill me for—the one that would set the continent ablaze in an instant. I had promised my mother I would never say anything, so I would keep my promise no matter what. I just had to find a way to protect myself before the situation got any more out of control.

“And that's why we have to go our separate ways; we haven't bonded, so there's no risk,” I said resolutely. “I need to find someone to help me place the seal of protection and—”

At that moment, a small battalion of guardians appeared with a group of priests. They all surrounded us in a circle, and Lion immediately approached, seeing me as if seeing me for the first time.

“The test could not know your power because you had a seal of protection,” the high priest said eloquently. “Whoever made you the seal must be very powerful for your magic to be undetectable in the test.”

The old man was right, but that person couldn't help me, and that made me anxious.

My power began to throb in my hands, and I instinctively saw everyone around us as a threat. I trusted no one, and although I loved Elle, trusting her had cost me my freedom.

“We didn't come here to attack you, Nadine,” the high priest said with his hands raised. “We heard of the Anarkhia Order's attack and came to help.”

“How did you know we were here?” asked Biel.

“Her power is like a beacon,” Lion said immediately. “When Nadine released her power, it was like a supernova. Priests from all over the world contacted the temple to report that they felt the power of chaos.”

I took a deep breath and began to deny.

That was very bad, serious in every sense of the word, and I clenched my hands.

“I suggest you stay away from her,” Aris said, and as I looked at the guards, I realized they all saw me as a threat. “What do you want?”

To my surprise, Drago approached me as did Connor.

Biel stood his ground but folded his arms.

“You already know Nadine needs to be taught about prophecy, to know elements, and for her to learn how to control her power. She must know how to channel her power correctly so that she is not a danger to anyone,” the high priest said seriously. “Bonding would help her stabilize.”

“I'm not bonding!” I shouted immediately.

“Calm down,” Drago said. “They just want to help.”

“No one wants to help me; they all want to use and exploit me for their own gain,” I said angrily. “Everyone, including you, who are just waiting for me to spread my legs to get more power.”

The dragon scowled at me, Biel cursed, Connor growled, and Aris laughed sarcastically.

“It's not like that, Nadine,” High Priest Lion said. “I'm sorry things had escalated to that point, but we want to help.”

“Anarchists attacked me steps from your temple!” I exclaimed angrily. “You guys even have magic wards over the damn city and they threatened us.”

“They broke the magic wards; they used dark power to do it,” said the high priest with shame. “We restored the wards with an infinite seal.”

“You must calm down,” Drago said, and I faced him.

“They killed my mother in the most horrendous way ever, and when she asked the damn

Temple for help, no one paid any attention, so forgive me for not trusting anyone,” I said forcefully. “I'm getting the hell out of here.”

As I was about to push my way through the circle, Biel stepped in.

“You're not going to attack the four of us,” my green-eyed mate said smugly. “Listen to what they tell you; they'll help you control your power. And if you're smart, you'll learn everything you need to get rid of those fuckers. Or are you going to let them keep stealing your life?”

“He's right, belle,” Aris said. “I understand your distrust, but the four of us, believe it or not, are your sure source of protection. So, if anything happens at the Temple, we'll deal with it as a group of mates guarding their central mate; for now, you must learn to control your powers.”

“Please,” Connor asked as a plea.

I was about to send my mates to hell for trying to manipulate me through the bond, but I stopped when a vision flooded my brain. It felt like thousands of bricks falling on my head.

I gasped from the pain, and Biel immediately held me up, seeing that I was going to fall to the floor.

A flurry of images flooded my brain with force.

An old grimoire in a cave, a reliquary hidden in a jewelry box, a ring tucked between the petals of a rose, and a golden cloak was what I saw before I collapsed to the floor from the intense migraine that raced through my brain as a vision struck me.

I hated feeling so helpless.

“What was that?” asked Biel.

“You're a seer,” Aris said earnestly. “That's why you drew us, because you saw us, and what you just saw is somehow important to the prophecy.”

“Stay out of my head,” I said, and Biel put his hand on my forehead.

A pleasant chill was felt in my brain, and I was able to sigh in relief.

“She needs to control her powers; she's getting stronger and more unstable,” Lion said. “We must take her to the temple.”

“We must take her somewhere else the Anarkhia Order doesn't know about,” Drago said immediately. “She must receive her training in her place where she feels protected. If they brought down the magical wards of the Sacred City Afaris with ease, they can do it again, even if you have placed an infinite seal. They wield a lot of dark power.”

“I know where we can take Nadine, but she only goes with people she trusts,” Connor said immediately.

Lion walked over to me as Biel soothed my pain.

“What did you see, Nadine? You have to tell me; I have to know how to help you,” the high priest said.

“She will tell you privately,” Aris said. “Biel, select the guardians most loyal to you, and you, high priest, choose your assistants. We will go to the Temple to gather our things and take Nadine to safety.”

Everyone nodded, and Biel carried me.

“Feeling better?” The sorcerer asked, and I couldn't admit that his warm touch and minty smell was what was calming me down.

“Let's take her,” the dragon said.

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, I was at the temple, a priest had recited a transportation spell.

“Take her to the medical area,” Lion said, and that's what Biel did.

When he left me on a bed, I closed my eyes, and then two elves came in to check me; one of them was the one who had treated me before. When the woman touched me, she gasped as she felt my power.

“You have an aura misalignment,” the elf said immediately. “You arrived well, but now you need nutrients to replenish yourself, and you need to calm your senses. Maybe sleeping near your mates will relieve you.”

“No,” I said immediately.

“What you're feeling isn't just part of the awakening of your power; it's because of the attraction to your mates. The bond needs to be consummated, or your discomfort is going to increase as the days go by. You are a central mate, so your body will feel the ravages of refusing the attraction.”

I cursed and then felt someone squeeze my hand.

When I looked up, it was Connor who looked desperate, seeing me in pain.

“You're going to be fine; we won't do anything; I just need to—”

“We need to take care of you,” Biel said immediately, and I pursed my lips.

Biology was kicking my ass, and suddenly the beast I had been sleeping inside me woke up. Its howl made me gasp, and I felt the right moment when it burrowed under my skin, wanting to come out.

“You're a she-wolf,” Connor said in awe. “We need to get her out of here right now; tell the priest to hurry. Nadine is going to have her first wolf shift!”