Emma.The classes were grueling. Every hour seemed to stretch into eternity, each new move more complex than the last. My muscles ached, and sweat poured down my face. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, judging and laughing at my awkward attempts to wield a sword. I’d never been an athletic person. Gym classes in high school had been torture; anything remotely physical was a disaster waiting to happen. And self-defense? Not a chance. I’d never even tried, and now, here I was, being trained for what might be my last battle. It felt like the world was playing a cruel joke on me.Master Ugalo’s voice was rather loud as he spoke. “Remember, Emma,” he said, his tone stern, “fighting is a part of every human being. Whether it’s physical or emotional, we all fight in one way or another. It’s in our nature.”His words did little to comfort me. Maybe deep down, fighting was a part of human nature, but right now, all I felt was hopeless. The sword felt heavy in my hands, the steps too complic
Emma.“Alpha,” Gabriel’s voice shook as Kael stepped out of the shadows. He was like a storm ready to crash on a shore, and even from where I crouched, I could feel the intensity of his gaze. Kael’s eyes never left Gabriel. “How dare you?” His voice was dangerously calm, which somehow made it scarier. “Accosting a woman in the pack house?”Gabriel swallowed hard, lowering his hand. “I—I didn’t know—”“What didn’t you know, Gabriel?” Kael’s tone hardened. “That a woman shouldn’t be harassed? Or that Emma didn’t want you to touch her?”Gabriel’s eyes widened as if he couldn’t believe he was being questioned for my sake. “I—I didn’t know she was yours, Alpha,” he muttered, looking down.Kael’s jaw tightened. “It doesn’t matter if she’s my mate or not. You don’t put your hands on a female without her consent, ever.”“I’m unmated,” Gabriel pleaded, “and the full moon makes it worse for us—”“I don’t care about the moon,” Kael hissed, his voice filled with barely controlled anger. “You’re
Emma.The council room felt like it was closing in on me. I could barely breathe, my pulse hammering in my ears. Every elder’s eyes darted to the entrance where the strange gray-haired man had burst in. His eyes scanned the gathering with disgust. “Are you all mad fools?” he bellowed, slamming his staff into the floor with such force that I almost flinched. “Sitting here, watching two little girls fight to the death?!”One of the elders tried to explain, “My king, this is the Tis'Uma, it's the law—”“Silence!” he snapped, jabbing his staff in the elder’s direction. “The Tis’Uma was for warriors, not women!” His eyes swept over the room, landing on me, narrowing with each word. I felt like he was peeling back every layer of confidence I tried to cling to. “All of you, get out. Now!”I glanced nervously at the council members, who were exchanging uneasy glances before looking at Kael. When he gave them a small nod, they began to rise, some muttering apologies. The man’s voice rang out
Emma.I stood under the shower, warm water cascading down my naked body. I felt at peace, even for a few minutes. I felt relieved, like the weight of the pack wasn't resting on my shoulders. I still had a few bruises from the fight with Selena but it wasn't anything the right shade of concealer couldn't cover up. “Miss Emma,” Sir Williams’s voice broke the silence of the room. I froze, gripping the towel and wrapping it tightly against my chest. I glanced over my shoulder at the figure standing in the doorway. “Sir Williams?” I gasped, my heart hammering.He immediately turned his back, bowing low. “Apologies, my Luna! I did not realize… I—”“It’s… it’s okay.” I called, fumbling to grab my bathrobe off the hook and wrapping it around myself. I cleared my throat, trying to steady my voice. “You can look now.”Sir Williams hesitated before turning around, his eyes respectfully downcast. “Forgive me, my Luna. I had knocked for a while, and when you didn’t answer, I thought—”“I'm not
Emma.Alec's grip tightened around my arm, the cold blade pressing against my throat. “Stay back!” he shouted, his voice a strange mix of anger, regret, and madness. “No one moves, or I swear—”Kael raised his hands, his voice low and steady despite the fear in his eyes. “Alec, listen to me. You don’t have to do this. Let her go, and we can talk—”“There’s nothing left to talk about,” Alec hissed, his fingers trembling around the hilt. “She belongs with her family, not in this pack of beasts!”“Beasts?” King Drag scoffed, stepping forward, his voice dripping with disdain. “I’ll show you beasts, boy. You think you can walk into my hall, threaten my wolves, and leave alive? Never.”“Father, please,” Kael cut in sharply. “If you provoke him, he’ll hurt her. Just let me handle this.”Drag’s eyes narrowed, his tone turning icy. “Hurt her? She’s not of our blood. You think I’ll let some leech like him wag his tongue and walk out of my pack?” His gaze shifted to Alec, his lips curling into a
Emma.The room was cold as the morning light streamed through the windows and the silence wrapped around me like a heavy shroud. I was curled up on the bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to fight off the overwhelming wave of guilt and confusion. Alec’s thoughts were fresh in my mind, and no matter how I turned it around, I couldn’t figure out what I could have done differently. What haunted me most was that he looked at me like I had been the one to betray him. Like all of this had been my fault. I couldn’t breathe. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, suffocating me with the weight of everything that had happened. I needed air. I needed to see Kael.I pushed myself off the bed, my legs shaky beneath me as I made my way out of the room. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, but my feet seemed to carry me toward the royal hall where Kael often met with his father.As I approached, muffled voices drifted through the heavy doors. I paused, my hand halfway to the door han
Emma.I didn't know if Alec was alive or dead. Selene's words haunted me as I laid in my room, tossing and turning and not finding sleep. It was getting dark and I hadn't eaten anything. I didn't want to face Selene at the dining table. “Lady Emma," a voice came from outside the door and I sighed, going to answer it. “The alpha has invited you to dinner again." The maid said. It was the same girl from earlier. The titles still made me very uncomfortable and most times I wondered if there would come a day I'd ever fully accept it. "Please tell him that I respectfully decline. I am not so hungry and if I am, I will eat from my room.” I replied with a bow. The girl looked like she wanted to argue but I gave her a stern face, “Please," she sighed, clearly swallowing her words, then she nodded with a sigh and went off. I wasn't looking forward to dinner. I wasn't looking forward to anything. Simple. Selene was the bane of my existence and each day spent in her presence reminded me b
Emma.It felt like waking from a perfect dream. Kael’s arm lay heavy around me, his warmth surrounding me like a shield against the outside world. For a moment, I was suspended in that blissful haze where nothing else existed—just him and me. His steady breathing brushed against my cheek, a gentle reminder of the night we'd shared. I closed my eyes, memorizing the way his fingers curled around my waist, the solid feel of his chest beneath my hand, the feel of his shaft deep inside me. For once, I felt truly complete, as though I belonged exactly where I was.A few minutes passed before I felt him stir, his length pressing against my butt. Kael shifted slightly, his arm pulling me closer for a fleeting second before his eyes opened, blinking against the soft morning light. He looked at me, a faint smile touching his lips as he noticed I was already awake.“You’re worrying, aren’t you?” he murmured, his voice low and soft.I smiled, shaking my head. “No. For once, I’m not.”He chuckled
Emma.Life has a funny way of coming full circle. One moment you're a normal teacher trying to help void beings understand humanity, the next you're standing in front of a classroom filled with every kind of supernatural being imaginable, all eager to learn the art of cosmic evolution."Remember," I said to the diverse group before me, "everyone's path to transformation is unique. What works for a vampire won't necessarily work for a werewolf. What feels natural to a void being might be challenging for a witch."The classroom – now expanded to accommodate our growing community – hummed with excited energy. Through my evolved awareness, I could see each being's potential shimmering just beneath the surface, waiting to be discovered.Derek stood beside me, his vampire-cosmic nature casting beautiful patterns across the walls. "The key is finding your anchor," he demonstrated, shifting between states while maintaining his core essence. "The thing that makes you uniquely you, even as you
Emma."Remember," Derek said to the small group of vampires gathered in our backyard, "it's not about fighting your nature. It's about letting it expand."I watched from the porch as my husband guided the first volunteers through their initial steps into cosmic evolution. Each vampire's shadow was beginning to shimmer with possibility, their immortal essence reaching for something new."Like this?" A younger vampire named Marcus asked, his form flickering between states."Almost," Derek moved closer, his own transformed nature casting constellation patterns across the grass. "Don't try to leave your vampire self behind. Let it be your anchor while you reach for the cosmic."First drifted between the practicing vampires, offering their unique perspective. "Is like learning new language. Still speak old language, but now can speak new one too. Both together make more meaning."From inside the house, I could hear Mom and Sara working with another group of supernatural researchers. The wo
Emma.You'd think that after everything we'd been through, nothing could surprise the supernatural council anymore. But watching a room full of ancient beings literally lose their composure as Derek demonstrated his new abilities?Priceless."Impossible," one of the vampire elders whispered as Derek shifted between shadow and starlight, his vampiric essence now interwoven with cosmic energy in ways that defied their oldest laws. "Our nature is fixed. Unchanging.""Clearly not," Mom interjected, spreading out her research data. "What we're seeing is a natural evolution of supernatural energy. The vampire's immortal essence provides the perfect conduit for cosmic transformation."I watched as Derek moved through states of existence as easily as breathing, his vampire nature not fighting the change but embracing it, enhancing it. He was neither fully vampire nor fully cosmic, but something gloriously in between."Show them the bridge thing," Violet encouraged from where she sat cross-leg
Emma.They say evolution is a slow process. Try telling that to a family that just accidentally created an entirely new form of supernatural existence over an evening kiss."So," Sara said, her scientific equipment scattered across our living room while she tried to make sense of readings that kept shifting into impossible patterns, "let me get this straight. You two kissed...""And the universe basically went 'oh, that's a good idea' and decided to upgrade everyone?" Violet finished, still experimenting with her new abilities by making small objects phase between vampire shadow and cosmic light."Not quite everyone," Mom corrected, looking up from her rapidly filling notebook. "Just those with a direct connection to both vampire and cosmic energies. Though the implications for supernatural evolution are fascinating-""Maybe we could focus on the immediate situation?" Derek suggested, his new form casting constellation patterns on the walls every time he moved. "Like figuring out if t
Emma.It started with a kiss.Which, if you think about it, is how a lot of supernatural revelations seem to happen in my life. Though this one was admittedly more spectacular than usual.Derek and I were having a rare quiet moment on the back porch. I was still in my human form, day ten of the "cosmic detox" as everyone had started calling it. He was watching the sunset with that particular intensity that only vampires and artists seem to manage."I miss this," he said softly, his hand finding mine in the growing darkness."Sunsets?""Being able to touch you without worrying about cosmic interference."I smiled, squeezing his hand. "Well, according to Sara, I should be able to start accessing my powers again soon. Though," I looked down at our intertwined fingers, "I'm thinking maybe I'll try to stay human-shaped more often."He turned to me then, and something in his expression made my very human heart skip. "You know," he said thoughtfully, "I've been thinking about what you said a
Emma.Have you ever had to orchestrate a disaster so perfectly that it teaches a lesson without actually destroying reality? It's trickier than you might think, especially when you're working with beings that consider quantum physics a hobby and existence optional."Everything ready?" I asked First as we watched the eager void beings put what they thought were the finishing touches on their transformation machine.They nodded, their form perfectly stable despite the excitement. "Others in position. Remember plan."The plan was beautiful in its simplicity, really. Sometimes the best teaching moments come from carefully controlled failure. And who better to control failure than a group of experienced void beings pretending to be inexperienced void beings?"Sara?" I checked my very human watch – another adjustment I was still getting used to."Containment fields are ready," she confirmed from her position behind the monitoring equipment. "Though I still think this is insane.""Welcome to
Emma.You know what's worse than a supernatural crisis? A supernatural crisis when you're temporarily grounded from your cosmic powers.The call came during what was supposed to be a normal human lunch break – another exciting adventure in remembering how to eat food that existed in only one dimension at a time. Mom's voice had that careful calm that immediately set off every alarm bell in my very human nervous system."So," she said, "don't panic, but we might have a situation at the void being integration center."I put down my sandwich, already reaching for my car keys. "Define 'situation.'""Remember those void beings that tried to speed-run transformation downtown?""Please tell me they're not back.""Not exactly," Mom hedged. "But apparently they told some friends about their experience. Friends who decided that if quick transformation was possible, maybe they could find a way to... streamline the process.""Streamline how?" I asked, though I had a sinking feeling I knew where t
Emma.It was strange, seeing myself as just... me. No cosmic energy rippling beneath my skin, no reality-bending aura, no occasional transparency. Just Emma, with bed hair and yesterday's t-shirt, looking simultaneously more solid and more fragile than I remembered.The smell of coffee drifted up from the kitchen, and my very human stomach growled in response. That was another thing I'd forgotten about – actual hunger, not just the abstract concept of energy needs that I'd been dealing with in my transformed state.Making my way carefully downstairs (after successfully remembering to open the door this time), I found Derek at the stove and Violet at the table, both watching me like I might accidentally try to float through the ceiling."I'm fine," I said, heading for the coffee pot with the determination of a heat-seeking missile. "Just... readjusting.""Uh-huh," Violet said, not even trying to hide her amusement as I missed the coffee mug twice before successfully pouring. "That's wh
Emma.Turns out, downgrading from cosmic entity to regular human is about as graceful as trying to parallel park a spaceship. In the dark. While wearing oven mitts."Focus on your breathing," Sara instructed as we sat in the meditation room she'd set up in her basement lab. The walls were lined with specially designed dampeners to block out cosmic frequencies. "Try to feel your core self.""I'm trying," I muttered, then winced as my voice made the air ripple. "But it's like trying to forget how to read. Once you know what all the letters mean, you can't just... not know.""Then don't try to forget," Mom suggested from where she sat taking notes. "Try to remember instead. Remember what it felt like to be just Emma."Just Emma. The phrase echoed through my being, stirring something deep and familiar. I closed my eyes, thinking back to simpler times. Movie nights with Derek. Teaching Violet to ride a bike. Burning dinner and ordering pizza instead. Normal, human moments.My form flickere