The Alpha King's Mate novel Chapter 17

Ember sprints toward me almost home and leaps into my arms against my chest.

"Hello. I'm so sorry. You've probably been so worried about me. I missed you so much," I tell him, burying my face in his fur behind his neck. We cuddle together on my bed, and I fill him in on my travels. He nuzzles my face with his furry face to comfort me. He is telling me I'm safe now.

I sit by the base of the waterfall outside my cave and enjoy the sounds of the forest: the water splashing into a small pool, the birds singing, the trees rustling, and the breeze blowing through my hair.

I think about Damon, how he spoke to me, how he made me feel he cares, how he pinned me down on the ground, and how he stared into my eyes. Men must not have the same bodies as women – there was definitely something between his legs pressing into me when I was pinned under him.

He is the Alpha King! Werewolves are ferocious evil creatures. I can't believe I fell for his sweetness and his sincerity. He would probably kill me and feed me to his pack.

I have to ignore my need to be near him. I need to distract myself so that I can forget him.

I subconsciously draw circles in the water with my pointer finger, and instead of the water moving aside, it forms spirals where my finger has been. I intuitively stand, still drawing circles with my finger, and the water levitates in an ongoing upward spiral. I wave my hand around like I'm waving a magic wand, and the stream of water follows and spirals around me. I laugh in amazement.

"Ember, are you seeing this?" Ember nods and is just as excited as I am.

Wanting to explore my new power, I focus on the water at the foot of the waterfall and, using both hands, levitate a large amount of water in a wave high above me, eventually forming a giant sphere of water. I clap, and the sphere of water explodes into myriad drops of water that pour down on me like rain.

Ember and I prance around joyfully. I'm basking in how every drop feels when it lands on me. Time feels like it stands still. I'm left saturated and happy. I sit on the wet grass, showered in water drops again, when Ember shakes himself off. All I can do is laugh.

Ember runs to a large boulder. It's one I always complain is in my way. I follow him, lean on the boulder, and watch him scratch at its surface like he is digging for gold.

"Ember, there's no way you can dig a hole in this rock…."

I touch Ember's scratches on the surface and feel myself focusing again, entranced. The boulder vibrates and sinks into the ground, lower and lower, until it's at grass level and no longer in my way.

"Are you seriously telling me I could have moved this boulder this whole time?" Ember brushes his head against my leg, affirming my question.

"What else I can do?" I kneel on the ground, place both hands on the soil and focus.

A small vibration intensifies before the earth underneath my hands rumble and quake, causing nearby trees to sway erratically, some even toppling over. I shriek at the big earthquake I have just generated.

"Ember! Go to the cave!" I shout, thinking of his safety.

There's one problem there, Troy. She ran away.

What? What do you mean she ran away? Troy asks, confused.

Eric is also confused. I inhale and exhale sharply before responding. My brain needs the extra oxygen to explain this next bit.

She doesn't seem to be a werewolf. I can't sense or smell her wolf. She doesn't smell human either. Her eyes are violet, and she has the power to create fire and control the wind. When I told her we are mates, she became scared and ran off. I say.

Her description is the same as the girl in the tales I heard about in the villages. Troy says, quickly relaying the story of the Forest Princess to Eric and me.

The Forest Princess is my mate? I ask, surprised.

Sounds like it. Troy replies.

I'm in the castle library, looking through a history book. It has tales we heard when we were children. You know the ones about the witches, mages, vampires, fae, sprites and orcs? Maia's description matches the description of the sprites mentioned in this book. Eric says.