“Okay,” I said, tossing aside the rag in my hand. I rounded the edge of the work table and stood before him. “Touch me.”

  His smirk deepened. “Is this what they call sexual healing?”

  “Just do it,” I said, rolling my eyes.

  He placed his hand gently against the bared skin just below my collarbone. I sucked in a breath at the pleasure of it then forced myself to focus.

  “Now what?” he whispered, and I knew he was just as affected as me.

  “Now, use your gift,” I said. “Pick something to take. And then, give it back. Without letting go of me.”

  His brows scrunched. “I can’t.”

  I rolled my eyes. “How do you know if you haven’t even tried?”

  “Fine.” He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, concentration tightening his features. I watched him, caught in the spell of his angled jaw and full mouth. Standing this close, staring at Silas Hale, was its own kind of magic, that was for damn sure.

  Finally, I felt something in my own mind stir then slip away.

  “Do you feel that?” he asked, concerned.

  “Sort of,” I said. “You?”

  “I can recall every word of the Spider-Man comic I read in fourth grade,” he said. “So, yeah.”

  I laughed. “Photographic memory for the win. You’re welcome.”

  “Thanks,” he said wryly.

  “Now,” I said. “Send it back.”

  His hand began to lift from my chest. I grabbed his wrist and held it in place. “No cheating.”

  He scowled and began to concentrate again.

  Several moments passed without change.

  Silas huffed, readjusting his hand. Concentration turned to frustration.

  “Don’t give up,” I whispered.

  But he finally pulled his hand away, and a whisper of magic immediately resettled inside me.

  “I can’t do it,” he said.

  “You can.”

  “It’s stupid anyway. How does this help me keep from taking people’s magic in the first place?”

  “Magic works forward and backward,” I said.

  “You sound like Yoda.”

  “Just try it again.”

  “Fine.”

  After his third failed attempt, I knew we needed to try something different. “Let’s go for a walk,” I said.

  “What the hell for?” he asked.

  “Your wolf likes the woods, right?”

  “So?”

  “So, if you want control, you need to relax. Come on.” I held out my hand. Silas eyed it warily. “You have to touch me to make this work,” I said.

  He took my hand, and we fell into step together, heading across the front yard and into the trees.

  I stayed quiet, letting him concentrate on the magic.

  A few minutes later, Silas stopped and turned to me.

  “You miss your mother a lot, don’t you?” he asked and then looked apologetic. “Sorry, I meant to take the photographic memory thing again, but your aerona gift slipped in instead.”

  “You read my pain?” I asked.

  Embarrassment was followed quickly by fear. The idea of Silas getting so far into my head—and heart—wasn’t something I felt prepared for. The secrets I kept hidden were buried deep, but something told me Silas wouldn’t leave any stone unturned.

  “I didn’t mean to.”

  He tried to pull his hand free, but I hung on, shoving aside my own insecurities.

  “It’s okay. And I’m not letting you off that easily.”

  “This is your personal pain, Chloe. I’m intruding.”

  “Yeah, been there.”

  He shot me a questioning glance.

  “When I first came into my magic, it was pretty strong,” I said. “I read a lot of pain without meaning to.”

  He lifted a brow at that. “You go around touching a lot of people?”

  “Very funny. Actually, it was mostly Drew’s and Kel’s, which kind of made it worse, honestly. They think they’re fooling me by sneaking around and pretending things are professional between them. Meanwhile, I happen to know they’re in love with each other and scared to admit it to the other. Unrequited love hurts like a bitch, by the way.”

  He tipped his head back and laughed. “I had no idea you possessed such restraint,” he said.

  “What restraint? I just admitted to discovering their secret crushes.”

  “Yes, but you haven’t let them know that you know.”

  “Of course not. Drew is already whiny enough. You think I want to hear him complain to me about my best friend? I’m not touching that shit show with a ten-foot pole.”

  Silas grinned. “So, you’re silent for selfish reasons.”

  “Obviously.”

  We started walking again.

  “What’s my pain?” he asked after a moment.

  I shot him a glance and then looked away again. “Aren’t you supposed to be trying to return my magic?”

  He squeezed my hand. “Still working on it. I think a distraction might help.”

  I hesitated.

  “Wow, that pathetic, huh?”

  I refused to take that bait. “It’s personal like you said.”

  “I think we’re well into that territory. Besides, it’ll make me feel less guilty for reading yours.”

  I sighed. This was such a bad idea.

  “Your mother,” I said quietly. “She hurt you. Deeper than your father did. Deeper than leaving your people hurt even.”

  He didn’t answer, and I kicked myself for actually bringing it up.

  I gasped as I felt my aerona powers return. The magic slammed into me so abruptly I nearly stumbled.

  Silas used our joined hands to steady me. His other hand gripped my arm, and I stared up at him.

  “You did it,” I said.

  When he saw that I wasn’t going to fall over, he pulled his hand from mine and stepped back.

  “I had a good teacher,” he said, but the words were flat. And the tortured look spoke volumes.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Can we just move on? Here,” I offered my hand. “Let’s go again.”

  But he didn’t move.

  “I don’t think I want your particular gift.”

  “Si.”

  He started walking, and I hurried after him.

  “Si, wait.”

  “I think that concludes our lessons today,” he tossed over his shoulder without breaking stride.

  I stopped, rigid with anger.

  “Goddess, you’re so fucking sensitive,” I said.

  He turned back, and I could see him just aching for a fight. Anything to let out the pain I’d triggered in him. Looking at him now, it was easy to see why he’d used Kai and his own fists to vent earlier. There was no containing this much hurt.

  “I’m sorry if my refusal to embrace a magic that steals from others makes me seem sensitive to you.”

  I couldn’t help the laughter that bubbled up and out at his words.

  He narrowed his eyes. “You think this is funny?”

  “I mean, the irony is pretty hilarious. The entire coven thinks you’re a thief, and here you are worried about actually stealing.”

  “You have no idea what I’m worried about.”

  The growl that crept into his voice was my first clue I’d pushed him too far.

  “Then tell me,” I said, my anger cooling in light of the fact that he seemed about two seconds from losing it for real. “Explain it, Si. Because all I see is a guy terrified of his own magical shadow. A guy who’s faced off with magical sociopaths and stared down the barrel of a gun like it was just another day for him. You protect the people you care about like death is nothing to you. But when it comes to facing your own demons, you run every damn time.”

  He was breathless with fury now, and I forced myself to remain with my feet planted where I stood. The urge to back away was strong, but I wouldn’t let myself show fear. Silas would never hurt me. Not physically. But there was worse damage he could do than a physical blow. And he looked like he wanted to do it now.

  “The problem isn’t that I don’t want to take people’s magic. It’s that I do. So fucking bad. The hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life was let go of Ash’s hand.”

  I blinked, not expecting that admission.

  “Ash. Your alpha? The one who had our coven magic inside her?”

  “That kind of power…it was amazing. Brutal. But amazing. And there was a part of me—my wolf or my magic or some darker human piece of shit part—that wanted it for myself.” The anger drained from him until I recognized only the fear that was left. And the shame. “I won’t let myself become that, Chloe. My mother took what belonged to you, and she did it in the worst way imaginable. I won’t do the same. I won’t let myself become like her.”

  I stared at him. “That’s why you wanted to know what your pain was.”

  He looked away.

  “You wanted to make sure I didn’t sense that kind of power-hungry darkness in you.” It all made sense now. “Si, just because your pain came from her doesn’t mean you’ll become her. We get to choose. That’s what this training is all about.”

  He looked back at me, and I spotted a glimmer of hope underneath the storm cloud in his gaze.

  “You get control, and then you get to choose. And then you let everyone else choose too.” I took a step toward him. “That’s what you did for Rusty today. You let him choose.”

  He grunted; a grudging agreement. But still unconvinced.

  “What if Vylan hadn’t been able to come?” he asked.

  “That’s my point. Without Vylan, Rusty wouldn’t have been able to handle receiving that magic again. Not yet. Learning to control your siphoning powers means you could have hung onto that magic for him. Until he was stable enough to take it back again. It’s not about stealing it forever. Our problems just aren’t that black and white.”

  “Our problems?”

  I shrugged. “I get to have problems too.”

  His lips twitched. “I think you missed a third gift.”

  “What?”

  “You’re really convincing when you want to be.”

  I smiled. “It’s more of a curse, really.”

  He snorted. “Not one I think I can break either.”

  We both grinned.

  His hand slipped around my waist, and my eyes widened as I realized he’d closed the distance between us without me even noticing. Apparently, arguing with him had eclipsed all my other senses. Now, the feel of his hand against my back had me leaning in and attempting to close the distance all the way.

  “Is this part of the training?” I whispered.

  “Depends. Which one of us is the expert?”

  “I’ll let you instruct me this time.”

  His eyes darkened, and I wondered if he would devour me completely here and now. Because I damn sure wouldn’t fight back. When he looked at me like that, I’d do anything he wanted, including baring every secret I’d held back. Even the secret it was getting harder and harder to ignore.

  His mouth hovered over mine, less than a breath away. I rose onto my toes, impatient for the torture to end. But a branch cracking behind us had us both springing into action.

  Rusty, I thought. Not again.

  Another branch snapped, and my breath caught. Beside me, Silas tensed, and I knew instinctively why. The presence on the other side of the brush didn’t feel so innocent this time. The scent hit me, and I froze.

  I knew that smell.

  Shit.

  Silas looked back at me, his intention written clearly.

  “Stay here,” he mouthed.

  My heart thundered in my chest, threatening to break free of my ribs. I didn’t even have time to protest before Silas shifted. I gasped at the sight of him as a wolf. Large, yellow eyes met mine for a split second, a silent message I didn’t dare interpret, and then he was gone. Tearing through the brush and trees like a bullet.

  I didn’t even hesitate before I followed.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Silas had a head start, and I’d seen enough to know there was only one way I would be faster once he locked onto his prey. Just like I knew exactly who was out there—and what Silas would do if he caught the asshole first. If I wanted to keep this from ending in bloodshed—though, goddess knew the dumbass deserved it—I had no choice.

  As I ran, I shifted.

  My clothes shredded away which sucked because I really loved that shirt.

  In the next leap, I had four furry legs instead of two. A coat of white fur covered me with a silver streak straight down my back and onto my tail. My paws hit the damp earth covered in pine needles, and I pushed off again, lengthening my stride as bones crackled and settled into the shape of my new body.

  A lupin’s body.

  Silas realized he wasn’t alone at the same moment I locked onto the scent of our little spy. Instead of stopping to be sure he recognized me—as much as I enjoyed fighting with Silas, literally having him attack me wasn’t a part of my plan—I increased my speed and passed him as I chased our prey.

  I felt Silas close at my heels and pushed harder, faster.

  Trees whipped by at an incredible speed, and I couldn’t help relishing the run. It had been too long since I’d let myself out like this. But I also had a spy to catch, so I forced myself to focus and used everything I had to close the distance.

  Up ahead, a brown tail flashed as the lupin ahead of me raced through the forest. Unfortunately for him, he’d chosen a route that put me back into familiar territory. My backyard was just ahead, and I took full advantage of the familiar surroundings. Veering left at the edge of the woods, I leaped over a fallen log and then threw myself hard to the right again.

  I sailed out of the trees through the air—and slammed into the wolf who’d apparently forgotten I’d used this exact move on him about a hundred times before.

  Idiot.

  The two of us landed hard on the grass and went tumbling ass over paw. I snapped my teeth, biting down on the other lupin’s hind hip. He yipped and scrambled away, only to double back with teeth bared as he came for my throat.

  Not happening.

  I growled, making it sound as threatening as possible.

  The fact that he gave me the wolf equivalent of an eye roll only made me more pissed. I’d exposed my secret for him, and instead of an apology, I got an eye roll?

  This asshole was about to die.

  I took a step toward him, head lowered in a fighting stance. Forget going easy; my wolf readied herself to deliver an ass-whooping this prick would never forget. Before I could do it, Silas stole my thunder.

  A hair-raising growl was followed by a body slam that elicited a yelp from what should have been my takedown.

  Shit.

  I watched as the two of them rolled, teeth snapping for real this time.

  Panic rose, and I headed forward only to pull back. I’d just make it worse, and if they got hurt because of me…

  There was only one way to end this peacefully.

  I braced myself and then shifted back to my human form.

  “Silas!”

  My scream echoed into the trees, piercing the noise of their fight. Silas stopped and scrambled up at the sight of me. I resisted the urge to cover myself. Nudity as a wolf had always been no big deal. Until now.

  Refocusing on my goal, I glanced at the other wolf, who’d taken the opportunity of Silas’ distraction to put distance between them.

  “He’s not a threat,” I told Silas. “And even though he probably deserves it, I’m asking you not to hurt him.”

  The brown wolf shifted back to two legs and glowered at me. “I don’t deserve shit,” Drew said.

  Silas was the last to shift back, and I purposely averted my eyes from the godlike abs and chiseled chest. Not to mention the delicious V of his hips that descended to—

  Eyes up, Chloe.

  “What in the actual fuck is going on here?” Silas demanded.

  “What does it look like?” Drew asked, way too snarky, considering Silas had already tried ripping his throat out once. “We’re hybrids. Like you.”

  Silas looked from him to me. The betrayal was unmistakable. “You’re a shifter,” he said.

  “Yes.”

  He glared at Drew. “And a peeping Tom.”

  “I wasn’t peeping,” Drew said defensively. “I went looking for you after I heard about what happened at the bar. When I realized Chloe had already found you, I backed off. Or tried to. Apparently, your hearing is better than I expected for two people about to—”

  “Do not finish that sentence,” I warned him.

  He looked at Silas then me and seemed to take the hint.

  “Right. I’ll just be…” He didn’t bother finishing before heading for the house.

  “Silas.”

  I took a step toward him.

  “Don’t,” he said.

  I stopped.

  “Can we talk about—”

  “No.”

  He walked past me and right back into the woods.

  *.*.*

  I spent the next few hours in my workshop. My stash of extra clothes stuffed into an old pot under the counter came in handy, which solved the least of my problems. After that, I lost myself in herb dehydration and melting down the beeswax necessary to finish up some salve I’d been needing to refill.

  The work helped me shut my brain off against the noise. Silas. Drew. Kel. Greg. Too many people had stolen a piece of my sanity lately. And now, I had a feeling I’d stolen Silas’. If he never spoke to me again, it was my own fault.

  So, I let him go and forced myself to work instead of chasing him down. I owed him that, at least, after lying to him. Or maybe I was just terrified that, if I went looking now and he rejected me, I might just break.

  I barely noticed the sun had set and finally came up for air when my stomach growled so loudly I looked around for another presence. With a sigh that felt too heavy to hold in, I set my work aside and went into the house.

  Drew had dinner on the stove. The moment he saw me, he apologized, but I waved him off and made a plate. None of this was his fault. It was mine.

  “I shouldn’t have gotten so close,” Drew said, still apologizing as I sat at the table with my food.