Ascension - Book Eight - Man x Man

Chapter 92

Pulling the wolf back from my fingertips was more complex than I thought it'd be without proper motivation. I'd been triggered by watching Tomas touch Verando, while I knew the Irish man obviously enjoyed the comforts of women, it was something that my feral eye picked up on almost immediately. 

There was a connection there, much as Verando hadn't loved any man before me, something in me caused me to react poorly to seeing the two so close to each other. My warlord fell back into step with the man as easily as breathing, to best friends who's bond had been rekindled. It was unfair to put this on them, to even think that Tomas would try to take him away from me, and yet, I wanted them to be separated. At the very least, I wanted Tomas to keep his hands to himself.

I struggled to focus on the 'layers' she was describing. It was like removing my own skin, uncomfortable, burning, yet something I couldn't fathom doing or even wrap my mind around. 

Perhaps that's why it caused me so much internal suffering to use, with my magic leaking out through my pores, it was no doubt savaging my body on the way through. "Don't think so hard. Just think about no longer allowing the wolf to access your hand." She attempts, arms wrapped around herself in the wind chill. 

I attempt to focus on the snowflakes, just as I had when I first learned to truly control my magic. Receding the warmth from my hand, I allowed myself to feel the chill, feeling the fog of my breath exhale through my teeth. My fingers threaten to blacken, I gasp and release the hold I had on the wolf, the warm rushes to my fingertips but at the same time seals the magic back under the layer.

"Damn." Again and again, I try, but finding the balance was excruciating mentally but not so much physically. Not so much pain, the tension, and exertion it took to expose tiny portions of my body and allow the magic to flow through took every last ounce of my focus. Yet, it did seem to be working.

 No nose bleeds, no blackouts.

"With fire, I'll scald myself." Rowan shows me her hands, covered in scars up past her wrists that wrapped around her thin frame in a spiral pattern. It nearly resembled some of my own scars from use. "My body was not made to withstand the heat so I have to make sure to keep the temperature around my skin neutral, while still maintaining a flame. It's taken years, decades. With a lycan body under your ice, you will have to work to protect it." 

"Frostbite." I sigh. "I've struggled with it before. It's not new, it'll just take some adjusting." 

Darrius tugs on my pant leg, "Tata, I'm cold." his little teeth chatter, Xaiver yawns as he holds onto his hand, rubbing his eyes with the back of his glove. Had we truly already been here that long? It'd felt like only moments.

By the time I can look up, Verando is before me, Tomas trailing behind. "I can take them home." Was he too eager to get away from me? My lips part as Tomas nears, taking all my effort to not insert my own fears into the pair. "Tomas and I were catching up, it'll be fine if you'd like to keep practicing."

Space. He needed space. 

Reluctant, I agree that it'd be a good idea for me to focus on the training while we had the opportunity. In the cold, there weren't many people who wanted to be in the middle of a park, it was a good opportunity to do some low-end magic while we waited for a more permanent residence. I also had no idea of knowing how long we would have Rowan, sure she wanted to stay, but she seemed like someone who had her own life to lead without spending every waking moment attempting to help me. 

Flicking her gaze back and forth between the two of us, Rowan offers a soft smile. "Actually, Adriam asked if we could bring the boys to do some shopping... I think he figured you two might appreciate some time alone. Why don't you let us take them back?"