SURPRISE DOUBLE UPDATE!!!!…. KINDA

The initial chapter ended up being way too long, so I split it to make it work.

I worked super hard on these chapters, so PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, comment as usual. You know I love you guys’ comments!!!

Okay, that’s it! I hope you all enjoy!!!!!!

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Nikola’s P.O.V

I was fourteen the first time I watched a star die.

I recognise that it sounds morbid, to purposefully watch something come to an end, but it wasn’t from any malicious intent.

Back then, my magic was growing exponentially, faster than either of my parents knew what to do with, as was my progress at school, so naturally, a need to fill my time arrived.

I’d started with the stars in my universe, with Opal; that was the name I selected for her.

I found her first through a telescope and then right there in person after I crafted a spell to keep me propelled in space long enough to watch her collapse.

I still remembered how it felt to watch the last of Opal’s fuels burn out, moving and sparking in the telltale sign that she was about to collapse.

I thought I knew what to expect. I’d studied supernovas in school, but those teachings could not compare to what it was actually like to watch the colossal explosion take place right in front of you.

The experience took my soul out of my body.

Not from fear or excitement but the purely surreal experience of watching that cluster of gas come undone from the inside out, until it had no other choice but to spread its remains through the universe.

It was beautiful and awe-inspiring and just about the most incredible thing I’d ever experienced in my life.

What I felt in that moment was the closest thing I could ever compare in words to what it felt like to think of my mate.

Hagen was like a supernova in my mind. A rush of endorphins that threatened to send me to flames, to make me implode.

Just the thought of him sent me hurdling, and right now, I was about to explode.

“Nikola!” Ma screams at the top of her lungs, “why is there lava in my living room?!”

Lava?

Blinking free of the haze I’d fallen into, I take in the calamity that had sprouted during my mental absence.

Knots was hissing irritably at the darkness currently seeping into my room from its corners, moving like some ominous fog that caused all it passed over to crumble and decay.

Luckily Knots was carrying enough dark magic to be safe, so the fog could wait. Lava in the living room could not.

I focus my mind – try to – to tamp down my earth magic before a volcano sprouted from the flooring, but my efforts are useless.

Magic required concentration, and I couldn’t currently achieve that because I was… nervous.

I wasn’t usually a nervous person, quite the opposite actually, and yet, as my eyes found their way back to the watch on my wrist, I sensed I might be at risk of cardiac arrest.

9:32 pm.

Sparks erupt all around me before I can stop it, sprouting from nothing to send sections of my room aflame while Knots’ inches slither by, searching for a place to hide.

Curses spew from my lips as I try harder, only for the catastrophe around me to worsen.

I could not fray, not tonight.Not tonight… but I was.

Unravelling at the seams and losing all the control I’d worked so hard for, and I hadn’t even seen him yet.

Maybe I should take over – Neo suggests even though we both knew his control over my magic was satisfactory on his best day – Hey! I’m getting better!

That is true, but tonight is worse than usual.

Accurately speaking, tonight was horrific.

You’ve done all you could to prepare – Neo reminds.

That was also true.

I’d seen Damon first thing this morning to go over our plan for tonight. Afterwards, I’d made sure to take his advice to get rid of any extra energy that might distract me.

I’d run for as long as I physically could on four legs, then drained my energy banks with the most intricate spells I could find in Ma’s grimoires, and finally had Jacob siphon as much dark magic from me as he could.

That was supposed to be enough, more than enough, but the current state of my family home argued otherwise.

“Nikola!” Ma shouts once more, her worry audible as the sound of approaching steps grows louder. “Are you okay?!”

“No!” I bellow back, because what kind of question was that when there was apparently lava in the living room.

I could feel her magic pressing into mine, trying to calm it at first, then contain it, and finally to overpower it when harsh rains and thunderstorms start outside in rebellion.

That wasn’t ideal.

In the worst kind of situations, ones like these where I could not control my magic, Ma used her magic to overpower mine, but that wasn’t working tonight.

Mine was too chaotic, running rampant from me like an uncapped jar that had burst under all the pressure, and there were no signs of thwarting it now.

It was terrifying in a way I found few things were, but my magic had always alarmed a part of me.

It still did, even though it had been a very long time since I’d lost control of my magic to this extent.

This hadn’t happened since I was a kid when I used to wake everyone up nightly with the horrible earthquakes I’d cause in my sleep.

I raise my wrist again, 9:35 pm.

Fuck.

A knock on the door followed by the familiar scent of vetiver and sandalwood has everything stilling at once.

Dad pokes his head in before I can call for him, offering me one of his easy smiles that make the ache in my jaw ease.

“You’re losing your shit,”

I feel the corner of my lips twitch a little, “I am.”

“Once you know,” he mumbles before he ambles inside as if the dark magic around us couldn’t tear him to shreds.

It doesn’t, wouldn’t dare. My raw energy, even untamed as it was, knew better.

Closing the door behind him, I watch as my dad casually makes his way to my bed, where he smoothes out my comforter before he sits down without a care in the world.

It helps it ease back, the chaos under my skin. His fearlessness made it all seem more manageable. It always did.

“You don’t usually get nervous, for anything,” he comments with a slight tilt to his head, “this is new terrain for me.”

It was new terrain for me as well.

I couldn’t recall a time in my life when I felt so muddled.

I’d always been powerful, so it was easy to find solutions to daily problems; excluding that, I didn’t feel that incessant need to impress others that crippled so many.

But this was different; this was the only person I actually wanted to impress, to enamour the same way they did me.

“It’s Hagen,” I explain as I meet his eyes.

Nodding a little, Dad pats the space beside him, “Come sit.”

I don’t argue, knowing it was always best to follow his lead.

I find the space beside him, making the bed groan with both our added wait, but it holds.

The second I’m settled, Dad drapes his arm around my shoulder and forces me to lean against him. It didn’t matter that I was almost his size; he still held me as if I were the pup that needed him to tether me back to reality.

“You remember the story of how I met your mom?”

The beginnings of a smile stretch my lips as I nod, “She was drunk and angry when you found her. You both yelled at one another in the woods, and then she passed out.”

A heavy laugh rattles his frame, causing us both to shake with the force of it as he pats my arm, “Yeah, that about sums it up. She was my mate, and I was her linker, but that didn’t make either of us like the other very much, and that son is the nice way of putting it.”

That wasn’t a lie. Ma’s version of this story wasn’t ever so kind in words.

Tension bleeding away, I take my breaths with his and let his words ease my rigged muscles.

I could see this in the past, in memories, Dad’s deep voice telling me all sorts of stories on my worst nights until I calmed down, same as I he now.

“I accepted it quicker than she did, knowing that even if I didn’t want a witch, that she was my mate, and there was no arguing against that.

“But your mom didn’t see it that way. She thought I was a threat to her power, so she wanted to break the bond.” He sighs with a slight chuckle, “I knew trying to convince her not to wouldn’t work; she’s always been stubborn. Trying to stop her would only get me the boot, so I took another approach. I took her side.”

It was humorous to hear this story from Dad’s side when Ma always said she didn’t know what had happened. One minute, she was trying to get rid of the linker life had forced onto her, and then the next, she was living with a mutt who owned her heart.

“It took time, Nik,” he continues, careful with his words as always, “lots of time for her to even consider that I was worth the trouble, worth more than her magic and then even more time for her to trust me, love me. It took a lot of time.”

His message was clear, a reminder that even after this monumental moment for me, it might take another five years before Hagen would ever trust me after all I’d done.

“There’s no one to blame for the state of your relationship with Hagen now,” he quickly adds, as if reading the steady decline of my thoughts, “None of us understood it all at the start, if we had, your mom and I would’ve done a lot more for you then. But there’s nothing to be done about that now. You’ve come a long way now, and that is all you have to show him.”

“If he will let me,” I reply, my insides turning enough to make the wood panels under our feet begin to melt.

“But you will do it,” he presses, his hold on me tightening, “tonight and tomorrow, and however long you choose to keep fighting for him. You’ll show him that you’re worth it because you are.”

My heart squeezes in my chest, becoming uncomfortably tight as I nod against him.

“Your magic has always been tied to your emotions, your control too,” he reminds me with a gentle pat, “it’s why it’s going crazy right now because you’re trying to stomp it all down when you should be embracing it.”

“If I do that, I don’t know what will happen,” I admit as I glance at Knots, who was risking his first glance from under the dresser.

“I do,” Dad answers as he draws me back enough for our grey eyes to meet, “you’ll handle it like you always have.”

I release a slow breath and nod.

I didn’t have as much confidence in my restraint as my father did, but I believed in him. If he thought I’d be okay, then I would be.

“See?” He gestures his hand to the room around us that was no longer falling apart, the flames were out, the floorboards stiff as they’d always been, and the darkness was now gone entirely, “you’re going to be fine.”

The lingering tension that had locked my chest into a tight lock finally bleeds out of me with relief.

When my eyes land on the happy ones I’ve known all my life, I feel my heart clench tighter, and when he closes the distance between us to squeeze me with a hug, I hold him tight enough to make him cough a little.

I wasn’t the best with my words, couldn’t quite manage the endless thank-yous that rippled through my mind, but I could do this and hope it was enough.

“You’re welcome,” he whispers, hearing the words as he squeezes me in return before he gives my back another pat and gets to his feet. “Now, your mom’s losing her shit outside since I told her I’d handle this. So do you think you’re up to easing her mind before you leave?”

I nod, laughter building within my chest as my ears pick up on the rampant surging in the hallway.

“I’m fine, Ma,” I call as I follow Dad out, barely getting my head out before her arms were wrapping around me.

“Tell that to the melted sofa downstairs, let me have a look at you,” she grumbles while drawing back enough to take my face in her hands and pass her purple gaze over me, “it’s been a while since your magic lost control like that.”

“I was nervous, am nervous,” I corrected with a glance over her shoulder to Dad, “but I’m okay now.”

Ma frowns deeply, her brows dipping with confusion as her gaze clears to reveal her usual hue, “You don’t get nervous.”

“That’s what I said,” Dad says with a triumphant grin before he rests his large hands on Ma’s shoulder and draws her back, “but as you can see, our boy is fine, so no need to worry, princess.”

“Well, tough shit, I will always worry,” Ma snaps as she pulls at my ear and peers inside, “Let me check you u-”

“Katerina,” Dad groans, “he needs to leave, or else he’ll be late for his big date, and no way in hell am I getting blamed for that. Let’s give him some space.”

Ma tries to argue, wanting to check every blood vessel in my body, but every time she opens her mouth, Dad promptly hushes her while he walks them away.

“But-”

“Sshh,”

“He nee-”

“Sshhh,”

Throwing a wink over his shoulder, Dad gives me another one of his grins while Ma tries to claw his eye out, “Good luck, trouble!” He calls, laughing as he throws Ma over his shoulder and heads down the stairs with her.

Ma stops her fighting long enough to glance back at me and offer an honest smile as well, “Good luck, Nik! Have a good time!”

I don’t reply, not knowing what to say, so I watch them until they’re gone from my suit. Only then do I retreat to my room and face my reflection in my mirror.

I’m not surprised to find my quiet smile still plastered on my lips when I get there. My parents had that effect on me.

With my head blissfully silent once more, I pass my eyes over my reflection one last time.

There wasn’t a hair out of place from the curls that sat on my shoulders; there couldn’t be when I’d washed, combed and brushed the disobedient curls out twice already. My charcoal sweater was unblemished, as were my black trousers that didn’t house a single wrinkle.

There was nothing to fix, no fault I could see, but I made sure to look still, not wanting to appear as anything less than perfect for Hagen when he was always so breathtaking to me.

You’re fine, Romeo – Neo drawls, antsy to leave and be with our mate now that it was so close – let’s get out of here and make our mate fall in love with us!

Neo was a wonderful wolf; I adored him, truly… but he was also a hopelessly naive wolf.

I am not naive. I’m an optimist – he barks with a growl – now can you stop fretting and get a move on.

I glance at my watch, 9:55 pm. Neo wasn’t just complaining, we risked being late now.

We’ve got our shit under control, we smell good, and we look fucking amazing – Neo promises, his excitement making him do rounds in my head – now let’s go!

It was time.

Calling on my dark magic, I send a prayer Goddess’ way, begging for the favour she seemed to keep to herself.

I just wanted this to go well, for both of us.

───────────────────

The ground beneath my feet burns slightly, my teleportation spell fizzling to nothing as I appear just outside the large bricked building Hagen had made his second home over the last five years.

This city was loud, too loud. It harboured all the annoying, loud noises that humans loved to fill their spaces with.

It takes my ears a second to adjust to the honking and ringing, pounding stereos and loud voices.

When it finally does, I raise my gaze to the illuminated lights above, eyes zoning in on the one I knew was his.

My next breaths struggle to come as my magic throbs beneath my skin, whilst my surging anticipation makes it hard to focus again.

Please, Goddess, grant me favour.

We are favoured. Now stop stalling and go! – Neo pushes like a child at the gates of a theme park – We’re so close! Let’s go! Go! Go!

Taking Neo’s charge in hand, I don’t bother trying to call up as I gather my dark magic to take me to Hagen’s hall, where his door waited only a few steps away.

So close now, my heart took on a new task to beat a hole out of my chest.

By the Witch’s hex, how did people live with these sorts of feelings daily?

I step forward only to flounder on the next as Hagen’s wonderful scent greets me.

Goddess have mercy

My heart rattles against my ribs, its rhythm turning erratic while the alluring mix of ocean spray, sweet almond, and something else I could never name makes my brain haywire.

Canines descending, my entire body thrumbs with the need to bury my nose at Hagen’s nape, to relish in the scent, in my mate and never let him go.

I breathe in greedily, scenes sharpening while my instincts try to take over, to drive me to the source.

No! I wasn’t a rabid animal. I wouldn’t succumb to my baser instincts.

Steadying myself against the wall beside me, I take a moment to push back Neo’s excitable pacing and my frenzies magic.

Annoyed by my own shortcomings, I shake my head to clear the last of the dizzying hazy.

Only when I trust myself to act sensibly do I continue forward until I find myself at Hagen’s front door.

I raise my fist to knock, then falter momentarily.

I was a little early, but only by a minute. Hopefully, it wouldn’t anger him.

Would it?

Surely not.

…perhaps I should wait it out.

“It’s just dinner,”

My knuckles freeze only inches from the door as my mate’s soothing voice seeps through the door, calming and exciting me in equal measure.

How was it possible for a voice to make every part of me soften all at once?

Hagen’s did, always had. His smooth timber floored me and sent a pleasurable burn zinging through me.

“We’ll have a meal, talk, and then…,” I hold in a breath, scared to hear the rest. “we’ll figure it out,”

My insides hastily swell, sparking with the need to never part from him, never to allow this kind of space between us again. It was almost as overwhelming as his words were when they settled in.

’we’ll figure it out.′

He wanted to figure things out? Between us?

Perhaps this was a trap. An unknowing hex I’d walked into where my world warped into my greatest desires.

It had to be because this felt like it was far too good to be true. Too much to hope for, but those had been his words.

“We’ll figure it out,” I hear my mate repeat, as if he were confirming it for the benefit of my doubts.

The wildfire that had been warring inside of me all day tries to build, flamed by Hagen’s words, but I carefully directed it to the path I wanted for tonight.

I would show Hagen who I was now. Show him that I wasn’t the child I was years ago.

If he was willing to give this a chance, to give me a chance, then I simply had to prove that I was worth it.

And I would because there wasn’t a thing in this world I wouldn’t do for Hagen Calderon.

Not a single thing.

With a final steadying breath, I let my knuckles fall against the door.

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AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! THE MOMENT HAS ARRIVED!!!

Thoughts???

Sorry for all the build-up, I know you guys are probably dying just to read the date already, but I wanted to make sure we got in both their heads before going forward, and it didn’t feel right to skip over this for Nikola.

Did we enjoy though? Thoughts on Nikola’s freak out, his relationship with his dad and his fraying control????

I want to hear it all, so PLEASEEE COMMENT!!!!

ENJOY THE NEXT CHAPTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!