Emberholde Academy

8 - Show of Power

Eden's POV

I sprint down the hall, having made record time in leaving the Alpha's office once he said I could go.

This can't be happening.

Not again.

I continue running as much as my legs will take me, feeling massive panic and anxiety rise in my chest, as well as anger. I initially was going to go to my room but made a split-second change and decided to go outside instead. This familiar feeling washes over me, and it's then I know.

Something is rising in me, and I don't think this would be good if I was in an enclosed space.

I feel Rieka trying to calm me down, but there's too many emotions flooding through me, and I know she's happy about having found another mate, but I don't process things like her. I'm a mess, a mixture of anxiety and despair in realizing that I may be subjected to go through another rejection.

I can't. I won't.

I run out the main doors and towards Valleth's little house by the lake. I glance quickly and see the training dummy still there on the bank, and with everything I have, I outstretch my hands and let out the loudest anguished scream, letting out all the emotions that I was holding in. Everything breaks free, and I surprise myself as telekinetic waves come from me, completely obliterating the training dummy, and knocking its pieces into the water of the lake with scattered splashes.

I collapse to my knees in mental exhaustion, and look down to my hands, glowing alight with the feeling of my magic, but it's more of a golden hue, instead of the familiar orange.

I pant, trying to get air into my lungs to settle my racing heart. I jump when a hand is placed on my shoulder, and I scramble backwards on my elbows and back to look up and see Valleth.

"I guess we have to get a new dummy, don't we?" She says with a smirk, and I can't help but chuckle, knowing full well I destroyed it. She reaches down and I grab her hand, her helping me to my feet. I brush off grass and leaves from me as a still silence envelops us before she gestures for me to follow her into her cabin.

Dante's POV

The power that came out of her was unreal. Valleth had quickly excused herself, having sensed the buildup in Eden and followed her outside. I watched from my office, her white, blond locks snapping behind her as she ran with all her might outside. She had stopped at the bank of the lake near Valleth's house and let out what I assume was a scream and all I saw was the dummy break apart and go flying into the lake, and her collapse to her knees.

I wanted to go after her, the need to help her trying to overcome everything else in my being, but I managed to reign myself in. She needs time. I watched as Valleth helped her up, and only turned away from the window as soon as I saw them enter Valleth's house together.

She's something else, but I need to know more.

I glance at my desk and go sit down in my chair, pulling out her file from the top drawer on the left side, exactly where I left it before I left to go assist that other pack. I open it, anxious of what's inside. Valleth had warned there may be some fabrication from her previous Alpha, but I guess I will have to see for myself. I start to scan the multiple pages in the folder, quickly realizing that she is a Beta wolf, and recognizing her father's name as I've worked with him before with Moorgrey's previous Alpha many years ago. She has a sister, Adelaide, who came with her, but no other known background in magic or the occult.

Most of her file seems positive, from the time she first shifted to doing basic combat training as most Beta wolves do, but then I turn the page and I pause.

It's an incident report that is multiple pages long, dated from last year.

It goes through her attendance to Moorgrey's local ball and goes into intricate detail of her obsession with her previous mate, the Alpha. I read further and scoff. "Based on her previous behaviours, the Alpha was forced to reject her." I read out loud and sigh. Apparently after the rejection, all chaos and hell broke loose, which I can assume is where her magic came into play.

She injured and killed members of the pack with fire magic and was exiled and kept away from the pack for a full year in isolation before getting the approved transfer here to Emberholde.

I run my hand through my hair and sigh in confusion.

There are no previous records of her "obsessive" nature with the previous Alpha, and it's only mentioned in the incident report. The rejection was the catalyst, and she sure didn't come across as an obsessive wolf looking for ways to get into a power position with the way she respected me in asking permission to leave.

I know Eros saw right through this when he read it too, which is why he had Valleth look over it as well and take Eden under her wing.

There's more to this, and I can only find out from the source.

I have to talk to Eden.

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 - see you in the next one!! - vv