“Arwyn! Raydir! Where have you been?” Rosie shrieked when she saw us. I had successfully changed back into my clothes and given Raydir his shirt before we walked back toward the cabins.

“What is it, Rosie? We were just out at the lake,” I replied with a frown.

“So you didn’t see it?” she asked. “The rogue?”

Raydir tightened his grip around my waist. “That was a rogue?”

Rosie sighed. “You saw it. But you’re unharmed? It didn’t attack you?” Her voice was riddled with concern. “Come, let’s discuss this inside.”

Without another word, we followed her into a room off to one side in the Grand Cabin. Inside, we were met with Bennett, Caesaria, and Darius.

Great. Just what I need right now.

“We’ll begin the meeting now,” Rosie stated, taking a seat at the head of the table. She gestured to a few empty chairs, and Raydir and I took a seat next to each other. “Now, Raydir and Arwyn, could you please tell the council what you saw out at the lake?”

I swallowed and looked at Raydir.

He gave my hand a reassuring squeeze. “Certainly. Arwyn and I were swimming at the south end of the lake. We saw the rogue stalking along the bank. It regarded us, but kept a reasonable distance.”

“Did you engage with it?” Darius asked.

What is he doing here? I thought to myself.

My job.

I stifled a yelp with a cough, waving my hand for Raydir to respond. What the hell? I thought you said our connection was supposed to go away after the alignment?

“We assessed the situation, and I instructed Arwyn to use her powers to keep it at a distance,” Raydir replied.

Guess I was wrong.

Another hand squeeze from Raydir. “Once she trusted herself, she was able to conjure a water funnel to scare off the rogue. Luckily, it worked, and the rogue skulked off into the woods somewhere.”

You lied to me, Darius.

“And did you see which way the rogue went?” Rosie asked.

Raydir glanced at me then back to Rosie. “No, we were more focused on getting away safely.”

“I see.” Rosie clasped her hands in front of her.

Darius shot me a look. This isn’t the right time, Ar.

Raydir nudged me with his foot and threw me a look as if to say, cut it out. “What do we know about the rogue? Besides the information I just told you.”

“Rogues are more dangerous than either type of wolf we have in the valley,” Bennett explained. “And they only develop when someone has fully succumbed to their inner wolf.”

Nothing is ever the right time with you. I paused, my eyes snapping to attention. “So there have been other cases? My father wasn’t the first attack? Of course he wasn’t, what was I thinking…my sister was.” I turned to Bennett. “My sister was attacked by a rogue, did you know that? When your carriage went down and she died…that was because of a rogue.”

Bennett nodded carefully. “I know. And I’m sorry I could not tell you. It’s been so important to get the facts that we have before we worried you with anything.”

I froze. “What do you mean? Worried me with what?”

“There might be a connection between the attacks.

Dread filled my heart. “Oh my God. My sister. My father. It can’t be a coincidence. The rogue…it’s going after my family, isn’t it?”

Silence fell over the room.

“Answer me, dammit!” My voice shook with fear. I couldn’t lose anyone else.

“It’s okay, Ar.” Raydir wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close to his chest so that I could hear his heartbeat.

“Yes, we believe that’s a possibility,” Rosie said.

“What do I need to do?” I asked.

“What?” Bennett asked, clearly surprised.

Were they surprised that I was agreeing to this?

“The training. Cae told me you wanted to train me. I want to protect my family, I want to learn how to fight. So what do I need to do?”

“Arwyn, you must understand that you can’t fight this rogue on your own,” Rosie said.

I raised my eyebrows. That didn’t sound like she was trying to talk me out of it. “I understand that. You’ve built this community out here in the valley, and if my father and sister really were targets, I might be next. Which means I’m in danger. The valley is in danger. We need to do something about it. So, I’m in—whatever this training entrails, I want it. I want to learn how to control my powers.”

“Controlling your powers is different from learning to fight,” Bennett clarified. “We want you to undergo power control, not combat training.”

“And which one did you make Raydir go through? Because I find it hard to believe he got all those bruises from learning how to control his powers. And Caesaria said that you all wanted me to go through the same training as Ray.”

“I went through combat training,” Raydir replied. He rested his hand on top of mine on the table. “But they’re right, Ar. Right now, you need to focus more on your powers. Combat training can come later.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but Caesaria stopped me. She glanced at the other council members. “We need to make a decision about who will train you to control your powers. The council has already discussed Darius as your best option.”

I shook my head. “Anyone but Darius. Cae can train me.”

She put her hands up in defense. “Sorry, Ar. I can’t train you. Conflict of interest. Same with Bennett.”

“And Darius isn’t a conflict of interest?” I blurted before I could stop myself. Clearing my throat, I continued. “I just mean while I do personally know Darius, he’s new to the valley. Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to train with someone else more…experienced?”

Sighing, Rosie addressed me, “Arwyn, this isn’t a choice we make lightly. You and Raydir haven’t been here that long and therefore have a lot to learn about how the valley is run. How much do you know about the Council?”

I shook my head. “Nothing. Caesaria only told me that you had discussed my training. And that you wanted Darius to train me, which for the record I refuse.”

You’ve said it enough, that’s for sure.

“It’s understandable, your hesitation to let Darius train you. And I admit, we should have discussed it more with you. And we now have an impending danger which means you can’t be picky about who trains you. The Council met as soon as we received word about the attack on Gwyniar. Then once we knew it was your father who was hurt, we knew we had to train you as soon as possible. You had already discovered your powers, and control is the hardest part. Especially in the face of danger.”

“So then why Darius? Like I said, he only just got to the valley recently, and suddenly he’s like this god who must be worshipped.”

Caesaria shot me a look while Darius smirked, looking way too pleased with himself. I sent him a glare from across the table.

Don’t you dare say anything.

Wouldn’t dream of it.

“Darius is the best option because he is a guardian. Guardians protect certain wolves in the valley,” Rosie explained. “The two of you are bound in that sense. It’s different from your connection to Raydir, but he’s still in charge of protecting you from harm and teaching you how to use your powers. That is why we need him to train you.”

Does it make you feel something for him too? I wanted to ask but instead said, “Fine. I’ll still take anyone but Darius.” There was no way I was backing down from this. It was probably for the best that I distance myself from him. Just until I sorted out my feelings.

Darius snapped his eyes up to look at me.

I locked my gaze with his. “If I agree to have Darius help control my powers, will you find me another trainer for combat?”

“Arwyn, we don’t think that combat training is the right fit for you right now,” Bennett said.

“Why not? What good is controlling my powers if I can’t fight too? The two aren’t mutually exclusive, are they?”

“She has a point,” Darius piped up. “Even if it’s mild combat training, it might still be a good idea. I’ve seen what she can do with a bow and arrow; it’s impressive.”

Flattering me now, are we?

Just trying to get you what you want.

“Arwyn, we are granting you a vote in this decision.” Rosie sighed and cleared her throat. “All in favor of letting Arwyn complete mild combat training in addition to power training?”

Out of the six of us, four hands went up. Me, Darius, Caesaria, and Rosie.

“All of those opposed?”

The remaining two hands went up. Raydir and Bennett.

“It’s settled then. Arwyn, you will begin combat training tomorrow morning. We will find you a trainer. Darius will still help you with power control. In the meantime, let us know if you see the rogue again. It’s very important that we get this situation under control as quickly as possible.”

“Agreed,” Bennett said. “Meeting adjourned.”

Everyone began to stand up and scatter. Everyone except for me, Raydir, Caesaria, and Darius. You could seriously cut the tension in here with a knife.

“Um, Arwyn, can I talk to you outside for a minute?” Caesaria asked, not waiting for an answer before dragging me outside.

“If this is about me not accepting Darius as my trainer, I’m sorry about that, but I just can’t—”

“He’s a god who needs to be worshipped? Seriously Arwyn!” She lowered her voice. “I mean I know he’s attractive, but you’re still engaged to Raydir.”

I winced. She was right, and I hated when she was right. “I know, I know. I didn’t know what else to say. But I still don’t understand what makes him qualified and what it has to do with the pact he made with Raydir.”

“He’s a guardian. Your guardian, specifically. And clearly you still have your mind connection with him.”

“Clearly. Wait, what? You can tell?”

“Oh come on, Ar. You are not subtle at all. Your face gives it away, any time you link him you scrunch your nose like you’re trying to make a sneeze go away.”

“I’m not that obvious. Am I?”

She patted my arm. “Don’t worry, Ar. Darius is clueless to these sorts of things. Despite the fact that you’ve made out with him…how many times now?”

“Only once.”

“For now.”

“And it wasn’t exactly a make-out.”

Caesaria raised her eyebrows. “Oh it was so a makeout. It was hot and heavy, right? Totally a make-out.”

“So maybe it was a make-out. But that aside, what’s with the guardian thing? Is that because of the pact?”

Caesaria shook her head. “No. Everyone has a guardian. Darius, ironically, is yours.”

“What about you? Who are you a guardian for?”

“Raydir, actually. I didn’t know until you both got to the valley. But that’s why things were so tense the first time we met and why it seemed like I was going after Ray. I was drawn to him and the need to protect him.” She bit her lip. “Anyway, I know this isn’t exactly the most ideal situation, but Darius isn’t going anywhere. He’s chosen to be a part of the valley. Permanently.”

“What?! No! Why?”

“Seems like he’s found a reason to stay.” Her blue eyes locked on a spot somewhere behind me. “This decision is an hourglass, Ar. Sooner or later your time is gonna run out and you’re gonna have to choose.”

And that’s probably what scared me the most.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“You’re really going to do this, Arwyn?” Raydir asked me as I dressed the following morning.

I pulled on a corset vest—courtesy of Caesaria—and checked my reflection in the mirror. “I have to, Ray. I don’t really have a choice.” I kissed his cheek. “But I also have you if things get too intense, right? You can heal me.”

Raydir smirked, pulling me close to him. “I do have my ways.” He leaned down and captured my bottom lip between his teeth, tugging slightly as my fingers tangled their way into his hair.

“Mm, Ray, I really do have to go.”

“Pity.” His thumb brushed against the fabric under my breasts.

Just when I was about to blow off training to spend a little extra time in bed with Raydir, someone pounded on the door to our cabin. Given the circumstances, the last time that had happened, we hurried over to open it.

Some guy from the valley I didn’t recognize stood in the doorway looking flustered as his gaze dropped to the floor then quickly back to my eyes.

“Um, Arwyn?” he asked. “I’m Fletcher, your trainer.”

My eyes swept over the guy at the door, glanced at Raydir, then back to the guy. “You’re my trainer?” Fletcher was about my height with sandy blonde hair that flopped into his eyes. He kind of reminded me of a puppy dog.

The guy nodded. “Yeah.”

I glanced at Raydir who just nodded. “Where do we start?”

He led me from the cabin, and we walked to a clearing. “You’re an acquator, right? Water bender?”

I nodded. “Yes. Have you trained a water bender before?”

“You’re actually my first water bender trainee. But it should be fun.”

I raised an eyebrow. “Because?”

He flicked his wrist, summoning a ball of fire. “I’m an ignitus. Fire bender. It’s the perfect contrast to the acquator.”

“I thought Darius was going to do my power training.”

“He will. We’re just starting with a few basics and then we’ll eventually put what you learn with your powers to use in combat.” Fletcher held out a hand. “Shall we?”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

A week training with Fletcher had left me sore and bruised. But at least each night when I came home, Raydir was there waiting with a healing salve and a look of desire on his face that usually ended with us fooling around instead of treating my injuries.

“How is this?” Raydir asked, sliding his fingers slick with the salve up my bare stomach stopping just below my breasts as a tease and sending heatwaves to my lower half. We were laying on our bed, me on my back with Raydir straddling my waist. For ease, he’d tossed his shirt to the side with my corset vest and pants. We’d learned the hard way how messy the salve could be, so we’d decided to lose most of our clothing for this process.

My fingers clutched the bedsheets, and I bit my lip to keep from gasping. “Oh, it feels so good.” His hands sent tingles over my body.

He smiled and began to kiss my bruises, tenderly rubbing circles on my hips. I ran my fingers through his hair, closing my eyes and breathing in his scent. This felt so right, just the two of us together without a care in the world.

“I wish we could stay here forever,” I said.

“Training with Fletcher again tomorrow?”

I nodded as Raydir rolled onto his back beside me. “The closest I’ve gotten to water is when I come home and take a bath. Fletcher is focused more on the mechanics of training right now, but my body yearns for contact with the water.”

“When do you start power training with Darius?” He slid his hands up my body.

I leaned up on my elbows. “Tomorrow. I’ll be with Darius all morning.”

“Mm hmm.”

“You’re not jealous, are you?”

Raydir smirked. “Not at all.” As if to prove his point, he dipped his head to kiss the valley between my breasts.

I tugged at his hair with my fingers, any thoughts about Darius sent fleeing from my mind. “Good. Because if you were, we’d have to think of something to do to make you not jealous.”

His mischievous expression deepened. “Duly noted.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Are you sure you’re okay with me working with Darius?” I asked the next morning, searching his green eyes for answers.

“Positive.” He kissed me. “Now, go, okay? I’ll see you later.”

I gave him another kiss before hurrying out the door. My bow and quiver were where we always kept them in one of the weapons sheds, so that’s where I headed first before making my way out to the archery range.

Darius sat on a rock, his arms crossed over his chest.

“You’re late,” he said, standing up.

Asshole.

“Oof, language.” He tsked.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t say a word. We’re only doing this so I can learn to control my powers.”

Clearly you just wanted to spend more time with me.

I said don’t say anything!

Mind linking isn’t speaking, Ar.

“Gahhhh! You are infuriating!”

“Good. Then it’s working.” He threw a punch in my direction.

I shrieked and crouched to the ground. “What the hell was that?! I thought we were using my powers!”

“Integration, Arwyn. I want to see what you’ve learned from Fletcher first.” He uncuffed his sleeves and pushed them up his arms. “Give me all you’ve got.”

I raised my eyebrows. “What?”

“Just do it. You won’t hurt me, I promise.”

Says the man I shot with an arrow.

I huffed. “Fine.” I swung my arm at him, and he countered, flipping me to the ground. “Really, Darius?!”

He reached a hand out, which I gratefully accepted, and pulled me to my feet. “Good start.” His eyes scanned over my face. “Let’s try something. Follow me.” He started to walk away, so naturally I hurried after him.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

Darius didn’t answer, just led me forward.

“You know sometimes actually telling me things is a good thing.” I pushed through the brush.

“This is one of the smaller bodies of water out here in the valley,” he explained. “And it’s a good way to practice your powers.”

I studied his face. “How do you know so much about the valley? You just got here.”

“Caesaria is the one who suggested it during the last Council meeting. And she was with you when you first learned of your powers?”

I hesitated. “Yes, technically. I was able to see underwater, and that was the first clue. . Then I summoned a shield of water when Ray and I were…fooling around.”

Darius nodded in understanding. “I see.”

“But you knew all of that already. So how is this supposed to help me practice my powers?” I asked.

“Stand here and put your hand out over the water. Square your hips.” His hands slid down my sides, sending a shiver down my spine. “Close your eyes.” Hot breath on my neck made me instinctively tilt my head to the side before realizing what I was doing, then jerking my head back up straight. Sensing this, Darius stepped back to give me some space.

I cleared my throat. “Now what?”

“Speak to the water.”

“Speak to—this is your idea of helping me control my powers?”

“Just do it, Arwyn.”

I stuck my hand out over the water and tried to focus. The water bubbled up slowly; a single trail of water like a piece of thread rose from the surface.

“Good, now keep that focus. Aim the water a little higher. He guided my hand with his so the water was positioned over us. “Now let it back down.”

I dropped my hand, and the trail of water came crashing down on top of us. Shrieking, I jumped out of the way, letting Darius get most of the impact. “Oops.”

He laughed, running a hand through his now-wet hair. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“No! I swear I didn’t!” I pouted and then smacked his arm when I saw him smirk. “How do you know so much about my powers?”

“My family…they were very big on educating me about the ways of the wolf and the powers that come with that.”

“Why?”

“Do you remember the day we met?” he asked.

“Yeah. You told me your last name wasn’t of any significance. Then at my fate ceremony…Harford. Your last name is Harford.”

“Right.” He sighed. “Here, let’s fully immerse you in your element. We need to continue the practice anyway.” Darius began to unbutton his shirt.

I froze. “What are you doing?”

“Your clothes are waterproof, my shirt isn’t. Immersing yourself in the water will not only heal the injuries I know you’ve sustained training with Fletcher but also give you a chance to really control your powers.”

I still wasn’t convinced. Nevertheless, I unlaced my boots and dove into the water. As if like magic, all the tension and exhaustion I had felt for the last week began to wash away—literally.

Darius dove in after me and emerged next to me. “How do you feel?”

“A lot better. You were saying something about the significance of your last name?”

“Right.” He sighed. “For the last several years, I have been living on my own. I grew up with my wolf spirit from the age of ten.”

“Because of the incident with Caesaria.”

Darius nodded. “After she left for the valley, I went off to live on my own in Gwyniar. I could’ve—should’ve—gone to the valley when Caesaria did. And I regret it.”

“So how does that translate to you knowing so much about the powers?”

“Well, your father…I owe him a debt because he covered up the scandal of my situation. Um, ok you’re gonna need to do the same thing as before. This time the force of energy should be stronger. You should be able to get a stronger stream.”

I thrust my hand in front of me, focusing my attention on the water like he showed me. The water obeyed me, rising above us. “It’s working!”

Darius grinned. “Of course it’s working, you’re trusting yourself. Now let the water fall back down—ease it down.”

The stream of water slowly retracted on itself back down into the lake.

“There you go! Perfect control.”

“Does that earn me another piece of your mysterious backstory?” I asked, whirling to face him.

“Indeed.” He leaned forward. “But not right now. Tomorrow during our next lesson.”