for you than staying here with the flock. You can control the very air and the fire. Who knows what else you have in you?”
She got up from the tree and ran her fingers over the surface of the silver pendant and felt the energy of the stones vibrating underneath her fingertips. When she drew in a breath, the air came around her and tried to give her comfort. Illiana collected herself and thought about the wolf inside of her. All her life she had yearned to discover what that hidden part of her was. Now she had stared it in the face. It was a side of her she did not wish to walk away from. And what would her father say? What Coret said was true. She had thought about leaving and maybe setting off for a journey. Going somewhere she might be accepted because the flock would never truly want her. If Christopher was going to be mated, then he would not want her to be around either, but she had to hear it from him first. If there was a chance she could be with him, then wasn’t that worth wrestling with the wolf and using whatever emotions she had to funnel into the transformation? With the help of her aunt she had discovered that fury and frustration had tapped into instincts of the wolf. If she could figure out another way, then maybe it would work out. “I’m not a quitter. I’ve thought about my future, and I don’t know where it leads me. You’re right. I can’t give up on myself.”
“Good. Now we can try this again or you can run off to Christopher half-cocked and not be in true form. What do you want?”
Illiana understood what her aunt was doing. Coret wanted her to realize her true potential before she went to the man who she thought was never going to mate Jalisa. Maybe if it were someone else, she would have been happy for him. Hell, that was not true either. She would never be happy until she had Christopher all to herself. All the years she had been kidding herself, trying to be his friend, when all she ever wanted was to be in his arms, feel his muscled body against hers, and taste his lips. For one instant that had happened, and then he realized what he was doing. Kissing someone who was not his own kind. Was he always going to think of her that way? She had to know. This was the only way she could figure out if he truly loved her and if they could be together. If she could become part of the pack, then there might be hope. Illiana gritted her teeth and knew she had to harness her powers. These past three months, she wondered if she would get anywhere. If nothing worked out, then she would accept that and move on. If it did work out . . . well, she did not want to get her hopes up. Something had to come out of it. The time for sulking had come to an end. Illiana had been wallowing and feeling sorry for herself. She was tired of failing. All of her life, she had to work twice as hard in order to prove she fit into the flock. Even then, that never mattered. The harder she tried, the more it seemed she was an outsider. Nothing worked. She brushed her fingers over the brand on her breast, a raven, wings outspread, soaring to the sky. Escaping to the clouds was not her problem. It was dealing with the ramifications of who she was. All the taunting and the bullying had worn on her. Would she ever find a home? What her aunt said was true. She felt as at-home on the ground as she did in the air. It was in her nature to run and hunt but also scour the skies to find the best breeze that would take her even higher.
The air wrapped around her, boosting her confidence. Illiana let its power lift her off the ground a few inches, caressing her. It was trying to tell her something she could not quite understand. It tickled her fingertips. The raw power of the element blasted against her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the fire spark higher. It blazed until she noticed it. She reached out and felt the heat wash over her. Coret had asked her if she had ever asked the fire to work with her or if she commanded
She got up from the tree and ran her fingers over the surface of the silver pendant and felt the energy of the stones vibrating underneath her fingertips. When she drew in a breath, the air came around her and tried to give her comfort. Illiana collected herself and thought about the wolf inside of her. All her life she had yearned to discover what that hidden part of her was. Now she had stared it in the face. It was a side of her she did not wish to walk away from. And what would her father say? What Coret said was true. She had thought about leaving and maybe setting off for a journey. Going somewhere she might be accepted because the flock would never truly want her. If Christopher was going to be mated, then he would not want her to be around either, but she had to hear it from him first. If there was a chance she could be with him, then wasn’t that worth wrestling with the wolf and using whatever emotions she had to funnel into the transformation? With the help of her aunt she had discovered that fury and frustration had tapped into instincts of the wolf. If she could figure out another way, then maybe it would work out. “I’m not a quitter. I’ve thought about my future, and I don’t know where it leads me. You’re right. I can’t give up on myself.”
“Good. Now we can try this again or you can run off to Christopher half-cocked and not be in true form. What do you want?”
Illiana understood what her aunt was doing. Coret wanted her to realize her true potential before she went to the man who she thought was never going to mate Jalisa. Maybe if it were someone else, she would have been happy for him. Hell, that was not true either. She would never be happy until she had Christopher all to herself. All the years she had been kidding herself, trying to be his friend, when all she ever wanted was to be in his arms, feel his muscled body against hers, and taste his lips. For one instant that had happened, and then he realized what he was doing. Kissing someone who was not his own kind. Was he always going to think of her that way? She had to know. This was the only way she could figure out if he truly loved her and if they could be together. If she could become part of the pack, then there might be hope. Illiana gritted her teeth and knew she had to harness her powers. These past three months, she wondered if she would get anywhere. If nothing worked out, then she would accept that and move on. If it did work out . . . well, she did not want to get her hopes up. Something had to come out of it. The time for sulking had come to an end. Illiana had been wallowing and feeling sorry for herself. She was tired of failing. All of her life, she had to work twice as hard in order to prove she fit into the flock. Even then, that never mattered. The harder she tried, the more it seemed she was an outsider. Nothing worked. She brushed her fingers over the brand on her breast, a raven, wings outspread, soaring to the sky. Escaping to the clouds was not her problem. It was dealing with the ramifications of who she was. All the taunting and the bullying had worn on her. Would she ever find a home? What her aunt said was true. She felt as at-home on the ground as she did in the air. It was in her nature to run and hunt but also scour the skies to find the best breeze that would take her even higher.
The air wrapped around her, boosting her confidence. Illiana let its power lift her off the ground a few inches, caressing her. It was trying to tell her something she could not quite understand. It tickled her fingertips. The raw power of the element blasted against her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the fire spark higher. It blazed until she noticed it. She reached out and felt the heat wash over her. Coret had asked her if she had ever asked the fire to work with her or if she commanded
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