Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

IZZY

" I zzy! What the fuck is going on?" Bishop asks breathlessly as we sprint toward the alley we always use to portal to and from here. That's one thing I appreciate about Bishop. He is always there for whatever I want to do, including running away from three wolves.

Man, I'm really going to miss this gym. It has some of the nicest facilities of any MMA gym we've gone to.

Really? The gym is what I'm going to focus on right now? Instead of the three massive problems chasing us down?

I guess so.

Sighing, I debate how to answer Bishop. The truth is probably the best. "All three of them are my mates."

Mates are fate's gift to supernaturals. Fate chooses the person or people who are a perfect match for your soul. Men typically have one mate, and women have multiple. There aren't as many women as there are men, so women generally end up with several mates.

Bishop turns wide eyes on me before slowing as we hit the alley. I throw up a portal and continue heading toward it until Bishop tugs me to a stop. "Izzy. You can't run from your mates like this."

"Like fuck I can't." Running away from my problems is my favorite form of exercise.

Letting out a deep sigh, Bishop informs me, "Luca's the alpha of Pack Nightshade. Archer and Cain are his betas. They'll just find you if you run."

Goddamn it. No! I refuse to believe that the universe hates me this much.

How the fuck did I end up with one of the scariest alphas in the country and his two terrifying betas as my mates?

I'm a twenty-one-year-old mage, fumbling my way through life. There's no way I'm fit to be a fucking alpha mate.

And the Nightshade Pack has a reputation for being especially brutal. Wolf shifters tend to be violent by nature. But the Nightshades are bloodthirsty, even by wolf standards. They are not people to fuck with.

"You don't know that," I try to protest as I watch the three enraged wolves round the corner to the alley.

They don't look pleased to see us. I can't imagine why. It's not like their mate just ran off on them.

"I do know that. You do, too, Izzy. Do you want to talk to them now or have them find you when you're at school?" Bishop turns to look at me while still keeping an eye on the wolves slowly making their way to us. Though they're pretending like they're not listening, I know they can hear every word we say.

"Fucking fine," I grit out while avoiding Bishop's gaze. I don't need him seeing just how messed up I am over all of this. This is the absolute last thing I need on top of the dumpster fire my life is already.

Letting go of the thread of magic keeping the portal open, I hear it snap closed.

"You ran," Luca rumbles out as he reaches us. He crosses his muscular arms over his chest, making his biceps bulge. My eyes briefly dip to the impressive display before I yank them back up to meet his burning aquamarine eyes.

"Wow, really? I hadn't noticed, Sherlock," I snark. It's probably not a great idea to antagonize Luca. But if I'm not hiding behind anger and sarcasm, I'm going to cry.

Luca's eyes narrow at me in annoyance. Good. He should be as irritated at this situation as I am. "Why?"

Not really sure how to answer him, I grind my teeth so hard my jaw aches. Looking over, I meet Bishop's somber gaze to see if he has any idea how I should start. "Just tell him the truth, Izzy," Bishop encourages me, like it's just that easy.

Unfortunately, the truth is one thing I can't share with these wolves. At least, not the whole thing. Groaning, I shove the few loose strands of hair out of my face. Since I don't have anything else to offer them, I give them the only truth I can. "I ran because I can't mate with you."

Deep growls fill the air at my announcement. The hairs on the back of my neck stand up at the eerie sound. My magic perks up at the prospect of a fight. Squashing it down, I glare at Luca as I wait for him to say something.

"Why? Because we're wolves?" Cain is the one to speak, his deep, melodic voice curling around me.

"What? No! That's not it at all." I'm mildly offended they think I'm so racist. Or is it speciesist? I don't know. My brain is too tired to figure it out right now.

Although, I can't exactly blame them, because mages are, on the whole, elitist pigs.

Luca hums, clearly not believing me.

I roll my eyes at him. "St. James over here," I start, gesturing over to Bishop. He raises his hand, and I give him a look.

What the hell is he doing?

Catching my confusion, he slowly lowers his hand. His expression turning sheepish, he gestures for me to continue.

Huffing at his weirdness, I start again. "As I was saying, St. James is also my mate. He's from one of the most powerful mage lines in Hawthorne Grove. Mating with him would vastly improve my status in town. My parents would pass out from joy if I did. I'd barf at how cute we'd be. Yet, I'm still not mating with him."

Archer tilts his blond head at me as I speak, studying me. "Why would he help your status in town? Are you not from a good mage family?"

I snort at that. Gallagher is the mage family in Hawthorne Grove. We helped found the town hundreds of years ago. That's part of why people enjoy picking on me so much. Most mages would never dream of going against a Gallagher. We tend to be really powerful. But because they think I don't have magic, they can torment me and feel better about their subpar pedigree.

"No. My family is prominent. I don't have magic, so I'm at the bottom of the social ladder." Maybe if the wolves learn I'm defective, they'll reconsider mating with me. My pathetic heart squeezes at that.

I know it will kill part of my soul, having three of my mates reject me, but it's necessary. It's not like I have a very long life expectancy, anyway. Maybe it'll just expedite the process. Then my family will at least be safe.

"That's a lie, little mate. That portal reeks of your magic. Try again. This time, don't lie. It won't end well for you." Luca's voice is soft yet somehow super threatening. I wonder if he'd teach me how to be that intimidating without yelling. It would help with all the mages who mess with me.

Swallowing uneasily, I glare at Luca as I steel myself. I refuse to cower to the intimidating alpha who could probably kill me with very little effort. There's what looks like a flash of respect in his eyes as I don't back down. But it's gone too quickly for me to be sure.

"It's not a lie, as far as the not-so-good people of Hawthorne Grove know," I respond.

"Why do they think you don't have magic, then?" Luca demands. He's clearly used to getting his way and having people fall over themselves to obey him. He's in for a rude awakening when it comes to me. I have a problem with authority. And I'm awful at following orders I don't agree with. It gets me into trouble at school more often than not.

My mind blanks at his question. I can't think of any plausible reason why, other than the truth I can't tell him. So, I blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. "I have a degradation kink."

Oh my fucking God .

I can't believe I just said that.

There's nothing wrong with it, but that's very much not my thing. It's also a weird thing to tell people you just met.

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I close my eyes in embarrassment. I want to smack myself, because surely, there was something better I could have said. Literally anything would have been an improvement.

A bark of laughter from my right startles me. I open my eyes to see Bishop laughing so hard he's doubled over. Aggie hovers behind him, also cackling in delight at my horrible answer.

Oh, good. More people to witness my humiliation.

Just what I wanted.

I don't even know when she got here. I've been so focused on the wolves that I haven't been paying attention to my surroundings. At least my brothers aren't here. I'd never live this down. Bishop better not tell them about it.

As Bishop's laughter dies down, I raise my brows at him. "You done, St. James?"

He wipes a few stray tears that leaked out from laughing off his face. "Yep. Sorry."

I snort. "No, you're not."

"You're right, I'm not," Bishop tells me with a grin. "You always have such a way with words."

I flip him off for enjoying my raging embarrassment. Scrubbing my hands over my face, I blow out a breath before looking at the wolves. Archer and Cain are grinning at my predicament. Luca smiles slightly, and I wonder if he ever grins fully or laughs.

"So, where was I?" I ask rhetorically, trying to remember what the point of the whole kink debacle was.

"You were telling us about your degradation kink," Luca informs me dryly. My cheeks grow pink in embarrassment.

"Oh, yeah, that." If the universe wants to take me out tonight, I really won't object.

"That's the story you're sticking with?" Luca arches a golden brow at me skeptically.

While it's embarrassing as all get out, it's not even close to the worst thing I could have said. "Till the day I die," I confirm with a nod. "Anyway, the fucking point of all of this is that I can't mate with you. And it's not because you're wolves."

"Why?" Luca growls as he advances on me a few steps. I have the urge to back up, but I stand my ground in the face of the massive wolf coming closer.

"I can't tell you that." My voice is thick with frustration. It's not like I want this. I want more than almost anything to be just a normal person for once. I want to be able to celebrate finding my fated mates, not mourn the life I'll never have.

But I'm not, and I can't.

There's so much more at stake than my petty wants and wishes and hopes.

"Can't or won't?" Luca presses.

"Can't." Somehow, I keep my voice from breaking. I refuse to be weak in front of them. I may not be able to mate them, but I still want the wolves to respect me.

"Until you can give me an honest fucking answer, I won't accept that. So, you're stuck with us, little mate," Luca growls.

"No," I grit out as I close the distance between us. "You're going to fucking leave me alone and go on your merry wolfie way."

"Or what?" Luca questions, his voice laced with amusement. It's clear that he's underestimating me like everyone else.

Anger bubbles in my chest, sparking at my mate thinking I'm weak. I breathe through the emotion, not wanting to do something I regret in the heat of the moment. My magic also stirs in my chest. A little trickles out at my agitation. It's enough to make the strands that escaped my ponytail float in a non-existent breeze.

Luca's eyes widen as he feels the electric charge of my magic skate over his skin. His aquamarine eyes narrow in consideration. He finally realizes he and his wolves aren't the only predators in this alley tonight.

"Izzy, rein it in," Bishop demands. I glare at him for acting like I'm the problem. But he's already turned to Luca. "Back the fuck up. You're not helping this situation any."

I don't see if Luca backs up at all, because I'm too busy trying to pull back my magic.

But I can't.

Ah, fuck . This is why I don't let it come out to play. My magic won't be satisfied until it destroys something to prove to our mates how strong we are. Casting spells doesn't require much of my power. So, I can do them while still keeping my magic contained. Once I give it a little freedom, it tries to take over.

"I can't," I whimper as I struggle with the magic flowing through my veins.

Unlike with other mages, my magic hasn't ever felt like a part of me. Instead, it feels like a separate entity that's hitching a ride in my body. Once it gets out, it often won't listen to what I want, and it turns me into a much more violent version of myself. I'm already violent enough, without the extra encouragement from my magic.

"Isabel. Look at me." Bishop's sharp voice calling my full name makes me snap my gaze to his. I get lost in his baby blues as they flick between my gray ones. "You're safe, sweetheart. They're not going to hurt you. I'm safe. Your family is safe. Your magic isn't needed right now."

His words help calm the roiling storm inside me slightly. But it's not enough. My magic screams inside of me to prove how strong we are so our mates will still want us. Normally, I'd roll my eyes at it. But it's taking everything I have to keep my magic from razing the buildings around us in a show of power.

"Prove. Strong," is all I can get out past the stranglehold the magic has on my airway.

Bishop's forehead crinkles in confusion as he tries to puzzle out what I need. His eyes eventually light with understanding about what my magic needs. "Fuck, sweetheart. Well, leveling this town isn't an option, so what will work instead?"

I shrug because moving my limbs is exponentially easier than trying to talk right now.

"Hmm. Would sparring work?" Bishop asks after a moment of thought.

I consider it. Laying the three wolves on their asses would be super satisfying. It would be pretty hard for them to deny how strong I am if I beat them in a fight. My magic agrees, and I breathe out a sigh of relief. "Yes."

"You need to pull your magic back. Otherwise, you'll hurt them. Can you do that for me, sweetheart?" Though Bishop tries to keep his body language relaxed, to lull my magic into compliance, I can still see how tense he is.

My magic slowly slithers back through my veins to where it normally sits behind my breastbone. I sag in relief when it finally goes back to where it's supposed to be.

Bishop crushes me to his chest once he feels my magic disappear. His hand shakes where it cups the back of my head. Anytime my magic gets out, there's always a chance it won't let go again. We don't know what happens to me if my magic keeps control of my meat suit. "You okay?" he mumbles into my blonde hair.

I give him a jerky nod, not trusting my voice to stay steady. My heart is galloping in my chest, and I'm breathing heavily, like I ran a marathon. I'm not sure I'm okay. But I'm back. That's really all that matters.

"What the fuck was that?" Luca asks way too calmly for someone who almost witnessed the destruction of a small city. While his voice is even, his eyes warily watch me from a few steps away.

Good.

Maybe the dumbass won't provoke my magic in the future.

"That was a preview of why I let people think I don't have any magic."