Chapter 169

[ 1,510 words ]

Xochitl

Lowden tries to glide the leaf across the small distance to me again.

His small brows picked in frustration. We’ve been working on this exercise for three days and he shows improvement every day.

The suspicion from his sites has also finally started to abate.

I don’t blame them for it. On the contrary, their protectiveness and vigilance for their pups’ safety inspired my respect.

“Breathe, Low,” I say in a gentle tone. “You are doing great.”

“But it keeps moving too fast,” he complains.

“thats why you have to slow down. Take a break and go find your center.”

He gets up with a groan. “Aww do I have to?”

“Yes you have to,” I say sternly.

He drags his feet over by a large oak tree and sits cross legged underneath it.

You would think I was asking him to chop off one of his legs and not take ten minutes to meditate.

“It looks like it’s going well,” Theo says with a smirk looking at his grumpy pup.

“It’s going as well as I expect for a Sypher of his talent.”

I had explained to the Alpha band that Lowden was an exceptionally strong Sypher. The things he was able to do instinctively were, by all accounts, considered gifted for their kind.

This meant that control would be the most important thing for him to learn.

It also meant that I would be staying for longer than I originally planned.

My wolf grumbles, not too happy about the arrangement.

He is happy enough with the land and has grown a fondness for the young wind pup, but living a pack is different for him.

Living amongst other shifters who are not Syphers is different and he isn’t sure if he likes it.

Neither am I.

“How are you?” Theo surprises me by asking.

“My accommodations are great,” I respond automatically.

Theo gives me a look that could peel paint. “That is not what I meant and you know it.”

“I’m adjusting well. Everyone is welcoming.”

“I bet,” he mutters.

Now it’s my turn to raise a brow at him. “Something specific you want to talk about?”

I know what he’s getting at but it’s more fun to have the males say it out loud.

“Can you try not to rile up the mated males.”

“I’m not rile anyone up. The females are being nice to me and I am being courteous back.”

He sighs. “You carried Eliza up a flight of stairs.”

“She said she was tired and she looked a little faint.”

“You picked Sarah up so she could reach the apples from the tree.”

“She said she couldn’t reach.”

“You walked June home,” he tries again.

“She said her mate had a late shift and she is pregnant. I wasn’t going to let her go alone at night.”

Theo rubbed his temples. “Alright. I can concede you have a point.”

“Good, well now that we have that settled, you can tell the males that I am no trespasser and I respect the sanctity of mating.”

Theo shakes his head. “I’ll pass it along.”

I signal for Low to come out of meditation and decide to give him an exercise that will lift his spirits a bit.

“Alright, Low. We’re going to take a short break from our control work and switch to pushing.”

Low looks so excited by the prospect of not having to move the leaf, I have to laugh.

“Now I want you to push me with your hands.”

He looks over at his Dad, hesitant for a moment.

“It’s okay,” I coax. “It’s all part of the lesson.”

He does it.

“Do you feel how you put force into your body, how you let it build from your legs to your core and then into your hands. The well I spoke to you about is like that. It’s energy inside your body that we move. Pushing it is a great way to keep people away from you and put distance between you and someone who could hurt you.”

Low’s eyes widen. “I want to protect people.”

“And you will.” Using my way, I snap a branch off a nearby tree and impale it hard into the ground.

Once I’m sure it’s secure, I go and stand by Lowden.

Now, I want to feel for your well. Reach deep inside. Once you have it, just like you do with your arms, push into that piece of wood.

“What if I knock it over?” He asks, all innocence.

“That’s exactly what you’re supposed to do,” I say encouragingly.

Low’s Hazel eyes focus on the target and he takes a few steady breaths like I showed him.

Standing with his feet shoulder apart, he plants himself firmly on the ground. Seconds pass as I watch him.

My power reaches out, feeling the air for a shift and once I feel the stream of his raw energy, I signal for Theo to back up just in case he misses his aim.

Theo steps out of sight and the smooth invisible current so the air begins to writhe and shimmy.

Low lets out a yell and a whoosh of air flies past bending the branch back as a thirty five degree angle.

“You did it!” I say as Low squeals with delight.

“Did you see that Poppy? Did you see?”

“Yes I did. That was amazing.”

I ruffle his hair and step in front of him. “Good work. No, I want you to try it on a person.”

“I don’t want to hurt you,’ Low says in a small voice.

“You won’t hurt me.” I look around and an idea comes to mind. “How about this, we’re gonna make a game out of it.

I go to him and draw a line by his feet. Then I proceed to draw a line every foot behind it until I am standing about ten feet away.

“Let’s play a game, and if you win I’ll get you as much ice cream as you can eat.”

“You’re on,” he says with a renewed sense of confidence.

“In order to win, you have to push me before I can get to you. I can only start from where you pushed back from and I have ten tried to try and get you. Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

I move to the midpoint and decide to use it as my starting line. “Okay on the count of three. One…Two…Three…”

I sprint towards him at a steady pace and as expected his push moves me back but not by much.

Still, I praise him and start again.

With every push Low grows in confidence and his pushes get harder.

Before I know it, I’m being tossed to the ground several feet away.

That’s gonna leave a bruise tomorrow for sure, but it’s completely worth it.

By the end of the game, Theo looks a bit concerned for me.

“Looks like someone getting Ice cream, “I tell Low and he jumps up and down yelling his victory.

“Are you sure you’re okay,” Theo asks.

I wave it away. “I’m fine this is all par for the cour—”

A large hand clamps down around my upper arms and I wince.

“You don’t look fine to me,” the Healer from the first day says.

“Thomas” Theo scolds but the healer orders him, dragging me along with him.

“I’m going to give him an exam,” he says to Theo as we’re walking away.

I’m so stunned by his actions that I don’t start protesting until we enter a private examination room.

“I’m fine,” I say, pulling my arm away from his massive hands.

Hands like that have no business being on a healer.

“Fine. You just let yourself get used like a rag doll,” his steel grey eyes narrow on me.

“I’m still not seeing how this is any of your business.”

“I’m a healer,” he says through his teeth.

“And I didn’t come to you,” I snap back.

Something has to be wrong with me because that grouchy no nonsense tone is going straight to my dick.

I may have forgotten to mention that the main reason those females are safe from me is because they don’t have the equipment I’m into.

I look at the healer. The buzz cut makes his feature more rugged, harsh and unforgiving in a masculine predatory way.

My wolf stands back intrigued by this male.

Goddess, give me strength.

“Well, you’re here now.” He closes the distance between us and lifts me up onto the table with an ease that makes me wish this was a doctor porno.

“Umm, no,” I go to get up. “I’m not.”

He puts a hand on my chest holding me in place. “Stop being stubborn and let me check you.”

His dominant tone is starting to grate on me as much as it’s revving my engines.

I latch on to the former feeling.

“Sorry, I only take orders in the bedroom, and since we’re still wearing pants, this doesn’t qualify.”

He raises a brow, stupidly I think he’s going to back off but he doesn’t.

“Is that what it’s going to take? He asks, his voice even. “You need to be riding cock in order for me to check you properly?”

For a moment I’m too stunned to speak.

“I—”

“Alright.”

“What?”

“But I want to do your exam first. Then later tonight I’ll stop by your place.”

Shit, I think the pup knocked me into a stroke.

What the hell is going on here?

“Do we have a deal?” He asks.

I should say no, but my hormones are on an entirely different page, so instead I say, “You better make it worth it.”

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