Their Burning Touch on my Skin

Chapter 6

Emma

“You can’t get out of bed yet,” Kai says worriedly as he tries to keep me from getting up.

I shake my head, looking at him pleadingly. “They assess Serena today, or not?”

“Maybe,” he grimaces, making me tilt my head.

“Kai, please,” I beg him, making him sigh. “I need to be there. We can’t lose her to them.”

My heart hurts and I’m far from feeling fit enough to help Serena to keep her powers in check, but I have no other alternative.

“Okay,” he sighs, he helps me dress while I feel like my strength has left my body and my wolf had to cope with a real rejection.

Sparks erupt on my hands and up my arm, as he takes my hand to pull me through the palace.

My hand feels so good in his and I sigh, wrapping my arm around his to get closer to him.

We get back to the chambers where we were put in and I wake up Serena to dress her. My heart hurts every second more as she starts sobbing.

“I don’t want to do it, Em,” she says, rubbing her eyes. “I want to come back home with you.”

We did our best to keep our fears that she might be taken from our pack to be used as an asset for the Royal Army, but she is way too intelligent to not grasp what is going on.

As a thirteen-year-old, we still hope that she will just be looked at because of some silly interest before getting sent home without any other consequences.

“You have to stop crying,” Kai crouches down, taking her head into his hands. “You have to be strong. And remember what you trained with Emma. Can you do this?”

Serena sniffs, nodding and I take a step back as he straightens back up.

“Then keep it together. We are from the Blood Fang Pack. So, show them what we are made of.”

His smile is so encouraging that even I feel better at seeing him flashing it to his sister.

Lifting her chin, Serena scrunches up her face and nods again. “Yes, Alpha.”

“Don’t call me that, Sese,” he mumbles as he pinches her cheek and she giggles with her eyes still filled with tears.

A faint knocking resounds from the door, and our Lady-in-waiting pops her head into the door. “Is the lady ready? The judges are waiting.”

Taking a deep breath, I cross my hands on my chest. “Okay, let’s go.”

Serena takes a few fast steps towards me to take my hand and we follow the Lady-in-waiting.

I squeeze her hand repeatedly, Kai’s presence behind us calming me down even if my heart keeps beating in my throat.

As we walk along the large hallways in silence, I look out of the windows, seeing the warriors training on the fields.

My eyes scan the training courts swiftly, checking out every warrior automatically, causing my heart to race faster.

Where is Ace?

He was one of the warriors, right?

What else would he do at the Royal Court?

Shaking myself, I concentrate back on our way, and Kai’s voice invades my mind. ‘Everything alright?’

‘Yes, mate. Everything is fine,’ I reply through the mindlink with a smile.

We arrive at a training court that is separate from the others on which I saw the warriors train. Judge Attwood has his hands crossed before him, the long sleeves of his robe covering them as he holds them up to his stomach.

Like always, the other judges are teamed up around him, but that’s not what gets my heart to halt in my chest. Ace is standing next to Judge Attwood, glaring at me like he was his personal guard dog and I was about to cross an invisible line.

“So, let’s begin, shall we,” the Judge says and I lay my hand onto Serena’s shoulder, to push her gently.

The Judge bends down, smiling at her. “No need to be scared, little one. We just want to see what you are capable of.”

“Everything will be just fine,” I whisper, squeezing her shoulder and she nods.

Judge Attwood straightens back up, flashing us a kind expression, but I feel like I can see straight through it.

And he gives me the creeps.

Lifting his hand, he gestures to Ace who hasn’t moved an inch and I can feel the rage rolling off him and Kai, making me gulp as I feel myself in the middle of a clash between titans. “I suppose you know Ace Blackwood.”

His sardonic tone makes bile rise into my mouth, and I cover it with a fake smile, “Of course, Your Honour.”

Kai keeps silent behind me, but I can feel how displeased he is by the little effect the mate bond has on me already. ‘He is some son of a b***h,’ he growls in my head.

And I shake my head to concentrate back on our conversation even if I agree with him.

But we need to concentrate on doing our best to get back home as soon as we can.

My heart breaks as my brain completes the sentence automatically, without my heart being ready for it.

With or without Ace.

“He is our head warrior and will lead the assessment,” he explains with a malicious smile.

I feel like I’m pushed underwater, my throat feeling as if he was wrapping his hand around my neck. “Head warrior?”

“Yes,” the judge replies happily. “And what a coincidence, right? Your beloved sister will surely feel more at ease with her brother during the testing.”

‘The brother she hasn’t seen nor heard of for five years,’ my wolf snarls before retreating into the back of my mind.

Kai steps forward, holding the challenging gaze of his brother defiantly, “Just let’s get over with it.”

‘Traitor,’ he adds in per mindlink, and seeing the twitch of Ace’s corner of his lips, he got it loud and clear.

Ace looks down at Serena, his expression morphing slightly as he addresses her with a more loving tone, “Ready?”

Serena nods, fidgeting with her hands before her brother spreads his arm towards her, getting her to move. As she passes him, he lays his hand on her, leading her towards a small platform.

I feel like throwing up as I follow them, watching her step up the stairs to the platform before she watches me completely lost.

“Good, Sese,” Ace says, crossing his arms before his chest. “Let’s see what you can do.”

She looks at me panicky and I move my hands before me, gesturing to her that it will all be alright.

Kai comes to stand next to me, leaning in with a whisper. “Start now. I guess she is going to f**k it up.”

Nodding, I set my eyes back on Serena, smiling at her encouragingly.

‘No worries. I got you,’ I mouth to her, hoping it will calm her down.

Serena closes her eyes, clenching her hands into fists as she concentrates on her powers. I take a deep breath, making a stream of electricity move directly under the stage.

With a low gasp, she stomps shortly, stepping right into the circle I’m constructing.

“Illusions first, Sese,” Ace’s voice rumbles over the court, and she closes her eyes.

Moving my hand in a circular motion before closing it to a fist as well, I get the circle to concentrate right beneath her feet. ‘Go.’

The earth starts shaking lightly, the dirt at the feet of the platform assembling into three small piles of dirt. She takes a deep breath, and the small piles transform into little dolls, marching on their spot.

Ace doesn’t seem amused by it while the people around us laugh. And I whisper to myself, “Very good.”

“Is that all that you’ve got?” Ace asks. “Show me the fire.”

Serena’s eyes fill with tears, and I hate to see her that distressed as I know how much she would like to make her brother proud.

Squeezing her eyes closed again, she concentrates back on her powers that she knows she cannot use to a full extent. On top of that, my circle is drawing her energy, weakening her momentarily. A small ball of ball of fire is, therefore, everything she can produce, and as the flame dances towards Ace, landing on his shoulder, he doesn’t even flinch.

“You have to be f*****g kidding me,” he growls, wiping the blue flames from his shoulder unimpressed.

The Judge sights behind me, and even if I would like to turn around to see his stupid face falling, I have to stay concentrated. “Don’t anger yourself, Ace. She is still a child after all.”

“This is f*****g bullshit!” Ace cusses, stepping forward and kicking one of the dirt dolls. Serena flinches, but stays on her spot, captured by my circle. “What is this, Serena?”

Looking between me and him repeatedly, Serena sobs and I shake my head. “Don’t listen to him, Sese. You are doing great!”

“You are kidding, right?” He turns to me, Kai stepping in front of me automatically.

Ace distorts his face in disgust as he watches his brother protect me. “What is that supposed to be, brother? Are you afraid I could hurt your precious mate?”

I hate how he sneers, his rage dripping from his voice as it expands in my chest like venom.

Your mate.

“You are exaggerating once again, Ace,” Kai retorts calmly, making Ace growl. “You have to calm down.”

Ace takes a step forward, looking at his sister again before he turns his head back to us. “What is this? She is not that weak. Why are you making her humiliate herself like this?”

Serena starts crying and I look at her in the hopes of comforting her. “Don’t listen to him. You are special and great. Don’t let him diminish your worth.”

“Stop this charade, Em,” he points his finger at me. “Even when I left I had her trained better than this. And that was f*****g five years ago.”

“Exactly, it was five years ago,” I shout back. “You know nothing about us.”

Clawing down on Kai, I loosen the circle for Kai to get her out of this situation. “Do something!” I plea him, and he steps in the direction of his brother as well.

“This is it. I’m taking my sister from that platform,” he announces as he is already walking towards her.

Serena is still sobbing and she holds her hands out to her brother, obviously relieved about him coming to get her.

My heart is about to beat normally again, but just as I’m about to take a breath of relief, Ace moves.

“You can’t f**k with me like this,” he roars, setting his arm on fire before charging towards his sister.