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His shoulders pull back. “It’s how things are done, and many fine witches pass the first circle test.”
I snort. “Yeah, all those fine, privileged witches who have the means to commit their entire lives to studying and practicing instead of having to work to pay bills or take care of family or who have learning disabilities. You should be very proud to belong to such an elitist group.”
He scowls. “You have a lot of opinions about an organization you’re not a part of.”
“Maybe because I’m not part of your organization, I can see how limited it is.” I stick out my arm to test the straightness of my wand. “Times are changing, so it’s time to change with them.”
He reaches into the box and hands me a finer grit sandpaper. “It’s not that easy to change tradition.”
I run the sandpaper over my wand, the wood vibrating beneath my touch. “Even harder when you’re not even trying.”
“Before Hartford Cove was established, wolf shifters never lived within a large community,” Owen murmurs, interrupting our conversation for the first time. “Outside of our town, most wolf shifters gather in small packs, with only one Alpha. Many remain lone wolves.”
He leans back on his hands. “But every year, more and more come to our gathering, and more choose to stay, because even if living in a large community isn’t tradition, it’s safer, and it nurtures their human side that craves to be part of something bigger.”
“You still have the pack dynamic, though,” Aspen points out. “You’re the Alpha.”
“And not too long ago, Haut was the Alpha,” Owen points out. “In Hartford Cove, there are many capable of being Alpha. Outside of our borders, they would have been forced to fight for their position or be shunned from a pack and forced to become lone wolves.”
Owen tips his face up to the sun. “If I had not been bitten by a werewolf when I was a kid, I would have become Alpha simply by default, because the firstborn child of the Hartford family has always been Alpha since the town was built, and everyone would have been fine with that. Even if an outsider tried to challenge a Hartford, others in town were quick to shut them down.”
“That’s very…” Aspen struggles to find the right words.
“Counter to instinct,” Owen supplies. “But it’s what makes Hartford Cove special. It’s what keeps us thriving. Our Alphas are often a figurehead, and not the most powerful in town. But having a figurehead allows those who could be Alpha to relax. There’s no need for them to fight, and they can just be human. We evolved to fit our current world.”
Owen’s head lowers, and his warm gaze meets mine. “But now I’ll be the last Hartford Alpha, because all our children will be witches, just like their mom.”
“Not you, too,” I groan. “What is with you guys wanting to get me pregnant?”
He gives me an unrepentant smile. “Not all instincts can be ignored.”
“Then it’s a good thing science will stop you.” I pat my stomach where I imagine my IUD sits. “No babies are getting in here.”
I should probably have Dr. Lopez examine me, just to double check that it’s sitting right. With how persistent the guys are, I need to make sure my anti-baby maker is firmly in place.
After that, we lapse into silence, and I focus on completing my wand.
Once my wand is smoothed out, and the tip points straight when I hold my arm out, I rub it with moonlit water, then use Aspen’s homemade glue and twine to attach my little piece of fulgurite to the tip.
I stare down at the finished product, impressed that it actually looks like a wand.
“Now to link it to your magic.” Aspen pulls a small cardboard box of birthday candles from the box, along with a set of matches.
Excited to see something familiar, I eagerly take them from him and shake out the white, green, red, and blue candles. I’ve done this part of the spell a few times, first with the Maze of Misdirection Mel gave me, then again when I needed to scry for Delilah.
When I don’t find sticky dots in the box, I use more of the glue and the app on my phone to position them on my chalkboard at the four corners.
With everything set up, I set my wand in the center of the diagram and light the candles, starting with East for Air.
I take the finger stick Aspen silently holds out and barely hesitate before pricking my finger. A couple of squeezes bring blood to the surface, and I drip it onto my wand as I request the protection of the Watchtower of the East.
Next comes South with the red candle for fire, followed by West with blue for water.
Last, I light the green candle for earth, invoking the Watchtower of the North.
A light breeze ruffles my hair, but the candles stay lit, the spell not yet complete.
I pop my bloody finger into my mouth, a copper flavor coating my tongue, and reference the spell for binding my wand to my magic.
