Page 13 of What Lies Beyond the Realms

“Yes, I am. Well, I will be. I’m only eighteen, and we don’t get our powers until we turn nineteen. So, I may be a Sorceress, but I don’t have much to show for it yet.”

Rhett laughs. “Don’t worry. Luke here may be a Lycan, but he doesn’t have much to show for it either.” He grabs Luke around the neck and rubs his fist on the top of his head, messing his hair about.

“Hey, you won’t be able to say that after tonight.” Luke bats him away, laughing.

“Would either of you like to explain to me what exactly happens tonight?”

“Once a year when the full moon is at its fullest, we hold the Shifting Moon festival for one night only. Any Lycan who turned sixteen since the last festival will finally shift for the first time tonight along with gaining everything else that comes with being a Lycan. Like how you get your powers when you turn nineteen, it's similar to that. Before we turn sixteen and attend our first festival, we’re just regular mortals. The Lycan blood within us hasn’t awoken yet,” says Rhett.

“I understand all of that, but what happens at the festival?”

“Packs from all over have been arriving all week in anticipation of the festival. Every Lycan attends, no matter their age, and that’s why you’ll see lots of tents set up all around the village. The real festivities start at sunset. Marth prepares a huge feast in the big hall. We all eat together and visit with other packs we haven’t seen for a long time. We just catch up and enjoy good company and good food. Then after dinner they have a huge bonfire built outside the dining hall. Everyone enjoys beer and whiskey while the elders take turns telling stories about the newest members about to make their first shift. People dance and play music. It’s like a big party under the moon. Then at midnight we all bear witness to the first shift the new Lycans make.”

“I’ve never seen a Lycan in wolf form before,” I tell them.

“Would you like to now?” Rhett gives me a cheeky smile, and I can see all of his perfectly straight white teeth. He is handsome.

“Yes, please.” I give him a sweet smile in return.

“As you wish.” Rhett ducks behind some trees, and then he emerges in slow motion. The first thing I behold is an enormous black paw, as though crafted by nature itself to embody strength and power. My gaze ascends to a jaw full of razor-sharp teeth and penetrating light-blue eyes that seem to exude a commanding presence. Rhett is even more imposing and majestic than I had imagined, with shaggy fur that’s the deepest shade of black.

“Show off,” Luke mutters, rolling his eyes.

I let out the breath I hadn’t realized I was holding in. Rhett comes right up to me in his wolf form.

“Can I pet him?” I ask Luke.

Luke laughs. “Oh, I’m sure he’ll love that.”

I reach for him with both hands and pet his ears and his face while looking him in the eye.

“You are so beautiful and . . . terrifying,” I whisper while smiling at him.

We keep a fast pace, Rhett running along ahead of us in his wolf form. The hike is charming. Most of the trees have lost a lot of their leaves since winter is encroaching. The birds are chirping, and I can hear the sound of a river in the distance. The air smells of damp moss and rainwater. I’m not cold anymore because all the hiking is keeping me warm, but I’m sure my nose and cheeks are still pink from the chill in the air.

Finally, we come around a bend at the top of a hill, and the trees thin out a bit. At first all I see is Rhett in front of us with his naked, tan ass in our faces.

He looks back to us. “Come on. Don’t be a chicken.”

He jumps, falling out of sight.

I run forward to the edge of the cliff, and a breathtaking swimming hole comes into view. The water is a serene and inviting emerald green, and the shores below are strewn with tiny colorful rocks of all shades. Even the same enchanting midnight trees from the village are here. Luke is already at the edge, tossing his pack down onto the rocky beach below. Even though the water is going to be freezing, I can’t wait to dive in and immerse myself in the beauty of this place.

I kick off my boots and take off all of my clothes except for my chemise, which I’m thankful I decided to wear under my tunic. It barely falls to my thigh, but it’s better than going naked. I toss my clothes down next to the pack, then I look to Luke who’s blushing and trying not to make eye contact with me.

“Have you never seen a half-naked woman before?”

“Nope this would be a first,” he mutters.

I laugh. “Well, don’t just stand there. Hurry up.”

I get a little bit of a running start then jump off the cliff into the water below.

Chapter Eight

The water is freezing. It feels like tiny needle pricks all over my skin. I surface with a gasp, and Rhett is right there to grab me.

“Are you okay?” He holds out an arm so I can steady myself in the water. It’s too deep to stand, so I hold his arm and kick my feet to stay afloat.