Page 177 of Glutton for Punishment

A strange sensation crawls through me. I know right away that it’s not the bond. I can feel that separately, like a thread connecting me to Atticus. This is something else.

I frown as I check in with body. It feels almost like strange static is moving beneath my skin. A faint buzzing pressure that wasn’t there a few moments ago. I press a hand against my chest, where the buzzing is heaviest, and the sensation grows stronger.

Atticus turns around and looks at me with concern. “What’s wrong?”

“I… I’m not sure.” I shake my head and try to recover. It’s probably just an aftereffect of the bonding. Bonding two people is rare, after all. We continue to head towards the exit when the static pulses.

Then suddenly it surges.

I suck in a sharp breath as energy rushes through me with enough force to make me stumble. The feeling spreads through my entire body. Wild and unfamiliar.

Atticus reaches for the door.

“Stop!”

He freezes. His hand stills on the doorknob as he turns to look at me. Then he looks down at his feet almost in shock, before shaking it off. “Is everything okay?”

Something feels off. “Just hold on a moment.”

The static continues to crackle beneath my skin as I study my palms. When I look back up, Atticus is in a strange position. Both of his hands are gripping the doorknob, and his body is leaning backward like he’s trying to pull against something.

I raise a brown in confusion. “What are you doing?”

His brow knit together. “I...” He glances down at himself. “I don’t know.”

Slowly he releases the handle. “It’s strange. It felt like my body just... spasmed or moved on its own.”

A chill races down my spine.

I look from Atticus. To the doorknob. Then back to Atticus. My mind racing as I connect the dots.

Is it possible?

The static pulses again, harder this time, demanding attention. Focusing on the sensation, I look directly at him.

“Jump.”

As I say the word, instinct takes over. The static rushes from somewhere deep inside me and wraps itself around the command.

Atticus hops straight into the air.

The second his feet hit the floor, his eyes go wide. “What the fuck was that?”

I stare back. My pulse is hammering now.

“Arwen. What’s going on? What’s happening right now?”

I swallow. The answer sounds ridiculous. Impossible even. But I can’t think of any other reason…

“Atticus… would you say that a command ability qualifies as a Pride power?”

His expression goes blank as all the color drains from his face. “But that’s not possible.”

“I… I don’t know what else it could be.”

He shakes his head. “There are no records of dual-faction powers. This… this is dangerous, Arwen. Un-known territory.”

I look down at my hands. All I know is that something new exists inside me. Something that wasn’t there before. And somehow, it feels connected to him. I meet his gaze.