Aurora POV
Over the next week, Ivy spends everyday training Hayden. As her anchor, Hayden will grow her control. I can push her into using her abilities, but she was right. I can't expect her to have control, to be able to fight Iris.
It isn't her fight and it isn't fair of me to place the burden onto her shoulders.
It's my burden and I will win.
Pain erupts through my shoulder as I land on the ground, "Focus Aurora!" Amara yells as she stands on the other side of the circle.
I can feel the ground rumble as Xander growls lowly on the sidelines.
He took training me to fight extremely seriously until the second I get hurt. Then all his mating instincts try to step in to protect me from the pain.
Rolling my wrists back and placing them against the ground, I push over. I use the momentum to flip myself back into a standing position at the same moment I send a pulse into the ground below me.
The wave moves through the mat floor before exploding in front of Amara, throwing her back a few feet.
"Dirty little," I hear her mumble before she holds up both her hands in front of her, "Vatos."
The explosive waves throw me back to the floor, hitting the ground with a solid thud.
"Tap," Amara breathes out as she lies back against the mat.
"Me too," I say, closing my eyes for a second as I feel Xander rushing closer to me to check for injuries.
"You alright, sweetheart?" Xander asks as he roams my entire body for injuries.
"I'm fine. Got the wind knocked out of me, but I'll be good," I tell him honestly. I don't even bother to open my eyes since I know nothing I tell him will calm his heart.
He places a hand against my stomach, erupting fireworks to spread through my body. Cracking open my eyes, I meet his deep blue ones.
"Don't lie to me," he pushes slightly against my body, causing me to wince.
"Fine, it hurt," knowing he can read me and him actually doing it was becoming a fine line that I was having trouble accepting. I refused to shut him out of my thoughts and feelings, but that allowed him to read every one of my thoughts and feelings.
"If you don't want me to know, you could just ask me not to," he laughs softly, the sound causing me to smile and the ache from hitting the floor faded.
"Oh dear love, I don't like the fact that you feel everything I feel. Can you stop?" sarcasm pouring out of my words.
He looks down at me, a smirk prominent on his lips, "Sorry sweetheart. No can do. I like reading you way too much to ever quit. But thanks for asking nicely."
He leans down and places a chaste kiss on my lips, smiling even brighter. Fully standing up, he offers me his hand and pulls me onto my feet.
I lean my weight into him, wrapping my arms around his waist, "Just for that," I whisper up to him as I lean in to place kisses along his jaw, leading up to his left ear, "You're sleeping on the couch tonight."
I feel his arms go stiff around me as he growls lowly. I giggle as I listen to the conversation he has with his wolf. Neither will allow what I just sad to happen. The look in his eyes darkens slightly, "We'll see about that," he whispers.
"If you guys are done flirting with each other, we should go again," Amara yells out, breaking our stare down.
"Like you and Asher are any better," I laugh as I look at them standing in nearly the same position we were.
I moved away from Xander as Asher stepped back from Amara. We both moved towards the middle of the mat as we prepared ourselves for the other's attack.
"When we were little, Iris used to babysit us. Her favorite game was hide-and-seek," Amara tells the boys as they stand on the sidelines, her gaze never leaving mine, "You ready to play?"
I smirk, answering, "Always."
"Remember, no wind," Amara smiles before she focuses on casting her spell, "Invisique."
I catch Asher tense as Amara disappears before me. Turning slowly in the circle, I take the center of the mat as I try to sense where Amara was located.
"Behind you," she whispers as her punch lands into my ribs before she sweeps her leg against mine and hit the mat with a loud thud.
"Feel out through the floor below her. You can feel the vibrations of the ground move," Xander suggests.
"We are in a building, not on earth and dirt," I tell him as I flip my body before getting up.
"You guys went running this afternoon, didn't you?" he asks me, a smile playing on his lips.
"Through the woods, yeah," thinking about what his meaning could be when the thought strikes me, "She has dirt on the bottom of her sneakers."
Leaning down, I placed my hand against the mat floor as I push out to feel the closest amount of earth moving near me. Sensing a small dirt movement to my left, I concentrate on shifting the dirt into my hand.
Reaching out, I pull the earth to me before my hand connects with Amara's ankle. The spells fades the second we touch.
She kicks her other foot out as I lift my arm to block the shot. Rolling over her, I trap her leg against mine as I pull her arm to flatten her against the mat.
Amara tries to wiggle out but can't move more than a few centimeters. Lifting her hand, she taps against my leg. Releasing my hold, I roll over and stand up. Putting my hand out, I lift Amara to her feet.
"How did you even feel the dirt?" Amara asks me as Asher looks her over, "There was barely even a trace of dirt on my sneakers."
"If it's there, she should be able to feel it," Xander says as he comes up behind me to wrap his arms around my waist, "My research said that the past elementals could feel the earth even if there is only a particle of it."
"Your research?" I turn in his arms as I ask him, "You've been researching elementals?"
"Of course," he tells me, kissing my forehead lightly before pulling back slightly, "I promised I would help prepare you. I needed to know everything about the history of elementals to train you."
"Thank you," I tell him, loving that he cared so much.
"Anytime, sweetheart," he kisses me gently before pulling his lips away, "How about we call it a day?"
I want to argue with him that I can keep going, but the aches running through my body tell me he's right, "Fine."
His smile lightens up his face as he leans down place his arm under my legs and lifting me to hold me bridal style.
"Xander!" I yell as he starts walking out of the pack training house and towards our home, "Put me down. I am perfectly capable of walking on my own."
"I know you are," he smirks, his smile never leaving his eyes, "But I enjoy carrying you, so you are just going to have to deal with it, sweetheart."
I roll my eyes as he kisses my cheek quickly. I can feel my cheeks start to blush at his cute behavior. When we make it to the house, he walks us over the threshold before going into the kitchen to place me on a stool.
"Since I'm apparently not allowed to walk, are you going to be making us dinner then?" I joke, but he just keeps smiling.
"That sounds exactly like what I had in mind," he tells me, squeezing my hips as I place my hands against his chest.
"It does, does it?" I laugh, biting my bottom lip gently.
"Well my entire plan involves feeding you dinner before I spend the entire night showing you just how much I love you."
I feel heat flowing through my body from his words as I clutch his t-shirt tighter, "I love this plan," I smile.
"Yeah?" he smiles as he leans over me, his lips nearly against mine.
"Yeah," I whisper before claiming his lips with mine. Our hands roamed over each other's bodies as our lips move faster. Moving to the bottom of his shirt, I tug the material up to run my fingers over his abs, "Do you know what I would love more though?" I pull back, both our breaths coming out labored.
"What?" he kisses down my jaw and neck before reaching his mark on my skin.
I release a soft moan as his teeth scrape against the mark, "If we reorder your plan and do dessert first."
He pulls away, smiling from ear to ear as lust and desire swirl in his eyes, "I love the way you think," he places his hands under my thighs as he lifts me up to wrap my legs around his waist, "I knew I wouldn't be sleeping on the couch."
I laughed loudly as he raced up the stairs to begin his new plan for the night.