Chapter 184

Agnes

The emails were relentless. I’d received over a dozen already that morning, most of them from our manufacturer, who was asking countless questions about the onslaught of preorders we’d received since yesterday.

I’d expected a positive review of the bags, seeing as how they were both stylist and functional. But I hadn’t expected several hundred preorders to come in after my speech at the Goddess Festival. I hadn’t even expected half of that.

Across the breakfast table, Thea munched on her cereal, occasionally lifting her spoon to examine a particularly interesting piece before popping it into her mouth. Her pink streak had mostly washed out in the shower last night, leaving just a faint rosy tint to that section of her bangs.

“Can I have some more juice, please?” she asked, holding up her empty glass.

I reached for the orange juice carton without looking away from my laptop screen. “Here you go, sweetheart.”

Just as I was typing a response to one particularly pressing email, Elijah walked in, freshly showered and dressed for the day. His hair was still damp, curling slightly at the nape of his neck. He was dressed casually in a t-shirt and trousers.

“Working already?” he asked, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of my head.

I smiled up at him, reaching for my coffee and taking a sip. “Just answering some emails about the bags. We got hundreds of preorders yesterday, and I need to make sure the manufacturer is prepared for the volume.”

Elijah raised his eyebrows, clearly impressed. “That many?”

“People want to support the foundation, I guess,” I said with a small shrug. “And the bags are actually useful, so it’s a win-win.” I finished typing the email, closed my laptop, and pushed it aside. “But it’s the weekend, so I’m not doing any more work today. Pinky promise.”

A pleased smile spread across Elijah’s face. “Perfect. I was thinking we could take a family trip to the library today.”

…

An hour later, we were walking through the grand double doors of the pack’s central library. The building was one of the oldest in the territory, constructed of weathered stone with soaring ceilings and tall windows that bathed the interior in natural light. The scent of old books and wood filled the air.

I often forgot how big the collection here was, since I usually opted to use the library at the pack headquarters whenever I needed anything. But this library boasted thousands of books of various genres, while the headquarters library—where Gertrude worked—consisted mostly of pack documents and rare texts that required specific archival conditions.

Thea immediately broke away from us, making a beeline for the colorful children’s section tucked into a corner of the first floor.

Elijah placed his hand on the small of my back, guiding me toward the stairs. “The history section is on the third floor,” he said quietly.

I nodded, following his lead. My bandaged hands had healed somewhat overnight, but they were still tender. I flexed my fingers experimentally as we climbed the stairs, wondering if the strange heat would return without warning.

The third floor was quieter than the lower levels, with fewer patrons browsing the tall shelves. Elijah led me to a section marked “History,” his fingers trailing along the spines as he searched for relevant titles.

“Here,” he said, pulling out a massive book with faded gold lettering on the spine. “‘Ancient Wolf Abilities and Customs.’ This could be a good start.”

I took the book from him carefully and carried it to a nearby table. The pages were yellowed with age, the text faded in places, but still legible. I flipped through until I found a chapter titled “The Elemental Gifts.”

“In the early days of werewolf society, certain bloodlines manifested control over the natural elements. These gifts were highly prized, as elemental werewolves could protect and provide for their packs in ways ordinary werewolves could not.”

“The four primary elemental gifts were control over fire, water, earth, and air. Each served vital functions within the pack structure. Fire elementals provided warmth and protection, water elementals ensured clean drinking sources and helped with healing, earth elementals improved crop yields, and air elementals could predict weather changes and assist in hunting.”

I skimmed further down the page. “As technology advanced, elementals became less necessary for pack survival. Electric heating replaced the need for fire elementals to warm communal spaces. Plumbing and water treatment facilities eliminated the need for water elementals to purify drinking sources. Agricultural advancements made earth elementals’ crop enhancement less critical.”

“They bred out,” Elijah mused, reading over my shoulder. “Like any trait that loses its evolutionary advantage.”

I nodded, flipping to the next page. I already knew this, of course. It was basic historical knowledge, the sort of thing every werewolf kid learned in fourth-grade history class. But I pointed to the page and said, “It says here that the last documented elemental was born over two hundred years ago.”

“Yep. And none since,” Elijah said, pulling another book from the shelf. “At least, none that were recorded.” He gave me a meaningful glance, and I gulped.

We spent the next hour combing through various historical texts, piecing together the story of elemental werewolves through fragmented accounts and references. The more I read, the more I began to understand the gravity of what might be happening to me.

“Here’s something specifically about fire elementals,” I said, opening a slim volume with red binding.

The book contained detailed accounts of various fire elementals throughout history—some revered as heroes who saved their packs from harsh winters or enemy attacks, others feared for their destructive potential.

My stomach clenched as I came across one particular story. A female fire elemental named Lyra who lived in a small mountain pack three hundred years ago. According to the account, she had struggled to control her powers, especially during times of emotional distress.

Her inability to master her gifts led to increasingly erratic behavior. The breaking point came when she discovered her mate’s infidelity. In her rage, her powers manifested beyond her control.

Twenty-seven pack members perished in the fire, including her unfaithful mate and his lover.

My hands trembled as I read the next portion. She was executed for her crimes. Burned at the stake, ironically.

Elijah gently took the book from my hands, closing it and setting it aside. “That’s not going to happen to you,” he said firmly.

“How do you know?” I whispered, swallowing hard. “I’ve already burned you once, burnt my hands—” I held up my bandaged hands— “and nearly set the festival field on fire. What if I can’t control it? What if I hurt someone? What if I hurt Thea?”

“Because I’m here,” he said firmly. “Remember, Agnes. Your partner. Your equal. She lost control because of what happened to her. I’d never let you suffer like that.”

“But—”

“We’ll figure it out,” Elijah insisted. “If you are a fire elemental—and we still don’t know for sure that you are—then we’ll find ways to help you control it. Safe ways to release the energy when it builds up. Techniques to keep your emotions from triggering unintentional flares.”

I wanted to believe him, but the dread that had settled in my stomach was swirling around, making me almost sick. “And if we can’t?”

“Agnes. Do you trust me?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then trust me on this. We will find a way. I won’t let anything happen to you, or to Thea, or to anyone else.” He reached forward, and his knuckles brushed against my cheek. “You’ve overcome so much already. If anyone can master unexpected elemental powers, it’s you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh softly at that. Elijah certainly had more faith in me than I did, but it was comforting to know that I had such staunch support in my husband. I leaned forward, resting my forehead against his.

Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps caught my attention. I looked up to see Thea hurrying toward us, her arms piled high with a tower of books that looked close to toppling over.

“Daddy! Mommy! Look at all the books I found!” She dumped the stack on our table with a thud that echoed through the quiet library, earning us a stern look from the librarian at the nearby reference desk.

“That’s quite a collection you’ve got there,” Elijah laughed. “Do you think you can read all of these before they’re due back?”

Thea nodded enthusiastically. “Uh-huh. And this one,” she held up a colorful picture book about a dragon, “is for you to read to me tonight.”

“Well, I guess I don’t have much of a choice,” Elijah said, ruffling her hair affectionately. He took my hand and tucked one of the books we’d been reading under his arm. “Let’s go check these out, shall we?”