Will Power

Stella

"Try It Again!"

"But we're running out of lighter fluid!" I argue. Brad winces, trying to rest his back against the hard stone wall of our cell.

"You can do this. Just remember what I told you, forget your fears, ignore the flame, and just focus on the power you feel!" My brother is aggravated as Brad obviously thought this would be easier than what this has turned out. My throat tightens, and I try to push the wave of panic rushing through my veins again.

"I need a break" my voice cracks as tears start to trail down my cheeks. I'm messing this up. I've been trying to pull the flame from the lighter in my brother's hand for 2 hours with no success.

"Fine, you get ten minutes," he huffs, "and this lighter is only half empty, so stop worrying about the fluid. The panic of failure is crippling your focus. You have to focus on it alone, then the rest will come." Brad continues to nag me like he has done for the last 120 minutes of what can only be described as the briefest element-wolf training in history. Desperate to talk about anything else, I blurt the first thing that comes to my mind.

"What happened to our parents? How how did this all happen?" I wave my arms, exaggerating all the messed-up scenarios that lay before us. Brad lets out a big sigh and winces again as he tries to shuffle into a more comfortable position. His back is healing slower than usual because of malnutrition. Under thick clothes, I hadn't noticed how thin he was, but while he lay unconscious, with no shirt on. I was shocked by the detail of every exposed rib on his deprived body.

He looks at his hands while he speaks.

"Our mother, Luna Audrey, discovered I was an element wolf when I was about 6 months old. Apparently, I was in the bath, and mom was teaching me to splash. I got so excited that all of a sudden, all the water lifted suspended in mid-air and was then dumped over our mother's head. She was stunned; I giggled away, thinking the whole thing was hilarious was what she told me." I can't help but join him in a smile as the image of the scene is playing out in my mind.

"I have locked away after that, for fear of what I was, our parents didn't want trouble. The only people they confided in were trusted pack members and Alpha David, Regan's father."

"Wait, David? The man who lashed you and Amelia?"

"Yes, he gave his son the Alpha title and became his beta after Zorricks take over of Blue Mountain" Brad's voice is calm, but I can hear the pain behind the words. It's hard for him to relive, but he continues anyway.

"Regan was my only friend; we were close. He was mesmerized by my abilities and helped me master them in the confines of the blue mountains. I'm guessing he intends to train you to master your own element after he mates you, of course."

Yeah, not going to happen, Bro!

"Not happening," I repeat out loud. Brad continues ignoring my statement.

"Alpha David would visit with him and Amelia often." I frown, a picture now forming in my head.

"How old were you when I was born?" I interrupt.

"Nineteen, our parents never planned on having another child for fear of more element wolves and more trouble. They were scared of trouble, and rightly so, we will always be hunted, sister. Me becoming Alpha meant that my powers would be guaranteed to my pack's protection. A female element wolf, especially an unmated unclaimed one, is and was trouble with a capital T". A shiver runs through me at the thought of never being genuinely safe because of my powers. Brad gives me a sympathetic smile knowing his words aren't easy to hear. I assess my brother's features, unable to comprehend that he should look 47; that's his age in the number of years lived, but like the rest of the wolf-people, human life spans don't count. He doesn't look a day over 25. Will I ever get used to this wolf lifespan business?

So we won't need botox anytime soon; hooray if you ask me. Were finally getting answers here. Now keep it down; I'm listening to Amber scold me. I shut up and continue to listen.

"Mother found out she was pregnant with you the same day I found out Amelia was my mate. Alpha David had come for one of his visits bringing both Regan and Amelia with him as usual. She smelt amazing, and it was such a perfect moment to find out she was my mate. Amelia is perfect, strong, and brave." he swoons, smiling brightly while he talks of his mate. I think back to how good Brodie smelt the night we met; the moment wasn't perfect, though. I ran from my wolf-man, afraid of him. A pang of sadness and guilt washes through me; again, I'm pulled out of it by Brad's talking.

"That year was the best. We were free and thrilled, then everything went to shit!"

"What happened?" I ask, feeling the anxiety of what I'm about to learn creep in. Brad heaves a big sigh, preparing himself for the part he wants to relive the least.

"After your birth, Mother and Father got more fearful, hiding your existence from everyone. Alpha David included. Mom spilled a fresh cup of brewed tea all over you. I still remember her scream, my father and I came bursting in to find her sobbing over you, but you were fine, in fact just smiling at me, and Dad like you always did" his smile sends a fluttering warmth into my heart as he talks about my infant days. Brad's face is lit up at the memories of our family together and whole. I have no memories, so it's nice to fill the gap with something before my adopted parents.

"Because I am heat-proof," I interrupted him, stating the fact why the hot tea never scolded my skin.

"We knew you had to be an element wolf; we guessed fire or lightning. We never really knew. You never pulled flames of electricity as easily as I did the water, so it was never truly confirmed."

"Why do you think you took so easily to your powers where mine seem more difficult to control?" Brad rakes a hand through his ebony hair.

"I think our mother's fear caused you to suppress your powers, learning to push them away. Even as little as you were, you spent all your time with her mostly. It's possible even as an infant you learned to bury your connection to fire."

"That's why you think fear is stopping me now?" Again it's more of a statement.

"Yes, Stella, It is" His voice is back to the stern naggy tone, I was trying to get away from. I sigh, looking away, and this prompts him to continue talking.

"On one of Alpha David's visits, I snuck Amelia and Regan in to see you. I was so proud and excited to have a baby sister like Regan. I didn't think any danger could be possible from my best friend and Mate." He defends his own internal guilt. This isn't his fault though, I know that he didn't make Regan the evil he has become.

"Regan was utterly absorbed by you, every smile, every babble. He adored you from the very first meet. When I told him of your suspected gifts, he asked If I thought you might be his mate one day. Regan wasn't yet 18, so he couldn't feel if you were HIS or not." Brad stops, and I see his hands tremble slightly. He's struggling to come out with the words.

"And..?" I push. Brad closes his eyes painfully.

"I'm so sorry, Stella. I promised you to Regan that day." I snap my head at what feels like another betrayal from my brother. My head hits the stone wall behind me with a thud. As Brad scrambles to explain.

"I'm sorry I had no right. I wasn't thinking. I had these images of Amelia and me and you and Regan. At the time, it seemed so right, so perfect that you had to be his mate like Amelia was mine. Our packs are forever aligned by our mate bonds. I had no idea what lengths Regan and his father would go, trying to make sure that happened." his head falls into his hands as I see the guilt eating away at him. It doesn't matter what he said; both he and Regan were old enough to know that no promise guaranteed me to be Regan's mate.

"No amount of promising or hoping would have made me any more or less of his potential mate," I state dead-pan, and Brad nods, shame still swirling through his eyes.

"When he turned 18, just days later, and discovered you were not to be his. He disappeared, not leaving his room, only speaking with his father. I knew he was gutted, so was I, but I had no idea what they were scheming".

"I told my parents what I had done and of their weird behaviors. A week later, you were gone, and our parents were dead." Tears pour down my brother's face as I realize he blames himself for everything.

"It's not your fault," I croak, tears now flowing down my face as I watch my brother's pain.

"They lied to me, telling me Zorrick had killed our parents. They had Amelia unknowingly shuffle me here to the blood moon castle. I helped them search for you, trying to find where our mother had hidden you!" his voice breaks as he buries his head in his hands. We sit in silence for a minute, both trying to gain control of our emotions. I wipe the tears away from my face, like when Derek left me, my feelings seem to be hiding, waiting to slam into me.

"When did you realize it was them?" I asked numbly, trying to absorb all this information.

"About two months ago. When you appeared in Brodie's pack. David and Regan placed spies in every pack, strict instructions implemented into every spy or informant. Any sighted and confirmed to be unknowing of our kind, female rogue, with naturally black hair and brown eyes were all to be reported to them on the appearance of such a female. I helped them do that too, desperately wanting to find my sister one day."

"Mother fuckers" I spit, making Brad flinch then hiss at the pain of such an action. Anger is building in me; I'm not sad. I'm enraged by what Regan and his father have done, what they have taken from me! Brad carries on finishing his story, unaware of the deadly inferno building inside of me.

"Until then, I lived here peacefully with Amelia. Regan and David. We agreed I needed to be kept hidden from Zorrick to protect Amelia and me. I was no longer going to be an Alpha of a pack, so my powers would only endanger them or cause Zorrick to gain control of me, using me to do his bidding. I was living happily with my mate, I was happy, so I never argued, always doing as I was told. Your recent appearance sent Regan down a dark path. Once he discovered me trying to sneak away to get to you before they did, I was locked in here, and Amelia is confined to our chambers."

Mother -fuckers, alright!

His face grows sad when talking of his and Amelia's recent treatment. He blames himself for everything I can see written all over his defeated features. My anger rises, and I force my thoughts to my wolf-man. Pain and a desperate longing for his comforting embrace, causes determination to flood through me.

I'm full of anger, pain, and rage. I throw all of it at my now ignited determination.

We are strong, Amber roars in my head!

Through gritted teeth, I spit.

"These fuckers took our parents, pack, and now our mates from us. Light that lighter, and let's give them what they truly deserve." Brads answering smile and flick of the lighter lets me know he too is ready for revenge.

The flame ignites, focusing on it using my anger and pulling all my suppressed emotions to the surface. I feel the power rippling across my skin, and I gasp. The flame on the lighter grows, doubling in size.

"That's it," Brad yells. "Focus Stella, no fear! Use the power bend it to your will" I give him a look that says thanks, mind being more specific. He chuckles and then throws me a stern look as a response.

Keep using anger; emotions seem to help, so we have plenty of repressed rage to burn up. Amber suggests.

Agreed I growl

I think of Regan and everything he's taken from me, everything he still plans to take from me. The power grows, as does the flame, I pull, but nothing happens. The blaze stays burning above the lighter and Brad's hand. I can tell Brad is struggling with the intensity of its heat, but he doesn't drop it, knowing we're closer than we have been before.

"Come on, Stella!" He growls, "Regan's going to force you to be his mate and use horrific ways to make you gain control of this. You can do it!" Brad threatens. The flame stretches towards me but only a little, not like when it jumped out of the fireplace at me. I see Brad's eyes light up.

"He won't kill him straight away, you know." My eyes snap to Brad, who's staring at me as the flame grows, stretching closer to me.

"He'll capture Brodie; he'll use him against you, use his pain to control you. He'll make you watch while he beats and tortures him. I know because this is what he does to me with Amelia, and she's his own sister!" Brad yells at me, and I snap, anger taking over.

A roar rips from my throat as the flames launch at me, consuming my hands, arms, and torso. Fear consumes me, canceling out the rage.

"Don't fear it, Stella," I hear Brad yell behind the wall of burning flames that now cover my vision. My breathing comes in short sharp pants, and I try to swallow down the fear, but It feels impossible. I have no control. I'm a burning mess.

"He'll slaughter the rest of them, force you to be his mate in all ways! Regan wants more element wolves. Regan wants your children. He wants to use them to build an army alongside the rogues. It's all for power, Stella power, and control is all he wants!" Brad keeps yelling all the horrible scenarios that will unfold unless I can get control of this.

I close my eyes, blocking out the inferno that's swallowing me.

Amber! Are you in there? Nothing? Where has she gone? Have I really been shoving all my emotions down? So far down that even Ambers now buried in the back of my mind?

My heart rate is still pounding in my chest, and Brads talking about something opening my eyes confirms the inferno is still burning around me with no regard to my will. I need to do something else, think about something else other than how scared I am, an Image of Brodie comes to the fore front of my mind, and I grab onto it with everything I've got left.

He's looking at me with his sexy smile and his adoring eyes that are reserved for me only. We're back in the suite, the two of us sitting on the couch. Everything seems so natural. I'm filled with happiness. He's ok, and we're together again. I launch myself at him, and he vanishes.

I land on Regan's dining room floor once again, the chains snapping as Regan forces me to my knees. A brutal hand grabs a large fistful of my hair, wrenching my eyes to the other end of the room. I'm pleased to look away from the filthy excuse of a man holding me against my will.

Time stops as my vision lands on my mate, Brodies here. This time, he's chained to the wall. David stands nearby with a whip in his hand. He raises his arm, bringing the thick, coarse rope down with it. The sound of tearing flesh and Brodies cry of pain sends despair wrenching through my nerve endings. I try to get up to get to him and David, but I'm seized and forced back to my knees to watch as lash after lash is brought down onto Brodie. I scream as my wolf-man sags and then collapses to his knees, blood covering his flesh and the floor around us.

"No!" I half scream, half growl at the image before me. This isn't real, but it will be if I don't get control of myself.

I open my eyes, and my determination surges. This time, when I close my eyes, I send my senses out searching for something, anything, then I feel it, power, like an electrified charge over my skin, it pulses as I run my feelings over it.

I grasp at it, reining it in, pulling and sucking the sensations inside of me. I open one of my eyes to confirm the burning flames are calming around me, instead of a wild blazing ball. The flames have slowed to a swaying, a licking motion, like how a burning log would behave when contained in a fireplace.

"That's it, Stella, you can do this!" I hear Brad encouraging me, but I don't reply, focusing only on my senses and the flames around me. I feel them now, and turning my left palm over, I start to pull my power inwards. Tendrils of energy pull back in and up my arm, dissipating over my skin settling in pulsing waves, waiting for me to release them once more. When I open my eyes, I can see Brad again, and his answering smile confirms I have some control.

Remaining focused, I hold all power movement from my left hand, leaving it alone covered with delicate licking flames. Focusing my attention on the fire consumed right hand, I pull the pulsing vines in together then force them to retreat back into my arms. Once the blaze is reduced to just my hands, I smile.

"Game on, brother!" I growl with a wicked grin.

Hate to ruin the moment, but you burnt our clothes off again...

"Oh you gotta be kidding me" I groan, noticing my brother's eyes are indeed averted towards the ceiling, He throws me his blood splattered shirt. Guess his back is too tender to put it back on. I strategically douse one hand while the other holds my flames and luckily it covers me to mid thigh anyway.

"Ok now it's game on"

Is he laughing at us, because if he is you can burn his ass now...