Page 59 of Unsubmissive Omega

Darius put a calming hand on his mate’s arm. “Xeres, he’s definitely a shifter. I’ve seen his wolf. I think you have too.”

“That’s true. He is a shifter. He is also a mage. I have long suspected it, but the…incident… at the house has proven it. As soon as we entered that house, I felt Xander’s essence in the magic’s signature.”

“Couldn’t that just be because I was in the house and you smelt me mixed in with the magic?” Xander asked, frowning.

I shook my head, the cowl flapping annoyingly.

“No, that's not how it works. Your magic signature is quite distinct. It doesn’t smell like you, itisyou. Now that I’ve seen your magic at work, it’s unmistakable. I detect it even now, just in lesser degrees.”

“Are you sure?” queried Darius, though from the look on his face, he already believed it was true. After all, in all our experience together, he had never known me to be wrong.

“I’m positive. Xander can do things a normal shifter can’t.” I turned to Xander, “What does it say on the door today?”

Xander's voice, when finally he answered, was uncharacteristically subdued, barely audible. He cast a sideways glance at his mate that told me he knew Darius couldn’t see the runes. What had I displayed on the door that first day, I wondered. I couldn’t remember now, but Xander had obviously noticed that his mate hadn’t registered it.

“ 'Enter at your peril',” he mumbled.

“You can read the runes,” I told him, “because you’re part-mage. A full shifter wouldn’t even see them. Am I right, Darius?”

The alpha nodded his head, looking disconcerted. “Yes, that’s true. I had no idea there was anything written on your door.”

“So you’re saying I was responsible for the destruction of the house?” Xander looked confused. “But how? That’s crazy. I don’t know how to wield magic!”

“I don’t have all the answers – yet. But I would guess that you come from a line of very powerful mages, and although youhave no formal training, you must have some innate abilities. I’d suggest that something to do with your emotions at the time were responsible for tapping into those abilities and triggering your magic.

Did you notice that the destruction of the house ceased once you were free? Darius was there, you were no longer chained up, and you had left the dungeon itself. I don’t know which of those factored into it, but your emotional outburst calmed, and the effect of your magic extinguished with it.”

“But if this were true, then surely I should have been able to unchain myself? And why couldn’t I telepath with Darius? Our link didn’t work at all.”

“I don’t have all the answers,” I admitted, “but as far as any shifter powers that you have – they were likely being interfered with by the silver embedded in the walls.”

“There was silver in the walls? Is that why it felt so cold? It literally burnt me when I touched it.”

“That would disrupt the telepathic link,” agreed Darius.

“And it possibly destabilized your magic. That might be why it exploded like that without you calling on it. But there is no doubt you are a mage.”

“How do you feel about this, Xander?” Darius’ voice was soft with concern, but it also held a note of wonder. I was relieved there would be no problem with the alpha. Rather than being repulsed that his mate was part-mage, he seemed proud.

“I… I don’t know. It’s a lot to take in,” Xander’s eyes found those of his mate. “I guess I’ve always had an interest in spells and magic. I never thought I had any abilities in that direction though.”

Xander looked away. “How… how does this affect us?” his voice broke a little as he said, “do you feel any differently about me, now we know this?” He looked up at Darius, the corners of his eyes glistening. I had the sense that he’d lived a life of rejection and was expecting more of that now.

Darius was in front of him in an instant, his large hands cupping the smaller man’s face. The look he gave his mate was filled with tenderness, before he answered him by wrapping him in his arms and stooping to softly, tenderly, cover his lips with his own.

It was an act of such gentle intimacy, that I felt compelled to look away.

Unfortunately, that sort of love was not for the likes of me.