Free Forever Changed (The Mystic Wolves) by Belinda Boring

him mention it. For the longest time , he had simply been Devlin to me. I remember thinking how romantic he sounded when he revealed his full name was Devlin John Lockhart. “Whatever you need, it’s yours.”
    “Thanks, Devlin. I just can’t handle all this solemnness.” I pointed at Daniel. “And especially from you. It’s freaking me out!”
    His cocky grin erupted and he offered me a grandiose bow, his hand waving before him. “Your wish is my command, dearest.” His rapid change in attitude cracked me up, breaking the seriousness of the moment.
    “That’s much better. I appreciate the extra respect.” Winking at him, I let out a short breath and faced the door again. “Now we’re ready to deal with whatever’s coming.” Raising my fist to knock on the wooden side frame, Vivien beat me to it, swinging open the door.
    “I thought I heard you all approach. Come in, come in. There’s a lot to do in a short period of time.” She ushered us inside, the energy around her crackling with nervous electricity. Vivien looked frazzled , with tendrils of hair escaping the loose bun she’d secured at the back of her head. Usually she appeared more composed than this, but I couldn’t fault her. I felt the same way. “I’ve been busy since we last spoke. I called an emergency coven meeting and delegated tasks to everyone. I have a few ideas about what we can do, so they’re gathering the essentials.”
    She abruptly stopped when she realized no one was following her. I’d meant to , but for a brief second it felt as if all the wind had been knocked out of me. My mind was swirling with the new information, threatening to go into overload. It stirred at something deep inside me; something I’d only just realized dwelled there. My power was responding to the magic surrounding me and wanted to be released. The instant I acknowledged it, there was an almighty rush that forced me to stagger forward.
    “Watch out!” Mason shouted, knowing what was occurring because of our connection. He felt it a few seconds before it blasted outward, but not in time to help me control it.
    The sensation left me dazed—not only from its strength, but also from the rawness it left behind. My insides screamed as power scraped its way through me before bursting out through the pores in my skin. I shrieked from the pain, my awareness shattering in that moment from the intensity. It was a hundred times worse than when it surfaced in the bathroom. This surge left me shaking and barely standing. Once I was able to focus, I realized it was because Mason had caught my body and was keeping me from crumpling to the floor.
    “Darcy, can you hear me? Answer me if you can.” Devlin stood before me, his face swimming in my vision. Vivien hovered by his shoulder; her distraught look matching Devlin’s.
    “How many times has this happened today?” she asked, staring at me while she waited for an answer.
    “This is the third time and by far the worst. There was once in the bathroom and the second when the ceiling fan crashed to the ground,” Mason answered for me. “She almost lost control when we were cleaning up, but it didn’t manifest.” He guided me over to the staircase and gently lowered me so I could sit.
    “Darcy, you need to talk to me, sweetheart.” Devlin crouched down and took my hand. “Darcy?”
    “What the heck was that?” I stammered, every part of me trembling in the aftermath. I glanced at everyone gathered around me and frowned. “Where’s Daniel?” There was a groan from over by the front door. My stomach sunk.
    “I need some kind of warning, guys ,” Daniel moaned. Somehow he’d been flung across the foyer and slammed against the wall. Sitting up, he gingerly rubbed the back of his head, wincing as his fingers hit a sensitive spot. “If I didn’t know you loved me, Darcy, I’d think you were out to get me. That’s twice today.”
    I carefully scrambled to my feet, ignoring Mason and Devlin , who tried to