The Golden Lycans (Ella) novel Chapter 89

I’m Doing Something Right…

*Ella***

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After an early dinner, I head to my room to change into something more comfortable for the

evening.

“I want to try something with Aus-something I read about,” I tell Freya, swapping my jeans for

leggings.

“Hopefully not an excerpt from the Kama Sutra,” she groans.

I roll my eyes.

“No. I haven’t told anyone but Will yet, but… I’m one of those celestial-type faeries your grandfather mentioned. I can draw power from both the sun and the moon. Tonight, I want to see if I can harness lunar energy and transfer it to Aus.”

Freya raises an eyebrow.

“That actually makes sense. How else did the original Golden Lycan get so powerful just from a

mate bond?”

I check my phone-it’s almost time to meet Austin at the stone gazebo.

“If you see Ollie, just talk to him. And please ignore Annabelle’s idea-it’ll just make things weirder,” I add before heading out the door.

I check the time again as I stand in the stone gazebo, bathed in the glow of the full moon.

“Sorry, got a little delayed,” Austin says as he approaches, wearing a baggy, hole-ridden T-shirt and a pair of worn-out jogging bottoms.

“Wow, you go full-on slob when you shift, huh?” I tease, gesturing at his clothes.

“Well, I have grown since my last shift-which, by the way, was just before midnight when I came of age. Haven’t exactly had time to shop for new stuff.”

“Maybe I should take you?” I reply, as he looks at me seriously.

“Ella. You’re about to see me naked.”

Oh.

“Oh! I’ll turn around,” I offer quickly, but Austin chuckles, shaking his head with a very smug grin as

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he grips the hem of his shirt. “There is no need.”

And then-he pulls it over his head.

Oh my bloody god.

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I inhale sharply, my gaze locking onto the sight of Austin’s incredibly sculpted torso. My heart hammers, a flush of heat creeping up my neck as he takes a step closer.

I am definitely staring.

“Well, this is nice,” he muses, looking far too pleased with himself, “I’ve never heard your heart rate t his fast before. Guess all those hours in the gym have now paid off.”

I manage to drag my gaze back up to his.

“I’m not even going to pretend that I’m not affected by the sight of you, right now,” I admit with a smile, “but just so you know, I’d still feel the same way about you…without all the muscle.”

Austin smirks-then drops his joggers.

My eyes instinctively flick downward for a brief second before snapping back up, my eyebrows slightly higher than before.

“That’s cheating,” I mutter, forcing composure.

Austin just laughs, striding a few steps away. The view from the back? Not disappointing either.

“Atlas is going to be a lot bigger than when you last saw him,” he warns, stretching out.

“That doesn’t worry me,” I reply easily.

Because no matter how massive or powerful he became-I would never fear him.

He shifts.

It’s nothing like watching Freya shift-this is faster, more fluid, almost too quick for my eyes to track. In a blink, Austin is gone, replaced by the massive hazelnut-colored wolf I first met months

ago.

Atlas is huge.

His piercing green eyes are unmistakable, but his sheer size is staggering-his back easily reaches five feet, his head towering over me even more than Austin’s had. His paws, the size of saucers, hint at the sheer power he holds. He pads forward a few steps before sitting on his haunches. I step toward him, feeling slightly ridiculous talking to an animal-but then again, I’ve done stranger

things lately.

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“It’s lovely to see you again, Atlas…and thank you, for before,” I say softly, reaching out.

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The moment my hand meets his fur, I feel it-his presence, ancient and powerful. I stroke my fingers through his glossy coat, relishing its softness. A low, rumbling growl escapes him-almost a purr-as he nuzzles into me, resting his head warmly against my chest. Smiling, I cradle his head

and press a gentle kiss to the bridge of his nose.

“I know you want to run now,” I murmur, leaning my forehead against his, “I’ll be in the greenhouse when you’re ready.”

Atlas immediately springs back and vanishes into the woods.

I know it’s risky to be out alone on a full moon, so I unfurl my wings and take flight. The difference between flying in the sports hall and this-soaring over moonlit grounds, the landscape stretching endlessly beneath me-is breathtaking.

I land safely on the rooftop, sitting down and crossing my legs as I clear my mind. With my palms facing the sky, I let the energy of the moon pour into me.

For twenty minutes, I absorb it, letting its power refresh and invigorate me.

Finally, I stretch, ready to put my theory to the test.

I head to the greenhouse to wait for Austin.

I had been waiting in the greenhouse for over an hour when Austin finally arrived. I had turned off the main lights, letting the fairy lights cast a softer glow over the space.

I really hoped this would work.

He’d thankfully changed out of his shifting clothes into jeans and a white, long-sleeved top. Slowing as he steps inside, his gaze immediately landing on the massive wisteria tree dominating the

space.

“Ella… where did this come from?” he asks, eyes still scanning the ceiling.

I shift anxiously.

“It was… the product of a day spent with you,” I reply slowly.

Austin raises an eyebrow.

“I don’t follow.”

I sigh.

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“Remember how I said my magic would increase because of the bond? Well… being with you,

especially when things got a little physical, made quite the difference. I needed a release, and this

was the result It’s full of faerie magic. I think it leads somewhere.”

He turned to me, intrigued.

“Somewhere?”

“Maybe to someone,” I counter, “for a while, I had these strange dreams-always the same. Someone was trying to communicate with me. I think there are other faeries out there, just… not in

this plane of existence. And I have this instinct-this gut feeling-that this tree is the key to reaching them. I just don’t understand it yet.”

Austin takes my hand, stroking the back with his thumb. I sigh happily, smiling up at him.

“Anyway, that’s not why we’re here right now,” I add.

“Okay… so why are we here?” Austin asks, eyeing the thick blanket I had spread out on the floor.

I c****d an eyebrow at his intrigued expression.

“Sit.”

He smirks at my relative bossiness, but does as instructed, settling across from me with his legs

crossed.

“I don’t know if this will work, but I hope it does. I think it could be the answer to my little problem,” I mutter, shifting closer so that our knees touch.

“What little problem?” he asks.

I roll my eyes.

“Austin, really? The scorched handprints? The massive wisteria tree? I need an outlet,” I said, lifting my hands, “please put your hands against mine.”

Austin holds up his palms, easily dwarfing mine.

“See, Ella, you call it a problem-I call it a sign I’m doing something right,” he says with a smug

smile.

Oh, so he had been listening. Just… in a very male way.

“Yes, it’s a testament to how I feel about you, but I can’t go around burning holes in things every

time we kiss.”

“So, how do you feel about me?” he asks coyly, his teasing grin making my heart stutter.

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I drop my hands with an exasperated sigh-though I am grinning too.

“Austin… my hands burned solid granite, the hardest stone on Earth. Just from us kissing,” I murmur, “I think that about covers it.”

His smile widened.

“Ohhh… so you like me,” he teases, drawing out the words in a sing-song voice.

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I shook my head, smirking at his ridiculousness but appreciating how he always knew when to lighten the mood.

“Ever since Sophie’s Choice,” I admit with a wink.

That shut him up.