Pheromonal: One Night With the Alpha novel Chapter 132

Chapter 132: Supernatural Research Club

Another week, and still no real progress in my magic. The gossip about purple eyes has died down, and all I’ve heard from Logan is a text message five days ago saying he’ll be gone for another week.

No explanation, and Marcus isn’t saying shit, even when Penelope harasses him.

There is one silver lining to my shitshow magic high school life, though. After Logan heard about the weird holographic visitor, he told me to sign up for the Supernatural Research Club.

It sounds lame, but little did I know—this group of nerds is my people.

I hum a half-remembered song from my childhood as I arrange the three smooth wardstones on the table. Their obsidian surfaces catch the dim light of the study area, almost pulsing with potential. My fingers tingle as I place them in a perfect triangle, each exactly six inches from the others.

"Is this really going to work?" Zach leans forward, his rectangular glasses sliding down his nose. His skepticism radiates off him in waves, but his eyes betray his curiosity. He’s been the most vocal doubter in our little group.

Ellie tucks a strand of her platinum blonde hair behind an ear adorned with at least seven tiny silver hoops. Her notebook sits open beside her, pen poised to document every detail. "It’s going to work. She’s a whiz at wards."

"She can’t even use her magic properly," he grumbles, but one sharp scowl from Ellie keeps him quiet.

I can’t help smiling. These three outcasts have become my unlikely... friends. Kind of like younger cousins more than anything.

Dev, who’s been silently watching from my right, slides a simple white candle toward the center of my triangle. "Here. Let’s see what you’ve got, Nicole." His voice is soft but encouraging, dark eyes intense beneath a mop of curly black hair. Of the three, he’s the quietest, but when he does speak, even the most arrogant professor types seem to listen. He’s what people would consider a top student and prodigy.

He’s also started tutoring me, because apparently my progress is "painful" to witness.

I place the candle at the exact center of my wardstone triangle and light it with a match—no need to embarrass myself attempting magical fire ignition when I can’t even manage to levitate a pencil in Lancaster’s class.

"Okay." I focus on my breathing, placing my palms flat on the table, fingers spread wide. Unlike at work, I don’t have to hide my magic here. Free to do as I wish without worrying about being discovered, I visualize thin threads of energy from one wardstone to the next, overlapping them in the finest threads of mana, like casting a net around the candle.

The energy doesn’t come from inside me, but the air in the room, so it’s easy to manipulate. I’m little more than a conduit, giving it a specific road map until it condenses the way I need it to.

Something clicks. It isn’t a sound, or anything visual. It’s just a sixth sense, where I know it’s done.

I open my eyes, watching as the air around the candle shimmers. There’s a faint glow coming from the wardstones, highlighting the glyphs now powered by local mana.

Simple. Security wards, much like we would install at someone’s home—only at a much smaller scale.

The wardstones are prohibitively expensive, but money isn’t a problem for the average student at Thornhaven.

"Holy shit," Zach breathes, pushing his glasses up. "The stones are actually glowing."

"It worked," I point out, unable to keep from rubbing his skeptical nose in it. Of course it worked. Anti-Magic Security has been my profession for years.

These kids might learn how to use their magic, but they don’t know how to work with a wardstone to save their lives. Of course, it makes sense. Wardstone engineering isn’t a very popular field. Not enough pomp or circumstance, and a relatively underrated job.

"Most people would use a recharge crystal in order to power these, but they need to be installed so local magic—mana—can infuse them indefinitely. Otherwise, they will fail. Recharging an empty stone takes a lot more energy than keeping an active one running. Just a trickle will do, in comparison."

"Fascinating," Ellie mumbles, scribbling away.

Dev squints. "What exactly did you do? That’s not standard warding technique."

"The standard hasn’t been standard in years. It’s called sympathetic linking. The stones aren’t just barriers—they’re in conversation with each other." I tap the table between two of the stones, careful not to disrupt the energy. "I’m not strong enough to create a solid ward on my own, but I can make these three weaker points work together. They share the load."

Dev leans in closer, his fingers hovering just above the energy field. "Ingenious. Small nodes in a network rather than a single powerful barrier."

"Now for the fun part." I gesture toward the candle flame dancing merrily in the center of my protective triangle. "Try to blow it out."

Zach snorts. "That’s it? After all this buildup?" He leans forward confidently and blows directly at the flame.

The air from his breath hits the invisible barrier and diverts around it. The candle flame flickers but remains steadfast.

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