Chapter 49

Erik's chest heaved as he stood in front of me. Rage filled my veins as I took in his tired appearance. We'd been trying to work on my magic for so long, failing for so long, that he was tired.

"I'll go get Sten. He can run for hours." Erik muttered.

"No. Don't bother him." I snapped.

Sten had met with his dad the day after we'd returned from Alek's and was able to discover what territory his family had come from. Both had been pouring over genealogy and records of the territory, trying to find them. So far there hadn't been any luck.

I didn't think they would. It would have been too easy to keep their names. They probably changed them after they left. But Sten wanted to search anyway, and his dad was only too excited to search through family trees. It was clear where Sten got his research tendencies from.

"You've done it before, Astrid. You're just thinking too hard." Erik stepped closer.

We'd been trying to work on my magic that used to control people. I'd made Erik stop taking me away the day that we fought the possessed rogues, and I'd also held them in place while their necks were snapped. So far I hadn't done anything but run Erik ragged.

"That was a highly emotional time. I tend to be able to do things I normally can't do during those times." I muttered.

"I know, but let's give it one more try," Erik said with a grin.

"Fine, but if it doesn't work we get lunch and take a break. I'm tired just looking at you." I flung back at him.

"Deal." Erik stepped forward with his hand out to me to shake.

I grabbed it, but instead of shaking it, he used it to pull me into him. The next thing I knew I was over his shoulder and we were running. I squealed as I settled and gripped his shirt.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"You'll see." His tone held mischief and grin.

I looked around him and saw that we were headed for the lake. The partially still frozen lake.

"Don't you dare, Erik. Put me down." I started to fight against his hold.

I wasn't going to be dunked in freezing water. He didn't stop, it was almost like my fighting only spurred him to go faster. I looked around him again, we were only about thirty feet from the lake.

He wants me to stop him.

I closed my eyes. My options were to stop him or get hypothermia. I took a steadying breath. I'd done this before I could do it.

My magic hummed as I called on it. I smiled at its comforting presence. I focused on him stopping. Trying to recall the feeling that I'd felt when I stopped him before.

Glancing around him again, I saw we were fifteen feet from the lake. I had to do this.

I closed my eyes and focused, calling on my magic. It simmered out. Less than ten feet to the water.

Another breath, and no magic simmering. Nothing.

"Erik I can't," I yelled as we approached the lake.

He didn't say anything, just launched himself into the lake. I closed my eyes and braced for the icy water to hit us. It didn't.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw Erik glowing with the connection to my power. I'd done it. Gasping, I squealed-this time out of excitement.

"Ok, now move us back over the land, kitten." Erik's voice carried pride, but also a warning.

I looked below us and saw that we were over the water. When I first got here my mates had explained that this portion of the lake dropped quickly. You could wade in it, but it went from ankle to armpit within a few steps because of the rock formation. If we dropped we'd be at least waist level, if not armpit.

Panic surged through me and I focused on holding the connection. I pictured us back onshore. Dry and safe. It didn't work. The panic grew, and then icy water was surrounding me.

My lungs seized as my body panicked in the cold water. I faintly recognized that my head hit something, but my body was focused on the shock of the cold water. A hand grabbed me and I was moving through the water. I gasped as my head emerged and I was pulled into Erik's chest.

"What the hell happened?" Frode's commanding voice carried over the lake.

"Training," Erik responded as he carried me to the shore.

"And, please explain what training this would be?" Frode all but shouted at him.

"A failed exercise," Erik grunted.

Frode's eyes traveled from my legs that were over Erik's arms to my head. His gaze darkened when they reached my head.

"She's bleeding." Frode grabbed me from Erik's arms.

"Shit." Erik hissed.

My teeth chattered as Frode adjusted his grip and ran back to the cabin. Rune looked up from his spot on the chair, eyes big as he took in my appearance.

"I'll start the shower." He said jumping up and racing up the stairs.

"What's going on?" Sten came out of the office. "What happened?" He growled, following us up the stairs.

"Apparently training," Frode growled.

I moved to look around them to see Erik entering the house. His gaze was sorrowful as he shut the door and slowly followed us up the stairs. My heart broke for him, he hadn't meant for me to get hurt. I should have been able to stop us.

Once in the master bathroom, Frode set me down, keeping a hand on my arm to stabilize me on my trembling legs. My teeth chattered and I shook all over, my body trying to reheat itself. I heard the water running in the background as Sten and Rune helped pull me from my soaked clothing.

"It's not too warm, but we can adjust it as you warm up. Let's get you inside." Rune murmured.

"Where's Erik?" I stammered through my chattering.

"Right here, kitten." His teeth were chattering too, I noticed as he climbed in behind me.

He pressed his cold body against mine as we stood beneath the warm water.

"What were you thinking?" Frode demanded.

"Stop it, Frode. It's my training, you don't get to question my methods." Erik grunted as he wrapped his arms around me, turning me as he did, so we faced each other.

He winced as he took in my head.

"I'm so sorry, kitten. You weren't supposed to get hurt. I lost my footing when we dropped." He pulled me to him.

His teeth had stopped chattering so hard, but his body still trembled. I nodded and pressed my cheek to his chest.

Frode's glare was heavy enough that I could feel it, even though it was meant for Erik. The sound of the bathtub filling pulled my attention from the warm water that was running down me.

"We'll soak in the tub once we're a little more warmed. Then Sten can look at your head. You may need a stitch or two. It definitely needs to be cleaned though. Lake water isn't very clean." Erik murmured into my hair.

I wrapped my still trembling arms around his lower torso. Rune stuck his hand in the water checking its temperature. He nodded and Erik moved us to the tub. He set me in it but didn't step in.

Sten appeared with the first aid bag and directed him back to the shower. I opened my mouth to ask why he wasn't joining me, but when he turned I saw why. His back was covered in cuts and places that were going to be bruised in a few hours. He must have slid on the rocky shore when he fell and I cut my head.

"He's fine, princess. Just didn't want the water in the bath getting bloody. You can help me patch him up once he's warm." Sten smiled as he came back over to me.

Frode slipped into the tub behind me and pulled me onto his lap. I groaned, closing my eyes as I leaned into his warm torso. I loved that my mates were always warm, but today it was so much better. Frode's arms wrapped around me and we settled deep in the water so I mostly covered. The feeling of gauze being pressed to my head had me wincing and opening my eyes.

"Sorry, it's just still bleeding. Let me take a look." Sten said as Frode moved us closer to the edge, keeping me under the water as much as he could.

"It's not bad. A little glue and it'll be fine." Sten started to clean it, making me wince.

By the time he'd cleaned it, applied the glue, and dressed it I wasn't shaking anymore. I leaned back into Frode's arms and closed my eyes. I was tired.

"Stay awake, little one. Just a little longer. I'm sure you're fine, but you hit your head pretty hard. We may heal fast, but you were cold, and with the hit, I don't want you sleeping right away." I nodded against Frode's chest as he explained.

"So while we stay awake, let's hear how this happened," Rune growled from his perch on the counter by the sink.

Erik glared at him but explained how training had been going. He explained that he hoped the adrenaline would get my magic to kick in. And that it'd worked, until I panicked. His brothers weren't happy about it and they made it clear.

"He trains me the same way he trains you. Would you be mad if this was one of you instead of me?" I grumbled.

Their silence answered my question.

"Then lay off him. He was doing his job, and it's my fault just as much as it's his." I sank lower on Frode's lap.

Once again I'd hurt Erik. My lack of control had caused harm.

"Lose that thought, princess. You're still learning. You don't think we made mistakes while we learned control? We'll heal, he's had worse." Sten scolded as he picked up on my feelings.

I frowned, he was right, but I was still upset. Time was running by and I still hadn't mastered control or my magic. What if I wasn't ready when the time came, and I couldn't save my mates?