Brother’s Best Friends Are My Mates novel Chapter 118

Lia

I exhaled slowly, stretching out my fingers as the energy built inside me. A spark of light flickered between my palms, growing brighter as I focused. The magic thrummed through my veins, warm and alive, bending to my will.

I flicked my wrist, sending a controlled pulse of energy toward the target. It hit dead center, leaving a faint scorch mark Behind me, Simone let out a low whistle. “Damn, Lia. You’re getting pretty good at this.”

I grinned, wiping the sweat from my brow. “I have to be.”

Simone crossed her arms, watching me closely. “You mean you want to be.”

I shrugged, rolling my shoulders. “Both. I need to be strong enough to protect everyone.” She tilted her head. “You know you don’t have to do everything alone, right?”

I sighed, flexing my fingers as another surge of power built beneath my skin. “I know.”

Simone didn’t look convinced. “Do you, though? Because it kind of seems like you’re trying to carry the whole damn world on your shoulders.”

I glanced at her. “I’m not-” She raised an eyebrow.

I groaned. “Fine. Maybe a little.”

“A little?” She scoffed. “Lia, you’re out here training like you’re single-handedly responsible for saving us all.” I set my jaw. “I am responsible.”

“No,” she said firmly. “You’re not. You have people-your mates, for one. You can rely on them, you know.” I looked away. “Of course I can.”

Simone sighed, stepping closer. “Then actually do it.”

I didn’t answer right away. Instead, I lifted my hands, channeling another pulse of magic. It burned brighter this time, sharper, fueled by something deeper.

She didn’t push me, just watched.

When I finally spoke, my voice was softer. “I just want to be strong enough to keep the people I love safe.” Simone smiled gently. “You already are.”

I felt a lump rise in my throat. Her words were simple, but they cut through me in a way I didn’t expect. I looked at her, struggling to find the right words, the right response.

“Just don’t forget,” she added quietly. “You don’t have to do it all alone. You don’t have to be the only one carrying the weight.”

I swallowed, trying to steady myself. “I know. But it’s hard to let go when it feels like everything’s on the line.”

Simone reached over, giving my shoulder a quick squeeze. “You’re not the only one fighting this fight, Lia. You’ve got us. You’ve got them.” She nodded toward where I’d left my phone, the screen flickering faintly in the dark.

I hesitated, but the warmth in her tone was like a balm to the tension in my chest. “I’ll try. I promise.”

Simone grinned. “Good. Now, how about we work on getting you a little less perfectionist and a little more… okay with help?” I rolled my eyes, but the smile tugging at my lips was genuine. “Yeah, yeah. We’ll work on that later.”

“Sounds like a plan,” she said, already shifting back into a stance of her own. “Now, let’s see if we can make your next pulse a little less fiery and a little more… controlled.”

I laughed, the sound light and freeing. Maybe Simone was right. Maybe I didn’t have to be perfect. Maybe I just needed to stop trying to carry everything alone.

I took a deep breath, feeling the magic course through me once more, settling into the familiar warmth. Simone’s words echoed in my mind.

“Alright,” I said, steadying myself. “Less fiery. Got it.”

Simone nodded, a small smirk playing at the corner of her lips. “Show me what you’ve got.” With a smirk, I shot out a blast. It was stronger this time but not as fiery.

I chuckled, my shoulders relaxing a little. “Progress.”

“Progress, indeed.” She eyed me thoughtfully, then gestured for me to try again. “But I think you’ re still holding back a little. Let the power flow without that hesitation.”

I frowned, uncertainty creeping back in. “I don’t know if I can. What if I lose control again? What if-“

“You won’t.” Simone’s voice was firm but not unkind. “You’ve got it, Lia. Just trust yourself. Trust that you can handle it.” I swallowed hard, trying to shake the nerves. “Okay. Okay, I’ll try.”

Magic came to me more naturally than I ever thought it would. It was strange how easy magic came to me.

Simone was right about one thing. I did try to put this all on myself, acting as if I was the only one who could protect all of us. The fact of the matter was I had magical power I could use against the coven to subdue them. I was pushing myself very hard.

It was a shame to push myself so hard, but I saw no other way to go about it. Especially with this dragon shifter problem.

I thought about the one who approached Colby while he was outside. Colby was smart to strike a deal with him. It was a great way for us to one-up the coven and hit them where they least expected it.

People tended to underestimate me when it came to things. I admit I was a bit of a flake and could have some blonde moments. If I dyed my hair blonde, then I would fit the image people thought about me.

It caused people to underestimate me, but I was able to surprise them at the same time, so I looked forward to this.

Lia was sitting outside on the balcony, her favorite spot at these hotels. I came up beside her, nudging her with my hip. “Hey, you okay?”

Lia looked at me, sighing. “Yes.” “No.”

She blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You said you’re okay, but you’re not. I don’t know why you’re lying to me. Did you think I’m too stupid to notice?” “Rain, I never called you stupid.”

I huffed. “You guys sometimes act like I’m stupid, but give me some credit! It might take me a while to realize some things, but once I do, I won’t let it go. Like with this magic thing.”

“Elaborate,” she said, eyeing me carefully.

“You seem to be a little shaken up about your growing magic skills. It’s weird because I thought you were fine with it.”

Lia glanced out at the very quiet motel grounds. It was still early out, so there weren’t many people out right now. I nudged her again.

“Lia?”

She glanced at me, turning her gaze back to the grounds below. “Give me a minute, Rain.”

I chewed nervously on my lower lip, wishing I had a way to fix this. Had I said something wrong?

She pressed more of her weight against the railing.

“I seem to find this strange connection to magic,” Lia said after a while. “It’s hard to explain, but it’s like I was always destined to wield magic. Does that make sense?”

Quickly, I nodded. “Yes, it does! I think I feel the same way about being a vampire. There are some things about being a vampire that just make more sense. Is that what you mean?”

Her smile faltered a little. “Not exactly, but thank you for listening, Rain. I appreciate it.”