Page 4 of Sealed With A Kiss (GSC In Love #5)

Nikolai Survolar

K nocking on my brother-in-law’s office doorframe, I smiled and tilted my head to the tiny bundle of giggles I held. “Willow and I thought we would stop by and visit Uncle Rayne for a bit before we head back home.”

“I was waiting for you two to stop by ever since I heard you were at the training center today. I began to wonder if I had to track you down myself.” Rayne stood from his chair and took Willow out of my arms. “You know I need some Willow time, or I’ll go insane.”

My daughter let out a fit of laughter as her uncle made faces and squeezed her.

Placing her bottle down on his desk and the diaper bag on the floor beside it, I sat in the chair he had for visitors and rolled my shoulders.

Today had been a busy day of socializing with everyone at the center, and I even worked on a few spells with Wolf while Zander took care of Willow.

It wasn’t the first day I’d been back. I started training with Wolf again last month, but today was the first day we went for ten whole hours, and I was expected back tomorrow.

Between training with Wolf and teaching the GSC agents that signed up for the coven dynamics class, I was exhausted.

“It’s nice being back here. But I didn’t realize how exhausted I’d be after a few hours.

How do you do this daily and then go home to all your minions? ”

“Trust me, at first, I was just as tired and worn out as you. But having them here in the daycare center helps. I know they are safe and well taken care of.” Rayne took a gray metal canister out from his desk’s top drawer.

“Then Hendrix was able to mix me up a few tea concoctions that helped with my endurance and energy. If you want, I can speak with him about making you a special blend of your own.”

“I might need that.” I examined the ingredients list Hendrix had handwritten on the back of the tin.

Hendrix was a phoenix shifter who had some of the most powerful magic I’d witnessed.

If anyone knew what mixture would have the best results, it was him.

“I know it’s time to return full-time to the training course again and get everything under control, especially with having to teach Willow how to control her powers now.

The thought of leaving Willow is not sitting right.

I know she’s ten months and most of the family have their kids in the daycare long before that, but I just want to spend every minute with her. ”

“I get that.” Rayne nodded. “Have you chosen to go with a nanny or to use the daycare here? I know you were playing around with that idea.”

“The girl I was using before got into her dream university, so I must find someone else. I interviewed a few candidates and have a beta who will stop by occasionally and help take care of Willow while I do a side project or need to clean the house, but I am not sure I want a full-time nanny raising my child. If she is here, I can go down and see her as often as I like.”

“That is a plus for sure. If you do hire a nanny, they are welcome to use your office here while you are in training, to take care of Willow. That way, you aren’t leaving her,” Rayne offered.

As the co-founder of the Survolar-Romano Training Center, he would be the one to give me permission to do such actions.

“But we will be starting the new childhood training class very soon. With her abilities, she might be able to be added to next year’s round of classes.

We were starting with preschool age but by next year, I think we might add a toddler class a day or two a week.

With the newer generation being born, their powers need to be honed earlier.

They have so much potential and if left untrained, it could prove dangerous.

Imagine Willow here in a puberty fit being able to levitate objects and hurl them across the room.

We need to teach them control as soon as they can start learning it.

It is important to ensure the future of the covens.

Without the covens, packs, and clans, the future generations of witches and shifters would lose their powers.

We have already seen that in the shifters who chose to live in big cities and conform to human normality.

When you refuse to shift or grow your craft, you lose your abilities.

Seeing these young children with innate knowledge of magic weaving has restored my faith in the future of our covens.

Unfortunately it also has shown that we need to come up with a plan for keeping them safe while they are too young to fully understand their powers and the ramifications of misuse. ”

“I agree. I am not ready to put a block on Willow but that is what the clan has been pushing for.”

Stacey and I always agreed to teach our children how to use their powers instead of stripping them of their energies and leaving the children defenseless.

I swore not to leave our child unable to defend herself like my late mate had been when her uncles took advantage of her.

It kills me that they hid it so well for so long and that I didn’t discover their despicable practices until years after I mated her and saved her from her own personal hell.

If I had known the secrets she hid when we were teenagers, I would have helped her escape their clutches earlier.

Unfortunately the uncles had spelled her to secrecy.

“You may not need a full one. Let me speak with the coven and Hendrix. We may be able to place a dampener on it so that she doesn’t lose her powers completely and can still access her full strength in times of danger to protect herself, but she won’t be able to cause harm to herself or innocents.”

As we were speaking, a sweet and tantalizing scent of toasted marshmallows and chocolate met my senses, and my whole body came to life. I closed my eyes and savored the moment, wondering who had made these magical s’mores and did they have enough to share with me.

Knock. Knock.

“Hi, Rayne. Are you ready for our meeting? I went over the documents you gave me and feel confident I can assist in this project.”

My dick hardened at the sound of the voice, and my eyes popped open to take in the sight of the most amazing man I had ever seen, walking in through the open door of Rayne’s office.

Tousled dirty-blond hair. Wide and bright cerulean eyes framed by dark and lush lashes.

A light sprinkling of facial scruff that I instantly yearned to feel against the inside of my thigh.

At that moment, I knew that I would never see anyone more incredible.

I was staring at the realization of Xavier’s vision.

I was in the presence of the one person fate had created to be mine.

Emotion overwhelmed me. Excitement, joy, and longing were strong but were battling the other swarm of feelings I couldn’t deny—sadness, anger, guilt.

I wasn’t supposed to find a fated mate. I was supposed to be with Stacey. My traitorous dick and fate could take their plans and shove them deep into a cavern of darkness.

Jumping to my feet, I ran out the door and into the hallway.

I knew Willow would be safe with her uncle, but I needed to get out of there.

I needed to escape the smell of that man.

I needed to avoid my energy reaching out and searching for him, yearning to connect and build a more concrete bond.

I needed to be alone and remember my wife.

The one who sacrificed everything for our love.

I’m so sorry Stacey. It should be you.