Changed by Fire (Phoenix Rising #6) - Harper Wylde Page 0,46

but that’s why we’re here to help. Your position is changing, but that just means you’re free to find the role you actually want.”

“Why are you so smart?” I teased, hugging her tightly.

“I learned from the best.” She tapped my nose with her finger.

I laughed, nuzzling into her. “Yes, you’re definitely smarter than I am.”

Nix grinned, and a small giggle escaped before she pressed her forehead to mine. “Take your time, love, and make sure you lean on us instead of bottling up all of your feelings. You’re right where you’re supposed to be—here with me… with all of us. The rest will sort itself out with time. You just need to give yourself a break.”

Pulling back, Nix tilted her head and slanted her lips over mine in a sweet, sultry kiss I felt race through my body, coating all my insecurities with the love she gave freely.

“You know…” Nix bit her lip, her eyes hooded as she gazed down at me with a seductive expression. “Since we have a few minutes to ourselves…”

I didn’t need any more encouragement to get lost in my mate.

Every sip of her lips chased away my melancholy, and each roll of her hips against mine reminded me of my place in her life.

Eleven

Nix

I spun into the kick, adding as much weight behind the blow as I possibly could. Sweat dripped down my back as I landed the hit, the thud of my foot smashing into Killian’s abdomen making me cringe just like it had the last six times.

I breathed heavily as I got my footing again, my hands that had been clenched into fists falling limp at my sides. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Killian grunted as he smoothed a hand down the ridged six pack not so subtly hiding under his black tank, and a slow, cocky smirk curved his sexy lips as he shook his head at me.

“You’re strong in your human form, Nix, but I don’t think you could really, truly hurt me.” He looked smug about the fact that I was nearly a head shorter than him and probably half his weight. It didn’t matter that he was right. He’d declared a challenge, and I wanted to rise to the occasion and show him what I was made of.

My Phoenix squawked in my head in full agreement, but I soothed her ruffled feathers, reminding her this training session was about working together in our human skin without our alter’s powers.

Sadly, I knew Killian wouldn’t have been so confident if we were training in our alternate forms. While he fully embraced his Puca’s abilities of illusion and psychic visions, he was still uncomfortable about shifting into a rabbit. No matter the number of times I showed him how much I accepted his alter or how often I encouraged him to shift in front of me and the others, he still viewed himself as less.

I wanted to grab him by his massively broad shoulders and shake some sense into him. I wished he could see himself through my eyes, but even having Damien share my thoughts with Killian had only helped so much.

This was a battle Killian needed to fight on his own. I just hoped he emerged from the other side with more respect for his Puca. Until he truly bonded with his alter, he’d never be as strong as he could be, despite how many hours he put into the gym or how many muscles he was able to bulk up with all his exercise and training.

“Again?” I asked, taking the stance he’d shown me, but I relaxed a second later when he shook his head.

“No, you’ve got that move down. I think it’s time we worked on some of the holds you may encounter and how to get out of them.” He swung his arms and rotated his neck while I went to grab a drink from the water bottle I’d left in the corner. His eyes tracked the movement of my throat as I swallowed, taking in the long line of my neck and the swells of my breasts exposed by the sports bra I wore. A high waisted pair of exercise leggings and a set of cute tennis shoes completed the look, all compliments of Ryder’s online shopping habit. Apparently, even in exile, the internet delivered. Who knew?

I recapped the bottle and set it aside, rubbing the cool condensation off on my pants before striding back to Kill.

“Are you sure you don’t want to train in our shifted