The Beast And The Blessed

Sixty-Seven: Natalie

Natalie's P.O.V.

Training had been lacking the past week. I had been able to move more weight and do body-weight movements easier.

I also got to learn some things in my wolf form, but it was harder than I had thought to get used to moving more swiftly on four legs than it was on two. Walking and running were easy, but the complex movements as I dodged and attacked my opponents were uncomfortable. The majority of the time, I ended up tripping over my own paws like a newborn pup... which I guess I was.

Hours every day were spent training, and I found myself improving but not very quickly. There was still an internal battle going on in my mind that left me with a splitting migraine by the end of each day, and no answers for what I needed to do.

It was widely agreed upon by the healers that the other side of me should have faded by now. I still hadn't told them what my birth mother had said about being a descendant of the Goddess as Joselin hadn't had any time to look into my blood. So, they treated me like any regular hybrid.

Joselin had been busy with her project around the outside of the castle.

No one had been caught in the trap she set in the doorways, and I wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Either we could trust those around us, or the spell didn't work.

I smiled when she walked into the training room, but it fell when her look of anger landed on me.

"You are interfering, 'Your Majesty'!" Joselin shouted, and several stacks of weights dropped around the room as she approached me on the large training mat. She didn't seem to care that I was almost as tall as her in my beast form as she was in her skin.

I shook my head. A low, guttural noise left my throat as I stupidly tried to respond as if I didn't currently have a snout.

"You need to get it under control!" She shouted, and I tried to jump away as she grabbed a fistful of fur, pulling on it as we teleported to the library. My oversized body bumped into a bookshelf, sending it tumbling down.

So much for respecting my title in public. I was livid.

Joselin groaned in annoyance as she flicked her hand and righted the wooden structure. "We have the same parts, stop being a prude and shift back!"

grumbled in annoyance as I did as she asked, wanting to lay into her but holding myself back since she had more power than I did, or at least, more control over it. "Maybe if you didn't manhandle me, I

in the past, this time there wasn't a single twitch in the muscles around her eyes to show that she was looking anywhere

had been in this library with me. She had grabbed my face

leaned toward me this time, I was going to bite her. Wolf or human, my teeth would be cutting into her

face relaxed as she smirked, "Well, you sure have grown

as a maid

back to stare at Joselin,

turned away from me, showing me her back which made my beast seethe with irritation at the disrespect. But she carried on as she traveled around the shelves, taking a few books down as she passed

as Joselin began to flip through the pages of the first book. When she seemed satisfied, she nodded and snapped it shut. "Your training starts now. This is the

the book she was holding into my chest just as my guards came bursting through

that?!' Thomas growled at Joselin as he scanned me over. Tobias sent him a warning glare, slamming his hand roughly down on Thomas's shoulder. Thomas

bit back my smile at the silent giant and the small witch. They had an odd dynamic, but Joselin looked pleased that Tobias reacted to my

you please!"

scolded as if she were talking to a pet, and Thomas's face turned red

the book in my hands. The beautiful brown hardcover was decorated with a gold outline of the tree of life, and a single word was etched

In Latin.

in panic as Joselin and Thomas continued to bicker, growing louder with every word. Some held pictures, but every page was

Joselin was fuming, the black lines on her skin vibrating harshly against the pale

my hands. "How the hell do you expect me

turned to me, her long snow-white hair resting back in place on her shoulders. "That's not my problem. I have a lot of work to

Tobias as I glared

mumbled, flipping her off behind

right in front of Joselin, and my hand flew over my mouth. She tumbled to the ground, smacking loudly onto her