Dianthe's Awakening by J.B. Miller

approaching her. To do so would endanger them both. In fact, I had all of our people move back several hundred yards because the force that was coming would not be small. In the end, it was more than I had even imagined.
    The power built until the very skies above us darkened with angry storm clouds. Electricity raced over my skin and the urge to shift into my natural form grew stronger.
    The mother of us all only knew how strong her power could grow. It was my responsibility to make sure it did not expand too much.
    Dianthe suddenly threw back her head and screamed. Her eyes flew open and the beautiful soft gold they normally glowed had now turned into a burning molten copper. Her gaze met mine for a fleeting moment, but it was blind. She was not seeing me nor the Hunt surrounding her. She was lost in her own torment and it was causing her to lose the tight control she had unconsciously been holding over her gifts for years.
    The pressure around us began to grow and I knew it would only be moments before a torrent released.
    Once more, I sent my Hunt further back. I had no idea how far the backlash would go once Dia let go. I did however, know that it would be impressive.
    The tenor of her scream reached a crescendo and I watched warily as her eyes closed once more and she threw out her arms releasing the hold she had held upon herself.
    The training field exploded in light. A pillar rose straight up into the heavens as if a small sun had shot off a flare. It grew and expanded in pulses and after the first wave only grew stronger.
    The second pulse of power knocked Brónach and the hound to the ground. The third had my second and his men, and by the forth, I was struggling to stand against her.
    I had wanted to let her expend herself, but Dianthe's strength exceeded what I thought it would be. Instead of decreasing, the waves were getting stronger.
    I no longer had a choice. I would have to intervene.
    I began to take the first steps toward her. We were only a handful of paces apart. However, each step felt as if I was going against a gale.
    The energy began to strip my own layers away. It did not please me, as I did not like to expose my true self to others. By the time I had made it to her side, my own glory shone from me.
    The golden and green aura of my natural being bled into and mixed with the reds and golds of her own. So much fire and passion and absolutely no control.
    It had been a very long time since I had been surprised. And this one was welcome. My chosen was more than a match for me. The secret fear I had held that she would not have been able to hold up to the eternity by my side began to slip away.
    It would take years to bring her to the point where she understood enough to grasp the realities of our life, but I would be there for her through it when I could be. And when I was not, I would ensure her other mates and her companions were.
    Looking down at her, seeing the tears that streamed down her face, broke my heart. So very young, Dia was an infant in our world, but so much had already been put upon her shoulders. How much more could she handle in a short amount of time?
    She's strong, and we will make sure that she survives what is to come. There will be no doubt that she is a goddess when all is said and done.
    The life that she had led in the mortal world was no more.
    It was time to truly introduce myself to my young mate and welcome her to her new world.
    "Dia, my heart. It is time to open your eyes and see me."
    *****
     
    Dia
     
    It was all just too much. A girl can handle only so much before she crawls into a corner to die. I was done.
    The memory of my dad calling me a whore and hitting me broke the small amount of strength I had left. I had buried it so deep it was almost as if it had never happened. Now that all the angry words and uncertainty came back... Well, I just didn't want to play this game anymore.
    So I just let go and an explosion of colors swept me away.
    It was peaceful...waves