SYDNEY

The lone house had a sweeping angled roof and the front wall was made entirely of windows which reflected the grey day and the evergreens surrounding the home. The sound of Logan's door closing and his jacketed figure darting through the rain to the door caught her attention from her own vehicle.

Jumping out of her Jeep she followed in his tracks. In the doorway Sydney was surprised to see in the brief dash from her car to the open door, the rain had saturated her jeans.

Plucking off her boots to keep from tracking mud in the home, Logan's voice emanated from somewhere in what Sydney was now going to dub the glasshouse. "I'll grab us some towels, in the meantime close up the front please."

The beauty of the architecture was enhanced by the furniture shades of grey, white and black. Stunning black and white photos that Sydney recognized as Ansel Adams' and Henri Cartier-Bresson prints decorated some of the interior walls. The only real dash of color was the fruits in a three tiered basket in the open kitchen.

"Here's a towel," the bundle of fluff flew at her right as she turned. Flailing she caught it and with a mumbled thanks started drying off what she could.

As she dried her damp blonde ponytail she nodded her head towards some artwork, "I like the photographs. Adams and Cartier-Bresson right?"

He nodded in affirmation.

"I plan on getting copies when I get my own place too."

A grin spread across his lips, but he remained quiet.

It was then she noted his completely dry form, "Did you change?"

Nope." He flashed her a wicked smile.

This provoked her eyebrow to raise in curiosity. "Are you going to share your secrets then all mighty Nature Vassal?"

Lightly chuckling, he waved her deeper into the house.

"I'm going to show you how to move water and air."

This highly piqued her interest, "I'm listening."

He took a seat on the floor of the living room and Sydney followed in suit. Soft rain pattered outside and Sydney heard the air kick on throughout the house to begin to warm it.

"Do you live here alone?" She inquired.

Logan nodded, "Just me, myself, and I."

She shivered at the lonely feeling of the giant monotone house, that while beautiful, seemed like a big place to get lost in one's thoughts and never return to society. She found it hard enough in the giant swath of a house she lived in, even with her siblings felt all too big and hollow.

A snap of Logan's fingers brought her eyes back from wandering, "Now pay attention. This is difficult and new stuff. I want you to close your eyes." He pointed to his temple. "Note you're breathing. The air sweeping through your nostrils, tumbling down your windpipe, and you're lungs expanding, stretching and conform to this invisible mass."

His voice was quiet and soft as he helped her focus and narrow down her thoughts. Her senses expanded with every narrated breath they took in unison. Logan described different parts of her body and it's actions each time, and she felt a calm almost out of body awareness sweep over her.

She could feel the blood twisting through her veins, the pulse it brought with it in the tips of her toes, the sound of air curling in her ears, the muscles in her chest moving to power her body with breath.

"Now, in order to manipulate, it helps being able to fully be attuned to your senses. Over time it'll get easier," he reassured her, "and you'll just be able to command what you want. Being in touch fully with your body allows you to be more aware of everything influenced around you though too. So, bring your attention to your skin. The dampness of the shirt clinging not just to your skin but the small hairs lining your body. The wet material of your jeans suctioned to your legs. In those materials thousands of droplets of water are band together. I want you to picture water rising off your clothes, off of you. Imagine it however you see it happening and it will happen."

The power in his words made her realize not to second guess what that would look like, but that the water would conform to her will as long as she had no doubt in herself. Taking in his words with her eyes still shut, she pictured the water reversing off her skin, through her clothes, reshaping into droplets.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Some part of her didn't believe what Logan had been saying was true, but there it was a layer of thick raindrops hovering above the contour of her body much like a shield.

"Wow, this is..." The look on Logan's face had her pause. "What's wrong?"

Frown fixing into a straight line, Logan just shook his head, "Nothing, just that I've never seen someone be so fluent in their first try. Especially since you've rested dormant for so long."

The layer of water jerked slightly, forcing her attention back to it fully. "W-what do I do with it?"

He shrugged non committedly. "Whatever you want. Let it evaporate, move it into a dish, make it into mist or fog, or-"

Sydney closed her eyes, noted her breathing, and while the water was no longer in physical contact with her, she told herself it was threatening to touch her in an uncomfortable way again, so she needed to will it away. She imagined the layer of water funnel together and twist towards the fireplace that sat dormant beside them, shooting up the chimney, she pictured it joining the rest of the wetness outside.

When her eyes opened and she saw the water was gone, Logan nodded and said, "Interesting choice."

☽✣☾

Sitting across from each other, Sydney in an armchair and Logan stretched across the couch, they listened to the rain patter against the roof in a soothing coaxing manner, Sydney thought to herself what their next step could be.

Logan was shocked by all the lessons he was throwing at her. She could bend water and manipulate air easily, more easily than he thought possible. He told her they were done with lessons today, and that in the grand scheme of things she was already armed with everything she needed to manipulate whatever she wanted.

She had asked questions about the limits of their abilities, and what they were actually doing, if it was genuine magic, and he had given her short answers that sounded like they originated from a handbook.

"There are no such things as limits, only what we hinder ourselves to. As for what we are doing, it's probably classified as magic, but we are really just an extension of Nature Itself."

After wrapping up all the practicing, it was already well past lunch time. Logan served them up some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches before turning their attention back to the 'animal spirited' as Logan said Nature called them. They had tried researching into Elliot, but with no real last name and only the blurry memories of violent blue eyes flashing through the attack in the woods it wasn't a productive search. Sydney jabbed at Logan that his connection with Nature seemed to suck and be fairly unbeneficial when it came to trying to do anything she deemed helpful.

He seemed to reluctantly bite back his obvious need to quip. He had been letting Sydney say whatever made her feel better, but she tried taming her foul mood towards Nature saving them for It instead of Logan.

Continuing on the same wavelength of researching people, the thought struck Sydney wondering about Mat and Jay, wondering if they could find anything in the local archives about their family. She wondered if there was a way she could actually verify the birth certificate of Mat to really see that he shared the parents of Jay and Jaci. She was finding it hard to swallow the idea that the fairly nice and protective parents that had been helpful the night of the dead swan could really give up and abandon a son just because of some mythical pack status. She did mentally note she didn't have a lot of interaction with them though, she realized she was only going off of her impressions of Jay and Jaci. As much as she equally hated to admit, Jay had been pretty nasty at any mention or run in with Mat, so it wasn't exactly a stellar reflection on his parents Sydney guessed.

"I want to find a way to check out the Ward family tree. It's all muddled for me."

This piqued Logan's interest, "In what way?"

"With Mat and Jay being brothers, and how Mat was the second born son so he was made the omega."

"Do you not believe this Mathew?"

Frowning, "No, I do, there's no reason for him to lie about something so big. I always knew Mat wasn't a fan of Jay, but I just thought it was the generic hatred for jocks and meatheads, not being outcast from his family."

"So why the birth certificates?"

Sydney paused, "Is it really true that werewolves can only have children with their mates?"

Logan cozied further back into the couch, he pressed the tips of his fingers together across his chest. "As legend goes yes that is true. However, and you didn't hear this from me," Logan offered her a pointed look, "Nature seems to be lessening Its grip on the animal spirited."

"Interesting, so is it possible they aren't related?"

"No, I believe they definitely are. Why do you find it so difficult to believe?"

She signed deeply, "I don't know I just was hoping Jay's parents wouldn't have done that. It seems so messed up."

He shrugged, "It isn't exactly the first time in the history of alpha families tossing away their second born."

"I just don't understand the point in punishing the second born, especially if the rest of the family gets away from it."

Deeply inhaling then releasing his breath, "There needed to be balances back in the day when birth couldn't be hidden as well and everyone in the communities would know about them."

"Mean people still know that Mat's the omega, but it just doesn't seem to hold the alpha family in balance anymore, and at the cost of my friend, it's just terrible."

"I don't know what to tell you Sydney."

She signed, at least somewhat pleased that he didn't defend Nature this time.

"What time is it?" Sydney changed the topic.

"It's almost 4:30, do you-"

Her body flew into action, "Oh my goodness, I need to go!"

At the door she slipped into her shoes, and tugged on her raincoat, as Logan trailed behind, "Text me when you're back at your place."

Sydney nodded already out the door.

☽✣☾

Only going about five over the speed limit once she reached downtown and nearing ten on the winding roads to her house, she was sure that she was going to get there before Jay, but hitting seemingly every red light that optimism dwindled.

So when she pulled up to her house she was a little less surprised to find Jay sitting in his car, texting then looking up to scan the area.

A sheepish grin awkwardly stretched across her lips as she pulled in alongside him. She could already tell his eyes were not as amiable as usual, but nevertheless he pulled his lips into what was supposed to be a smile.

"Hey," Sydney drew out as they both clammered out of their perspective vehicles. "How was class and practice?"

Following her towards the front door where she already was typing in the pin to the house lock, he answered dejectedly, "Class was same old same old. Practice was fine. The coach was busting my ass for telling him to let the vinegar balloons incident though."

"Oh," Sydney breathed. She felt bad about the whole thing now. At the time it felt so silly and fun to be pulling a senior prank with her friends, now not just her senior year was on kilt, her whole life seemed out of balance.

They proceeded up to her room as Jay asked, "What about you? Everything squared away with your family?"

Sweeping off her jacket as she entered her room with Jay a stride behind her, once again she found herself only capable of a one-word, "Huh?"

Jay went rigid while Sydney unzipped her shoes trying to collect herself.

Kicking off her shoes she fully registered his stiff form, "What's wrong?"

Jay's eyes were locked onto the seat of her window, right where Mat had occupied most of last night during their talk. "You said you were dealing with family issues." His eyes finally pulled away from the spot and moved to her. Just beneath the surface, Sydney could see something fierce was boiling in them.

He knew.