The Tiger Prince's Witch
Chapter 56 - Special Cubs

"What do you mean we might not be able to beat him?" Randal asked, feeling the tingling of fear creeping through his body.

"Astaroth consumes souls and uses them as fuel. The more souls he consumes, the stronger he'll be and the harder he'll be to beat. He's a ghost that uses the bodies of others as his costumes." Anna sank down in a seat; her limbs felt like they were made of jelly. She didn't feel defeated, but she felt exhausted.

Kamryn sat beside her, feeling worthless, as he put his arm around her shoulders. His mate was the strongest person he knew, but even she needed someone to lean on at times. He would always be that someone there for her no matter what. "So, what do we need to do?" Lynn asked worriedly, not liking the look on Anna's face.

"We need to continue to train, as I said earlier. I also want to try something with our unborn children. Even though they're not here yet, I can feel Liana's power." Anna looked toward Jaz, who was also nodding.

"I agree. I can feel Zack's power." She said, absently rubbing her belly with her hand.

"This may sound crazy, but hear me out. Do you remember the carebear books we used to read?" Anna looked at her parents, who were nodding but looking at her as though she had lost her mind. "Where are you going with this?" Stanley asked, not putting the pieces together.

"I believe we can channel the cub's powers through us. I see it like when the carebears had the lights and rainbows coming out of their bellies. I know it's silly and probably won't be like that, but that's what I picture." Anna shrugged with a little smile. She'd loved the carebear books when she was little. In some ways, she had seen them as special. Like Spirit Energy, they could feel others' emotions.

"That's an interesting perspective," Caprice said, not quite sure what to say. Anna giggled slightly at the looks on everyone's faces.

"If I could take a picture of how you all are looking at me right now, I would. I promise I'm not crazy. I think we can use the cub's powers before they get here, so we know what they are and how they'll help us in the fight. Trust me, this is something I feel strongly about." She said with a small smile.

"We trust you, Anna. We're just a little surprised at your description. However, after the way you described how the light entered the two of you, it makes sense that you would feel the power." Maura said, looking between Anna and Jaz. "Alright. Well, then, we need to get to work. Jaz, Micah, and Kamryn come with me to the indoor training area. I don't want anyone witnessing what we're doing." Anna stood up, and the other three did as well. Before she left, she turned toward Jarek and Marcella with a smile.

"You're going to be going in heat soon. You can keep from training during that time, as you'll be busy doing other things." Anna winked at Marcella, who was blushing, while Jarek grinned widely. When they walked out of the room, Kamryn turned to Anna in question.

"How do you know she's going to go into heat?" He asked quietly.

"Now that I've become more in tune with my abilities, I can sense things about people. Remember, we're Spirit Energy witches, meaning we can pick up the energies from others. I can feel the heat on her; I estimate she'll be in heat within a day or two. I just hope they can have the pup or cub before the battle. I don't want anyone pregnant trying to fight." She took his hand as they headed to the basement, where the indoor training area was located.

"Wow. I didn't know that the way you felt energies got stronger over time." Kamryn pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead.

"As we become more comfortable with our abilities, they grow and strengthen even our natural ones." Anna hugged him tightly, breathing in his scent. Being in his arms was the best place she could be.

"You never cease to amaze me. Now show me how this is going to work with the cubs." Kamryn kissed the top of her head before letting her go. She turned to Jaz and Micah.

"Let's hold hands again. Jaz and I will focus on the cubs and absorbing their energy into ourselves. Kamryn and Micah, you both keep holding our hands no matter what happens." She looked at the two men and noticed Micah looked worried.

"Are you sure this is safe for our cubs?" He asked, putting a protective arm around Jaz.

"Nothing we're going to do will hurt them. I promise. This is all about learning their unique abilities. It will help them to be stronger once their here, and we have to face Astaroth. I know this is scary, and none of us want to think about our innocent cubs taking on a demon, but this is necessary in order for us to be ready." Anna spoke softly while rubbing her belly.

"Alright, how do you want us?" Micah asked, still feeling on edge. He trusted Anna, but that didn't help his fear over something horrible happening to his unborn cub.

"Jaz, stand across from me. Micah and Kamryn hold our hands." They stood in a circle holding hands, waiting for something to happen.

Anna frowned when she felt nothing. She was sure this was what they were supposed to do. She felt it in her bones. Just as she was going to tell them to let go, her stomach started rumbling. It was intense, making her squeeze Kamryn and Micah's hands. She looked over at Jaz, who was obviously feeling the same with the grimace on her face.

As the rumbling continued, Anna started feeling heat in her stomach. It wasn't uncomfortable or burning; it was just warm. Just as quickly as it started, it stopped. She thought it was over, but then her whole body began to tremble. Anna felt like she was going to fall to the ground, but with Kamryn and Micah holding her hands, she was able to stay on her feet.

Jaz saw Anna trembling, but she didn't have the same effect. She was covered in sweat as though she'd jumped into the lake. On top of that, she felt something holding her down, like she was being pushed to the ground. Her cub was powerful for him to already have this power.

Kamryn watched Anna with concern. She was shaking so badly he was scared she was having a seizure. He knew he couldn't do or say anything. Anna was adamant that no matter what happened, he and Micah were to do nothing. It didn't make it easy, though.

Micah could feel the moisture on Jaz's hand. It was so wet that he held her hand tighter to ensure she didn't slip out of his grasp. He knew what Anna said, but it looked like both she and Jaz were in pain. Was it worth it for them to suffer? Rocky kept him calm, telling them this was necessary.

As the trembling came to an end, Anna felt her energy restored. She felt something else as well. She now knew not only her daughter's powers but also something else. She looked at Jaz, who smiled at her nodding. This was incredible, and she couldn't wait to tell the others. Anna let go of Micah's hand before wrapping her arms around Kamryn.

"Did you find out anything?" Kamryn asked softly, stroking her long thick hair. She looked at him with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes.

"We found out more than we anticipated. Let's go meet with the parents." Anna saw the disappointment on his face. "Don't worry, it's all good news. Let's go."

The four of them headed toward the royal office. Kamryn and Micah tried their best to get their mates to tell them what was happening, but they both refused because they wanted to tell everyone at once. All the parents were still in the office when they arrived.

"We didn't expect you to be back so quickly." Lynn looked between the two couples with concern.

"It didn't take long, and I'm sad to report that our bellies didn't shoot out rainbows like the carebears." Anna felt the tension in the room leave slightly at what she said.

"What did you find out?" Patrice asked, noticing her daughter seemed brighter and more energetic than she did earlier.

"Our little Liana has the powers of both her father and me. She can make fire and move heavy objects. She has the elements of fire and wind." Anna looked at Jaz so she could report on her cub.

"Zack can make thunderstorms and move things by waving his hand. He has the elements of water and earth." Jaz stated while biting her lip so she wouldn't let out the best news.

"Your cubs are extremely powerful already. Why do you both have smirks on your faces? Did you find out something else?" Randal asked, looking at the two young women curiously. Anna's grin spread across her face before answering.

"Yes, we found out something else that we weren't expecting. Our cubs are actually cubs, not just witches. They're hybrids. Not only that, as you know, weretigers typically only get their tigers once they're five years old. Liana and Zack will be born with their tigers, and we know their names."