Chapter 29

Aleena’s POV

Waiting to hear anything from Michael or the chase brothers was killing me. When did I suddenly become a man-obsessed person? Never before had I been this way about anyone, and not about the Alpha. I knew the Werewolf rules; I knew that once they found their mate, they were done, they wouldn’t even look in the direction of another woman, and Michael had his mate. So why was he constantly looking at me like he felt the same way I did?

“What do I feel for him” I questioned myself; I wasn’t ready to face that mountain yet, but deep down, I knew; I didn’t want to say it out loud. But, of course, it’s not unheard of for different races to end up together. But a mated one, now that was unheard of.

I had walked in circles around my room. I returned here once I had set Aiden on his task. There was no way I would risk being around Laura; she hated me near her man, and I don’t blame her. Even though Michael would deny that she hates me, I could feel it, and we elves had a knack for telling these things. Waiting with Michael wasn’t an option either. Alune was convinced I was making his pain worse; goddess knows why, but that was the last thing I ever wanted, so my rooms were the only option.

“Why now? Why does something like this have to happen now? I don’t have time to be infatuated with a guy, regardless of who he is. As well as an Exalted trying to take over her host’s body, rogue magic going wild and hurting the ones I love, and a prophecy coming true” I was talking to myself to pass the time, sometimes speaking what’s on your mind out loud helped.

“Shit, did I say I loved him” I cursed myself as I didn’t want to admit it. “Well, that’s just great; I’m in love with a man I can never have.”

Being an elf was brilliant; you got access to immense power and lived for bloody ages, hundreds of years longer than most other races. So you look young for decades, and you get to experience many things. But falling in love isn’t something you do very often; usually, it’s once if you are lucky. So for me to feel this way about a guy is hard enough, but a guy that’s not my race is worse; he will die before me, and I will feel that pain tenfold, but if he doesn’t feel the same for me, if we do not get our time together, then I will be doomed to a life of misery.

I decided to change out of the clothes that I had picked that morning, even though it felt like days ago. I reached for my plain old black jogging bottoms, a simple white sleeveless top and the old grey hoody Michael had given me one year when it was freezing.

Snuggling down, I chose to read to pass the time. The Werewolves library was extensive, and I had only made a small dent in its vast shelves of books. Reaching out my hand, I called for a book; I didn’t know which one I wanted, so I just focused on my feelings. Right now, I wanted to learn more about the magic that causes the effects that Michael felt. Seconds passed before a book materialised in my hand. It was ancient and heavy, covered in dust. The leather-bound cover was a deep shade of purple and runes ran down the spine in faded gold gilding. The book was beautiful and very fragile. The pattern on the front was of a wolf howling at the moon, encircled in intricate intertwining branches.

Curling up in my favourite chair, I carefully lay the book in my lap and open the cover.

“The ancient art of untamed magic, “I read aloud and took in the subject matter. Untamed magic was the old term used for dark or forbidden magic. My hands shook as I took in the magnitude of what I was reading. There were witches in this house channelling untamed magic, Alune was right, and it terrified me.

“What did they do to him” I gasped, fear crippling me; nothing good will come from untamed magic. I had to work out what they did to Michael and how to save him, as he would need saving. If not controlled and cast precisely, there were always severe consequences for using untamed magic.

I flicked through the pages as fast as possible without damaging the ancient book. I searched for anything that may be linked to the effects I saw on Michael. But it felt like it needed to take less time. Each wafer-thin page was jam-packed with information on every kind of spell imaginable. Frustration was getting the better of me, and the more concerned I became.

“That’s enough” I slammed the book down way too hard and cringed at the sound, wishing I hadn’t been so rough. Then, reaching up, I yanked on the hair tie, holding my hair back. I needed to breathe and feel free, but everything felt constricting.

After taking a few calming breaths, I turned to look at the book I threw down in anger; the dim light I had going shone on the pages, illuminating them enough for something to catch my eye.

“That’s it,” I gasped as I snatched the book up again. Its pages had fallen exactly where I needed them to in my anger. Laid out in front of me was an image of a person clutching their head and fire dancing along their body. It looked scarily like Michael.

“To bond an Alpha wolf to become your mate”, I muttered the spell title. All the air in my lungs rushed out. I couldn’t believe my eyes; my hands shook, and I couldn’t breathe.

Reading the description took longer than I wanted it to. None of the information sank in, so I had to keep reading the same passage.

“If the Alpha’s true mate is nearby, a battle of the soul will take place”, I continued. “The Alpha will be in physical pain if near their true mate, forcing them to stay clear of them so that the spell can take effect” I paused, letting it sink in. “If the Alpha’s feelings are already strong for their true mate, yet not mated then the battle will be long and hard; searing pain will coarse through the Alpha’s body, stopping him from choosing either way”, my heart pounded. Alune had said I was causing him more pain, but that would mean, no, surely not. “The only effective way to secure your Alpha is to kill their true mate; if they live, then you will have to repeat the spell regularly.”

Sitting dumbstruck in the chair, I stared at the page repeatedly. Everything I read was exactly what was happening to Michael, but could I really be his mate? Why would it take so long for me to realise? Sitting and thinking, I let the information sink in.

I thought back to my teachings with the old seer of my people. She once told me Elves reach maturity much older than other races. Whereas humans of hybrids will become an adult at eighteen, elves are one hundred and fifty years old when they reach adulthood. And I was turning one hundred fifty this year, not that I had told anyone that I don’t celebrate my birthday anymore, but I lost interest in it when my so-called friends betrayed me.

The realisation of what might be happening here was way too much. I rushed over to the sink in my room and vomited repeatedly. I was exhausted and shaking.

“Fucking hell, I think I’m mated to the Alpha”, I whispered.

My pale violet skin became paler, and my purple eyes flared with white flecks instead of their usual black. Magic coursed through my body as the truth settled inside me. I had found my true mate, and the bond needed to click into place on my birthday; if it didn’t, then I would be destined to a life of agony; some elves don’t make it through the pain if their mate doesn’t accept them. It wasn’t a fate I wanted to endure, I witnessed it once as a child, and it was the most heart-breaking thing I ever saw.

“I must stop Laura; she is the one doing this; Michael is mine.”

Michael’s POV

Just like that, the pain stopped. I could finally breathe again. But my heart hurt like something was missing, and I was afraid I would never find it. Standing up on shaking legs, I spot Ayla sitting on a chair; then I remember it was Alune now, not my daughter.

“Welcome back, Alpha; I see one of those useless mates of my host did something right then”, she smirked.

“What do you mean,” I questioned, my head still pounding; I needed to hold it even though the pain had subsided.

“The shadow-kissed brother was able to stop the spell-casting that was causing your pain” she smiled and then went back to examining the wall.

“You need to elaborate a bit more on that”, I growled; I didn’t like this Exalted person; she wasn’t all the prophecy makes her out to be; frankly, she was nothing more than a massive bitch with powers.

“Fine”, she huffed. “The pain you felt was the effects of a spell being cast on you; it felt like the Alpha bonding spell, such a fun one to watch, not so fun on the Alpha, of course,” She grinned. “This visit is becoming so exciting; you have someone trying to bond you to them; I’d say this wasn’t the first time.”

“What the hell do you mean by that” I shouted; I think I would know if I was being attacked by magic, never had I felt this before.

“Calm down, geez, your tetchy”, she laughed “You only feel the immense pain if your true mate is near, so clearly they are nearby, and you have to fight this and find your true mate or accept it and be with the fake one” she shrugged “Oh but your true mate would no doubt die”

“I need to find Laura and keep her safe; I let wont anyone hurt her”, I mutter. Alune erupted in laughter like this was something funny. Anger swelled in my belly; I wanted to punch the smirk off her face, but I wouldn’t, though, as it would cause pain to Ayla.

“You silly man, search your heart. Do you feel the unbreakable bond for this Laura” she spoke to me as if I was a child, riling me up even more?

“She has been my mate for so long. So, of course she is,” I barked, but something tugged at me, something that didn’t feel right, and it was annoying that I considered listening to the retched Exalted.

Reaching inside myself, I felt for the unbreakable bond that would hold us together for eternity, the one I would kill for, but it wasn’t there.

“There it is “, she chuckled, boiling my blood more.

“Don’t just sit there being a pain in the arse; tell me what I need to do, for goddess sake”, I yelled at her, losing my patients; my true mate was on the line here, and I couldn’t allow anything to happen to her, whomever she is.

“Okay, okay, keep your furry pants on, Alpha mutt, I’ll help you; I can’t tell you outright because, well, I can’t, but I can point you in the right direction” she rolled her eyes, pushing herself up and placing her hands on her hips.

“Well?” I urged

“Look closely at whom you have spent your time with lately; if your mate were near, the spell cast on you would begin to break, hence the pain; it was being recast. So use that little brain of yours, work out who you have been with lately and start there,” she said as she walked towards the door. “I have to work out what my next move is; my Fallen sister has now tasted my host’s blood and will becoming for her, I am now bonded to her, and I can’t risk a fight for her power”, she paused “, I have bigger things to deal with right now, I can’t help you with your little mate problem, bigger things are at play”, she pulled the handle of the door down, smiled, waved and left. Leaving me standing there thinking about my life.

“Laura is doing this to me” my heart broke, I had spent the last two decades with this woman loving her, and it had all been a lie. I didn’t know how to process it.

Picking the chair the Exalted had just exited, I sat; I needed to think. The door opened once again, and Alune returned.

“Me again; I just thought I would remind you; I may be having fun on your plane right now, but I have a job to do. I have to re-write the wrongs in the world caused by your race, so if I were you, I’d hurry up as we have a lot coming at us soon. I’m ninety-eight per cent sure you and your true mate play quite a role in it, so if you could hurry the fuck up and sort yourself out, that would be great,” she smiled. “Okay, thanks, bye”, she waved. But, again, shutting the door a bit too hard made me wince; my head was still sore.

“Great, life is just great”.