DAMIEN.
"Are you insane?" Lucas snarls at both me and Maya.
A witch? What? One curse is not enough for you?"
I don't answer him, choosing to let Maya face this one.
It was her idea after all.
"Do you have a better idea?" she demands.
"Yeah. I actually do. We can for the women to wake up and explain the shit she pulled."
"And what of the tattoo?"
"What of it?"
"How do you explain that?"
"Again, we wait for her to wake up."
I walk away from them and walk over to the windows, staring straight out into the wide expanse of my territory, lost in thoughts.
This whole thing is a mess.
Strange woman.
Fading tattoos.
Mate.
I try to control my thoughts and my desires.
I don't think I will be able to handle
We had arrived at the pack clinic and are currently waiting for the doctor's verdict when we informed him of our decision to contact a witch.
I try to control my thoughts and my desires.
I don't think I will be able to handle it if it all turns out to be some ploy.
I will go fucking bonkers.
"Excuse me, Alpha. She is awake."
I turn to see Elias, the pack doctor standing at a respectful distance with his head bent low in submission.
"Thank you. As you were," I tell him and watch as he salutes before working away.
I look back to see both Lucas and Maya still arguing before taking a deep breath and head over to the room.
My gaze is instantly drawn to her figure on the bed and to my delighted surprise, I see her snap her gaze to mine as well.
Like a magnet, I draw closer to her. Zero control of my limbs.
She is stunning.
Her eyes are a clear gray now, thanks to the positioning of the light, which only serves to pull me in.
I take deep, calming breaths.
No matter what, I am an Alpha. I can't lose my head.
"How did you get past the gates?"
Her eyes crinkle in a smile like she is amused by the question.
Like she knows that is not what I want to ask.
"I climbed," she answered.
"Climbed?"
"Hmhm."
"The gates are twenty feet tall," I say deadpan.
"I was very motivated," she replies.
"You called me mate, do you remember?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because you are my mate.'
"Don't lie to me rogue," I growl out.
"Do I smell like a rogue, Alpha?"
I stop short at the question.
I take in a deep whiff of her scent and the only thing that seems to do is excite my wolf.
No scent of rogue in her.
Usually, when a wolf becomes a rogue, it is because they were banned from their packs or they themselves cut all ties to the pack.
It causes a change in scents. A tangy, metallic smell that alerts other wolves of their status.
Her scent is… warm. Welcoming. It is like being surrounded by high lush mountains, with rushing waterfalls.
Words can't really describe it.
It is… seductive.
"You are not a rogue."
"No, I am not," she responds.
"What?" I ask, confused.
"I don't know where I am from. I was kidnapped as a baby and had been raised secluded from all life and have just recently escaped."
"And you came here? Why?"
"Because you are my mate."
I scoff at the response.
"You are clearly confused. I will call the doctor back in to check your head," I say as I turn to leave.
"The petals," she says, stopping me in my tracks.
Slowly, I turn to her, my eyes narrowing on her.
"What about the petals?"
"They have started to fade, haven't they?"
"How do you know that?" I demand as I stalk back to her.
"A witch told me. Well, more like boasted about it."
"A witch?"
"Yes, the same one that kidnapped me. It's how I know you are my mate. And how I know about the curse placed on you."
I stare at her for a few seconds before turning around to walk out.
"Maya!" I call, my voice aching without power.
It causes both she and Lucas to snap in attention, heads bowed.
"Alpha," she responds.
"Find the witch. Now. The day must not end until I am sitting face to face with one."
"Yes, Alpha."
I watch her march away before turning around in the other direction.
I need to get away from all these.
From her.
"Alpha?" Lucas calls as he hurries after me.
"Not now Lucas, I want to be alone," I tell him before I burst out of the building.
I race into the woods, shifting as I do and race through the woods.
"... The same one that kidnapped me."
It's too much to ignore. The coincidence and the timing.
Is it possible?
The same witch who had decreed I would never find my mate could be the same one that kidnapped… What was her name again?
Shit. I didn't even ask.
But still, what is the best way to ensure a curse takes effect if not by personally making sure it happens?
What if it is true?
What if she is really my mate?
"Idiot."
"Hey, what did I do?" I snap at my wolf.
"She is our mate."
"You don't know that. I don't feel anything."
"It is probably the curse. Or just you humans thinking too much, you block all other feelings."
"Emotions are dangerous, they blind us."
"Emotions don't lie. It tells us what we really feel. And I feel the pull to her wolf. Do not fuck this up, human."
"Seriously, we are back to that. Use my name you mutt."
He is about to give a comeback when I feel a message coming in from the pack link."
"Alpha?" It is Maya.
"Maya? You are back so soon."
"It is past eight alpha," she replies, her voice low.
Past eight? I have been running for hours.
And the time slated for the ceremony is long gone.
Shit.
"What do you have for me?"
"I found a witch. She is waiting for us at the mansion."