Chapter 21 Chapter 21

Chapter 21 Chapter 21
Lucian
“What exactly are you saying?” I asked, staring hard at the old witch.
I had a mate once, things ended badly, but that didn’t change what we were. There was no way I could have another true mate. That wasn’t how it worked unless the dead could somehow return and rewrite fate itself.
Janice didn’t flinch at my reaction, she moved slowly, as if she had all the time in the world, and lowered herself onto the couch across from me.
“I’m talking about your mate,” she said calmly. “The one carrying your child.”
A sharp laugh escaped me, filled with disbelief. “You must have lost your mind,” I said. “All these years dealing with spirits and ancestors must have finally caught up with you.”
She only smiled, unbothered by the insult. Once, Janice had been one of the most powerful witches in the territory—feared, respected, and completely loyal to my father. That was the only reason she still lived under my protection. But right now, she sounded like someone who had drifted too far from reality.
“You came here because you need answers,” she said quietly. “Yet you doubt the only person who can give them to you. Tell me, why would I lie? If you decide you don’t like what I say, I die either way.”
Abel shifted beside me, and we exchanged a brief glance. I could see the same confusion in his eyes. “So let me get this straight,” I said, my voice tightening. “You are claiming I have a new chosen mate and she is pregnant with my child?”
Janice shook her head immediately. “No, not chosen. A true mate,” she corrected. “The one destined for you by the Moon Goddess. The only one your wolf will ever fully recognize. And yes, she is carrying your child.”
Anger surged through me. I pushed to my feet, unable to sit still any longer. “That’s impossible,” I snapped. “I already had a mate. My wolf bonded with her, I felt it. Are you saying that meant nothing?”
My chest rose and fell as I struggled to control the frustration building inside me. “Or have you suddenly forgotten?” I added, my voice colder now. “I know what I experienced. I know what a true bond feels like.”
Even though the bond wasn’t so deep on my side, it had been strong enough to destroy everything, my marriage, my peace of mind, and the man I used to be.
“I don’t believe a single word you’re saying,” I snapped, anger rising fast. “I didn’t come here to hear stories about mates. I came because I need your help breaking this curse. I don’t care about finding anyone, I just want to be able to have children.”
Janice watched me quietly, her expression unchanged. “Only your true mate can break that curse,” she said. “There is nothing I can do. Even if you gather every witch in existence, it won’t make a difference. This is not something magic can fix, it is bound to her.”
Frustration clawed at me. I dragged my hands through my hair, pacing the room. “Are you even listening to me?” I said, my voice sharp. “I don’t have a mate anymore. She’s dead, gone, so whatever this is, there has to be another way. I need a solution, and I need it now.”
“You are the one who refuses to listen,” she replied, her tone firm but calm. “I have told you the truth. No witch, no spell, no ritual can help you. Everything rests in the hands of your true mate. You have to find her.”
I stopped pacing and stared at her, disbelief settling into something colder. This felt like a complete waste of time.
“Fine,” I said after a moment, my voice laced with sarcasm. “Let’s say I believe you. Let’s say this ‘true mate’ exists. Where exactly am I supposed to find her?”
Janice shook her head slowly. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I was not given that vision. Only you can find her. Your heart will recognize what your mind refuses to accept. It will pull you toward her until you have no choice but to follow.”
She held my gaze, her voice softening just slightly.
“And when you do, you will find more than just her. You will find your sanity again. You will have to find her on your own,” she added quietly. “Because that is the only way this ends.”
I let out a sharp, unrestrained laugh, the sound echoing through the small cabin. It wasn’t humor, it was disbelief, frustration, and something close to madness. Both Janice and Abel stared at me, their expressions filled with uneasy surprise.
I turned to Abel, shaking my head. “You hear that?” I said. “That’s the solution you dragged me here for.”
My lips curled into a bitter smile. “I will handle the council myself. If any of them try to stand in my way, I won’t hesitate to wipe them out. But I am not—” I paused, my voice hardening, “—going to waste my time searching for some imaginary pregnant woman.”
Without waiting for a response, I brushed past Janice and headed straight for the door.
“Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds?” I continued, glancing back briefly. “Do you know how many women I’ve been with? Women I don’t even remember, faces I couldn’t pick out in a crowd. And now I’m supposed to walk the streets, searching every pregnant woman, hoping one of them is my so-called mate?”
I let out a dry scoff. “Zara was my true mate. That ended the day she died.”
Before I could reach the door, Abel stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Alpha, maybe you should listen to her,” he said carefully. “You know Janice, she has never lied to you.”
I shoved past him without hesitation. “I’m leaving,” I said coldly. “Stay if you want but you will find your own way back.”
I stepped outside, the cool air hitting my face, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me. From behind me, Abel’s voice slipped into my mind through the link. “Should I kill her?”
I didn’t even turn back. “What’s the point?” I said. “She’s already losing her mind, there’s nothing worse than that.”
Gravel crunched beneath my boots as I walked back, Abel followed close behind, silent now. Just as we reached it, the cabin door creaked open again.
“Your Majesty!”
Janice’s voice rang out, sharp and certain. I stopped but didn’t turn.
“It would be wise to find her,” she called. “Because this is the moment she needs you the most.”
There was something unsettling about the calm confidence in her tone. I glanced back just in time to see the faint smile on her lips.
“You will come back,” she added. “You will surely come back.”
Then, without another word, she turned and disappeared into the cabin. Silence lingered for a moment, I exhaled slowly and shook “See?” I muttered, glancing at Abel. “This is exactly what I meant about her losing her mind.”