Book 5: Chapter 57 – Perplexed

Book 5: Chapter 57 – Perplexed
Alexandrios’s POV 

I opened my eyes and looked around the hospital room I was in. It was torture to be admitted to my hospital under a colleague’s care. I had no idea what happened to me. I suddenly lost consciousness when on my rounds. The tests produced no problem at all. Yet I was in a semi-conscious state for fifteen days, receiving intravenous treatment. 

I could hear and feel everyone’s concern, but couldn’t move an inch. I was at my wit’s end and so were my close friends and colleagues, Dr. Daniels and Dr. Bradley. They couldn’t pinpoint the cause of my illness from my reports. 

I could hear Zephyrus and Stavros discuss the possibility of a curse. “I have a hunch that even Cerelia is suffering the same. It’s a mated wolf’s curse, prevalent among the Silver Wolves as a punishment for disobedience. I had heard about it when in Aromania,” said Zephyrus. 

My heart sank with dread, and I forced myself to open my eyes. I saw the look of surprise on Zephyrus and Stavros’ faces. “Alex is awake now, doctor. Do something before he sinks again.” 

I felt dizzy, but I dared not close my eyes again. What if I died in my sleep? I couldn’t afford to. I had to save my mate. Why wasn’t Alpha Alexios updating me? The last time I called him, he promised me he would return to Pieria after fifteen days to rescue Cerelia. The last time, he didn’t have the council’s written permission to intervene in the pack matters of the Silvermane Warriors. It has already been over fifteen days. What was stopping Alpha Alexios? 

Dr. Daniels smiled at me before checking me. “How are you feeling now, Dr. Vasiliou?” 

I smiled back weakly. “Better. But what happened to me?” 

He looked as blank as I did. “It’s beyond my comprehension, Dr. Vasiliou. All your vital stats are perfect. The reports are all normal. There’s no reason in medical science to cause this. You’re as fit as a fiddle.” 

“Maybe it indeed is a curse or something. Do you want to consult Witch Annabeth? She’s damn good. She has helped me when I had no other option available,” said Zephyrus. 

“Same with me,” admitted Stavros. “She’ll help you see your mate’s condition through a scrying spell. You can try it.” 

I rubbed my chin, considering their suggestion. I didn’t believe in such superstitions, but I knew it had helped them. “Yes, I want to see Cerelia. What do I have to do?” I wanted to see Cerelia so badly even if through a scrying spell.

I raised myself slowly, feeling dizzy. The nurse gave me water to sip. “You look fit and fine. I’ll give my permission to release you. But you need rest for 48 hours before joining duty,” said Dr. Daniels.

I felt relieved. “Thank you, Dr. Daniels.” 

After he left, I turned to my brothers. “Where does Annabeth live? I remember her living at the far end, almost on the borders of Lucania.” 

“Oh, she still lives there. You need to visit her. But don’t worry, we can take you to see her,” said Zephyrus. 

“Yes. I want to go today.” The nurse helped me out of bed, and I was glad I could stand on my feet. 

Zephyrus and Stavros helped me take a step at a time until I could walk without help. The weakness was obviously there, but I was fine. “Rest and gain strength all day, Alex. We’ll come over in the evening to take you to Annabeth.” 

They left while I waited patiently all day to see my mate’s condition. Dr. Daniels released me and I was tired of resting. By evening, I felt quite normal, as if I hadn’t been bedridden and unconscious for almost a fortnight! It really made me consider the curse angle. Was Zephyrus right? Did I suffer from some curse? Who could have cursed me? The answer was obvious. I had no other enemy than Alpha Cassius Belmont of the Silvermane Warriors.

As promised, Zeph and Stav arrived in the evening to get me. “Do you think it’ll help me? Will I really see Cerelia? I’ve never done this before.” I was bursting with curiosity, never having experienced such a thing. 

“Yes, you can see Cerelia. I had seen Lena when she was abducted by Vampire Magnus’s wife, Evelyn. Annabeth helped me track her.” 

Zephyrus’s experience gave me hope. He drove us to the far end, towards the boundaries of Lucania, negotiating through the treacherous roads. Why did she live so far away in the most inhospitable area of Lucania? While Zephyrus and Stavros had been here, I had never met with Annabeth in my life, only heard tales of her witchcraft. 

After an hour, we reached and Zeph parked the car right in front of Annabeth’s dilapidated cottage. The smoke billowing out of her chimney was the only giveaway to her presence inside. Zeph trudged up the moss-covered steps and knocked on the rickety door. 

There was no response. We followed Zeph and stood waiting for her to open the door. 

“Is she sleeping?” I was impatient when she didn’t respond even after five minutes. 

Zephyrus shrugged and knocked again. 

After five more minutes, the door creaked open and Annabeth peered out. She didn’t at all look surprised to see the three of us on her doorstep. It seemed she knew we were here to see her. 

She stared at me and suddenly smiled. “Oh, since you’re here, can you check my arthritis, Dr. Alex?”

I gaped at the old lady in surprise. How did she know me? “Oh, hello, Annabeth! Do you know me?” Strangely, she grabbed my hand and led me inside. 

“Yes, son. You’re a blessing for old hags like us who can’t walk. So, will you give me a pill to cure me?” 

I smiled and examined her limbs. “You need physiotherapy, heat therapy, and supplements. But this will take time, Annabeth. It’s not an ailment you can get rid of overnight. You need to continue the treatment.” 

She sighed and shook her head. “I can’t go to your hospital. It’s very far away.”

“Oh, that’s not an issue at all. The therapist will visit you.” She embraced me with relief and then turned her attention to Zephyrus and Stavros. 

“Oh, thank you for bringing him here.” 

They rolled their eyes at her. “I thought you didn’t notice our presence. This is the first time you liked someone so much to call him your son.” Annabeth chuckled as she rose and bustled around the tiny room. 

“Are you jealous, Alpha?” she chuckled more, and we joined in. 

“So am I. Why Annabeth? I remember you had even refused to help me,” said Stavros. 

“Oh! That was different. So what brings you three musketeers here to my doorstep?” She waited for me to speak. 

“I suddenly fell unconscious and was hospitalized for fifteen days, Annabeth. Medically, I had no ailments, nothing in the reports to cause such a thing. Yet for the last fifteen days, I couldn’t open my eyes or do anything. Do you think it’s a curse? My mate, Cerelia Belmont, is a Silver Wolf, and her grandfather, Alpha Cassius Belmont of the Silvermane Warriors Pack from Pieria, Greece, has forcefully separated us.”

Annabeth frowned at me, gazing into my eyes for minutes. Her swirling eyes drew me into a hypnotic spell. 

“What do you feel, Dr. Alex?” 

I was in a state of trance. “I’m anxious, worried, and in pain.” 

“Are you mated to her?” 

“Yes.” Images of our lovemaking flashed across our minds. I missed her so much. 

“Why did you let her go?” 

My heart constricted with pain. I shouldn’t have taken her to Pieria. “She didn’t listen to me.”

“How long can you wait for her?” 

I wanted to say forever, but something held me back. “I can’t wait for her anymore. She needs help and I want to rescue her.” 

“Then rescue her. What’s stopping you?” She broke eye contact while I blinked out of my dazed state. “Do you want to see your mate?” 

My heart skipped a beat. This was what I had been waiting for all day. “Yes, please.” 

She picked up her crystal ball and set it on the center table in front of her. “Sit there.” She pointed at the seat opposite to her. “Do you have a photograph of your mate with you?” 

I nodded and scrolled through my phone gallery. There were many photographs of us together. I handed my phone to her. “Here.” 

She inspected the photograph and smiled. “A very young creature!” 

“She’s eighteen.” I couldn’t help myself. 

“I can see how much you love her. The mate bond strengthens with love. It will be easy for us to connect with your mate. Concentrate on the crystal ball, clear your mind of every stray thought, and relax your senses.” 

She dimmed the lights and torched a lamp in the room. It reflected against the crystal ball and cast a halo all around the room. 

I sucked in a deep breath and focused all my attention on the crystal ball. Annabeth chanted magic spells as she gazed into the ball, focusing all her energy on it. 

A shroud of black smoke filled the crystal ball. When it cleared, I saw my mate’s sweet face hovering in a corner. Her face was scrunched up in pain and she was lying in a room holding someone’s hand. 

White smoke erupted from nowhere and filled the ball. In a split second, the vision disappeared and Annabeth thanked her crystal ball repeatedly. 

I was too confused to speak. What had happened to my mate? Who’s hand was she holding? I was sure it was a male hand. Was it her grandfather’s? 

“I didn’t understand a thing, Annabeth.” I waited for her explanation.