138. United forever
138. United forever
ALAESTER
Fuck, I’ve never felt so powerless in my life. I’m standing here in this damn witch’s cabin, watching Alice humiliate herself and suffer, and my beast is roaring, wanting to tear everything apart, but I can’t do a thing.
Myrwen’s cabin is small, crammed with glowing vials, and anything in here could kill us. The smell of blood, earth, and something sweet and rotten is making me dizzy, but I don’t take my eyes off her. My little devil. My queen. My everything.
Myrwen stands in the center, over a black cauldron. She’s muttering words in a language that makes my hair stand on end. Alice is in front of her, pale, her hand stretched out over the cauldron. An obsidian knife glints in the witch’s hand, and when she slices Alice’s palm, the scream my mate lets out cuts me deeper than any blade.
“Alice!” I growl, stepping forward, but Myrwen raises her hand, and an invisible barrier shoves me back. My teeth grind, claws starting to emerge. “Stop this shit, witch! You’re hurting her!”
“Silence, Lycan,” Myrwen hisses. “Her blood is necessary. Or do you want your brother to stay trapped in limbo?”
Alice is trembling, her face twisted in pain as blood drips into the cauldron. Each drop makes the magic pulse and release, making the air heavier, and I feel our bond vibrating, hot and desperate. She’s suffering, and I can’t stand to watch. I can’t stand doing nothing while she pays the price alone.
“Alice, look at me,” I say, my voice coming out hoarse, almost pleading. She turns her head, her green eyes full of tears but with that stubbornness that makes me love her even more. “I’m here, little devil. You’re not alone.”
She nods, but another whimper escapes when Myrwen squeezes her hand, forcing more blood to drip. The cauldron glows, and a wave of magic hits me, bringing flashes of Aemon; he’s fighting in limbo, tearing through shadows with claws and teeth, but he’s weak. He needs us. Both of us.
“Enough!” I roar, lunging again. Myrwen’s barrier holds me back, but I push with everything I’ve got, the beast inside me howling. “She’s not doing this alone, damn it. Use my blood too. Split this shit with me.”
Myrwen pauses, her eyes narrowing as she stares at me. “Do you know what you’re asking, Lycan king? Sharing blood in a spell like this is more than a sacrifice. It’s a bond. You’ll be linked, more than you already are. Your lives, your souls, intertwined forever. If one dies, the other will too. All three of you will. Are you willing to do that?”
I look at Alice, her face pale, sweat dripping down her forehead. She’s fighting, but she’s at her limit. I feel her, the bond pulsing, calling to me. There’s no choice. There never was. “I’m willing to do anything for her,” I say, my voice steady. “And for Aemon. Do it, witch.”
Alice shakes her head weakly. “Alaester, no… you don’t have to…”
“I do, damn it,” I cut her off, holding her face with one hand, even with the barrier between us. “You’re my mate. My queen. I’m not letting you carry any burden alone. Never again.”
Myrwen signs and raises her hand, snapping her fingers. “Very well. Come closer.”
The barrier drops, and I rush to Alice, pulling her against my chest. She’s cold, trembling, but she clings to me, her breathing uneven. Myrwen grabs my hand, and the knife slices my palm without warning. The pain is sharp, but I don’t care. My blood drips into the cauldron, mixing with Alice’s, and the magic explodes, a wave of heat and cold that makes my bones hum.
“Hold her,” Myrwen orders, her voice sharp. “The spell will pull you both now.”
I hug Alice tightly, feeling her body against mine. The pain hits like a punch, surging up my arm, through my chest, like something’s tearing at my soul. Alice screams again, and I growl, swallowing the pain so I don’t scare her. The bond between us glows, stronger than ever, and I feel her. I feel everything. Her fear, her courage, her love. And I feel Aemon, weak but fighting, being pulled by the magic.
“Hang in there, little devil,” I murmured, kissing her forehead. “It’s you and me. Forever.”
Myrwen keeps chanting, and the cauldron glows, the light so bright it blinds me. Matt, Devon, Kenny, and Norvan are pressed against the walls, eyes wide, but they don’t interfere. They know it’s on us now. The pain intensifies, and for a second, I think I’m going to pass out. But then, I feel him. Aemon. The bond with my brother pulses, alive and strong in my chest, and I know it’s working.
Suddenly, the light vanishes, and silence fills the cabin. Alice collapses against me, gasping, and I hold her, my own body shaking. Myrwen stands still, her eyes gleaming, her face expressionless.
“It’s done,” she says, her voice cold. “Aemon is free from limbo. But he’s still weak. You’ll need to take him to Pamyel for him to recover fully.”
“He’s already there. In our hospital,” I tell her, looking at Alice, who’s breathing heavily, her eyes half-closed. “You okay?” I ask, fear still gripping my chest.
She nods weakly, but with a small smile. “I’m… alive. And you?”
“Me too,” I say, kissing her lips, a quick kiss, but full of everything I feel. The bond between us is different now, deeper, like our souls are stitched together. I feel her in every beat of my heart, and I know she feels the same. And Aemon… he’s alive. I feel him, even from so far away, in a way that’s different than before.
Myrwen crosses her arms, watching us. “You two are brave idiots,” she murmurs, almost like she’s impressed. “The blood bond you created today… It's eternal. Don’t forget that.”
“We won’t,” I say, holding Alice tighter. She and Aemon are my life now, more than ever. I look at the others, who seem relieved but exhausted. “Let’s go home. Let’s wake my brother up.”