Chapter 94 Out of Time - Amelia’s POV
I lay on my back in the cool grass, Aleksandr's massive form beside me, both of us breathing heavily. My throat ached where his hand had been, and I could feel a thin trickle of blood from the small punctures on my neck. But I was alive. He had fought his way back from the curse's hold. That was what mattered. I turned my head to find him staring at me, his eyes haunted with horror at what he'd almost done. The self-loathing in his expression cut deeper than his teeth ever could.
'It's getting worse,' Kaela observed, her presence in my mind stronger than it had been in days, almost as if her brief connection with Skoll had strengthened our bond too. 'The curse is consuming him faster than anyone expected.'
Aleksandr moved first, pushing himself to his feet with a grace that belied the turmoil I knew raged within him. He reached down, offering me his hand, the one not embedded with glass shards, his movements cautious, as if approaching a wounded animal. I took it without hesitation, letting him pull me to my feet.
"Let me see," he said, voice rough with emotion as his fingers gently tilted my chin up to examine my neck. "I hurt you."
"Barely," I replied, trying to keep my tone light despite the seriousness of what had just happened. "I've had worse paper cuts."
His expression darkened. "Don't joke about this, Amelia. I could have killed you."
"But you didn't," I countered, placing my hand over his where it rested against my cheek. "You fought back. You won."
"This time," he said grimly, his eyes falling to the small wounds on my neck. "Next time..."
I pressed my finger against his lips, silencing him. "We'll make sure there isn't a next time." I examined his injured hand, glass still embedded in his palm, blood drying in dark rivulets down his wrist. "You're hurt too. We should clean this."
He stared at his hand as if noticing the injury for the first time, flexing his fingers with detached curiosity. "It's already healing," he said, and I watched as tiny shards of glass pushed themselves out of his skin as the wounds began to close. The benefits of alpha healing. My own small punctures would take longer to disappear.
"Are you..." I hesitated, unsure how to ask. "Are you in control now?"
Something flickered in his eyes; pain, guilt, fear. "For now," he admitted. "But Amelia, it's getting worse. Faster than I expected. I don't know how much longer I can—"
I cut him off by wrapping my arms around his waist, pressing my cheek against his chest where I could hear the steady rhythm of his heart. After a moment's hesitation, his arms encircled me, one hand cupping the back of my head with infinite gentleness.
"We'll figure it out," I promised, the words muffled against his shirt. "Together."
He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, his body still tense with controlled fear. "We need to talk to Nora," he said after a moment. "This can't wait any longer."
We made our way through the darkened castle corridors, servants and guards giving us a wider berth than usual. I wondered what we looked like, the Alpha King with blood on his hands and shirt, his Queen with bloodstains on her neck, both of us disheveled from our encounter on the garden ground. No one dared question us, though I caught whispers trailing in our wake like fading echoes.
In his office, Aleksandr washed his hands in a basin, the water turning pink with blood. I dabbed at my neck with a damp cloth, wiping away the evidence of how close we'd come to disaster. His eyes tracked my movements in the mirror, dark with unspoken thoughts.
"I've sent for Nora," he said, drying his hands on a towel. "She'll be here shortly."
True to his word, the ancient werewolf appeared within minutes, looking as if she hadn't slept in days. Her silver-streaked hair was loosely braided, her face lined with fatigue and worry.
"What happened?" she asked without preamble, her sharp eyes taking in our appearances.
Aleksandr's jaw tightened. "The curse," he said simply. "Worse than before. I lost control completely." He gestured toward my neck, where the punctures were already starting to heal. "I nearly marked her against her will. Nearly ripped out her throat."
Nora's face remained carefully neutral, but I caught the flash of concern in her ancient eyes. "You're both alright?"
"Only because of Kaela," I said. "She somehow reached Skoll through our bond. It pulled Aleksandr back."
That got her attention. Her gaze sharpened, focusing on me with renewed intensity. "Kaela reached Skoll? Despite the barrier?"
I nodded. "It was like..." I searched for the right words. "Like water finding a crack in a dam. Not enough to break through completely, but enough to make contact."
"Interesting," Nora murmured, pacing a small circle. "Very interesting."
Aleksandr leaned forward, hands braced on his desk. "The curse is accelerating," he said bluntly. "I don't have six weeks left. At this rate, I'll be completely lost within days."
The words hung in the air between us, heavy with their implications. I felt my heart constrict at the thought of losing him to the darkness I'd glimpsed tonight.
Nora stopped pacing, her decision made. "Then we have no choice," she said firmly. "You need to complete the mating. Tonight."
"But Amelia…" Aleksandr began.
"I agree with Nora," I cut in, my voice steadier than I expected. "We've waited long enough. We need to try."
They both turned to look at me, Nora with approval, Aleksandr with a mixture of hope and concern.
"The mating bond might be strong enough to counteract the curse," Nora explained. "It's the most powerful connection between wolves. If anything can save you both, it's that."
"Both?" Aleksandr questioned.
"Yes, both," Nora confirmed, her gaze sliding to me. "I believe Kaela's ability to reach Skoll tonight wasn't coincidence. The barrier that keeps her trapped might be weakening, especially during moments of intense connection between you two. The bond could provide enough power to break through completely."
'YES!' Kaela practically shouted in my mind, her excitement vibrating through our shared consciousness. 'Mating! Marking! Bond with Skoll!'
I met Aleksandr's gaze across the room, saw the conflict there, desire warring with concern for my safety.
"I want this," I said softly, answering his unspoken question. "I've always wanted this."
Something shifted in his expression, fear giving way to determination. "Are you certain?" he asked, needing to hear it plainly.
I nodded slowly, never breaking eye contact. "Yes. I choose this. I choose you."
Nora smiled, the expression softening her ancient features. "Good luck," she said simply, heading for the door. "I'll leave you to it." She paused with her hand on the doorknob. "And Amelia? Trust your instincts. Both of you."
With that cryptic advice, she slipped out, closing the door softly behind her.
The silence that followed was charged with anticipation, possibility, fear. Aleksandr hadn't moved from his position behind the desk, his knuckles white where they gripped the edge.
"We should go somewhere more comfortable," I suggested, breaking the tension. "Your suite?"
He nodded, circling around the desk to offer me his arm. The formality of the gesture made me smile despite everything. Even facing a curse that threatened to consume him, Aleksandr remained the Alpha King in his mannerisms.
We walked in silence through the corridors, the air between us thick with unspoken thoughts. My heart pounded against my ribs, a mixture of nervousness and anticipation making my skin feel too tight for my body.
'It will be good,' Kaela assured me, her presence warm and eager in our shared mind. 'Natural. Right.'
When we reached his, our, suite, Aleksandr closed the door behind us with a soft click that seemed to echo in the quiet room. He turned to me, his expression solemn.
"I wish this could be more romantic," he said softly, regret colouring his tone. "You deserve moonlight and flowers, not desperation and curses."
I couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up from my chest, part nerves, part genuine amusement. After everything we'd been through, he was worried about romance? I closed the distance between us in three quick steps, my hands coming up to frame his face.
"Shut up and kiss me, Aleksandr," I said, rising onto my tiptoes to bring my face closer to his.