Chapter 36 CHAPTER 36

Chapter 36 CHAPTER 36
Rafael's POV
The girl standing in the doorway was maybe five-foot-four, with long dark hair and eyes that looked almost black in the candlelight. She was wearing ripped jeans and a vintage band tee, looking like any other high school student.

Except for the way those eyes fixed on me with immediate, visceral hatred.

"You," she said flatly.

"Me," I replied, keeping my voice neutral.

Her nostrils flared slightly, and I realized she was scenting me. Reading me the way wolves read each other.

"Alpha bloodline." The words came out like an accusation. "Of course it is. Why is it always the entitled Alpha pricks who come begging for help?"

My jaw clenched. "I haven't begged for anything yet."

"Give it time." She stepped back from the doorway, gesturing sharply for us to enter. "Well? Are you coming in or are you going to stand there stinking up my hallway?"

Mathias shot me a warning look before stepping inside. I followed, my wolf already on edge.

The chemistry lab had been completely transformed. The old tables and equipment were pushed against the walls, and in the center of the room was a circle drawn in what looked like salt. Candles burned at five points around it, and the air smelled like herbs and something else—something old and powerful that made my wolf bare its teeth.

"Sit." V pointed to two chairs outside the circle. "Don't cross the salt line. Don't touch anything. And for the love of the goddess, try not to do anything aggressively werewolf-y while you're here."

"Define 'aggressively werewolf-y,'" I said, sitting down.

"Growling. Posturing. Acting like you own everything in a ten-mile radius." Her eyes flashed. "You know, typical Alpha bullshit."

"V," Mathias said carefully, sitting next to me. "Maybe we could dial back the hostility? Just a little?"

"Why?" She crossed her arms, still standing. "He reeks of privilege and power. I can smell three generations of Alpha blood on him. These are exactly the kind of wolves who think the world revolves around them."

"You don't know anything about me," I said, my voice low.

"I know enough." She tilted her head, studying me like I was something unpleasant she'd found on her shoe. "Alpha heir, right? Probably firstborn. Raised to lead, trained to command, taught that everyone else exists to serve you."

"That's not—"

"Tell me I'm wrong."

I couldn't. Because technically, she wasn't.

"Look," Mathias interjected, his tone placating. "Can we maybe focus on why we're here? Rafael needs help. Serious help."

"Werewolves always need help." V finally moved, walking to one of the tables and leaning against it. "Usually because they've done something stupid and now they want magic to fix it."

"This isn't about something I did," I said through gritted teeth. "This is about a mate bond."

Her expression shifted slightly. Not softer, exactly, but more interested. "A mate bond. So you found your mate and now you want... what? A spell to make her fall in love with you? Because that's not how it works, Alpha boy."

"That's not what I want."

"Then what?"

I took a breath, forcing myself to stay calm. Getting angry wouldn't help. And as much as I hated the way she was looking at me—like I was dirt—she was my best shot at answers.

"My mate is human," I said. "If I complete the bond, the marking will kill her. I need to know if there's a way around that."

V was quiet for a moment. Then she laughed. It wasn't a nice laugh.

"Oh, this is rich," she said. "An Alpha wolf, cursed with a human mate. The universe has a sense of humor after all."

"This isn't funny."

"It's a little funny." But her smile faded quickly. "Also predictable. Of course you'd come here demanding I solve your problem. Let me guess—you expect me to wave my hands and make everything better so you can claim your little human without consequences?"

"I expect you to tell me if there's a solution," I said coldly. "That's all. If there isn't, just say so and we're done here."

"Done?" V pushed off the table, taking a step closer. "You don't get to decide when we're done, wolf. You came to me. You're in my space. I'll decide when this conversation is over."

My wolf snarled inside me, not liking her tone. Not liking any of this.

"V," Mathias said again, and this time there was something in his voice that made her pause. "Please. Just... hear him out? For me?"

She turned to look at Mathias, and something in her expression shifted. Softened. Just for a second, but I saw it.

"Fine," she said quietly, not taking her eyes off him. "For you."

What the hell did Mathias do to earn that kind of reaction?

She turned back to me, the hardness returning. "Explain the situation. All of it. And don't leave anything out."

So I did.

I told her about the curse—how it was targeted specifically at me, at my wolf. How someone had cursed me, and we still hadn't found out who. I told her about the four years I'd spent trying to find answers, the way my wolf was slowly dying, the blood I'd been coughing up.

I told her about the Oracle's prophecy—that my wolf would be completely dead by the next full lunar moon, which was a year and a half away. That being left wolfless as an Alpha heir was as good as being dead. And that the only thing that could save me was completing the mate bond with my fated mate.

Then I told her about Vivienne. About realizing she was my mate and knowing immediately that completing the bond would kill her.

V listened without interrupting, her expression unreadable.

"So let me get this straight," she said when I finished. "Someone cursed your wolf specifically. You're dying unless you complete a mate bond. Your mate is human and too fragile to survive the marking. And you want me to find some magical loophole that lets you have your cake and eat it too."

"I want to know if it's possible to strengthen her somehow," I said. "To make her able to withstand the bond. There has to be something—a spell, a potion, anything."

"Why?"

The question caught me off guard. "What?"

"Why do you care?" V's eyes were sharp. "You're an Alpha. You could reject the bond, find another mate. Maybe not a fated one, but an arranged match that would satisfy the curse. Why go through all this trouble for one human girl?"

"Because she's my mate."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only answer I have." My hands clenched into fists. "She's mine. I'm not rejecting the bond, and I'm not letting her die. There has to be a way."

"There's always a way." V's voice was mocking. "The question is whether you're willing to pay the price."

"What price?"

"That depends on the solution." She started pacing, her movements restless. "Magic isn't free, wolf. Especially the kind of magic you're talking about. Changing someone's fundamental nature? Making a human strong enough to survive supernatural bonding? That's not a small spell. That's not some herbs and good intentions. That's blood magic. Dark magic. The kind that requires sacrifice."

"What kind of sacrifice?" Mathias asked quietly.

"I don't know yet. I'd have to research it. Dig through old texts, consult with my coven." She stopped pacing, looking directly at me. "And even then, there's no guarantee I'd find anything. Cross-species bonds are rare. And for good reason—they don't usually work."

"But they can work," I pressed. "You said there's always a way."

"I said there's always a way. I didn't say it was a good way." V crossed her arms again. "You might find a solution that's worse than the problem. Are you prepared for that?"

"I'm prepared for whatever it takes."

"Easy to say now." Her lip curled. "Typical wolf arrogance. You think you can handle anything because you're big and strong and used to getting what you want."

"And you think you know me based on what?" I stood up, my patience finally breaking. "Based on the fact that I'm an Alpha? You've been hostile since the second you opened that door. I don't even know what I did to piss you off."

"You exist," V shot back, her voice rising. "You and every other entitled werewolf who thinks they can waltz into our lives and demand we fix their problems. Do you have any idea how many wolves have come to my coven over the years? Always wanting something. Always taking. Never giving anything back except threats and intimidation when they don't get what they want fast enough."

"I haven't threatened you."

"Yet." She took a step closer, and I could feel power rolling off her in waves. "But you will. Once you realize I might not be able to help you. Once you get desperate enough. Because that's what your kind does. You take and you take and you take, and then you destroy everything that won't bend to your will."

My wolf surged forward, and I felt my eyes flash red. "You don't know anything about my kind."

"I know enough." Her own eyes were glowing now, black as pitch. "I know that wolves think they're apex predators. That they think their strength makes them untouchable. But you're not untouchable, Alpha boy. Magic is older than your bloodlines. Stronger than your teeth and claws. And if you push me—if you threaten me—I'll show you exactly what a witch can do to a wolf who forgets his place."

"My place?" The words came out as a growl. "You want to talk about places? You're a student at a human high school, hiding what you are, pretending to be normal. Glass houses, witch."

"Rafael," Mathias warned, standing up.

But V was already moving. Her hand came up, fingers twisted in a gesture I didn't recognize, and suddenly the air between us crackled with energy.

"Say that again," she hissed. "I dare you."

My claws extended. I couldn't help it. My wolf was done being insulted, done being looked at like something disgusting.

"You think I'm scared of you?" I took a step forward, feeling my bones start to shift. "You think some candles and a salt circle make you dangerous?"

"I think you're about to find out."

"Stop!" Mathias threw himself between us, his hands up. "Both of you, just stop!"

The power in the air didn't dissipate, but neither of us moved.

"This is insane," Mathias continued, looking between us. "V, he's not here to threaten you. He's here because he's desperate. Because his wolf is going to die if he doesn't find answers. And Rafael—" He turned to me. "—she's our best shot at those answers. So maybe don't antagonize the person who's supposed to be helping you?"

I forced myself to take a breath. To pull my wolf back. My claws retracted slowly, painfully.

V lowered her hand, but the hostility in her eyes didn't fade.

"He started it," she muttered.

"I don't care who started it," Mathias said firmly. "We're ending it. Now. Both of you, sit down and act like adults instead of territorial idiots."

For a moment, I thought V was going to tell him to go to hell. But then that softness crept back into her expression when she looked at him.

"Fine," she said quietly. "For you."

Seriously, what the hell did Mathias do?

We both sat back down, the tension still thick enough to choke on.

"Okay," Mathias said, positioning himself between us like a referee. "Let's try this again. V, can you help or not?"

V was quiet for a long moment, her fingers drumming against her leg. When she finally spoke, her voice was calmer but no less sharp.

"I don't know," she admitted. "Cross-species bonding isn't my specialty. It's not anyone's specialty, really, because it's so rare. But I can do research. I can reach out to my coven, see if any of the elders have knowledge about this."

"How long will that take?" I asked.

"As long as it takes." She shot me a look. "Magic isn't Amazon Prime, wolf. I can't just overnight you a solution."

"I don't have unlimited time."

"Then you should have been more careful about who you bonded with."

"That's not how mate bonds work and you know it."

"Do I?" She leaned back, studying me. "Or is that just what wolves tell themselves to justify their obsessive claiming behavior?"

I bit back the sharp response that wanted to escape. Getting into another fight wouldn't help.

"Can you at least tell me if it's theoretically possible?" I asked instead. "To strengthen a human enough to survive marking?"

V was quiet again, considering. "Theoretically... maybe. There are old spells. Old rituals. Things that could potentially bridge the gap between human and supernatural. But they're dangerous. Unpredictable. And most of them require things you probably won't want to give."

"Like what?"

"Blood. Power. Years off your life. First-born children. The usual fairy tale price tags." Her tone was mocking, but her eyes were serious. "Magic always requires balance, wolf. You want to change the fundamental nature of a human? You're going to have to sacrifice something equally fundamental."

"I don't care about the cost."

"You say that now." V stood up, moving back to the table. "But you will. Once you realize what it actually means."

"Just research it," I said, standing as well. "Find out what's possible. What it would cost. I'll decide if it's worth it."

"Will you?" She picked up one of the candles, watching the flame dance. "Or will your mate decide? Because something tells me you haven't actually asked her if she wants to be turned into something other than human. If she wants to tie her entire existence to yours through a supernatural bond that can't be broken."

The words hit harder than I expected.

"She doesn't know yet," Mathias said quietly. "About the bond."

V's eyebrows rose. "Oh, this just keeps getting better. So not only do you want me to find a way to magically alter a human against the natural order, but you haven't even told said human that she's your destined mate. Fantastic. Really showing that Alpha integrity."

"I'm waiting for the right time—"

"There is no right time for that conversation," V interrupted. "Trust me. I've seen how these things go. The longer you wait, the worse it gets."

"Since when do you care about my mate's feelings?" I shot back.

"I don't." Her voice was flat. "But I care about consent. About choice. And if you're planning to tie this girl to you for the rest of her life without giving her all the information first, then you're not better than the wolves I hate. You're worse."

The accusation stung because she wasn't entirely wrong.

"I'll tell her," I said. "When I have answers. When I can give her options instead of just problems."

"How noble." V blew out the candle she was holding. "Fine. I'll do the research. I'll see what I can find. But I'm not promising anything except effort. If there's no solution, there's no solution. And you'll have to accept that."

"There has to be—"

"There doesn't have to be anything," she cut me off. "The universe doesn't owe you a happy ending just because you're an Alpha. Sometimes the answer is no. Sometimes the answer is that you're screwed no matter what you do. And if that's the case, no amount of magic is going to change it."

I wanted to argue. Wanted to demand that she try harder, look deeper, find something.

But I could see in her eyes that pushing would only make things worse.

"How long?" I asked instead. "Until you have information?"

"A week. Maybe two." She started extinguishing the other candles. "I'll reach out to my contacts. Do some digging in the archives. If I find anything useful, I'll let Mathias know."

"Why not tell me directly?"

"Because I don't want you having my number," she said bluntly. "I don't trust wolves. Especially Alpha wolves. Especially Alpha wolves who are desperate. So everything goes through Mathias. That's non-negotiable."

It wasn't ideal, but it wasn't like I had other options.

"Fine," I said. "But if you find something—anything—I need to know immediately."

"You'll know when I'm ready to tell you." She finished with the candles and turned to face me fully. "And wolf? One more thing."

"What?"

Her expression went cold. Hard. "If you try to intimidate me again—if you come at me with those Alpha eyes or that growling bullshit—I will curse you. Not your mate. You. I will make your life so miserable that death will look like a vacation. Are we clear?"

My wolf bristled at the threat, but I forced myself to nod. "Clear."

"Good." She looked at Mathias, and again that softness returned. "You should go. Before anyone notices we're here."

"Thanks, V," Mathias said sincerely. "Really. I know this isn't easy for you."

"Nothing involving wolves is ever easy." But she smiled at him, small and genuine. "I'll be in touch."

We left the chemistry lab, and the moment the door closed behind us, I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding.

"Well," Mathias said as we walked back toward the main building. "That went... about as well as expected."

"She hates me."

"She hates all wolves. You're just an especially hate-able example because of the whole Alpha thing." He shrugged. "But she'll help. She said she would."

"Only because of you." I glanced at him. "What the hell did you do to make her look at you like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're the only person in the room worth not cursing."

Mathias's expression went carefully neutral. "We have history. That's all."

"What kind of history?"

"The kind I'm not discussing with you right now." He picked up his pace. "Come on. We should get back before Emma starts wondering where we are."

I wanted to push, but honestly, I was too mentally exhausted to care about Mathias's mysterious connection to a hostile witch.

What mattered was that she was going to research solutions. That there might—might—be a way to save both Vivienne and myself.

It wasn't much. But right now, it was all I had.

"Two weeks," I muttered as we reached the main hallway. "I have to wait two weeks for answers."

"One to two weeks," Mathias corrected. "And hey, at least you have the other witch meeting Friday. Maybe she'll have better information."

Maybe.

Or maybe I was just delaying the inevitable.

Maybe there was no solution. Maybe the universe really had decided to screw me over by giving me a mate I couldn't have.

But I wasn't giving up. Not yet.

Not when Vivienne's life was on the line.