Chapter 64

Alpha Jaxon.

I sat in my office behind my desk, staring at the office phone with an unwavering gaze. I was aware of Astra’s presence as she stepped inside without knocking. I could sense her anger rolling out in waves. I didn’t have to look at her to know that she was trying to choke up the urge to burn me alive.

“She fled before I took back my words,” I started before she could even talk. I hadn’t seen my mate for a whole night since she went to Astra’s place to spend the night. I had someone follow her to make sure she arrived safely, and only then did I patrol the entire pack’s borders in wolf form. I hadn’t slept a wink, not when my mate wasn’t in my house because of my uncontrolled speech.

“Took them back?" Astra bitterly chuckled, placing her hands on the desk as she stood in front of it.

"What exactly did you even say to her?" She squinted her eyes, her upper lip threatening to stretch upward.

I chuckled, leaning on the back of the leather chair. “So you’re angry at me without knowing what happened?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Alpha Jaxon, you have no idea why Scarlett came to my place, do you?" I didn’t like the tone she was taking with me. It was as if she knew something that I didn’t.

"Look, if you’re not going to come clean, you can excuse yourself. I have work to do." I looked at the phone again, wondering whether I was going to tell Scarlett the contents of the call that I had received.

"Your mate wants to know a spell that can break the mate’s bond." My heart jumped, and with it a stabbing pain impaled inside my chest.

"Wh-at?" I stuttered, my palms beginning to sweat.

"Not so busy now, eh?" Astra mocked, shrugging her shoulders, when I looked at her. My vision was becoming hazy at a speed I couldn’t even comprehend.

"Di-d did y-ou..." I couldn’t even ask the question without the words choking me. My whole world became dark at that moment; I couldn’t take a step without rolling on the ground.

"Listen, son, Scarlett can conjure up spells when a heavy emotion takes over. She doesn’t need any written spells to perform a spell." I could hear her words from afar, like a whisper, but the sound left my ears burning. Every part of my body throbbed as my wolf pushed, taking total control over my body.

The scanty idea of our mate breaking our bond turned him into a savage beast, ready to fight for our bond. “Alpha!" Astra shouted a second late because my animal side pushed, a transformation taking place in seconds. My wolf was out of the open door, leaving Astra shouting for him to calm down.

"It’s all your fucking fault,” my animal side chastised me, taking over my body.

"I was mad, okay?" I was panicking, praying to the moon goddess to preserve my bond. There was no doubt in my mind that I would kill myself if she succeeded in tearing us apart. My wolf zoomed into the woods, hunting for our mate using her scent. His tongue was out as he panted, growling at anyone who dared call us.

His aura spelled danger, and anyone in our path in the woods knew to step aside for the alpha wolf to pass. It didn’t take long for us to track her back to Astra’s place. My wolf skidded to a halt in front of Astra’s house. She was seated on the front porch, the spell book in her hands, eyes closed as she chanted.

Her eyes flew open, glowing green, landing on my wolf. Her mouth closed as she stood slowly, placed the book on the seat, and ascended the stairs, nostrils flaring. I had never felt such a need to submit to anyone as she approached, making my wolf whine. For the first time, my beast and I felt a powerful presence we had never experienced.

"I don’t have a problem with you." Her voice was steady, with undetectable emotion. The barrier was up; I couldn’t tap into her feelings at that moment.

"In fact, my wolf misses going to run with you,” she breathed, placing her palm on my head. The warmth that emanated from her hand had my wolf whining again.

"It’s your human side that disgusts me,” she spat, making me recoil on the inside.

“Shift,” she ordered. Another warmth spread inside, wrapping around my wolf’s mind. I couldn’t explain the feeling as my wolf retreated, allowing my human side to take over. Before I could control it, I was back in my human body, naked under the sun.

"H-ow?" I managed to utter as I raised my eyes to look at my mate. Her power was too much; it held me to the ground where I lay.

"I have watched far too much of your mistreatment towards us." It was her warlock side; she was using magic to subdue me. Even Astra had never held my wolf in paralysis like she was doing.

"I’m sorry about yesterday; I just couldn’t imagine my childhood friend and my own beta betraying me." If any pack member walked by at that moment and saw the position I was in, they would deem me unfit to be their alpha. Kneeling in front of their Luna, begging for forgiveness.

"No more of this; we have a mole to catch." Just like that, out of nowhere, her eyes were back to normal, and the power that held me to the ground dissipated. I stood, but not before she shook her head and wiped her eyes. I watched as realization crossed her face as she took off Astra’s shawl that she was covering herself with.

"Oh god, Jax,” she cried out as she covered me with it, looking around to see whether anyone had seen us.

"Baby, I’m sorry." I pulled her into a heart-warming embrace.

"You are not an outcast, and you certainly are not a slave. Baby you are the most powerful being I have ever seen." I rubbed her back, soothing her as she sobbed.

"You ripped my heart out yesterday, babe,” she hiccupped, holding tightly to me.

"I know, I am just so careless with my words when I get defensive. I...babe I’m really sorry." I meant every word. Now that the barrier was down, she could feel how genuine and regretful I was.

"Come on, I have something to tell you." She pulled out of the hug and took my hand, leading me to Astra’s wooden house.

“So Astra left you here alone without protection..." That earned a giggle from Scar.

"You know I can protect myself." I hummed to her reply, feeling better inside and out. My heart beat was back to normal, and my chest was no longer experiencing the stabbing pain.

"I’m sorry for my warlock side actions; my mind was frozen. I couldn’t stop magic from subduing you,” she whispered as we entered the house, looking everywhere but at me.

"Hey babe." I bent in front of her such that my face was level with hers. I placed my hand on her right cheek, looking deep into her glossy eyes.

“That was the most badass thing I have ever seen. I should be humiliated right now, but words cannot describe how proud I am of you. I am the luckiest alpha in the entire territory. To have a Luna who can command an alpha is a fucking powerful thing." Her lips stretched into a smile, and I couldn’t help but capture them in a brief kiss.

"You wanted to tell me something?" I changed the topic when she became teary again. I could feel the contentment in our bond, which made me relax as we sat down on Astra’s couch.

"I specifically asked Astra to let me tell you the news,” she started, getting my unwavering attention.

"Do you remember the call that Cane got before you..." She didn’t want to finish the statement.

"Yeah, the initials on the caller ID were the same as the ones engraved on the ring,” I answered. I had been thinking about the whole thing, but I couldn’t seem to connect the dots.

“Told you Cane wanted the ring, said a powerful warlock promised to re-grow his manhood,” she spat the last part, but my mind was already making a connection—a realization that I hadn’t arrived at since that day.

"You don’t think the ring belongs to the warlock?” Even as I said the words, my mother’s bloody body flashed before my eyes.

"Not only that, but we think the warlock has been working with Silas all along. I tried racking my mind to see if I could remember seeing any magic-related actions in my former pack, but I have nothing to go by." As Scarlett spoke, my blood was already boiling, the urge to get the good for nothing alpha in my claws growing.

“The rogues were working with Cane. They were looking for the ring, as tasked by the warlock," I whispered when I remembered their weird attack patterns.

"Fuck! It all explains why they didn’t say a word; they weren’t as loyal as we thought," Scarlett spoke, her eyes widening a fraction.

“They were under a spell," I whispered, but the truth behind what Scarlett said next had my wolf growling.

"Which means the protection spell was still intact; I didn’t weaken it when I blasted Cane; the warlock weakened it." She paused, looking at me with a look I couldn’t quite decipher. She concluded just as Astra opened the door, stopping right in her tracks as Scarlett spoke.

"No wonder Astra has been unable to de cloak the ring. This warlock is no doubt more powerful than Astra."