by Brie Paisley
She shakes her head, and then claims, “Nothing important.”
Somehow, I get the sense that’s not the case, so I ask, “Are you sure about that?”
Sameria sighs deeply, before saying, “He’s my mate, Malik.”
“Why don’t either one of you seem happy about that?”
Her green eyes move towards the door, and then back to mine, as she declares, “It doesn’t matter. Now, are you going to tell me what’s bothering you, or would you rather discuss my love life?”
Smirking, I can’t deny how much that I’ve missed her wit. Sameria and I are cousins, but she was banished from our pack, before I became Alpha. Now that things are changing, she’ll have a place in the pack once more, which is why I contacted her, when I knew I would need help getting inside of The Facility.
It’s also another reason why I trust her with what I’m about to confess.
Taking her by the arm, I lead her into the kitchen for more privacy. The last thing I want is for Melena to wake up, and then hear what I’m about to say. Once we’re standing in the kitchen, Sameria regards me closely, before she asks, “What is it, Malik?”
Running a hand through my hair, I utter, “I need more of the potion.”
She frowns, and then shakes her head, as she claims, “No, you don’t. There’s no reason for me to make another batch, since you don’t need it.”
Holding her gaze, I explain, “I’m addicted to it, Sam.” Her eyes widen in surprise, and I hate that I’m even having to have this conversation. “I’m starting to crave it, and it’s doing more than just making me go through withdrawals.” Huffing out a breath, I utter, “It’s affecting my senses, and the wolf is doing its damnedest to overtake me.”
“Your wolf is fighting harder against you now, because the potion is wearing off,” she adds quietly.
“I think he might be trying to go Rogue.”
“Fuck, Malik. That can’t happen,” she states, and her tone of voice makes it clear that she’s worried.
Rogue wolves are highly dangerous, because they have no humanity within them at all. The animal is all that remains, and if that does happen, I could easily end up killing anyone that gets in my way. If a wolf happens to go Rogue, then they’re usually exiled from the pack, and in the direst cases, they’re put to death. I can’t allow that to happen, because I have too many people that I care about counting on me.
“I just need the potion to hold me over, until you can figure out how to cure me,” I offer, hoping she can do it.
“Yeah, of course,” she answers, while nodding her head. “Here,” she states, as she reaches behind her back. “This is all that I have, so it’ll have to do for now.”
Taking the small vial, I inspect it closely, and then realize I already know what it is. “I thought you didn’t have anymore.”
“That’s just a sample, so that I could make more with ease. It’s not a full dose, but maybe, it’ll hold back your wolf from taking over you, until I can figure this out.”
“Thank you, Sam,” I softly utter, and then, I drink the last of the potion. Once it’s gone, I feel it immediately working through my system.
Sameria watches me closely, as I sway forward, but I hold up a hand, letting her know that I’m alright. “This isn’t something that I wanted,” she claims, and I have a feeling that she’s taking the blame for what’s happening with me.
Shaking my head, I roughly say, “None of this is your fault. You warned me that something could go wrong, since you’ve never made this type of potion before.”
“I’m sorry, Malik, but I just don’t see it that way.” As she runs a hand down her face, she adds, “I had a bad feeling about making this for you, and now, I understand why. If anything happens to you, the pack will want my head for it.”
Clenching my jaw, I nod once, understanding where she’s coming from. “The only one that knows about the potion is Reid, and I know him. He wouldn’t hold you responsible.”
“Are you sure about that?”
Watching her closely, I wish that I could sense what’s going on with her better. I know it’s because of the potion that I can’t, but I know Reid. “He’s been by my side for a long time, and I trust him.”
“Well, that’s comforting,” she claims sarcastically. Before I get a chance to ask her what that means, she says, “We’ll deal with this problem later, since there’s more pressing matters happening.”
She sighs deeply, and then glances towards the room that Melena is now resting in, before she turns back to stare at me. It seems she’s gathering her thoughts, before she finally asks, “Why is she really here, Malik? I know that she’s your mate, but there’s more going on than what you’ve let on, isn’t it?”
Nodding, I cross my arms, knowing it’s time to tell Sameria everything. When I approached her, before infiltrating The Facility, I only told her what was necessary to get the potion made. However, the time has finally come for her to know what’s really at stake.
So, I tell her everything, from the moment that I met Luna, what she is, and most importantly, what she saw. As I confess every single part about what’s to come, she stands still as a statue, and for the first time in my life, I worry that I’ve made a grave mistake by not telling her sooner. While I know people deserve to know what’s coming, I also know that I can’t just go around telling everyone. If the news of the end of the world gets into the wrong hands, it could cause more problems than needed.
“She’s the key to everything, Sam. Without her, I know that we won’t make it through this.”
The moment that her head drops, my wolf surges forward, and I grit my teeth, fighting against him. He’s not only fucking pissed that I’ve taken more of the potion, he’s also angry and frustrated with me for not trusting one of my own.
I’m reminded of that, when Sameria finally glances up at me, and her eyes flash with her own wolf.
“You have every right to be angry with me,” I begin, and then move a hand to the counter to keep my balance, hoping she doesn’t lose her shit and shift on me.
“You’re damn right about that,” she claims through clenched teeth. “Why didn’t you tell me before? All this time, you knew what was coming, and yet, you chose to keep me in the dark.”
“I didn’t tell you, because I—”
“Don’t trust me.” She interrupts, and I shake my head, as she adds, “It makes sense now, because if you had trusted me, then I would’ve already been back with the pack.”
“Sameria, you and I both know that’s not true.”
“What’s not true?”
Snapping my gaze to the left, my heart instantly pounds in my chest, as I see Melena, walking towards us. For a moment, she and I hold gazes, and I smirk, sensing how excited she is that we’re actually mates. While we’re not fully bonded yet, I can still pick up on certain sensations, flowing through her. It’ll also be the same for her, so I make sure to make it crystal clear how fucking glad I am that she’s alright.
She grins, and it takes everything inside of me not to go to her, and then claim her right here and now.
“It doesn’t matter now anyway,” Sameria pipes in, and I shake away the desire for my mate. For now, at least. “I’m glad you’re okay,” she says, as she faces Melena.
“Thanks to you,” Melena states, and I smirk once more, feeling her pride surfacing.
“Now that the cat is out of the bag, so to speak.” Sameria says, and then turns back towards me, as she adds, “I think we should talk about that bracelet.”
“What about it?” I ask, not sure where she’s going with this.
“A witch spelled it.”
“That makes sense.” Melena offers, and then claims, “If The Facility has a witch working for them, it could mean they have more forces on their side than I realized.”
“She would have to be a powerful witch to be able to do that type of spell,” Sameria claims, and Melena nods in agreement.
“At least, we have a way to get
the bracelets off now, so it’ll have to do, until we can figure out the identity of the witch helping them.”
“I agree with Melena. There’s no way to find out who it is right now, so we bide our time, and take her out, when given the chance.” I pipe in.
“Okay, so we’re all in agreement, then?” Sameria asks, and Melena and I nod, knowing this is the only plan that we have.
Sensing concern coming from Melena, I turn to her, and then ask, “What’s wrong, regina meis?”
Her head snaps to me, as surprise is suddenly laced in her gaze. “It’s going to take me a while to get used to that,” she claims, but I also sense that she’s okay with me knowing what she’s feeling. “I was just thinking about the witch in question.”
As she turns to Sameria, she asks, “Do you think she could’ve altered memories, too?”
Sameria shrugs, as she says, “I guess, it’s possible. Why do you ask?”
I move closer to my mate, sensing a bit of fear, rushing through her. At the same time, the wolf pushes against his barrier, and I quickly push back, so that Melena won’t pick up on what’s happening within me. I know that she’s here to help me, and to be the one that gets me through all of the rough times. However, shame and guilt eat at me, because I should be stronger than this.
“I think someone messed with my head,” Melena softly utters, and I reach for her hand. The moment that we touch, I sigh in relief, as the tingling sensation races through me. Her warmth keeps me from losing the battle with the wolf, and she doesn’t even realize how important that is.
“Most of my memories have been compromised, and there’s also a lot that feels like it’s been erased or buried deep within my mind.”
“Shit, that’s not good,” Sameria claims, as she runs a hand through her hair.
“Why can’t we just reverse the spell?” I ask, genuinely concerned for my mate.
“It’s not that simple.” Sameria declares, and then adds, “The mind is something that most witches stay far away from.”
“Because if anything were to go wrong, it could mean the person loses their mind forever. It’ll make them forget who they are, or who they ever were. It would almost be like a certain type of death without actually dying,” Melena finishes for her.
“Let me get this straight,” I begin, hoping that I’m understanding this all wrong. “If someone were to try and fix what’s happening to your memories, then we risk losing you all together?”
Sameria instantly drops her gaze, and I get a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, as Melena answers, “Yes, it’s possible. Which is why, I don’t understand why this happened to me.”
“Tactical advantage, maybe?” Sameria offers, and I still can’t wrap my mind around all of this new information.
“I thought of that too, but it doesn’t make sense. Why would The Facility’s witch mess with my memories, when it serves them no purpose?”
Dropping Melena’s hand, as her and Sameria try to figure out the witch’s motives, a deep sense of foreboding overcomes me. The more I think about the possibility of losing my mate forever, the more the wolf within struggles against the potion’s bonds.
I know that I’m losing the battle with him, as I heave in a deep breath, and then, I let out a groan. The more that the wolf fights me, the more painful it’s becoming to hold him back. My entire body feels like it’s being ripped in half, and I have no clue how to stop him from breaking free.
If he does, then it could be the end of me.
Melena
Not understanding what I’m sensing, because the feeling isn’t mine, I glance over to Malik, and then, instantly realize something is terribly wrong.
Rushing forward, I catch him, right before he drops down onto the floor. “Malik, what’s happening to you?” All that I can feel is his fear, and then, it suddenly mixes with mine, making it almost unbearable.
As he lets out another groan, I glance up to Sameria, hoping she knows what’s going on. “It has to be the potion.”
“What damn potion? What did you do to him?”
“She gave him a potion to suppress his wolf, so that he could find you,” a deep voice claims angrily.
Snapping my gaze towards the new voice, I sense my magic instantly come to the surface. “Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m here to help,” he claims, as he holds up his hands. I know that he’s a wolf, by the way his own magic is swirling around him, but I’m still not so sure about him. There’s a dark aura surrounding him, but I’m not sure of his true intentions yet, since the darkness isn’t completely covering him. It’s almost like the darkness is dancing with the light, as it swirls around him.
Shaking my head, I know that I have no choice in the matter, but to trust him. Turning around, I try to help Malik stand, but it’s no use. His weight is too much for me to handle, especially, as he begins to cough up blood, and then falls down onto the ground.
Looking back to Sameria and the new wolf, I shout, “Help me!”
They both scramble forward, and thankfully, they help me pick Malik up. As we carry him to the bedroom, I battle with my own fear and worry. I can’t lose him now that I just found him. There’s no way that I can carry on without ever knowing what our life could’ve been like, if I lose him now. I refuse to accept that he’s dying, even if I know that’s exactly what’s happening.
Once we get Malik settled on the bed, my eyes widen, as I notice blood, coming out of his ears. Placing one hand on his chest, and then the other on his head, I send a rush of my energy into him. However, I know it’s not working, when he begins to cough up more blood.
“No, this can’t be.” I utter, and then, I jerk back, asking, “Why isn’t our bond healing him?” The moment I ask the question, I instantly know the answer. It isn’t working, because we’re not fully bonded yet.
Swallowing hard, I caress his pale and sweaty cheek, and then ask, “How do I fix this?” When no one answers me, I turn back, and then yell, “Tell me what to do!”
“I-I don’t know,” Sameria whispers, and the other wolf clenches his jaw tightly.
“I told him this was a bad idea.” The wolf states sternly, and then, he turns towards Sameria, as he claims, “This is your fault.”
“Fuck you, Reid. He asked for help, and I did my duty for my Alpha.”
“That’s bullshit, and you and I both know it.” He snaps back, and then uses his finger to point in her face, as he states, “This is just your way of getting revenge against The Elders for banishing you all those years ago. Well, fucking congratulations. You’ve just killed our Alpha.”
“No, he’s not dead, and he’s not going to fucking die,” I shout, but neither one of them are listening to me.
As they begin to argue back and forth about who’s to blame, I glance to my mate, knowing that if I don’t do something right now, he will die. At this point, I honestly don’t give a shit who’s at fault here. All I care about is saving Malik, and the only way to do that, is to take all of the potion, rushing through his veins, out of him.
The only problem with this plan, is the fact that I don’t know how to do that.
“I need time to think,” I utter, but it’s clear Sameria and Reid are so focused on their disagreement that they don’t hear me. “Will you two just shut up for a minute and let me think.”
My heart pounds so fast in my chest, as I gaze at Malik, laying so still on the bed, and I know his time is running out. I sense his own life force quickly waning, and no matter how hard I try, our bond isn’t strong enough to save him. Not to mention, my companions aren’t any help at all, as they shout back and forth, even though it’s not changing a damn thing.
Losing my patience and the hold on my anger, I quickly stand, and then scream, “Enough!”
The instant the word leaves my lips, I frown, when I realize that they did indeed stop. Not only have they stopped arguing, but they’ve also stopped everything. They seem frozen, and at first, I don’t understand what I’ve done. Turn
ing around, I notice that Malik is just as still, and he’s not even breathing just like Reid and Sameria. Looking out of the window, I realize every single thing around the cabin has fully stopped, and then, that’s when it finally clicks.
I stopped time.
I fucking stopped time completely.
With a renewed sense of urgency, I forget all about Sameria and Reid, as I place my hands back on my mate. Closing my eyes, I think about him, and what needs to happen for him to survive this. All of my magic slowly flows down to my hands, as I continue to focus on healing him.
The moment I feel something leaving his body, my eyes snap open.
Keeping my concentration, I watch in amazement, as a black substance flows up, and then out of him. It’s almost like a black smoke, but it’s tangible, and I know that if I were to touch it, it would be hard like glass. It’s the potion abandoning his body, so I push harder for it to leave him entirely.
When I sense the last of it separating from him, time suddenly restarts. It’s in that same moment that Sameria and Reid exclaim what’s happening in shock, while Malik slowly begins to waken. As his eyes open, I let go of the potion, and it breaks into tiny little pieces, as it falls down onto the floor. Staring at it, I blink, seeing it looks a lot like black dirt now.
Slowly moving my gaze up towards Reid, and then to Sameria, she asks, “How did you do that?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, and I don’t miss the hint of fear in her eyes. Glancing towards Reid, I clench my jaw, and then snap my gaze down, seeing the same expression on his face.
“Regina meis,” I hear, and my full attention is quickly back on Malik.
“I’m here, and you’re going to be okay now.”
Cupping his cheek, I let go of the breath that I was holding, as I gaze into his green eyes. Staying still, as he reaches up to caress my face, I lean into his touch, realizing just how close I was to losing him.
“You saved me,” he roughly states, and I nod, not knowing what to say. However, he must sense how relieved I am, since he adds, “I’m not going anywhere, regina meis.”
