Page 2 of His Spellbound Mate

“Do you?” the woman had retorted, her gaze piercing. “Or do you do what pleases you, regardless of the cost? You are strong, but strength alone does not make a good leader.”

Neville had taken a step forward, his growl deepening. “I have earned my place. I protect my pack.”

The woman’s smile had faded, and her eyes had darkened. “You may believe that, but like those who came before you, you have a wildness within you, a recklessness that will lead to your downfall. Your arrogance and strength are your curse, and you have been judged accordingly.”

Before Neville could react, the woman had raised her hand, and a wave of dark energy had enveloped him. He had felt a searing pain shoot through his body as if his very soul was being torn apart. He had howled in agony, shaking under the force of the curse.

“I curse you, Neville Lawless as I have all the alphas who came before you and all those that will follow.”

Why didn’t I know about this? Why the hell haven’t I or anyone else in the pack ever heard about this?

“You and your pack will abandon this land you stole from my ancestors,” the woman had continued in a steely whisper, her voice echoing in his mind. “Until you do, with each new moon, you will lose a little more control over your wolf. It will become harder to contain the beast within you, and eventually, it will take over completely. You will no longer be the alpha of your pack but a mindless creature driven by rage and hunger. And when that day comes, your own pack will be forced to destroy you. And when you are dead, the curse will fall upon the next alpha of the Silver Ridge pack.”

As suddenly as she had appeared, the woman had vanished, leaving Neville alone in the darkness. The pain had subsided, but the weight of the curse had settled deep within him, like a shadow lurking at the edge of his consciousness. He had stumbled back to the pack’s compound, his mind racing with the implications of what had just happened.

In the days that followed, Neville had tried to push the curse from his mind, to convince himself that it was nothing more than a bad dream. But as the next new moon approached, he had felt the change begin. It was subtle at first—a heightened sense of aggression, a difficulty in controlling his temper. But as the nights wore on, it had become clear that the curse was real.

Each new moon brought with it a further erosion of his control. He would wake up in the middle of the night drenched in sweat, his body shaking with the effort to keep his wolf at bay. The beast within him was growing stronger, more insistent, and it frightened him. He had always prided himself on his ability to control his wolf, to keep the animalistic urges in check. But now, that control was slipping away, bit by bit.

Neville had tried to hide the truth from his pack, but they were not blind. They could see the strain in his eyes, the way he avoided their gaze, the tension in his muscles whenever the moon began to wax. Whispers had started to circulate, rumors that the alpha was losing his grip, that something was wrong. Neville had done his best to quash those rumors, to maintain the facade of strength and leadership. But inside, he was unraveling.

The knowledge that the curse might be real gnawed at him day and night. He knew that if the curse continued its course, there would come a time when he would no longer be able to control his wolf. And when that happened, he would become a danger to the very pack he had sworn to protect. The thought of turning on his own people, of causing them harm, was unbearable. But no matter what he did, the curse was relentless.

Neville had searched desperately for a way to break the curse, consulting with shamans and healers, even venturing into the depths of the forest in search of the mysterious woman who had cursed him. But all his efforts had been in vain. The curse seemed unbreakable, a dark cloud that hung over him, growing more oppressive with each passing month.

As the full moon approached once again, Neville stood on the cliff, staring out at the wilderness that had always been his refuge. The weight of his responsibilities pressed down on him, but so did the knowledge that his time as alpha was running out. He could feel the beast within him, restless, eager to break free.

And this time, he wasn’t sure if he would be able to stop it.

In his heart, Neville knew that he couldn’t do this alone. He needed help, someone strong enough to stand by his side, to help him fight the darkness that was slowly consuming him.

Chapter Two

Tamzyn

Tamzyn March had always known that she was different. Born into one of the most powerful covens in the Pacific Northwest, she had been raised with the expectation that one day she would lead them. From a young age, it was clear that she possessed a talent for magic that surpassed even the most seasoned witches in her coven. Her mother, the current High Priestess, had nurtured her gifts, ensuring that Tamzyn received the best training and education the coven could offer.

Life in the coven was structured and disciplined. The witches followed ancient traditions; their magic was governed by strict rules and codes of conduct. Tamzyn excelled in every aspect of her training. She mastered spells and rituals with ease, her innate power shining through in every incantation she performed. The coven elders praised her abilities, often commenting on how she was destined for greatness.

But while Tamzyn excelled in the eyes of her elders, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was missing. The magic she practiced was powerful, yes, but it felt limited, confined within the boundaries set by the coven. She longed for something more, something that would allow her to truly explore the depths of her abilities. It was this longing that led her down a path she had been warned against since childhood—the path of unseen magic.

Unseen magic was a form of power that existed beyond the traditional senses, spells, and rituals practiced by the coven. It was wild, unpredictable, and dangerous. The elders had always warned the younger witches about its risks, telling stories of those who had tried to harness it and lost themselves in the process. But for Tamzyn, the allure of unseen magic was too strong to resist. It called to her, whispering promises of untapped potential and the freedom to explore the full extent of her power.

At first, Tamzyn dabbled in unseen magic in secret. She would sneak away from the coven’s gatherings and rituals, retreating to the forest where she could practice without fear of being discovered. She began with small things—simple spells that bent the rules of traditional magic, pushing the boundaries just a little further than usual. The thrill of success was intoxicating, and with each small victory, Tamzyn grew bolder.

She started experimenting with more complex forms of unseen magic, delving into areas that were strictly forbidden by the coven. One of these areas was shapeshifting. It had been outlawed by the coven centuries ago, deemed too dangerous and too tempting for any witch to wield responsibly. But Tamzyn was fascinated by the idea. She imagined what it would be like to take on the form of another creature, to experience the world through different eyes, to blend into her surroundings in a way no one else could.

Tamzyn stood in the heart of the forest, her breath quick and shallow as she prepared herself for what she was about to do. The clearing was eerily silent, the thick canopy of trees blocking out most of the daylight, casting long, sinister shadows across the snow-covered ground. It was the perfect place for what she had in mind—isolated, far from the prying eyes of her coven. But even here, in the deepest part of the woods, she could feel the weight of their judgment, the constant reminder that what she was about to attempt was strictly forbidden.

Her heart pounded in her chest, a mixture of fear and excitement swirling within her as she focused on the task ahead. She had been practicing in secret for months, sneaking away from the coven's watchful eyes to test the limits of her magic. She had always been drawn to the forbidden, to the unseen powers that lurked just beyond the reach of traditional spells. But this—shapeshifting—was the most dangerous thing she had ever attempted.

The coven had strict rules against it, rules that had been in place for centuries. Shapeshifting was considered too dangerous, too volatile. It required a mastery of magic that few possessed, and even those who did were at constant risk of losing themselves to the form they took. Tamzyn knew all of this, had heard the warnings her entire life. But the allure of it was too strong to resist. The idea of transforming, of becoming something other than human, was intoxicating. It was a challenge she couldn’t ignore.

She took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. The clearing was deathly quiet; the only sound was the faint rustle of the wind through the trees. Her fingers trembled slightly as she began to chant, her voice barely more than a whisper. The words were ancient, their meaning lost to time, but she had studied them meticulously, memorized every syllable and every inflection. The air around her seemed to thrum with energy as she spoke, the temperature dropping even further as the magic began to take hold.

Tamzyn closed her eyes, focusing all her energy on the transformation into the wolf who called to her in her dreams. She could feel the magic coursing through her veins, a cold, sharp sensation that prickled at her skin. Her body began to change, bones shifting, muscles stretching in ways that were both painful and exhilarating. She gritted her teeth against the pain, forcing herself to continue, to push through the fear that threatened to overwhelm her.

But something was wrong.

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