Page 11 of Beyond Fate

Panahasi resisted the urge to point out there was no glass in the underworld. Just endless amounts of dust and dark souls.

As the keeper opened the book with a flourish, the one side of the heavy tome slammed down on the table, causing even more dust to rise up and choke them. He had done that on purpose, the devilish bastard.

“You know I can read your thoughts,” the keeper said while casually skimming through pages.

“We agreed over ten thousand years ago that you would stay out of my head.”

“Here we go.” He tapped his finger on a particular page. “I can bring his aggression level back down to normal level…for a dominant wolf shifter, remove the power surge you so lovingly plugged into him, then impart upon him instant knowledge on how to control the mess you men have unleashed inside him.”

Panahasi knew he was never going to hear the end of his mistake.

“No, you’re not,” the keeper stated firmly, giving him a piercing glare. “You are Life itself, imbued with immense powers. Of all the Ultionem members, you must be the most careful in how you wield your powers... or misuse them.”

Glancing at the couch, he watched as Damon stirred slightly. “His bond with his mate was sealed with the mayotenz. A great deal of his anguish stems from being denied the experience of sealing it himself with Casimir.” The weight of his mistake hung heavily on Panahasi’s shoulders. “Is there any way to reverse the bond so they have to perform it themselves?”

That was what crushed him the most when he’d found out what they’d accidentally done to Damon. It was a sacred moment between mates, a bonding performed only once to seal their souls, and they’d been denied the chance to experience it together.

And there was nothing the Ultionem members could do to ever make up for taking that away from Damon.

“If we attempt to separate their souls, we’ll permanently sever their bond completely,” the keeper replied regretfully, sorrow evident in his eyes.

Panahasi rubbed at his chest, feeling a tightness that mirrored the heaviness in his heart. He couldn’t fathom severing his bond with Casey or Drake. His mates were essential to him, grounding him and keeping his heart beating.

Walking to the couch, Panahasi hunkered down and rested his elbows on his knees and his chin on his folded hands as he watched Damon sleep. “I am truly sorry to the depths of my soul, wolf.”

Damon would know the truth. Panahasi closed his eyes as the wolf’s pain pulsed against him. It wasn’t Casimir who had deprived his mate of the bonding experience. As soon as the magic had touched Life’s blood, the mayotenz had sealed their souls.

It was the addition of his blood that had stolen their most precious moment from them. Panahasi was the unwitting villain, not Casimir.

Chapter Four

With each step, Casimir’s feet crunched the fallen leaves and twigs of the dark forest, his mate’s heartbreaking departure still fresh in his mind. The sun had long ago set, but the darkness offered no solace to him, only a constant reminder of his broken heart and the irreversible damage he had caused.

It was baffling how he could feel so much anguish and yet feel completely numb inside. The guilt weighed on him so heavily that Casimir found every breath a struggle.

How could he have unknowingly caused so much harm? His connection to the wolf was strong, but he had no idea it was because they were already bonded.

And now, because of his mistake, he had lost his mate. His nékah’s scream still rang in Casimir’s ears, filled with hate and regret for ever meeting him.

“You deserve it for what you have done,” he murmured to himself as he continued to walk, the moon casting shadows on the path he made his way down. A chipmunk ran past him as he heard the hoot of an owl. “But I swear to you, Damon, there was never any betrayal in my heart toward you.”

It was a crushing blow for Casimir, who had spent over two thousand years constantly watching his back, surviving brutal attacks and going to bed alone every night. And now he was cursed to walk a lonely road once again.

He had thought that finding his mate would change everything and bring him the companionship and love he had so desperately craved.

“I just wanted to protect you,” Casimir whispered into the darkness. “To help guide you through your new abilities.” But all those intentions meant nothing now.

“You destroyed any chance you had with your mate within the first hour of meeting him.” Casimir laughed bitterly. “So pathetic. At least now you know why he hates you. You are just a lifetime purveyor of betrayal.”

There was nothing Casimir could ever do to make up for unknowingly shattering the most precious bond he could ever have hoped for.

A tingle ran through Casimir’s béskym mark, signaling that someone was watching him.

Today was not the day to test his patience. His emotions were raw and volatile, and anyone who dared to challenge him would feel the full force of his wrath.

Casimir slowed to a stop. “It’s rude to interrupt someone mid-conversation with themselves. Reveal yourself,” he stated calmly but with a clear intent.

The sound of footsteps grew louder and more deliberate as someone made their way toward him on the forest floor. Twigs snapped underfoot and leaves rustled on bushes as a short, gaunt male stepped onto the path. He wore jeans, a faded black shirt over a long-sleeved one, and scuffed sneakers.

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