Page 34 of The Alpha's Auctioned Pregnant Mate

As they descended the stairs together, Articus could sense Wren's nervousness. Without thinking, he placed a reassuringhand on the small of her back. She stiffened for a moment but didn't pull away.

What am I doing? I shouldn't be touching her like this...

But he didn't remove his hand.

In the living room, Rowan and Juniper stood as they entered. Rowan's eyebrows rose slightly as he took in Wren's appearance, and Articus felt an irrational surge of possessiveness.

"Wren, this is my best friend, Rowan Zev, and his wife, Juniper," Articus introduced. "Rowan, Juniper, this is Wren Knight."

Wren offered a small smile. "It's nice to meet you both," she said, her voice steady despite the tension Articus could feel radiating from her.

"Juniper is a powerful witch," he explained. "She's helped us out of more than a few magical scrapes over the years."

Rowan raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at his lips, but he said nothing, merely nodding in acknowledgment. Juniper, however, stepped forward, her expression gentle as she extended a hand.

"It's lovely to meet you, Wren,” she said softly, her black eyes kind. “Articus has told us about your situation. I hope I can be of help today."

Wren glanced up at Articus before tentatively reaching out to take Juniper’s hand. “Nice to meet you too,” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper, her smile faltering slightly. "I hope so, too. Thank you for coming."

Juniper held her hand for a moment, her eyes flickering with something Articus couldn’t quite decipher. Then shereleased Wren’s hand and took a step back, her gaze turning more serious.

Juniper leaned forward, her expression serious. "Wren, before we begin, I need to explain what I'm going to do. I'll be using my magic to examine the spell that's binding you. It shouldn't hurt, but you might feel a strange sensation. Are you ready?"

Wren took a deep breath, her knuckles white as she gripped her own hands. "Yes, I'm ready. I want this... this brand gone. I just… I want to get rid of it."

Juniper nodded in understanding. “We’ll do everything we can.”

The room fell silent as they all moved to the center, where a large wooden table had been cleared. Juniper motioned for Wren to sit, and as she did, Articus couldn’t help but notice the slight tremor in her hands. He took a seat beside her, his presence a silent offer of support.

Juniper reached out, gently taking Wren's hands in her own as they sat down. As she closed her eyes, the air in the room seemed to thicken, charged with an invisible energy that made the hairs on Articus's arms stand on end.

Slowly, Juniper's eyes opened, and Articus saw that they had changed from their usual black to a deep, swirling purple. It was a sight he'd seen before, but it never failed to impress him.

She began to chant, her voice low and melodic, the words ancient and filled with an energy that sent a shiver down Articus’s spine. As she continued, a soft, violet glow began to emanate from her hands, swirling around her fingers like tendrils of smoke.

Wren sat still, her eyes wide as she watched Juniper's face. Then, almost imperceptibly, a faint shimmer appeared in the air around Wren, like heat rising from hot pavement.

Articus leaned forward, fascinated despite himself. He could see the magic now, swirling around Wren in delicate, intricate patterns. He watched, his muscles tensed, his instincts on high alert.

Then, without warning, everything went wrong.

The moment Juniper's magic touched the shimmering barrier around Wren, a blood-curdling scream tore from Wren's throat.

The sound was so piercing, so raw, that it jolted both Articus and Rowan to their feet. Wren’s body convulsed, her face contorted in agony as the magic seemed to burn into her skin. The violet light now appeared as searing flames engulfing her.

Wren's body convulsed, her back arching as if she were being electrocuted. Her face contorted in agony, all color draining from her cheeks. Juniper, her eyes wide with shock, tried to pull her hands away, but they seemed stuck as if the magic itself was holding them in place.

"Juniper, stop!" Articus shouted, his heart pounding in his chest. He lunged forward, reaching for Wren, but Rowan held him back.

"Wait," Rowan said, his voice tense. "We don't know what interrupting the magic might do."

For what felt like an eternity, but was probably only seconds, Wren's screams filled the room.

“Juniper!” Articus’s voice was sharp, laced with panic. He watched helplessly as Wren’s screams grew louder, her body writhing in pain.

Juniper’s face remained impassive, her focus unbroken, but Articus could see the strain in her eyes as she fought to control the magic. The violet flames flickered wildly before suddenly extinguishing, leaving Wren gasping for air.

Juniper's hands fell away from Wren's, and Wren slumped forward, her body shaking violently.

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