Page 53 of Forced By the Alpha

“No, Dad. You’ll be alright. Just tell me what spell I can use,” I insisted.

“My magic has been drained. I can’t survive without it, and it can’t be given back. But it’s okay,” he said reassuringly. “I told you—only an equally powerful emotion could break the curse. That was my gift to you: love.”

Chapter 26 - Franco

Tears fell down Sienna’s face as she held her father in her arms. Her shoulders heaved from her sobs, but there was nothing I could do. Everything Tom had told us about the curse was true. There was a cost to magic of such magnitude, and he had been willing to pay it. For Sienna, and for me.

“I don’t understand,” Sienna cried. “Why did you give so much of your magic away?”

“You weren’t going to stop the spell until the curse was lifted, whether you survived or not. I didn’t understand why you were so insistent on it until I saw you two together, and once I did, I knew I couldn’t allow you to take the punishment that should have been mine. You deserve to be happy.”

“How can I be happy without you?” she asked.

“You will always have me. In here.” Tom pressed his hand against Sienna’s heart. The bond between father and daughter had been healed, though not in the way any of us would have wished it.

“What am I supposed to tell Sebastian and Julian? Arabella and Liv? We can’t do this without you, dad.” Sienna choked out the words, and I could sense her heart break. It wasn’t just for herself, but for her siblings as well. Once again, she was being put in the position of taking on more than she should have to. She was going to have to break the news to them all. And it was all my fault.

“You, your sisters, and brothers, are all the best parts of me,” Tom said. “I made a lot of mistakes. Leaving you all, again, is my only regret in life. But I know that you are strong enough to get through anything if you stay by each other’s sides. You’ve proven that.”

Tom held Sienna’s hand as she cried, overcome with emotion at the sudden turn of events. For a moment, they stayed that way, holding on to each other before he turned his attention toward me.

“Franco,” Tom said, looking at me. “Come here, son.”

I knelt beside Sienna and grasped his free hand between my own. His skin was cold to the touch. It wouldn’t be long now.

“Thank you for taking care of my beautiful girl,” he said. “She’s so much like her mother, you know. Her mother was the love of my life. I’m sure you know this, but losing her was more than I could bear. I’m glad I could make it so the two of you have a chance at the same happiness we shared for so long.”

“Your sacrifice will never be forgotten,” I vowed. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me, but if you will, please accept my apology. I never should have taken my grief out on your pack.”

“Of course, I forgive you,” I assured him. “I’m sorry, too, for putting you in that position. I swear, I’ll never return to the man I used to be.”

Tom let out a sigh of relief. I was glad to know I could reassure him that I would keep Sienna safe and ensure her happiness. I only wished there would have been a way for him to stay alive to see it. As good as it was that we could make peace with each other, there hadn’t been enough time. For any of us.

“Please, Dad,” Sienna cried. “I don’t want you to go.”

“It’s okay,” Tom replied. His eyes closed, and a faint smile played on his lips. “I’m going to be with your mother.”

It was only a moment, but it seemed to stretch on for longer. Soon, Tom took a final shuddering breath and lay still.The air around us seemed to quiet, as if the forest itself was paying homage to the man.

Sienna placed a hand on Tom’s brow and wept while I stayed next to her, rubbing her back gently. I didn’t want to intrude on her grief, but it was important that she knew I was there with her. We stayed like that for a while until the sun began to set. Finally, her eyes ran out of tears, and she quieted.

“I’m going to call Alpha Lex so he can handle the arrangements for your father,” I told her. “Is that okay?”

She nodded her assent but remained unmoving. I knew that she needed time to grieve, but I worried if she stayed here too long, she would remain stuck in her grief. She would need balance. I hoped I could be what she needed and help her find that.

“Lex,” I said quietly into my phone, “Sienna and Tom performed a spell to reverse the curse. It worked, but Tom… he died.”

Saying the words out loud gave an air of finality to what we had been through. I knew it would take much longer for the reality of what had occurred to sink in, but it was a start.

“We’ll be right there,” Lex replied.

I returned to Sienna’s side as we awaited the arrival of the Sparkle Hollow wolves. Within minutes, a handful of men arrived, including Lex.

“We’re sorry for your loss, Sienna,” the alpha said. “The support of Sparkle Hollow is at your disposal.”

“Thank you,” she responded numbly.

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