Page 54 of Anger

“But?” Lamia demanded with a hiss.

“There is another one, and it’s strong, too. Mac and Lamia’s is a beautiful thing made of love, it moves freely between the two of them. The second is black and twisted, it is evil, and nothing flows from Lamia into it. But it goes to her. It’s hate, greed, jealousy, possession, and everything negative about a relationship,” Pandora continued to explain.

“What?” Lamia gasped.

“This bond was forced on you. You didn’t accept this freely, nor were you aware of it. It attached itself at it’s master’s bidding,” Pandora said.

“Alainen! But he was my soul mate. That’s why I was able to get pregnant,” Lamia exclaimed.

Pandora shook her head. “No. You might have been Alainen’s, but he wasn’t yours. The fact he convinced you he loved you must have strengthened his bond enough that he impregnated you. But looking at that ugliness, you were never his mate.”

Mac screamed, and Lamia looked panicked. “What is hurting Mac?”

“Alainen’s bond. It is attacking yours. Mac’s body is trying to shift, but Alainen’s bond is stopping him. It wants to destroy your bond with Mac because then it’s in control again. As it is, your mating with Mac is a threat to it. Because a soul can only have one, and if Mac’s takes root, it shall wither and die,” Pandora explained.

“How do you know this?” Lilith demanded.

“Because I can see it. Lilith, look closer at the metaphysical plane,” Pandora suggested.

Lilith’s eyes narrowed, and she turned to Mac and looked for what Pandora had claimed.

“Oh, hell! I see it, and the two bonds are attacking each other,” Lilith exclaimed.

“What does that mean?” Lamia cried.

“One will win, and the other lose. Who the winner is depends on how strong Mac is. If he loses, I believe he will die. Should Alainen lose, I think he’ll be severely diminished if he doesn’t pass,” Pandora answered.

“Why does Mac die but not Alainen?” Lamia hissed beside herself with worry.

“Because for now, without shifting, Mac remains human,” Baba Yaga added, pouring blue healing energy into Mac.

“How interesting, the black bond shied from the healing power,” Lilith announced.

“And look, the real bond glowed a little brighter. Lamia, we can’t bring Mac out of this, nor can we force the shift. But we could heal Mac, and as long as he fights, there’s a chance he’ll succeed,” Baba Yaga elaborated.

“Do what you need to. I can’t lose Mac,” Lamia said and curled up on her bed with him. She gently wrapped Mac in her coils and drew him closer. As if he sensed her, Mac settled a little, but his body dripped with sweat.

Minutes turned into hours, and each ticked by so slowly Lamia wondered if they’d been transported to Refuge. Lamia poured her love and devotion into the bond to strengthen it and aid Mac.

The fight inside Mac raged back and forth, with the three women healing him when he was at his weakest, and Mac held on. Her siblings came and went, all offering words of support. Jase sat in the corner, not leaving her, even though he couldn’t help. Lamia had told him to return to his family, but Jase had replied she needed him more than them.

The battle hit the twelve-hour mark when there was a commotion, and a winged figure entered the room.

“Move aside,” Tisiphone ordered. Baba Yaga and Lilith stared at their sister.

They’d not seen her for centuries, and Jase bolted up straight. Pandora merely nodded and obeyed Tisiphone’s order.

“Welcome, sister,” Pandora responded and left.

“Be well, little sister,” Tisiphone replied and glanced at Lilith and Baba Yaga. “I said move out of the way.”

They both moved as Tisiphone sat on the bed. “Oh, Mac,” she said with a heartfelt sigh.

“Can you help him?” Lamia asked with hope.

“Yes. But you should have called for me earlier. Mac is weak and needs an infusion of strength,” Tisiphone explained with a pissed-off tone.

“How could I call you?” Lamia flared up. “You don’t mind speak!”

---