Page 25 of Knot Quite Ready

Her being off-grid was one of the most concerning things for me. I had called the witches in my pack to my office once I realized the bond was gone. Maddison, an empathy witch that can manipulate emotions, among other things; Asia a time witch who can manipulate time; Adaline, a dream witch who can manipulate dreams and uncover all your fears and desires and finally, Letty, an elemental witch who can manipulate all the elements. All unique, rare, strong, and amazing women.

While meeting all of them may have been serendipity, I thanked all the stars and the moon that we ended up with the witch versions of our Omega’s castaways. Yet, in their case, it was because their covens either coveted their power for nefarious reasons or were terrified of them. None of those covens saw what I saw—strong, resilient women who wanted love, acceptance, and a place where they could explore their powers without fear of judgment. They are pack, just as much as my wolves are.

They deduced that the only way to block the bond was by creating a moon-block charm. For the spell to have been used, whichever witch created it would have needed an article of my clothing, which makes sense since my shirt was missing when I went to get dressed that afternoon. I figured she wanted my scent, but she was apparently off galloping with Hermione. Harry Potter and the Hidden Moon Bond. Absolutely insanity. My life was a movie at this point.

The problem with the charm was that, depending on how it was created, it could harm her and her wolf if used long-term. Distrust in her and her wolf's bond was the least of her worries because the longer Aneira wore the charm, the higher the chance of her likely becoming feral. For however long, her wolf decided she needed to run. The bright side was that her wolf would likely return to me but would be a possible danger to the pack. This was a cluster-fuck of epic proportions. And all because she was afraid to be mated.

The witches had a few options for me to consider. If you could ever consider them as such. The first was to use an elemental spell that would undo the charm, but this could be dangerous as it could cause a backlash, resulting in Aneira's body struggling to handle the sudden release of the blocked bond, leading to extreme physical and emotional exhaustion. It could also temporarily impair her senses and abilities as a wolf shifter, leaving her vulnerable to external threats. In the worst-case scenario, the backlash could cause irreparable damage to Aneira's wolf side, weakening her connection to her inner wolf and potentially affecting her ability to shift.

The reasonable option was to find the witch who created the charm and have them undo it. Except Storm was still as tight-lipped as ever. At least she answered my daily text to tell me that Aneira was okay. Although, I kept hoping that my side texts to Calian would eventually weaken her stance. Although, apparently, not too likely. It seems we both ended up with stubborn as fuck mates.

I can only hope that she would take it off soon, if even for a few seconds, so that I can get a read on her. I wanted her with me. Now.

My skin feels like fire as I clench my fists and let out a guttural roar of frustration. My wolf inside me begs to be released so that he can spread his fury with reckless abandon. My thoughts are chaotic, and my heart is heavy. I crave my mate. Our bond is unbreakable; I am hers, and she is mine. An unseen force chokes my breath until it comes in short gasps. Only one thing can quell this deep-seated agony - I need to run.

Before I finish the thought, I surge out of my chair and race into the forest behind the cabin, seamlessly transitioning mid-jump to land on four paws, my now shredded suit fluttering around me like confetti, as if in celebration of my broken heart.

I let out an ear-splitting howl as I leap over the chopped lumber lying by the forest's edge, eager to feel the leaves and mud under my paws as I weave through the trees. Eager to race away from the fragmented pieces of my soul, from the hole in my spirit pouring out the tears that my eyes can’t let flow.

Instead, within my wolf, I relish the power flowing through my large body, my black fur moving with the wind as I breathe in the forest. The scents of pine, oak, and maple trees fill my nostrils, calming my warring emotions as my body blurs through the forest. I faintly register the sounds of Tristan keeping pace behind me, our mental links blissfully silent as he lets me wage war against my internal battle.

The questions are always the same, and I never have the answers.

Am I not enough to satisfy her? Physically, that just wasn't possible. She craved me just as much as I craved her. Emotionally, she never gave me a chance to help her heal from what was causing the shadows of fear in her eyes when discussing the mating bond. So what the fuck do I do to prove to her that whatever the fuck happened in her past had nothing to do with our bond?

I let out a low whine as my old insecurities rear up, the ones from when I was a pup, and told nothing would come of me. My father was a cruel Alpha, although he hid it well whenever the head of the Wolf Council would make their random rounds or when all Alphas had to report to their yearly summit to discuss pack matters. But he is as toxic as a wolf can be—forcing arranged marriages based on his favorites within his advising council. Fated mates didn't matter to him. Only control did, and he was loathed to relinquish it. When I was born, the idea of having a son appealed to him until I got older, and he realized that I was nowhere near as depraved as he was. I didn't tolerate the abuse of our pack members; it went against every fiber of my being. Naturally, my wolf wouldn't take part. I emerged as an Alpha a lot sooner than expected, Montgomery balking at the abuse at the hands of my father, not only to me but to my mother and sister as well. Unfortunately, my mother passed when my sister was born, but at least she was free. But my sister, Aoife, is everything light and pure in the world, and one day I will get her back.

I was thirteen, but from that day, my father never laid another hand on me. He could deny it, but he feared me. I relished that fear and basked in it. It goes to show you that 'weakness,' perceived or otherwise, doesn't determine the power of your spirit. It merely serves as a label others use to boost their own sense of control. Your true strength lies within your soul, woven into the very fibers of your essence— unable to be bound by any chains or shackled by any bonds. You will always hold the key inside you, and when you finally unleash it, its power will be unparalleled.

I should have taken advantage of that fear instead of leaving to create my own path. I would, eventually, when I was in a position to do so. It was another reason that despite the majority of the pack not wanting to be involved in shifter politics as a formal pack, it is imperative to our future. To eradicate the rot from our old pack and to save the ones that chose to stay behind out of fear of being considered 'rogue.’

I'm not sure yet, what caused Aneira to leave her old pack, but I will prove to her that my pack is different. That I am different. I just have to find her first.

Ridding myself of my thoughts, I let the forest embrace me. One paw in front of the other, I run, letting my body fall into that familiar rhythm that would push me to exhaustion if only to push myself to the brink of exhaustion. If only to fall asleep and have a few moments with Aneria, knowing she still wouldn’t be there when I woke up. But for those few precious seconds...she would be.

Chapter13

Aneira

Aneira

Ilook at the necklace dangling from Lynsday's hands with a dubious expression," that's going to block our bond?"

She rubbed it all over Casimir’s shirt before offering it to me.

She rolls her eyes, huffing, “Are you doubting my genius? Of course, it will work. But, I want to say, for the record, I do not approve of this choice. It is absolutely insane to me that you finally have what other people literally kill and stalk to have, and you're running away."

Hanging from a thin gold chain is a small iridescent jewel. If it weren’t for the fact that I am putting my faith in your wolf to talk sense into your ass, I wouldn't even bother."

This time I roll my eyes, “Aren’t you all about women’s empowerment and freedom of choice?"

She narrows her eyes, "Yes, and I'm empowering you to make the right choice. This isn't about systematic oppression from centuries of gender misconceptions; this is about you finding the person that is literally made for you. The moon has given you a gift, and you are fighting against it out of fear of your shitty past. However, I will support your choice to take time out for yourself and reset because you will be back. Or, so help me, I will help Storm throw you into a kennel and bring you back howling and growling."

Storm sighs happily, “That’s real friendship right there. Now, are there any side effects to the charm? She's not going to all Sirius Black and drag some sweet old man named Harry into the whomping willow, right?"

Lynsday cackles, "Man, Harry looked scared as fuck in that scene. Priceless. Anyway, a moon-block charm would normally make your wolf go feral when removed from your person, yes. IF a lesser witch had made it, it would block your wolf completely, and Agatha would lose her shit and eat a few people when you did decide to come to your damn senses. But in this case, the I only blocked the bond, you will still be able to communicate with Agatha, and your bond to Casimir will be the only thing affected. You're welcome. But keep in mind, if you take it off for even a second and he is conscious, he will pinpoint your location no matter where you are."

I stared at the charm, eyes wide, " do I even want to know how you came up with something so perfect?"

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