Page 88 of Destined to the Lycan
“I’m still clumsy with shifting and running as a wolf,” I muttered, embarrassed.
“You’re learning very quickly, my love,” Remus interjected with a protectiveness that had me melting from within.
I gave him a grateful smile, which he returned with a tender one.
The Weaver chuckled. “Yes, shapeshifting abilities can take a while to master. But I see that you two are bonded. Well done,” she said, gesturing with her chin at the bite mark on my shoulder, barely visible at the edge of my collar.
“Yes we are, thank you,” I said timidly. “As you can guess, we are here for me to repay my debt, but also to ask about Remus.”
She tilted her head to the side and raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
“What about Remus?” she asked.
I shifted in my seat and licked my lips nervously. “It’s about the venom in his blood.”
“You already took care of that with the bonding bite,” she said with a dismissive gesture then shifted her attention to my mate. “Your fluids are now safe for others, unless you make it otherwise.”
“Excuse me?” Remus asked, his confusion reflecting mine.
“The same way you can inject venom through your fangs, you can flood your bloodstream with it as a defense mechanism. This way, you will continue to benefit from the protection it affordedyou when you explore dangerous places as it naturally repels potential predators.”
“That’s… that’s fantastic,” Remus said, stunned.
The Weaver nodded. “However, beware. The antibodies Amara gave you will neutralize the venom within a few hours, less even based on the amount you flooded yourself with.”
“Duly noted,” he replied with a serious expression.
“What about the full moon?” I insisted nervously. “Will it still affect him… and me for that matter?”
She smiled. “You are both werewolves. The urge to shift will remain once the full moon rises. That will not change. I cannot say whether you will be able to resist it or not. Only time will tell. I can only say that it will be extremely difficult. That said, neither of you will be mindless, rabid beasts. You will retain control of your mental faculties, which is all that matters.”
My sigh of relief died in my throat, and my chest constricted seeing Remus blink rapidly to stem the tears that clearly pricked his eyes. In that instant, I realized that the curse that had plagued his entire life had finally been lifted. For the first time, he was no longer a freak, a threat, the boogeyman that mothers warned their children against.
I reached for his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. He glanced at it before peering back up at me. The depth of gratitude and adoration in his eyes wrecked me.
“Thank you, my Flame,” he whispered.
I gave him a shaky smile, overwhelmed by emotion. “No, my love. It is I who thanks you. None of this would be happening had you not agreed to embark on this journey with me and see it through to the bitter end.”
He leaned forward and kissed me. It was brief but expressed everything that could never be put into words. He pressed his forehead against mine, and I silently thanked the gods, and all the people who contributed in even the smallest capacity inmaking this happen. To think it all began with a suggestion from the adorable Ronika to seek the Weaver. I couldn’t wait to go tell her the good news.
A clicking sound snapped us out of this moment of tenderness. Embarrassed, we jerked our heads towards the Weaver to see her removing a strange stylus from an intricately sculpted jewelry box. It was made of wood, adorned with gold and precious gems. The stylus itself also appeared to be made of gold. From the same box, Cliona retrieved a glass ampule with a head that looked like it could fit perfectly into the hollow end of the stylus.
She extended a hand towards me. Immediately understanding her unspoken request, I placed my left hand in hers. A shiver coursed through me at the incredible softness and warmth of her palm against my skin. For a reason I couldn’t explain, I had expected her touch to be cold and unpleasant, as if the slightest contact with her would drain the very life force out of you. Instead, it made me long to be drawn into her embrace, which would likely feel like being wrapped in the divine light of the gods.
Although she kept her eyes on my arm, the smug smile on the Weaver’s sensuous lips and her discreet chuckle seemed to imply she knew exactly what thoughts were crossing my mind. My cheeks heated, but I kept quiet. Cliona turned my hand around, palm facing up, and the inner side of my wrist exposed. She ran her finger along the barely visible vein in my wrist. My jaw dropped as it immediately protruded. A cool sensation spread over a small radius around the vein. I suspected she had also disinfected the area with her touch.
Cliona deftly stuck the pointy edge of the stylus in my vein. To my pleasant surprise, it didn’t hurt, the pricking sensation almost nonexistent. She placed the glass ampule at the end of the stylus, and it immediately started to fill with my blood. Istared in fascination as the patterns engraved on the golden stylus suddenly lit up, revealing a series of magical runes. To my shock, they shifted, forming new runes a few times while my blood in the ampule appeared illuminated from within. By the time the runes faded, my blood had turned into a clear liquid.
A wave of unease twisted my insides as I watched the Weaver remove the ampule from the stylus and hold it before her eyes with a triumphant expression. The vertical slits of her pupils dilated, almost swallowing her purple irises. Her gaze suddenly flicked towards me, her pupils narrowing back to their normal size. She tilted her head, an almost predatory expression descending over her features as she lowered her hand and placed the ampule inside the box without ever looking away from me.
“Do not fear, little Amara. I pledged that no harm would ever come to you from this, and that I’ll only use it to do good. That has not and never will change,” she said in a soft voice, although I didn’t miss the underlying hint of hardness.
“I didn’t mean to offend you,” I said, apologetically.
Her face softened, and she gave me a stiff nod. “Only a fool would not worry about giving a part of them that could be used in a devastating way against them, especially by one such as I. But our affair is concluded.”
“Thank you for saving our lives,” I said sheepishly.
