Page 80 of Destined to the Lycan
“I don’t know,” Remus replied with frustration. “Although I have my suspicions. She was tall, slender, with very pale skin, and long blonde hair.”
“Any particular feature, like a scar or birthmark?” I asked, disappointed when he shook his head with an apologetic look. “Sadly, I meet a lot of people in my trade. Pale, slender women with blonde hair are a dime a dozen when it comes to witches and arcanists, especially necromancers. I have encountered tons of them since moving to Willow Grove.”
He nodded with a grim expression. “I figured as much. But I wonder if she could be the person attempting to poison you. It seems awfully convenient that such an unprecedented attack should occur right when I was racing back to Willow Grove to get the final instructions to cure you.”
I pursed my lips, unconvinced. “That seems like a stretch and overly elaborate just to get rid of me. I am no one.”
“Well someone disagrees enough with that statement that they built a secret cache in your workshop. They regularly snuck inside your house to place a fresh supply of Lover’s Blight in it so that its toxic fumes would slowly kill you every time you used your cauldron.”
That left me speechless. Who could possibly hate me and my family so much? As far back as I dug into our family’s history, we never made enemies. Sure, we had some of the usual neighborly spat, but nothing that would trigger the type of vendetta to kill my father and now me. Not to mention the remote possibility that my uncle, too, fell victim to that witch.
“Do not fret, my Flame,” Remus said reassuringly as I remained stunned. “We have removed all of the Lover’s Blight from your house. I inspected every room to make sure there weren’t any other stashes elsewhere. Lyall is in the house, so no one can sneak in unnoticed. I have sent a raven to Misty. She will have one of our shamans come to the house to set the same types of protective wards erected around the Hunters Lodge. No one with ill intentions will ever be able to enter your house again.”
“Thank you,” I whispered with sincere gratitude.
He resumed his accounting of events. Learning of the unexpected assistance that Ulric offered him knocked the wind out of me. Although I had sensed that a deep hurt fueled Ulric’s brutal comments about Remus and his efforts to undermine him, I never expected this sudden turnaround. He hadn’t struck me as malicious, as he had been honest saying that he didn’tbelieve Remus would force himself on me once we were alone. But I thought his resentment was running too deep to allow him this act of kindness. I wanted to believe this would mark the beginning of the rekindling of their past near brotherhood.
“You seem unsurprised,” Remus said with a frown in light of my stoicism after he revealed what the Weaver told him about how to cure me.
I gave him a sheepish smile. “I found out seconds before Ranael’s snake tail bit me. Frankly, it embarrasses me that I didn’t figure it out sooner. The worst part of it all is that when you first mentioned that you were a sick wolf, I remembered the Weaver mentioning that. But I dismissed that thought before it could fully form because I didn’t think you had the type of virulent venom that I would require. I never truly analyzed it like that, but I think my subconscious did. I just hate putting you in that position.”
“You can’t blame yourself for that, my mate. I should have figured it out as well, not to mention that Lyall had also alluded to the fact that we were misinterpreting the Weaver’s words when he first abducted you.”
“We were both silly. But at least now we know what to do.”
“The other good news is that, according to the Weaver, bonding with you after you are healed will heal me as well.”
I startled myself with the high-pitched squeal that tore out of me. “I KNEW IT!! I knew the Weaver would help cure you! I can’t believe that it will come from me. But it’s only right as my cure will also come from you. We were truly fated.
To my shock, instead of rejoicing with me, Remus appeared distraught.
“What’s wrong? Is there a potential complication?” I asked warily.
“It’s just that… I’m scared, Amara. You know that I love you and would never hurt you, right?” he asked, his eyes flicking between mine.
“Yes, I know that,” I said in all sincerity.
“But my werewolf—”
“Don’t, Remus,” I said sternly, interrupting him. “I trust you. I fully trust you. We haven’t come this far to fail now. Do not feed the beast by wallowing in uncertainty. Manifest the positive outcome we both want and deserve. No one could have gotten me through this but you. And I have complete faith that you will bring me back from the other side. It is fated.”
“My love,” Remus whispered before capturing my lips in a passionate kiss.
We remained for a while in each other’s embrace, just savoring this moment of peace and intimacy. Although Lyall had given me free rein to manipulate this dream world and travel wherever my imagination wished, Remus and I decided to pass on that offer. Instead, we focused on each other and the future we wanted for ourselves. Now was not the time to be distracted by pretty places. All that mattered to me was to infuse myself with my beloved mate’s presence.
Chapter 19
Lyall
Iflew in circles over Amara’s house for hours. Although I doubted any danger would come to Amara and the pup, I stupidly felt duty bound to remain here until she was cured. Every time I would zoom past her bedroom, the urge to go inside and slaughter the pup swelled within me. Fate had it wrong. Amara should be mine.
The taste of her memories never faded from my tongue. I wanted to bite her again to bask in the perfection that she was. How could a mere mortal possess such a beautiful soul? My chest ached remembering how she caressed my cheek on my balcony. I could still feel this softness of her palm on me. The tenderness in her eyes as she gazed upon me stabbed at the deep longing that tore me apart for her.
If not for that wretched wolf, she would have fallen in love with me.
Once again, I fought the urge to yield to my base instincts and slit his throat. Yes, Amara would be devastated by his death, but I could easily fill her mind with happiness. In fact, I could killhim and take over his appearance. She would be none the wiser. Before, I couldn’t fool her since I had never tasted his blood. But now, I knew every single memory he shared with her, everything that he was, even down to his scent.
She would never know, and she would be mine…
