Page 21 of Midnight Deception

There’s a heavy pause, and his stare becomes intense. Slowly, he braces his arms against the bedframe and pushes up so he’s raised above me. He continues to look down at me with that same intensity. With him so close and his scent wrapping around me, it’s a test of my willpower not to rub myself up against him like a werewolf in heat.

“I stayed because I said I would.” His voice is deep, deeper than it usually is, and his pupils have dilated. “You have no reason to believe me, but I’m a man of my word.”

Before I can think of a response, there’s a knock at the door, and I hear Luna’s light footsteps as she lets herself in. Finding myself leaning towards Atlas, I jump away from him guiltily, like I’ve been caught doing something I shouldn’t be, my cheeks burning. I scoot back in the bed to put some distance between us, acutely aware of Atlas’s gaze on me the whole time.

“Good morning!” Luna calls cheerily, her voice carrying through the rooms. Atlas just sighs and shakes his head, but his expression shifts to neutral as his cousin struts into the room. “Oh good, you’re awake.” Running a critical eye over me, she nods to herself and makes her way over to my wardrobe, throwing open the doors and sorting through my clothes.

Blinking at her whirlwind of activity, I sit on the edge of the bed, feeling exhausted just from watching her. My headache throbs to remind me it’s still there, and I close my eyes for a moment as a wave of nausea rolls through me. Swallowing against the lump in the back of my throat, I take a slow, deep breath and open my eyes, finding Luna pulling clothes from the wardrobe.

“We need to go to see Madame Constance to lift the block on you.” Her voice is muffled by the clothes she’s buried in, a rapidly growing pile of garments hung over her arm.

“You’re here now. Can I go?” Atlas’s asshole mask is back in place as he acts like he didn’t hold me in his arms all night, so I didn’t succumb to my sickness.

“No.” Without turning around, she hums at one of the outfits she selected before continuing. “We need you around in case it doesn’t work.”

Atlas grumbles but doesn’t argue, taking up a position against the wall with his arms firmly crossed over his chest. I don’t admit to the fact that even just the thought of him leaving right now has my heart speeding with panic, so although I don’t particularly want his company, I have to be sensible. At least until Madame Constance can fix my connection with my mates.

The next hour is spent with me getting ready to visit Madame Constance. Not because the clothes Luna picked for me were particularly complicated or extravagant, but due to how exhausted I am. The farther away from Atlas I go, even just the few meters into the bathroom, the worse I feel. Sure, I feel a million times better than I did last night, but I can feel the distance stretching between us. His muffled half-bond is acting as a bandage for what my wolf and my two full bonds usually provide me with, and I know it could break at any time.

Embarrassingly, I need help to dress. The loose, tunic style dress Luna gives me is forest green, setting off my scarlet hair and pale skin. It comes to my knees, with a pretty golden embroidered edge depicting small crescent moons. Beneath, I have a pair of soft, stretchy black leggings and some black ankle boots. Unfortunately, the outfit requires more effort to get into than I currently have, which left me with two options. One, I ask Luna to help me dress. Two, I let Atlas in, knowing his proximity will give me more strength and I can dress myself. Failing that, he would then have to help me. Not wanting to ask him for help, I turn to Luna who helps without complaint, keeping up a cheerful chatter the entire time, but I’m not paying attention, my mind on the male on the other side of the door. That fills me with guilt. I should be thinking of Nicolai, Scott, and my mates.

He is one of your mates, my traitorous brain reminds me. Gritting my teeth, I shake my head and force myself to think about the day ahead. In theory, I’m supposed to start my lessons today, but I’m going to struggle to even walk to the classrooms, let alone actually participate.

Atlas watches me with a wary eye as I step out of the bathroom with his cousin. He seems to reassure himself that I’m still in one piece. Clearing his throat, he jerks his head towards the door. “Let’s go. I’m needed elsewhere.”

Yup, he’s definitely back in asshole mode.

We file out of the bedroom and into the reception room, my movements slow and juddery. Reaching out a hand, I use the wall to support myself. Luna and Atlas share a look, but neither of them say anything as we exit my rooms and move into the corridor.

Each of my steps are painfully slow, my body swaying slightly from side to side. Sure, I feel better with Atlas close by, but I’m still missing a huge part of myself and that’s taking a toll on my body. A soft touch lands on my shoulder, and I glance over to find Luna smiling at me with a strained smile. A soft glow pulls my attention to her hand, and her magic rolls over me. I don’t need to ask what she’s doing when a burst of energy fills my body. It’s not much, but it makes each step easier and my breathing less laboured.

It’s slow going, and I have to stop for several breaks to lean against the wall and catch my breath. Atlas glowers at me the whole time, but he’s wise enough to hold his tongue. We’ve only just made it down the twisting staircase that leads to the guest rooms when he growls low in his throat.

“This is ridiculous.”

The next thing I know, I’m being hoisted up, the world spinning around me. Gasping, I grip tightly onto his arm to steady myself. I feel sick at the sudden movement, but as he pulls me against him and cradles me in his arms, the nausea retreats. My headache eases a little too, and my bond hums happily in my chest.

“I can walk,” I protest weakly, but I make no effort to climb from his arms, fully resting against him.

He doesn’t bother to look down at me as he strides through the corridors, his jaw tight. “I know, but I don’t have all fucking day.”

“Cousin, you really need to work on your pickup skills.” She snorts at her own joke before skipping forward and leading the way.

We pass several witches on the way, all of whom look at us with surprise. It’s probably from seeing Atlas, someone who violently hates werewolves, carrying me. His body stiffens and our little group stays silent despite the few greetings that are called out. I notice Luna nodding at a few people, her whole demeanour different when we’re around others. She seems… colder, more distant, like she hides her true personality.

With me in Atlas’s arms, we make it to Madame Constance’s room in what feels like seconds compared to my slow, agonising attempt. Luna knocks once on the open doorway and enters without waiting for a response, Atlas following close behind. He places me down as soon as we’re in the cramped room, letting go of me so quickly that I almost fall. Steadying myself against the cluttered table, I throw him a glare over my shoulder.

“You’re alive,” Constance says by way of greeting, her attention on the greenish liquid she’s pouring into a vial. “Good, I’ve got everything ready for you.” Looking up, she runs her eyes over me, taking in the dark rings beneath my eyes. Turning her attention to Atlas and the distance between us, she clucks her tongue as if he’s not done a good enough job of helping me before dismissing him with a slight shake of her head. She turns back to me, holding out the slim glass vial. “This potion is a tracking spell. It will stop anyone from finding you, but I’ve tweaked it to allow your bonded to be able to feel you. This should help fight off the sickness. You’ll still pine for them, but it’ll be no different than if you went travelling without them.” Without giving me the chance to speak or even wrap my head around what she’s saying, she continues, pushing a glass of clear fluid towards me. There’s more of it in this one, and at first glance, it could be mistaken for water. “This potion will release your magic, not just from the block put over you when you arrived, but it will also bring out any of your power that you’ve not accessed before.”

Looking down at the test tube in my hand, I grimace at the bits floating in the green liquid. However, if what she said is true, this will help me feel my mates again. Not only that, but my wolf too. Something close to excitement mixed with relief flips in my chest, and I lift the vial to my lips. I feel all eyes on me as I drink the potion, surprised at the light lemony flavour. As I reach out to return the tube, I get halfway across the table when the fog that seemed to surround me suddenly lifts and my bonds slam into me so hard it makes my back arch as I fall to my knees.

Their bonds wrap around me instantly, and I know they felt the lifting of the block as well from the bursts of emotions that reach me. I can feel them again. Joel, known as Alpha Green to most, and Syn, my two werewolf mates. My eyes prick with tears, and I gasp for breath. I probably look like a lunatic, but I don’t care.

Just as she’d explained yesterday, I can feel my mates and know they are safe, but I can’t quite sense their emotions like I usually can. The pull I feel towards them is also missing, which must be part of the tracking spell to stop them from finding me. Closing my eyes, I test it out, trying to get a general idea of where they are, but I feel nothing. There’s a tug on the bond, and I gasp, my eyes shooting open with surprise. I’m not sure who tugged on the bond, but I get the feeling they are trying to discover where I am. Tugging on the bond in response, I let out a long breath, relief flooding my body.

I’m so lost in my bonds that I don’t sense Luna kneeling beside me until she places a hand on my shoulder. “Laelia, are you okay?” I look at the witch crouched beside me, her brow furrowed with concern, and I realise this isn’t the first time she’s called my name.

My throat is dry, and I don’t know how to vocalise how I’m feeling right now. Instead, I give a short laugh and dip my head once to assure them I’m alright. I am okay, at least, I am now that I can feel my mates and know they are safe, my sanity returning as the sickness leaves my body. I still feel weak, but so much better than I did before, and my headache is swiftly disappearing. Sure, I still long for my mates, but the distance between us is no longer tearing me apart.

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