Mate by Fate, Bound by Love

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Ethan’s POV

I remained calm after seeing the sign Lena gave me. This witch keeps calling me “expressionless,” probably because, during our first meeting, I refused to show any reaction on my face.

“Do you both need seats too?” she asked, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

Before we could even open our mouths to respond, seats appeared the same way they had before-hitting Lena’s leg. This time, they struck us with just as much force, shoving us into them.

“Don’t worry, dears, you’ll need the seats. This will take a while.” She paused, scanning our faces, her gaze lingering on mine.

“Mr. Expressionless still living up to his name, I see,” she teased, her voice dripping with amusement.

I glared at her with as much disgust as I could muster. All I wanted was to rip her apart, but somehow she sensed my thoughts.

“Haha, no evil thoughts in my lair, Expressionless, you hear me?” she said, her tone mockingly sweet.

I nodded, suppressing the urge to throttle her.

“Can you please get on with the story?” Lena cut in, her voice a mix of impatience and irritation.

“Oh, my child, I will. I hope Lyla is comfortable?” the witch asked with fake concern.

“She is. Just continue with what you were saying,” Lena replied curtly.

“Why were the wolves granted healing powers?” Lena asked sharply.

“Patience, my child,” the witch chided softly.

“Do not call me your child,” Lena’s voice suddenly resonated, layered as though two people were speaking at once. The force behind it made the cave tremble slightly.

I started hearing Lena scream in pain; I didn’t know what the witch was doing to her. I wanted to stand up from where I was to attack the witch, but Lena gave me a signal not to do anything even while in pain. After a while, she stopped and stood up.

The next thing I saw was the witch being pinned to the wall; I could sense the anger coming from Lena, or was it Lyla this time around? I wasn’t quite sure, but whoever it was, the person was angry.

“Do not do that again,” Lena growled, her voice barely human.

The witch raised her hands in a gesture of surrender, acknowledging the warning. Lena released her from the invisible grip, and the witch stumbled forward, straightening her dress with a smile.

“Well, that wasn’t so bad, was it, Lyla?” she asked, still grinning. Lena didn’t bother to answer.

“I was only testing how alert and awake Lyla was,” the witch said, turning her gaze back to me and my Beta. Then she continued her story as though nothing had happened.

“The wolves were granted the ability to heal because they possessed pure strength,” she explained, her voice calm once more. “Before deciding on this particular family, the witches traveled through different regions and packs, examining various wolf bloodlines to find the best. None of them fit until they reached your maternal bloodline.”

She paused as if she was checking to see if we were following or not; she continued after a few minutes of accessing our expression.

“Your maternal bloodline had the purest of hearts. This power needed such purity to be wielded effectively. So, the healing gift was bestowed upon your family.”

“Why wolves? Couldn’t the witches just use their own healing powers?” Lena interjected.

“They could,” the witch replied, “but there were certain diseases and afflictions that required immense strength to heal. When witches attempted to heal these illnesses, they found that their human bodies were too weak to sustain the process. The patient would often die before the healing could be completed. They needed a being with a strong bloodline and a powerful body to carry this healing ability.”

She stopped again, glancing at our faces as if to ensure we were still following her story.

“After the transfer, they noticed the power evolved within the wolves. It was as though the healing ability doubled in strength. There was no sickness the wolves couldn’t heal.”

“Then what happened?” I asked, my interest piqued despite my earlier resolve to remain indifferent.

“Oh, I see. The expressionless face is finally getting into the story,” she taunted. I ignored her, maintaining my stoic facade.

“Someone wasn’t happy about the witches finding a way to heal all ailments. This person was angry that such power had been given to wolves.”

“Do you know who this person was?” Lena asked, her voice tense with anticipation.

“No, I don’t. But I do know they were a dark witch, or perhaps a black witch. They found a way to attack your bloodline and killed every last one of them-except for wolves who didn’t possess the healing power.”

“Then how do you explain Lena?” I asked, growing impatient again.

“Fate had a different game to play,” the witch replied casually. “The power was already embedded in your bloodline. Just like how certain traits can skip generations, the healing gift resurfaced in Lena’s generation. Fate-or perhaps your Moon Goddess-had other plans for your mother’s bloodline.”

She turned her gaze to Lena, who looked tense and protective.

“You won’t speak casually about our Moon Goddess,” I warned, my voice low and threatening.

She ignored me, her attention fully on Lena now.

“You are the last of your bloodline, Lena. If you die, the bloodline ends. But perhaps the child you carry will inherit the power as well,” the witch added, glancing at Lena’s hand as she instinctively placed it on her stomach.

“Hey, Expressionless,” the witch said, addressing me directly, “make sure you take good care of her. Her bloodline is precious, and we’ll be needing it.”

“So, what do you know about me and Lyla?” Lena asked, her tone sharper now.

The witch sighed and took a step back. “Lyla is a white witch, and the one who wiped out your bloodline was a black witch. Do you think it’s a coincidence that Lyla resides within you? You have her powers, and she has yours.”

“I believe you and Lyla have discussed her past?” the witch asked, glancing at Lena.

Lena nodded.

“So, what do you think, young wolf?” the witch pressed. “Do you still think it’s all coincidence, or is it fate?”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“I think our destinies are intertwined somehow,” Lena admitted. “But I need to know what we’re meant to do together. I need to know what our shared destiny means.”

“Oh, my child, you’ll figure that out in time,” the witch said cryptically. “Just know that a moment will come when Lena and Lyla will have to become one. Neither will cease to exist, but they must unite to attain the power needed to defeat the darkness.”

“What darkness?” Lena asked, her voice filled with concern.

“Questions, questions…hmmmmm” she sighed I am sorry, but that’s all for today.”

“No, please wait. You have to help her understand this!” I begged, my voice filled with urgency.

“I’m sorry, dears. I don’t have the answers you seek.”

The last thing we heard was the witch’s voice echoing: “FIGURE IT OUT.”

And just like that, we found ourselves back in the castle.

GOSH, I HATE SORCERY.