(Alnilam)

I had to threaten my magic again to not get in my way and let me speak to her.

But whenever the topic of rejection comes both Snow and my magic go insane. Recently, my magic has been going berserk, and I am losing control more often.

Her room is laden with her scent, and like a glutton, I want to inhale and inhale, fill not only my lungs but let the scent permeate every pore I possess.

The urge to hug her has my limbs in a shackle.

"What bond, Alnilam?" Amaia grimaces and I hate seeing her in agony because of me. "You never accepted it."

She stands corrected, I should at least acknowledge that she is my mate. I can’t reject her if I don’t even accept the fact that Amaia is indeed my mate. No matter how I try to run from this, I can’t.

Snow is howling in my head but I need to get this done.

"You are right, I should have acknowledged you. Sat down and had a proper conversation with you. Instead of acting as I did." I exhale.

"But the emotions got the worst of me and I needed time alone to think. Which I did."

She watches me with teary eyes but her resolve doesn’t quiver. Amaia stands straight, confident, letting me know my words won’t break her.

But it is time for the truth. She deserves at least this. The girl with multiple streaks in her hair deserves to be acknowledged as my mate so that we can continue with the decision that follows.

With a deep breath, shackled emotions, crazy wolf and unpredictable magic on the loose I begin.

"Celestia’s map led me to you, and I was finally able to scent and recognise you as my mate..." My words make Amaia let out a deep breath, but something else happens, which leaves me baffled.

Something like black smoke erupts from her thigh and, with a sudden whirl, disappears into the thin air, leaving behind a burning smell of something rotten.

She rubs her thigh as if in relief.

Suddenly a bulb seems to light in my head. The scent of a curse. This was the scent of a bloody curse.

It makes sense now, Amaia had been cursed, that’s exactly why we couldn’t scent or recognise her as our mate.

Another flashback consumes me. When I was bringing her to Orion she had been inspecting her thigh. I had believed she was trying to seduce me but she must have been observing the curse mark.

Something sinister had happened to Amaia in that bloody palace. The urge to just wring Huradis’ neck clings to me again.

"Someone cursed our mate...I am going to raise hell," Snow bellows, his anger and resentment make sense. My hands fist and I have to use every restraint not to reach for her.

"Finally, the curse has been lifted," Amaia cries out in relief.

Her hand frantically rubs against her thigh. Accumulated tears finally fall on her round cheeks.

Taking a few staggering steps forward she drops herself on the bed. Her hand rests on her chest, pressing it as she tries not to openly cry. The mate bond becomes jammed with her unfiltered emotions.

There is a whole load of relief and joy but there is also fear and so many other emotions which are foreign to me. The bonds lap and I wonder if they are being interconnected with her other mates.

Amaia gathers her arms around herself and rocks her body back and forth. She stares at the floor

"I can sense them, the bond between us has developed. I can sense all five of you," Amaia rambles to no one in particular.

Her body sways violently and she appears fixated, overwhelmed, lost in a sea of too many emotions.

Not heeding to whatever warnings I have given, my hair reaches out to her, wrapping around her like a whirlwind of silver.

Did she say five?

"Amaia! Are you alright?" I quietly ask and she lifts her head and watches me with such vulnerability that my heart almost leaves my chest and springs towards her.

"Yes, thank you for setting me free from the curse. When I went to Huradis, he made me drink something and I became cursed. I don’t know if it was him or someone else because I heard some malicious words," she explains.

I step closer, and the bond pulls me towards her.

"What did you hear?" My hand rests on the back of her shaking body, while the other holds her chin, tipping it upwards. Her trembling lessens.

Warm, inviting, she feels like peace and homey, the one I have been missing my entire life.

She continues to watch me with thankful eyes.

"Your mates will never be able to feel the bond. You are the property of Huradis now. You have been cursed from telling them or anyone else, using any means possible."

My forehead develops several ridges as she adds, "It was a female voice that I heard. Either he used one of his wives for that or it was entirely someone else who used a female voice to hide their real identity," Amaia concludes.

Then, I tell her about my meeting with Huradis and both of us come to the conclusion that someone else seems to be involved.

Maybe it’s the Dread Army, but what do they have to gain from putting a curse on Amaia?

Could it be they have known that she is a powerful Fae? The Reavers who had been sent earlier, knew.

Did they discover the truth when they came here?

Anything is a possibility when it comes to them.

"You don’t know, Alnilam, but every day here has been a torture for me. Watching the three of you. Carrying all these emotions singlehandedly.... Bearing your accusations," her voice breaks and she begins to cry openly.

Bringing my arms around her, I let her hug me and weep. She needs to let all these bottled-up feelings out. Our indifference, especially mine, has hurt her deeply. While she has sorted everything with others, it’s going to be a long way before it will be settled with me.

But this moment is ours and I can’t let her cry alone. She needs to vent.