Chapter Thirty Two

Lillian

My jaw drops open as I hear the beast's words.

So, this is the woman that cursed him. I take her in, and I admit she has some alluring qualities. Her hair is long and dark brown. Almond-shaped eyes look at me. Overall, she's very attractive, and I can see why the wolves of his time were after her, but it probably had something to do with her magic more so than her looks.

"I guess I should officially introduce myself. Natalia Rose Bardot of the Blue Moon coven." She looks at Grandmother scathingly. "And you are a nuisance."

Samson, who has been silent this whole time, finally speaks up. "Wait, if you're not Alana, then where is she?"

Natalia laughs manically, as if it's the funniest thing she's ever heard. "Dead and in the ground years ago, shortly after giving birth to Corbin. Her body wasn’t strong enough to deliver a child that has witch blood in him."

"This can't be." Confusion swarms my mind. Alana's been dead all these years, and no one noticed the difference. What does she mean by witch blood?

"Oh, honey, how na?ve you are. You all are fools and couldn't even detect she was different. Of course, this is not how things were supposed to turn out.” She cuts her eyes toward the beast with a smirk. “You were supposed to be either dead or with me, as you should have been years ago.”

Everything clicked into place. "That's why Nigel couldn't call you back from the brink of death."

She lets out a huff. "No, he wasn't the true leader of the pack, and I wasn't Alana."

I take a step closer, as I try to find the words, but the beast steps in front of me, blocking my path.

Don't get any closer. She's dangerous and will murder anyone.

As our gazes meet, I realize what I should have seen all along. "It was you. You murdered the people in the village. All the disappearances, the missing people, and those who died. It has always been you."

Now you know, my dear Lily. Nigel helped her because he thought she was his mate and she used him.

She cackles loudly as she realizes the beast is speaking to me in my mind. "Yes, it has, and he took the blame for it all, but all he did was try to protect the village. Silly of the pack to not realize who their savior was."

"I'm so sorry, beast." Tears roll down my face as I fall to my knees beside him. "I should have believed you."

Natalia paces forward and squats down a few feet in front of us. "How very touching, but yes, you should have listened, but now it's too late. He will be cursed to roam the woods forever, as I intended, unable to be free from that hideous beast's form unless he changed his mind about us. You, on the other hand, if you had mated to Corbin, then it would have truly come full circle. Without you, he can’t free himself of the curse without me and I’d keep you away from him.”

"Why would you want to keep fated mates apart?”

The beast nudges into my mind through our bond.

Now that she has revealed herself, I can speak up. Corbin is her descendent. My only hope is for you to...

She blasts him with magic, and the link goes quiet before he can tell me what I'm supposed to do. "For shame, beasty, you shouldn't be revealing the secrets of your curse."

"The white wolf is the key," I blurt out, and she eyes me.

"Smart girl, but do you know what else is required for the curse to end?"

She sends black magic tendrils across the land and the pack members all run in terror back to their houses. Then she turns her attention to us. "Now, to deal with him before he spoils everything."

The black tendrils creeping from her hands wrap around him and throw him back into the woods.

"No!" I scream out.

"Now, it's just you and me, little red. Whatever will you do without your big bad wolf now?"

I take a step as more black tendrils slowly ooze out of her hands. Glancing around, I notice Grandmother is still here, staring at the witch with an icy gaze. "Natalia, you will not harm my granddaughter."

"Harm her? No, that is not what I want, but I will ensure that the beast never breaks his curse."

Stopping in my tracks, I wonder why she is so bent on him never being free. She seems to notice I've moved, and her tendrils creep their way toward me.

"Why do you want him to punish him so badly? What happened between you two was years ago. Can you not let it go?" One tendril slowly attaches itself to my right ankle and I gasp.

Grandmother comes over and kicks some of the burning remnants toward my leg, which dissolves the tendrils. Natalia looks up, completely irritated. "You know you are annoying."

"Good. That's what I was going for." With one quick shove, she pushes me behind her. "Lillian, I need you to do something for me."

"What, Grandmother?" I place my hand on her back, waiting for her instructions.

“He needs you. I can’t say how, but he needs you. We only have until sunrise.”

I look to the side, where he is being cornered with dark magic swirling around him.

"Isn't this touching? How sweet. You'll never make it." She smiles at me wickedly right as I dart to the right to head straight for him.

“Run, Lillian. Run!” Grandmother yells as she shifts into her wolf.

I hate to leave her, but the only way for us to make it is if the beast takes me as his mate. I’m not sure what else he requires, but this is the start.

“Run!” She yells again as she lands on all fours and launches herself toward Natalia.

I can hear her cackle as Grandmother squeals. Turning, I see her fly a few feet in the air before landing on the ground with a loud thud.

"No, Grandmother!" I reach out and before I can head toward her, she is already getting up off the ground.

Go to him!

"Yes, little Lillian, run. Run while you can. You will still be with Corbin by morning.”

Beast. I need to get to the beast.

I run toward him, but shadows surround me, blocking him from view. As I continue to walk through them, I feel like I’m lost, even though I’m in the middle of the village. It’s darker than the darkest, moonless nights.

Then I hear grandmother howl, but as I turn, I can’t find her either.”

"Grandmother needs me."

Suddenly, the shadows clear between us and I find her laying on the ground ten feet away with several bloody wounds. Instead of heading toward the beast, I turn to save her.

I allow my wolf to break free and shift, ripping through the dress and shrugging out of it and the cloak.

"Now, now, little red, we can't have you interrupting our battle. It wouldn't be fair to have two against one."

Who says she's playing fair?

I charge toward her, but one long tendril bats me away. Landing a few feet away, I try repeatedly to get to her as her cackles fill my ears. "Determined little thing, aren't you? I see why the beast fell for you. Pretty little white wolf. Such a shame."

With a snarl, I try to bite the black smoke of a tendril, but my teeth go straight through it. How do you fight something that can touch you, but you can't touch it? After a moment, I realize the only way for this to end is for the witch to die.

That has to be the other condition.

Natalia glances at us both, and suddenly smiles. "Oh, what a pleasure it is to see two white wolves again, though one of you seems to have a mark. I should have ended your line when I had the chance."

I cut my eyes toward my Grandmother, and our gazes meet. She is growing weaker and can't last much longer like this without healing. I do the one thing I know I can that will give her the chance to end Natalia.

Before she can stop me, I rush forward through the curling tendrils, dodging each time they get near me, so I can get close to her. The witch laughs as she watches me struggle to get through them, but her eyes widen when I finally collide with her.

I land on top of her, but she's quick, and she throws me a few feet away. With her attention fully on me as she stands, Grandmother sneaks up behind her and lands on her back. The force of her attack causes Natalia to face plant into the ground. Her tendrils swirl wildly as they try to wrap around Grandmother to get her off.

As I watch her hands, I realize the tendrils only move as she moves them, so I rush forward and bite down on her wrist as Grandmother rakes her claws down her back. Natalia screams and only gets louder as Grandmother comes around to bite down on her other wrist.

With her hands useless, she cannot control the tendrils and they dissolve. She starts to chant, but I get on top of her to push her back into the dirt. She throws me off and as my gaze locks with my Grandmother's on the other side of her, she slowly collapses to the ground.

Grandmother, no.

As I rush to her side, the witch rises from the ground. "You think rendering my hands useless will stop me? I can still cast magic."

I nudge Grandmother with my nose. Please, Grandmother. Get up. I need you.

Her eyes barely open and then close. I feel her push through the pack bond, and it surprises me because she rarely uses it and I normally don’t. Lillian, you know what to do. Finish this.

But Grandmother, I don’t want to lose you.

I hear her faint chuckle as the bond slowly closes. It looks like I'm on my own, but what am I supposed to do when I'm weak? My wolf may be here, but my alpha abilities haven’t surfaced.

Weak. That word has haunted me all my life. I was too weak to save myself from that family. Too weak to save the beast. Now, I'm too weak to finish the one thing I need to end.

Natalia laughs again. "Oh, poor Lillian. No family, no mate, and now no Grandmother. If you had just finished mating Corbin, then things wouldn't be this way. All is not lost, though. You bear his mark. All you need to do is return the mating mark."

I shift into my human form and gaze up at her. Slowly, I reach up toward my neck and feel the mark on my neck. With all the commotion, I had completely forgotten about it. "No."

"Yes, my dear, Lillian. So, what will you do? You don't have to suffer, and your Grandmother can be saved if you choose now. Finish the mating with Corbin or lose everything."

I stare at my Grandmother's lifeless body, but how can I just accept the hand I've been given? To mate with Corbin means the beast will never be free, and I'm already halfway bonded to him as it is. Will I still be able to break the curse like this?

"Tick tock, Lillian. You're running out of time." Natalia glances down at Grandmother's body with a deep sigh. "It looks like she'll die at any moment. Come on dear. What do you choose?"

My mind is filled with jumbled thoughts, and it always comes down to my choice. Though I hate that it has come down to this, it is now clear what I must do.

With a newfound strength, I stand up and look at the witch eye to eye. "I choose to save them all."

She looks perplexed for a moment before she bursts out laughing. "Save them all? Whatever do you mean?"

"My Grandmother will live, the curse will be lifted, and Corbin can live somewhere far away from me. I have a mate and I choose him, my destiny."

Natalia mutters something low under her breath. I watch and wait, unsure of what is happening. "Oh, dear. I was afraid of this, but you've left me no choice. You see, I can't have you breaking that curse. The beast needs to suffer for the choices he made all those years ago. He has to suffer for what his family line did to me.”

Vines creep out of the ground and go to where Corbin lies. They wrap around him as more wrap around my legs to hold me in place. Natalia watches with amusement as I struggle against their hold.

"What is the meaning of this?"

She turns, her hands not quite moving correctly. "Oh, I'm bringing your mate to you so you can finish what was started. The binding words have already been uttered, and this is your fate, even if I must force it upon you."

"Force?" I try to jerk away from the vines, but they wrap tighter, going further up my body until I can no longer move. Corbin is coming closer and there is nowhere for me to go.

Once he is in front of me, his neck is shoved up to my mouth, right against my lips. "I will never do this, Natalia."

"Oh, I know. That is why you'll have some help." Vines begin to work their way between my lips and part them before trying to get between my teeth. "It looks like you need it."

I fight them for as long as I can, but eventually they succeed and shove my mouth wide open. I can feel Corbin's skin slide across my lips as they push his body further toward me. Once his neck is firmly in my mouth, I refuse to shut it, so the vines quickly go to work to push my jaws together.

"Quit being so dramatic. You can't win this because I've already won. The beast is gone, and you'll never find him, so you might as well give in."

My eyes dart around, not wanting to believe her words. But he is no longer where he once stood. He’s truly gone.

Beast?

Though my canines aren’t out, I can still feel my teeth pierce the first layer of his skin and right as I know that all hope is lost; I see my Grandmother behind Natalia. She lunges and wraps her teeth around the back of her throat, pulling her to the ground.

The vines stop and return to the ground as I fall forward onto Corbin. I quickly push myself upright and look at his neck. There are two rows of my teeth, where they started to break skin, but the bite isn’t complete. Sighing with relief, I look over at Grandmother, who has her jaws firmly around the witch's neck.

"Wait? I need more information."

The witch laughs as she pushes with her arms to keep Grandmother at bay. "Of course you do. You are wondering what I mean by the beast is gone, aren’t you? Just know, he’s somewhere far away and you’ll never find him to lift the curse. As for everything else, well, those secrets are buried within the pack here.”

"You're lying." I move closer to them and watch her facial expressions. “He’s not gone.”

"Take one good look at me. Do I look like I'm lying?"

Grandmother growls and I move closer to pat her back softly. "Then where is he?"

She laughs again. "You'll never find him, and killing me won't bring him back. So go ahead, and do with me as you wish, but this is your fate."

Her lips move as she mutters something, and when her eyes open again, she smiles. The wind picks up, but nothing else seems amiss. "Best of luck to you."

Suddenly, Grandmother's jaws clamp down hard around her neck as she rips her head from her body.

"Grandmother? I need answers from her, and you just tore her apart.”

She allows the shift to take over and sits down on the cold ground, naked and shivering. "She wasn't going to give you answers. That one was a tricky one from what I've read about her. It’s best that she died."

"I need to know where the beast is and how to get rid of an unwanted mating bite."

Grandmother eyes my throat. "It should go away, since it's not complete."

I look down to where Corbin was lying a moment ago, only to discover his body is now gone. "Grandmother, where did Corbin go?"

She turns around quickly with wide eyes. "He was just there."

I look around, but no footprints can be seen leading from where he was laying either. It's like he vanished. As I turn toward the witch, her body has turned to ash and is floating away on the breeze.

Suddenly, a sharp streak of pain runs up my spine and I fall to the ground, gasping for breath. "Help me."

She moves quickly to my side, her hands grasping both sides of my face. Once our gazes meet, her mouth drops open. "Lillian, your eyes. They're red. It looks like the rest of your power just came in.”

“What do you mean by my eyes are red, Grandmother? What does all this mean?”

The words fall silent and all the questions die as I scream out when another wave of pain washes over me, rendering me speechless. All that comes out is gasps as I lean forward and shake from all the power surging through my veins. Grandmother tries to rub my back in smoothing strokes, but it just irritates me and I feel as if my skin might peel off my bones just from being rubbed.

“Please, stop,” I beg as I finally get the words out.

“Let it flow through you, Lillian. I know it hurts and I’m so sorry for it being suppressed this long. Your wolf is dying to be fully free and now she can be. Your wolf is free to come forth and live.”

Another shrill scream escapes as my back breaks and my wolf surges forward in full force. When I shifted before, it felt awkward, but this is painful. It’s the worst feeling I have ever felt.

“Don’t fight it, Lillian.”

“No, this shouldn’t feel like this!” I bend awkwardly as my bones shift under my skin and tug to make me go on all fours. Everything in me is begging for it to stop, but the change continues and pushes me to the brink of insanity. “I can’t do this.”

“You can and you will.”

Sweat drips from my brow and lands on the dirt below as I stare at the ground. I wish I could crawl into it and die. It hurts too much. This is too much. Why is it me?

Why can’t someone else do this?

Oh, right. I’m the granddaughter of the true alpha of this pack. It is my duty to do everything. Isn’t that what I had said? Well, now I have gotten my wish.

And I never knew what I was asking for.

“Breathe, Lillian. Breathe. If you want what is yours, you’re going to make it. You’ll know when you cross that bridge, but you have to make it.”

Her words start to fade as everything feels like sludge. I can’t comprehend anything as another groan escapes me.

My fingers break. Then my arms. Followed by my legs.

It happens so fast that I don’t even have a chance to scream. It just comes out as one gargled moan.

When a low growl escapes me, Grandmother scolds me for it. “Don’t you be growling at me. I’m the only one helping you through this.”

“I’m trying,” I say with a whimper. “Why is it taking so long?”

“You have to let go, Lillian. Let go and embrace this part of you. It’s time.”

I close my eyes and feel fur sprouting out of my skin. It’s painful as it pushes through each pore. Murmurs from the pack distract me as everyone gathers around me. I refuse to look up, but I hear Grandmother snapping at them to get lost.

I open my eyes for a second, but quickly shut them because what light is out at this time of day is blinding me.

Suddenly, I feel as if I’m falling and everything goes dark, only for me to see a white wolf in the distance running away from me.

I know who it is, and I want her to stay.

“Come here, wolf.”

She stops and turns to look at me, her head tilted to the side. Her glowing red eyes are unnerving.

Is this really what I’m becoming?

Will I always have these jarring red eyes? Can I accept that this is me?

Accept me or die.

What?

Accept me or you will die in transition.

Are those really my two options? What have I ever done to anyone to deserve this? I growl in frustration as I look up at her and meet her gaze.

Think of your fated mate, the beast. He needs us. If we die, then no one will ever find him or break his curse. He has waited over two hundred years for us to be here. Please choose us.

Suddenly, I hear his voice in the back of my mind.

Choose us, Lily.

Beast? No, come back!

It feels like he leaves me and the bond goes quiet. I nearly lose my mind as I wish to hear his voice again.

You’re running out of time, Lillian. Your body is giving out right this minute and your grandmother is begging you to hold on. I can feel everything. You must choose. There is no more waiting. You are either going to be the alpha you were born to be or die as a slave of the pack.

It feels like I fall on my knees as I accept everything. Fine, I choose us.

And with those words passing through my mind, I’m consumed by darkness and uncertainty about what waits for me when I wake up.