Chapter 17

Alex

I understand Sophia's pain.

I have also carried burdens on my shoulders that have nearly crushed me. I've also rushed against time to save the people I love.

So when my mate raged at me, lashing out with harsh words, all I saw was the suffering behind her eyes, the helplessness. I could see that she wanted me to fight back. But all I wanted to do was take her in my arms and tell her that everything will be all right, that I will be by her side, no matter what happens. I wanted to stroke her hair and tell her to cry if she needed to. I just wanted to hold her and ease her hurt and bewilderment.

But I knew she wouldn't let me do that in that moment. She was hurting, and all I could do was let myself be the recipient of her anger.

Each time I see that flicker of hope in her eyes, my heart feels heavy, because I know it's going to go out soon. She is fighting so desperately to save her mother and there's nothing I can do for her.

Sitting on a grassy hill, I watch her standing across from Marlene, Elsa's aunt. Marlene is showing her a magical technique and my mate is completely focused on it. I'm sitting at a distance, not wanting to distract her. Under the shade of the trees, I watch Sophia's graceful movements.

It's been two days since we got here and she has been single-mindedly focused on learning as much as she can. Logan and I have given her the space she needs. Speaking of the older man, he seems to be quite familiar with this territory. He disappears for long intervals. I haven't asked him what he's doing, but I did follow him yesterday and I saw him sitting by the oak tree, a lonely expression on his face.

I can't deny it. Logan is determined to protect Sophia. He doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives where she's concerned, but when it comes to my mate, who is in constant danger, it's so hard to trust anybody.

Sophia, on the other hand, trusts everybody with such ease. She tries not to, but she gets lured in easily.

I see Marlene stop Sophia, and then send her off somewhere. Marlene, on the other hand, looks in my direction and begins walking toward me.

I haven't talked to her one-on-one. She and Sophia have been so immersed in training that there hasn't been time.

"Is everything all right?" I ask when she reaches me.

The old woman smiles at me and then sits down beside me. "She's dedicated. Unlike her mother, who loved playing truant, Sophia is focused."

"She has a reason to be," I say, quietly.

"That's true," Marlene agrees.

I glance at her. "Do you think she has a chance to save her mother?"

The old witch is quiet. Finally, she sighs. "I don't think so. From the situation described to me, Grace is too far gone. Even if the cure was given to her, the years of repeated torture have sent her somewhere deep inside her mind. I don't think anybody can bring her back from that."

"So why are you giving my mate false hope?" I ask the woman, my voice tight in anger.

"I'm not. But Sophia is a determined young woman. She feels she can make a difference, that she can save her mother. Right now, her mother is the only link she has to her family. If you take that away, she will shatter. She's very fragile right now, even if she's trying to put on a strong front."

I fold my fingers together and look in the direction of the village. "That is what I'm afraid of," I whisper. "She's breaking and I can't save her."

"Sometimes," Marlene murmurs, wisely, "one has to break before they can be whole again. There is only one way to save Grace, although it is close to impossible."

"What is it?" I sit up, looking at the witch.

"I never met the man that Grace was in love with, but Elsa mentioned him. They were supposedly fated mates. For the Silver Wolf, the mating bond is different. Both parties have to mark each other as you and Sophia have done. It provides a balance of power. However, it also makes both of you extremely vulnerable. If one of you dies, the other will die instantly. There's no hope of surviving."

She lets out a long breath. "What bothers me is how Grace managed to survive all these years. If her fated mate was killed, she would not be alive. No matter how much she loved her child, she would not have survived. It is the law of nature."

Shock hits me like a ton of bricks. "Are you saying that Sophia's father is alive?"

"That, or they never exchanged mating marks, which I find hard to believe. Grace was a smart girl. She would not have walked away from him without receiving the mating mark. When you saw her," Marlene suddenly looks at me, "did you see a mating mark on her?"

I recall Sophia bandaging her mother's neck from the injuries Tina gave her, and I shake my head. "Her neck was clean."

Marlene's expression falls. "That means they never exchanged mating marks. However, she was at least eight months pregnant when she was captured from what Sophia told me. I assume she was a few months pregnant when they left. She concealed it very carefully. I never knew. Why didn't they mark each other? Grace knew to do so."

From where we are sitting, I can see Sophia talking to one of the witches. She is smiling. She seems to enjoy it here. It's a brief reprieve, but to see her smiling means the world to me. And then something occurs to me. "Her mother put some sort of enchantment on her that prevented Sophia from finding out she was the Silver Wolf. What if Grace did the same for her mating mark?"

The old witch gives me a sharp look. "Are you implying that she concealed the mating bond between her and her mate?"

"What if she did?" I suggest slowly.

"But why?"

I shrug. "I don't really know. It's just a thought. Grace seemed pretty skilled at magic that she was able to hide Sophia's identity for this long. It's not completely out there that she did something similar to her mate."

Marlene has a thoughtful expression on her face. "It's not unheard off." Her fingers tap her knee. "I've heard of a few cases, but those were in the olden times during wars. It was a way to protect mates. When one mate was captured, they would seal their bond. The mating marks would temporarily disappear until they were united. It was to prevent their partner from feeling the effects of the torture. And it lessened the blow of their mate's death. But it's never been practiced since the wars ended. Where would Grace get the idea to do that?"

"But it's possible?" I look at her.

Marlene nods. "It would make sense. Grace not allowing her mate to mark her doesn't make sense to me. From everything Elsa told me at the time, the two were madly in love. And it's hard for fated mates not to mark each other. Their instincts fight against their will. But if Grace is alive, then that means Sophia's father is also alive somewhere."

My gaze returns to my mate. "Grace was found in an underground dungeon in a terrible state. We'll have to search for Sophia's father, then. Robert must've stashed him somewhere. If the two meet again, do you think Grace has a chance of surviving?"

Marley nods. "There's a very strong possibility. Her mate might be able to draw her out of her shell, and his presence will help her recover. Mating bonds are not to be taken lightly."

I tilt my head back and look at the sky. "At the end of the day, this is just another theory. I don't want to tell Sophia this and have it amount to nothing."

Marlene puts her hand on my shoulder. "She will appreciate it if you tell her. Both of you are grappling in the dark when comes to your bond. I talked to her as well. When a Silver Wolf forms a mating bond, the dynamics are vastly different from other mated pairs. You must have noticed by now how gentle Sophia's heart is. Even under the worst of circumstances, she is someone who still tries to do the right thing. She will search for hope, a way out. That is what makes the Silver Wolf so unique."

I glance at the witch, who is smiling faintly. "It's not just her magic. When the Goddess created the Silver Wolf, her intention was to create a being who would look past the violence and embody the best of all her creations. That is what Sophia is. But she's also an individual with emotions like any other person."

Her lips curve as she gazes at me. "Your role, on the other hand. is to stabilize her. To protect her. The Silver Wolf is not strong. While she has the strength of a shifter, she is not going to be a skilled fighter. That is not to say that her wolf is not prone to bursts of violence if pushed to the limit. That is where you come in. You have to protect her, not just from outside forces, but also from herself, from her decisions. You are to be the voice of reason."

I try to smile, but my lips simply won't do it. "She thinks I'm already too protective of her."

Marlene chuckles. "Because she's independent. She seems to have a hard time with someone taking her independence from her. Your bond is still new. There's a lot of growing that you have to do yet. But there will come a time when you will find your balance, the both of you. You are still learning about each other. But you are her first and last defense. Always remember that. Don't give into her every decision just because you love her. She is smart, but you have to be watchful. Her heart is soft, so yours has to be hard."

She leans back on her elbows, sighing. "I was pleased that you didn't trust me immediately, and I was not surprised that she trusted me almost immediately. She didn't doubt me for a second. It's not that she's gullible, but it is her instinct to be trusting. Don't hold it against her."

"How can I hold anything against her when I love her so darn much?" I groan, burying my head in my hands. "She drives me crazy. Even when I should get mad at her, I can't."

Marlene chuckles. "Well, that is how mated pairs are."

I shoot her an exasperated smile. "There's something else I don't understand. Why is the Silver Wolf so physically weak? Shouldn't she be stronger? Sophia does not like violence in the least. Like you said, she is capable of it if the situation calls for it, when she's pushed into a corner, but she abhors it."

Marlene crosses her legs under her, a thoughtful expression on her face. "That's because there's no single creature on this planet that is not flawed. The Goddess did not intend to create something all-powerful. She wanted to create balance. That is why the Silver Wolf always has a fated mate. There has never been a time when it's fated mate has not crossed paths with it. Unfortunately, the Central Alliance has made it a habit of ignoring the Goddess' word. Cyrus and the Alphas before him, have forced every Silver Wolf into mating a man not of their choice. They have controlled every aspect of the lives of these wolves, and I have witnessed the joy and peace in their eyes crumble into nothingness."

I stare at her, stunned, and then something occurs to me. "What about the males? You said that their fated mates cross paths with them? What happened to them?"

Marlene is silent, her expression dark. When she speaks, there is a heaviness in her words. "The bond between the Silver Wolf and their fated mate is something the Goddess created. It's very special and nothing can come between the two, not even another mate. Only death can part them."

My eyes flash in anger. "They kill them?"

Marlene closes her eyes.

"So why stay silent?" I demand. "You could've helped Grace yourself instead of punishing Elsa for doing what you should've been doing in the first place!"

"Things are not as simple as they seem," Marlene says quietly. "While we have not pledged loyalty to the Silver Mist Wolf pack, they do rule this land. The North and South Alliances are growing increasingly unsafe for my kind. Helping the Silver Wolf escape would have meant the death of my coven. And at least, over here, the Silver Wolves are not used and tortured. They are simply bred to create a stronger line. The fate that awaited Grace was not a surprise to me, but if Cyrus had learned his lesson, he would have given you and Sophia refuge in the Central Alliance."

Every person looks out for themselves, I muse silently. I was the same way, ready to use the Silver Wolf for my own gain before I met and fell in love with Sophia. Before I realized that I was willing to put her above my pack.

"Even if he had, we would not have accepted it," I say, terse. "The North is crumbling. The South has deep-rooted corruption that needs to be weeded out. All the prophecies about the Silver Wolf have become legendary. There's a war going to happen soon, and Sophia plans to prevent it."

Marlene smiles. "I am aware of the prophecy. It is the prophecy that the Central Alliance has tried to prevent from coming to pass. That is one of the reasons they have kept the Silver Wolves isolated from the world. That is why they created the myth of this mythical creature rather than reveal the truth. Otherwise, no matter how dangerous the terrain of the Central Alliance, the other two alliances would have invaded."

Marlene has given me a lot to think about. It is true that now that Sophia's identity is out in the open, she will constantly be in danger, even from the packs in the South Alliance.

I am not so na?ve as to believe that since they have pledged loyalty to her, they are no longer going to try and capture her. The show of power that she displayed before was enough to make them wary, but it will not stop those who are hiding the greed in their hearts. Perhaps she would have been safe in the Central Alliance, but a few minutes with Alpha Cyrus were enough to tell me that she would prefer to be in danger rather than be caged here.

"There is something I wanted to discuss with you." Marlene gets to her feet, brushing the dirt and grass from her clothes. "That mercenary traveling with you…Logan."

I get to my feet, instantly alert. "What did he do?"

"It's not what he did but what I sensed from him. There's dark magic lingering around him."

"That's impossible." My brows knit together. "If there had been dark magic on him, Sophia would have sensed it."

"Not if it was ancient dark magic," Marlene says, her eyes trained at the activity going on below. "Sophia is still just a child, learning the basics of magic. A lot of what she is able to do is self-taught. Ancient dark magic is strong and not that easy to detect. You can call it a curse if you want. The magic I felt was quite old, spanning decades perhaps. At least, that is my estimate. It will take some time to get rid of it, but with Sophia's help, I might be able to create a potion to help him while she takes her time and removes the dark magic from him."

Alarm fills me. "You think he will harm her?"

"No, it's not that." Marlene gives a small shake of the head. "Sophia told me he was missing his memory. My suspicion is that his memory was tampered with."

"She found him in a cave, sealed by dark witches."

"Sophia told me," Marlene replies. "She told me about the pentagram drawn under him. If she could recreate it, it would have told me what they did to him. But she couldn't remember, and when I tried asking Logan, he experienced a terrible headache. That would have been the effects of the dark magic. Dark witches are very protective of their magic. A pentagram gives away the kind of magic they've used and its purpose."

I study her intently. "You think it's possible to recover his memory?"

"It would take weeks for me to work on it, maybe months, but it's not impossible. I asked him if he would like to stay back. It will take time but if he's willing. I can remove the magic blocking his memory. However, he refused."

I startle at the old witch's words. Logan is desperate to remember his past. Why would he…?

"He wants to protect your mate."

A growl escapes my lips. "I can protect my own mate just fine."

Marlene chuckles. "Simmer down. I don't think he's interested in your mate like that. He's roaming blind right now without his memories. You shifters have instincts telling you to protect your vulnerable, you females, your pack. He is a loner. He's latched onto her simply out of a desire to protect her and belong somewhere. There's no reason for you to feel jealous."

"I'm not jealous." I bare my teeth at her. "She already has me protecting her is all and…"

"Good, then one more helping hand won't hurt," Marlene says decisively, brushing her hands on her skirt. "With all the people after your mate, you must be relieved that she has another person looking out for her."

Even if what she says makes sense, I don't have to like it.

I watch her leave and think over her words. I'm aware that Logan doesn't view Sophia in any romantic way. I would have sensed his intentions if there was anything amiss. But having another male care for my mate pisses me off.

Just as I'm trying to tell myself to be the bigger person and let him stick around, I see Sophia walk out of one of the small buildings. She's waving at someone, and when I follow her line of sight, I see the older man heading toward her. He's carrying something that looks like a basket of peaches in his arms.

I watch him offer one to Sophia and my jaw tightens when she accepts it, biting into it and smiling at him. The two begin walking in the direction of the trees.

My eyes narrow.

He's up to something.

He has to be.