THE ALPHA'S FORGOTTEN MATE

as'

ol wooden frame, letting out a breath I hadn't realized I wa

n, her fear-it was like looking into the eyes of a stranger when all I wanted was for her to see me the wa

cas

ssed and her expression stern. She had always been the voice o

softer than I expected. "You can't

k we have time, Eleanor? The pack is fa

s capable of," Eleanor interrupted sharply. "If you force her to

But every day the curse tightened its grip on my pack. The land was dying, war

by and do nothing,"

already waited years for her. What's a little longer? Let her come to y

little place in matters of the heart.

" I asked aft

he's scared and disoriented. Don't make

ur struggles pressing down on everyone. The curse wasn't just a physical ailment; it was a shad

om smelled of aged wood and leather, the only sanctuary I had left. I dropped into my

ess spreading, border patrols encountering stra

gan

orment, appearing just long enough to remind us of her power before van

oor pulled me fr

called, my

s expression grim. "We've spotted h

ere

didn't engage, just stood there watching. Sh

thin, but I couldn't afford to act recklessly. N

p a closer watch on the perimeter. If she

itated, his brow furr

remember," I

ession sympathetic.

d-fragile as it had been-was gone, buried beneath years

t the curse?" Marcu

dmitted. "She'

ember, how can she help us? The witch made it clear that Aria

firmly, though the words f

is eyes was unmistakable. He left after

less. Her laughter, her defiance, the way she'd looked at me as if I were her whole world. And then the

was far uglier. I'd been a coward, too afraid of the witch's wrath to hold onto

led me. This one wa

cas

my heart pounding as the door creaked open. Aria stood

gaze darting around the

yself to remain calm. "Come in," I

scanned the room, lingering on the map of the territor

rms wrapping around herself. "But it's like there's

t the vulnerability in her voice. "It

piercing. "And if it doesn't? Wh

pressing down on me. "Then we start fres

say more, but she simply nodded. She

said softly before disap

ering in the air. No matter how much time had passed, no matter how br

nt losing her