"Erica, baby," I murmured, my voice a soothing balm against the storm of her emotions. "You're safe here with me. I won't let anything happen to you." I held her trembling form tightly, as if I could shield her from the pain that threatened to swallow her whole. With each shuddering breath she took, I felt the weight of her despair on my chest, and it tore at me, leaving jagged wounds in its wake.
"Shh, love," I whispered, pressing gentle kisses to her temple, her cheek, anywhere I could reach as I tried to absorb some of her anguish. "Just breathe."
Slowly, her sobs began to quiet, her body growing limp in my arms as exhaustion overtook her. The room, once filled with chaos and confusion, was now heavy with a suffocating silence. The gaping chasm between us yawned wide, threatening to swallow us whole, even as we clung to one another like lifelines. Finally, Erica lifted her head, her green eyes swollen and red-rimmed. The sight of her, so broken and defeated, tore at my heart, stoking the embers of rage deep within me. How I longed to destroy whatever had brought her to this state, to rip apart the very fabric of our reality if it would bring her peace.
"Talk to me," I pleaded, my voice barely above a whisper. "Tell me what's going on inside that beautiful head of yours. Erica, what the hell happened here?" My own emotions began to mirror hers as her agitation grew. She shook her head and tried to pull herself off of my lap, but I growled low in my chest, holding her tighter.
"Please, Liam," she whispered, her voice wavering with emotion. I couldn't stand the thought of her pulling away from me, but for her sake, I let her go.
She stood up and began pacing back and forth across the room, her every movement tense and agitated. I watched her, my heart aching, as I too rose from the floor, towering over her like a dark guardian. Every nerve in my body was on edge, desperate to understand and protect her from whatever had caused her such pain.
"Erica, please," I begged, the desperation in my voice catching even me off guard. "Tell me what Becca said."
She stopped her pacing and looked at me, a tidal wave of emotions swirling behind those vivid green eyes. With a deep, shaky breath, she finally spoke.
"Becca told me that the reason I can't shift is because...because my mum and some other witches cast a spell to bind my witch powers." She looked away, unable to meet my gaze. "That's why my wolf and witch have been trapped in a cage all this time. It was my own mother who did this to me." My heart clenched painfully in my chest as I tried to process her words. I shook my head, anger slowly building within me.
"If it's a spell, then Becca can just remove it, right?" Erica shook her head, fresh tears welling up in her eyes.
"No, it requires the twelve witches who cast the spell, Liam. And there are only two alive, Charlene and Becca." The room seemed to close in around us, the weight of her revelation suffocating me. My thoughts raced, searching for a solution, any way to free Erica from this torturous prison. But with each passing second, the hopelessness of our situation grew more palpable, and I could feel my control slipping away.
"Then what was Becca talking about when she mentioned good news?" I asked, trying to grasp onto any shred of hope that might be left for us.
"Becca said there's a second way to break the spell, but it requires me to accept my hybrid powers," Erica revealed, her eyes welling up with tears again. "I have to complete the mate bond." I nodded, feeling a brief flicker of hope.
"That's easy, we can complete the bond and..."
My words trailed off as the enormity of our situation dawned on me. We couldn't complete the bond unless we were in wolf form but Erica couldn't shift, and she wouldn't be able to shift until we created the bond. It was a vicious cycle, an infuriating paradox that seemed hell-bent on keeping us apart.
"Erica..." My voice broke, the weight of the revelation almost too much to bear. "How can we...?" The weight of the impossible situation settled on me like a crushing boulder. I clenched my fists, feeling the heat rise in my chest, anger boiling and bubbling beneath the surface. My heart raced as I tried to grasp onto any semblance of hope, but it felt like everything was against us. No matter what we did, it seemed we were doomed.
"Damn it!" I roared, my wolf echoing the cry in my head, his fury resonating with mine. He had even more reason to be angry, with death looming over him in less than two months. I might just survive, though incomplete and probably driven mad by the loss, but he would be gone for good. My rage surged, a tempestuous storm that demanded release. I grabbed a chair and hurled it against the wall, the satisfying crack of wood splitting barely registering in my ears. It wasn't enough; nothing would be enough until we found our way out of this nightmare.
I picked up the next nearest thing, a full length mirror and launched it across the room. The mirror slipped from my trembling grip, flying across the room and shattering into countless shards against the wall. A yelp pierced the tense atmosphere and I snapped my gaze towards the source of the sound.
"Erica!" I choked out, realising that the woman I loved stood before me with tears pooling in her vivid green eyes and a hand covering her quivering mouth. She stared at me in shock and fear, and I felt an icy lance of guilt pierce through my rage-fueled haze.
"Erica, I-" I began, taking a tentative step towards her. But as I did so, she flinched away, turning her back on me. The sight of her recoiling from me sent a cold dread seeping into my bones, smothering my anger.
"Erica, I'm not angry at you," I murmured, my voice thick with regret. "I swear to you, this isn't your fault." She didn't respond, just sank down onto the edge of the bed, burying her face in her hands. I could hear her stifled sobs, and they cut through me like a knife. I wanted nothing more than to close the distance between us, to hold her close and wipe away her fears. Yet, I couldn't bring myself to move, paralyzed by the knowledge that my fury had frightened her. Taking a deep breath, I tried to collect myself. My fists clenched at my sides, the anger still simmering beneath the surface, but I needed to be there for Erica. She was hurting, and I couldn't bear the thought that I had only made things worse.
"Erica," I whispered, taking a tentative step towards her. The floorboards creaked underfoot, their protesting groans echoing the turmoil that twisted within me. "Please talk to me."
Her shoulders tensed, and then she turned to face me. Her vivid green eyes bored into mine, but they were different now, too calm, almost cold. It was as if a wall had been erected around her heart, leaving her completely closed off from me.
"Liam," she said, her voice steady, yet laced with an icy determination that sent shivers down my spine. "You need to complete the mate bond with someone else."
Chapter 38
Liam
Iblinked,feelingasthough I'd been slapped across the face. Anguish and disbelief roiled in my gut, churning like stormy seas.
"What are you talking about?" I choked out, my voice barely more than a whisper. "I don't want anyone else, Erica. I want you, and only you."
"Listen to me," she insisted, her gaze unwavering. "We're trapped in a vicious cycle, and it's tearing us apart. The curse won't allow us to complete the bond, and the spell keeps me from shifting. If we don't find a way to break free, we'll both suffer."
"Breaking free doesn't mean breaking us!" I argued, my voice growing louder, more desperate. "There has to be another way, Erica. We can't just give up on each other."
