Chapter Eight

He found himself a short distance from the Rainbow pack's compound and run at an impossible speed. 

As soon as he did, he mind linked with his grandfather.

"Divine? What is going on?" He asked.

'Please help me." He thought back.

He saw his grandfather, his beta and delta and a healer  by the entrance.

"My mate is in pain, I think she is in heat but I can't seem to help her much." He said almost breaking.

They were all stunned into silence. His grandfather recovered quickly and motioned them to the the upper room in his quarters.

He laid her on the bed there and two more healers walked in with some blankets, warm water and herbs. One of them was about to touch Aliyah when Divine growled.

"Don't touch my mate!" He almost screamed.

"Divine son, you have to let them help her." The Beta, who was also his uncle on his mother's side said.

Alpha Romulus looked at him with a pleading look and he nodded to the healers not letting go of her hands but stepping aside.

After touching here here and there and lighting some scented sticks, the healers looked at each other and then at Alpha Romulus who thought something.

"What can't be right?" Divine asked. "Sorry we are still connected so I kind of caught on."

"Can I talk to you aside?" Alpha Romulus asked him.

"I can't leave her alone Pop-pop." He said looking at her. She had stopped writhing for now but her body was still hot.

"I will not take long."

He nodded, place a chaste kiss on her forehead then followed his grandfather.

As soon as he walked into the long corridor he saw Orion,Mikhail and Giselle running towards him.

"Vines, what happened?" Orion asked.

"How is she now?" Mik asked at the same time.

"She is not hurting for now, come let's talk."  Romulus said leading them to a room on the west side of the wing.

They all sat down on the chairs and it was obvious Divine wanted to run back into the room where they had Aliyah.

"Divine, when did you find a mate?" He started.

"A few weeks ago. She was....not well."

"By any chance, was she bound?" 

"How....how do you know that?"

"One of the healers is a half witch too. Seems the mate bond is getting stronger between you two and her wolf is slowly trying to break free."

"What?... Really?" Divine asked in disbelief.

"Yes, her wolf needs to be unbound as soon as possible Divine, it's not good for her. She cannot handle it in human form." Alpha Romulus said.

"Let me understand this, why is it painful for her?"

"This is the first time she is experiencing this and also her bound wolf cannot help her ease the pain." Romulus said.

"What can I do?" Divine said.

"We have to unbind her wolf."

"How can we do that? Don't we need a very powerful witch for that?" Mik asked.

"We do but that will take days. We need another alternative." Beta Logan said stepping into the room. 

"Divine, I know you are not sure if you are really her mate but we cannot wait for the moon festival. There is another way." Romulus said slowly.

"Anything, I will do anything to be very sure." Divine said.

"Why is knowing important to you? Are you doubting your instincts?" Beta Logan asked.

Divine sighed,shoulders drooping. "Years ago, it  thought Mirabel was my mate. She was not. I know the way I felt then is not how I feel for Aliyah. I know she is my mate but there is a part of me that does have some doubts. I want to be the best mate for her if I am. I don't want to give her false hopes and then  let her go.I can't disappoint her.......I can't go through that pain...."

"It's okay brother. I understand you."

"What is it? I will do it."

"Her wolf is in limbo, lost in the spirit. You will have to find her."

 Divine looked at his grandfather with a questioning expression.

"How can he do that?" Mik asked.

"We will have to do some magic, a spell can be cast to take your soul there. She can only respond to you. But you will need an anchor for your return, the spirit world is a tricky place."

 Alpha Romulus said.

"Please explain some more, who will cast it?"

"Anna and her daughter Thalia." The Beta said.

"What will happen,really? Take me through it."

Alpha Romulus stayed silent for a few moments. He must have been mind linking with someone. This was proved right when one of the healers walked through the door and curtsied  before them.

"This is Anna, she will explain everything step by step."  Romulus said nodding to her.

For a little while, they all listened to the spell process,the dangers and benefits. 

Divine felt many things about that;fear,hope and anxiety were the most prominent. He would not pass this chance to silence his doubt about being Aliyah's mate. He had to save her,to stop the pain she was in. He was still confused about his feelings for her and hers too.  He was afraid though, he had kept his distance the past weeks to avoid getting his hopes up about a mate. What if she was really not his?  He could not be selfish now,he had to save her. 

"I will do it. I am ready." Divine said.

"I will anchor you." Mik said.

"Of course you will, he needs the two of you to be able to come back to us." The alpha said patting Mik on the back.

"That means Orion and Mik will anchor you. Please don't do anything apart from finding her,the spirit world is a nasty place." He said shuddering at the end.

"Have you been there before?" Divine asked Romulus in the mind link.

"Yes. More of that later." 

"Alright, let's go then. Anna,is Thalia ready?" Beta Logan asked.

"Yes she is." She said.

They exited the room into where  Aliyah lay. She was so still almost like she was dead. Divine panicked Tull he heard her heartbeat and saw the slow rise and fall of her chest.

She was flanked by a grey eyed,dark hair light skinned girl. She was maybe a three years younger than him. She was looking at them,with wide eyes,more specifically at Orion. He was stiff beside him. Divine did not know if he should cry or jump up with joy at this. He closed his eyes and focused on the  task at hand.

"Alpha Divine, I will need some drops of your blood to cast the spell." Anna said.

"Just Divine is fine." He said smiling at her and picking the needle to draw some blood.

"Thank you. Please enter the circle. All three of you." She said pointing to him, Mik and Orion.

They did as told and sat down in the circle which covered them and a bed aliyah laid on.

"Remember alpha, you have to draw her wolf near,she may not still be able to shift but at least her wolf will be near to help her get through this." Anna said.

Divine did not have the strength to remind her that he was not an alpha. He just needed to get Aliyah back safe.

'Trust yourself'. He heard a small soothing voice say in his mind. He looked up and saw Thalia who smiled a liitle.

He heard Anna mutter some words in a language that was oddly familiar. There was no time to waste as a strange wave of energy hit him in the chest knocking him out of breath. He felt himself hit the ground then kept falling. He closed his eyes praying to the moon goddess that this would work. He would bring Aliyah back safe,he really hoped so. Anna had specifically told him that if indeed he was Aliyah's mate, he would find her wolf. 

Divine was afraid, if he was not her mate then he has to let go of the feelings he had developed for her. It also meant she would die if they did not find another way to get her through the heat. She was in pain.

He felt himself hit something then opened his eyes.

The light illuminating the sky was indeed the moon only brighter than he had ever seen.

The field he was standing in had thick grass and surrounded by tall trees.There was a certain peace and tranquillity that kept him rooted. It made him want to stay there forever.

Something moved behind the big mahogany tree that made his hair stand on end.  Divine was a wolf, an alpha for that matter. He could do this.

He followed the movement and he saw a wolf jump out. He took a step back.

The wolf advanced and he took a good look at it. It had really white fur and really blue eyes. It went around him and sniffed him after a while it walked off then turned his head as if telling him to follow.

He got up and followed it.  It led him through a path in the deep forest.  There were butterflies and birds happily singing and flying around. It was serene, a place of rest indeed. They came to another clearing and the white wolf disappeared.

He saw random wolves running about ,they all looked happy. He soon saw a few wolves in a circle who had a mark he recognised. He stopped right before them and could not believe his eyes. He could recognise the dark brown furred wolf anywhere and the one beside him.

"Father?! He said and he was suddenly in his wolf form too.

" How are you son? You have grown so big." His father said nudging at his sides and then took off running.

They were all being playful. They ran up a hill and howled. It was a song to the moon goddess. By the end of it they were in human form. His father, his mother,uncles and a lot of other people. They all bowed to him as they left them alone.

"My sweet boy," his mother said pulling him in an embrace. "Life has been tough for you my boy." She said and hugging him then later joined by his father.

He never thought he could have this moment again. With the people who loved him the most. The people who gave him everything.

"I'm sorry for leaving my son. But my place is beside your father and I knew you were strong enough to become the great man you are. I'm sorry." His mother said.

"It's okay mother. I love you." He assure her.

"Alright son, I know you are not dead. Something is wrong. What is it?" His father said.

Divine sighed. "I think found  my mate." He said swallowing.

His parents smiled.

"What's wrong with that?" His father asked when he saw the sadness in his eyes.

"She can't shift because her wolf was bound. And I may not be her mate....."

"No Divine, don't doubt yourself. Is this about Mirabel?" His mother interjected.

"What if I'm not her mate. If I don't find a way she might die." He said sobbing. "I'm sorry I'm supposed to be strong but I can't take it."

"Shhh. Its alright love. We raised you to be true to yourself." His mother said.

"Son, it takes a strong man to face up with how he feels." His father told him.

They stayed like that for a while till he saw the white wolf again.

"I have missed you  so much but I have to go save her." He told them and they nodded as they let him go.

"This was wonderful,Divine." His mother hugged him.

"You are a great alpha son. You will find your way." His father told him. 

He bid them goodbye and ran off following the white wolf.

He followed it till it disappeared again. He felt his heart racing against his rib cage. He could hear  water running somewhere. Something pulled him to go left. There was some sort of energy pulling him there.

He felt a warm sensation in his chest he had not felt before. He walked slowly past the tall reeds and came to a lake. There was something  that gave him a burning energy he could not get enough of. It pulled him in and he could not contain what he was feeling.

His heart stopped.