7

Elena’s POV

I sank onto the bed, my heart pounding like it wanted to rip out of my chest.

I needed to leave this place to see my babies- My triplets, they must be so worried by now. Gods, I missed them so much it physically hurt.

And Adrian… he must be losing his mind right now, searching for me everywhere. The thought of him pacing the house, wondering if I was dead or alive broke me.

I ran my hands through my hair, trying to think. I had never encountered a werewolf curse before, but I knew a little. From my knowledge, the mate bond could heal any sickness, lift curses, calm chaos but it required attention and care from their mate, tending to them. Being their anchor. Being tied to Dominic like some leash.

No. That was never going to happen. I needed another way- a fast way. A way to fix this without letting him drag me back into that suffocating vortex. I pushed myself off the bed, my fingers curled into fists. I had to act fast.

I headed to the library. The halls were quiet and the library’s heavy doors groaned as I pushed them open, I was hit by the scent of old parchment and dust but I didn't mind.

I needed to search for another remedy, another option that could cure Dominic rather than nursing him.

I started searching through the old dusty shelves. Every book I pulled told me the same thing: the only cure for a curse tied to a mate was for the mate to Be together.

I slammed the books shut. Not an option. I wouldn’t spend my life being his nursemaid, his savior, his caretaker. I had my own life. My own children, and my fiance.

I kept pacing between the shelves, my eyes scanned every title and books. There had to be another way. There had to be something, anything that didn’t involve… him.

And then, tucked away in a dark corner behind a pile of tattered scrolls, I found it. A small, black leather-bound book with crimson stitching, worn with age. “The Lost Remedies of Asterfell.” My pulse jumped. This was different.

I opened it carefully, the pages brittle beneath my fingers. Dust filled the air, making me cough, but I barely noticed. My eyes darted over the faded, nearly illegible ink until I found a heading that made my heart skip:

“Severing Cursed Bonds Without the Mate: A Rare Tonic.”

I froze. Could it be? A way to break the curse without tethering myself to Dominic? My fingers shook as I read further. The recipe was complex, almost impossible: Bloodmoon petals, Silver tears, essence of Shadowfern, and water from a moonlit spring. I had never even heard of some of these ingredients. But it didn’t matter. I had to try.

I clutched the book to my chest, whispering to myself, “I’ll get this done. I’ll fix him… and then I can go back to my babies.”

I quickly wrapped it up and prepared to go back to my room. It was getting late, and the faint chime of the dinner bell echoed through the halls.

I sighed, brushing the dust off my dress and clutching the little book tighter. The last thing I needed was Dominic or anyone seeing me with it for now.

I needed to be sure and experiment it as soon as possible, telling an Alpha a news you can't prove isn't advisable.

As I turned to leave, my foot caught on the edge of the carpet, making me to tumble forward and stagger “Oh, no....” I gasped.

Before I could hit the floor, a strong arm held me around my waist and pulled me closer to it or is it him? My body collided with something hard and warm like a chest.

For a moment, everything stopped. The sweet scent of pine and something sweet like honey filled my senses. My breath hitched as I realized how close we were. Then I froze completely. I looked up and saw who that was, it was Alpha Dominic.

One of his hands was on my waist and the other hand-oh Goddess was on my right breast. What the fuck!.

"Alpha Dominic?!" I uttered with my eyes wide opened in shock, was touching my breast?