Alpha! We're under attack at the eastern border!

Sofia

“Daddy! Daddy! Look! What is that?”

“Sofia, get away from there!”

“But Daddy, it’s moving! Look!”

“Goddess, Sofia, I told you to stay away from it.” His voice changed the moment he looked again. “By the Goddess, it really is moving. Sofia, go and get your mother. Now!”

The memory comes back to me whenever I think about curses. I was too young to understand what I had seen that day, but my father had understood. I remember the fear in his face and the urgency in his voice. I remember being sent away while the adults dealt with something I was never allowed to know about.

Now, years later, I find myself standing in a room with three men while trying to explain something I never imagined I would have to say. “What I am about to tell you cannot leave this room.” I look at each of them before continuing. Even saying the words feels dangerous. “She isn't sick, and she hasn't been poisoned. Vera has been cursed.”

Silence follows. Dr. Owens looks stunned. Noah looks like he has just been struck by a revelation he cannot understand. Alex's reaction is different. There is something in his expression that I cannot quite read, but I know he has heard every word.

“I'm sorry, Alpha,” Dr. Owens says at last. “What exactly do you mean by cursed?”

I stare at him. “You're a well-read man, Doctor. I'm sure I don't need to explain what a curse is.”

He exhales and looks towards Vera's bed. “Alpha, there hasn't been a confirmed sighting of a witch in more than a hundred years. The possibility of one appearing now, then choosing Vera as a target, raises too many questions. Why her? And for what purpose?”

I wish I knew. More than anything, I wish I had an answer that would make sense of what is happening to my best friend.

Dr. Owens continues, clearly trying to reason through the situation. “Let's assume it really was a witch. Let's also assume she placed a curse on Vera. According to the old stories, witches seek out creatures whose power can increase their own. If those legends contain even a little truth, Vera wouldn't make sense as a target.”

“Eli said she collapsed without warning,” Noah says. His voice carries guilt. “They were talking. One moment she was fine, and the next she was on the floor.”

I have already heard what happened after that. Noah had nearly killed Eli because he believed Eli was responsible for Vera's condition. I reach over and place a hand on Noah's arm. “Eli is fine, Noah. You were protecting your mate.”

He looks down, but my reassurance does little to ease what he is feeling. “There is something else,” he says. “Vera doesn't even have her wolf.”

Dr. Owens looks at him.

“When we first touched, my lycan searched everywhere for her. He knew she was there. He could sense her, but he couldn't find her.”

I look at Noah with renewed interest. “Are you certain your lycan could sense her?”

“Yes.”

His answer comes without hesitation. That revelation is difficult for me to accept. For years, I have questioned whether Vera is actually a wolf at all. She smells like one, and she can mind link me, but she cannot communicate through the link with anyone else in the pack. I always assumed Allen's blood and power were responsible for that.

“I'm asking because this changes everything,” I tell him. “For a very long time, I've suspected that Vera may not actually be a wolf.”

Noah looks towards Vera. “I know what I felt.” He moves closer to the bed and gently places his hand against her forehead. “In fact, I can feel her more clearly now than I could before. She's there. I just can't see her wolf yet.”

No one speaks. The room seems to hold its breath while we process what Noah has said. A mate bond is unlike any ordinary connection. Nothing compares to it except the bond between a mother and her child. If Noah's lycan can truly sense Vera, then she must have a wolf.

But if that is true, why has she never shifted? Why has her wolf remained hidden for so long?

“Baby, we should go.”

Alex's voice draws my attention. “Vera is safe, and she's being looked after. I'm sure Noah won't leave her side until she wakes. You need to rest.”

I look at him. The concern in his eyes tells me he is right. I have been awake for far too long, and my body is already struggling under the strain of carrying my twins.

“Yes. You're right.” I manage a small smile.

Then I turn towards Dr. Owens. “Doctor, please keep me updated on everything. Noah, make yourself comfortable. I'll have another bed brought in for you. If you need anything at all, ask one of the nurses.”

“Thank you, Alpha.”

He gives me a tired smile. I recognise it because I know I must look much the same.

Alex takes my hand and leads me towards the door. Before leaving, I turn back. Vera lies beneath the sheets, looking peaceful despite everything that has happened. For a moment, it is difficult to believe she is trapped inside that sleep.

I offer a silent prayer.

Moon Mother, please bring my friend safely through this.

Then I leave the room.

*********

Two weeks have passed since Vera fell into that strange sleep. I have hardly managed to concentrate on my duties. Part of it is because I cannot stop worrying about her. The other reason is the two babies growing inside me. They could arrive at any time now, and Alex is becoming increasingly concerned.

I still haven't handed over my Alpha responsibilities to anyone. I know I should have done it already, but I am stubborn. That is hardly news to anyone who knows me.

I am about to contact my Beta, Thomas, when Violet reaches me first through the mind link.

Alpha! She's awake!

Everything inside me reacts. I can feel Vera. Not faintly. Not from a distance. I can feel her in a way I never have before.

Our connection has always existed. Even when we were children, there was something between us that I could never properly explain. Maybe our friendship created the connection. Maybe the connection was the reason our friendship became so strong. But now it feels different.

It is Vera. Yet something about her feels unfamiliar. My pulse races. Far too fast.

My hand moves instinctively to my swollen stomach. Could my babies be ready to come? The thought should fill me with excitement, but instead a terrible sense of dread grips me.

Sweat gathers along my skin. The room begins to spin. My breathing becomes shallow, and I grab the handle of my office door to keep myself upright.

Before I can recover, Thomas reaches me through the link. His words make my eyes close.

Alpha! The southern border has been breached! Our wolves have been attacked. We have casualties!

Please, not now. Another voice reaches me moments later.

Alpha! We're under attack at the eastern border!

One of my most trusted lieutenants. Then another message comes.

Alpha! You need to get somewhere safe! Whatever this is, it's heading directly towards the pack house!

The alarm suddenly begins to sound throughout the building. We are under attack.

My strength seems to drain away with every passing second. My eyelids feel heavy, yet I can sense everything through the pack bond. Fear. Panic. Desperation. Loss.

My wolves are fighting for their lives.

I force myself towards my office. There is something inside that may help us. Something I need to retrieve.

I take one step. Then another.

My foot lands in something cold. I look down. Water spreads across the floor beneath me.

For a second, I don't understand. Then realization strikes. My water has broken.