All Chapters of The Alpha's Forgotten Mate: Chapter 71 - Chapter 78

Caelan's POV  The message came at dawn, delivered by one of the perimeter guards who'd intercepted a lone traveler approaching pack territory."Says his name is Dr. Theron Ashwood," the guard reported, standing at attention in my office. "Claims he's here at Jolene's request to consult on a matter of ancient magic. He's carrying documentation that corresponds with Jolene, and he knew the password she told me to expect."I exchanged glances with Jolene, who'd arrived minutes earlier looking both excited and nervous. "That was fast. You only contacted him two days ago.""Theron doesn't waste time when something interests him," Jolene said. "And I may have mentioned that this was a matter of life and death involving a potential Vessel."

Caelan's POV I exchanged glances with Jolene, weighing how much to reveal. But if Theron is going to help us, he needs the full picture."She's been having dreams...memories that aren't hers or the ones she might have forgotten; sometimes she sees herself as a child running in the woods. She has never talked about this, even before she was cursed. Now she hardly remembers memories before she was cursed, which we attributed to the curse, but she grew up an orphan, and now she easily remembers having parents, though the dream isn't clear. She knows things she's never learned and can understand languages she's never studied. Some nights ago, she floated off the bed while sleeping, surrounded by golden symbols, and something spoke through her. "I kept my voice steady despite the fear the memory evoked." Two days ago, she had a

Caelan's POVThe preparations for Aeliana's first training session with Theron were well underway. Jolene is gathering the supplies, the specific herbs, crystals, and other materials Theron had requested. David is clearing and securing one of the meditation rooms in the east wing. Theron himself is in the library, maybe reviewing texts and preparing his approach.Which left me in my office, trying to focus on the pack business and failing miserably.Every time I looked at the documents spread across my desk, all I could see was that list. Twenty-three names in our archives. Fifty total in recorded history, with only three survivors.Three out of fifty.The numbers haunted me. No matter how many times I tried to push them away

Aeliana's POVThe meditation area is smaller than I'd expected. Candles flickered at various points around the space, casting dancing shadows that made the symbols Theron had drawn on the floor seem to move."Sit in the center," Theron instructed, his voice taking on the authoritative tone of a teacher. "Cross your legs, put your hands on your knees, and keep the palms up. You need to be grounded and open."I did as he asked, settling into position. The floor was hard beneath me, but I forced myself to relax and breathe evenly despite the anxiety coiling in my stomach.Theron moved around the circle while lighting bundles of herbs that released sharp, pungent smoke. "This is sage and myrrh mixed with shadowroot. It helps thin the veil between conscious and unconscious, making it easier to reach the deep places where the entity resides.""Will it hurt?" I asked."The herbs? No. The process?" He paused. "Possibly. Mental expansion isn't comfortable. You're essentially forcing your consc