Page 22 of The Powerless Witch
“I’m grateful to the sisters and I love this place, but this is a haven for me, Isaac, not a home,” she said, her voice trembling with barely contained excitement. “For the longest time, I thought you were dead, that I was alone, with nowhere to go. That’s why I have been staying here. It was safe, and it was easy. But now…” Her smile grew, and she squeezed my shoulder harder. “I would love to be part of your pack, brother. A lone wolf is worse than one in a cage. I wish to be free.”
I nodded, fighting the urge to scream with joy, but the longer I stared into her eyes, the harder it became. I threw my arms around her, squeezing her tightly against my chest until she grumbled—just like she used to do when we were children and I tried to hug her.
“Let’s go back,” she murmured as she poked my arm. “So Celeste, huh? I can’t believe you’re still alive after marking her without her permission! She must really love you, because, brother, if anyone marked me without permission, I wouldmurderthem, fated mate or not.”
“And we are not fated mates…I think,” I muttered to myself, forgetting for a moment that she was a werewolf like me, and her hearing was impeccable. Alice said nothing, but I could feel the weight of her gaze on my face. When I finally looked at her, she was staring with her eyebrow raised, impatiently waiting for me to continue. “What?”
“What do you mean what?” she scoffed, pushing her hair out of her face. “You don’tthinkyou are fated mates? I thought you claimed her to save her life? What you’re saying suggests you have considered the possibility of her being your fated mate! You can’t just drop that bomb and say nothing else!”
I winced, scratching the back of my head. I shouldn’t have said anything. Ever since I could remember, the only person who couldforceme to talk about my feelings and problems was Allison. After the massacre of my pack, it just felt easier to keep everything in. People already whispered about me and made up stories, so sharing had become difficult. And even though Alice was my sister…I hadn’t seen her in eighty years. I didn’t know the person staring at me. Not really.
“Hey.” Alice stopped, tugging my hand so I could face her. “You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to. I know I’m a stranger to you now, and this is a private matter. I…I understand. I just… I already missed so much! I know it will take time for us to get used to this, but I want to know you, Isaac. I want to know the man you’ve become. And I want us to be family again.”
She turned away, but I didn’t miss the look of hurt and disappointment on her face. I cursed myself for handling this so poorly, for making her feel unwanted, not even a day after I got her back, but before I could say anything, she was speaking again.
“I have been around people with trauma, Isaac, both physical and mental, and believe me when I tell you that if you ever want to heal, you can’t keep it all in. Marking the witch you thought destroyed your family and your life? I can’t imagine what that must feel like. You must be so conflicted inside and I’m sure the mate bond is making it even harder to think straight. So what I’m saying is…I’m here if you ever want to talk. Not because I’m your sister, but because I care for you. And for Celeste. I want you both to be happy.” She flashed me a hesitant smile, then hurried forward as if she wanted to run away from me. Gritting my teeth, I jogged after her, sliding in her way and forcing her to stop.
“I’m sorry,” I blurted, and she shook her head, but I grabbed her shoulders and leaned closer. “Iamsorry. Really. I know you are just trying to help and I…” I struggled with the words, especially under the gentle, soothing look in her eyes, so I turned my back on her and took a calming breath. It was just words, and this was Alice. If opening up about this meant having her back in my life, so be it. “I didn’t realize it until recently, but I think there was something wrong with me long before I marked her.” I strode to the nearest bench and sat, rubbing my face with my icy hands. “The first time I saw her, I was there to kill her. I made a vow to avenge our pack, and killing her with my own hands was what I said I would do. She got the better of me and…long story short, even with me hating her and wanting to end her life, I couldn’t help butbe…drawn to her. I kept having dreams about her, imagining her in my arms, thinking about her—and not in the context of killing. And then the urge to protect her came. The night when we attacked the Order’s headquarters to free our people, I made some questionable decisions to keep her safe. I lost sight of my pack while looking out for her. Some of them might have even been hurt because my first instinct was to shield her. But…”
I licked my lips, eyes darting up to the tower, to the window, which opened to our room. I could feel her even now, calm and asleep in the bed we shared.
“But I didn’t feel the bond before I claimed her.” Alice slid beside me, giving me a warm smile when I finally forced myself to look at her. “I hated her, Alice, really hated her. I think part of me still does just because I don’t know how to stop. But I also…” I snarled, running a hand over my face again. “I don’t know anymore.”
Alice nodded thoughtfully, studying my face for a long minute.
“Isaac, she doesn’t have a soul,” she finally said. I gave her an irritated look.
“That doesn’t mean she can’t love. She is soul-bonded to a vampire, for Goddess’ sake!” I snarled, ignoring how her eyes widened in shock.
“She is…no, never mind that for now,” she murmured, leaning closer to catch my eye. “This is not what I meant. Your connection to your fated mate is formed between your soul and theirs. Twosoulsbound by fate. The mating bond is formed between your bodies. It’s a pretty common misunderstanding, but the sisters here had spent centuries researching the connection between souls and bodies. Without her soul, she can’t form such a connection, even if you are her fated mate. Maybe that’s what you were feeling.”
I stared blankly at her, dumbfounded. She was right. Fated mates were recognized by their souls. Celeste didn’t have one. But if she did, could it be that…
“Anyway, those are just my thoughts.” Alice shrugged, patting my shoulder. “Maybe you two weren’t fated mates at all and you were just confused. She is a beautiful woman, and that alone is enough for most men to fall for her charms. Either way, you have the bond now, so even if your fated mate is still out there, you’ll never know.”
I nodded, rubbing my eyes tiredly. I heard her get up and waited for her to urge me to follow so I could muster the strength to do it.
“I’m in no position to tell you how to feel about your mate, especially in these circumstances, but I want you to consider this.” She turned to face me, cupping mycheeks and leaning closer. “The brother I lost had the biggest heart I’ve ever known. He loved everyone and wanted to help everyone. He was ready to turn himself into a fool just to make others smile. I still see him in you, Isaac, despite the hardships that weighed you down. Butshenever had that, not for a long, long time. She is used to being alone, to being hated, hunted, and hurt. It’s no surprise she decided to keep everyone at arm’s length. But you have the chance to change that, because like it or not, the mate bond will make you close. And who knows, you might be surprised by the person buried beneath centuries of loneliness and violence.” Her smile widened, and she patted my cheek before stepping back. “So dig deep and don’t stop until you reach her. It won’t be easy, but nothing worth having is. And I think Celeste might surprise you.”
Chapter 10
Celeste
“Get up!” I said, throwing the pillow on top of Isaac’s head. He grunted as it hit his face, pushing it aside before turning to the other side. I hadn’t noticed it before, but he had a tattoo on his right shoulder that looked like a claw with a drop of blood falling from the tip. I stared at it while I stood with my hands on my hips, snarling in frustration.
I had planned to use him last night. I already knew the mate bond couldn’t be broken unless one of us died, so tying him closer was in my best interest. He was strong, and he had an entire pack that would protect me as his mate. Having Roman had been enough until now, but I had gained some new, powerful enemies and I wasn’t willing to sacrifice Roman for my safety. Isaac was…replaceable. Or so I thought when I made a move on him.
Things hadn’t gone the way I had expected, especially not when the bond fully snapped into place like a chain around my heart. Previously, it was like a voice whispering in my ear, a phantom touch, a feeling I couldn’t explain. Now it felt like he and I were breathing the same rhythm, thinking on the same brainwave. It took serious effort to keep my mind separated from his and I could feel him prodding a few times, as if he was hoping to peek at what was going on inside my head.
And the sex…oh, Goddess. He wasn’t as skillful as Roman, but the connection between us took everything to the next level. It was like while he ravaged my body, he did the same to my mind. By the time we collapsed in bed, I couldn’t remember where he ended and I began.
I didn’t need that complication, and I definitely didn’t want to talk about it. But it was already past noon, and I wanted to leave.
Circling the bed, I yanked his pillow.
“Get your ass up or I’m leaving without—” I snapped, raising the pillow above my head, ready to smack it in his serene face. His hand shot out before I could swing, grabbing my thigh and yanking me toward him. I yelped as I lost my balance, trying to catch myself on the headboard, but my fingers only grazed the wood while he threw me on the bed, straddling my waist and pinning my arms down.
“I’d really appreciate it if you weren’t so loud early in the morning,” he grumbled, blinking the sleep from his eyes. “Especially when you are the reason we stayed up late.”