Alpha Talia's POV

Hugo let out a brief gasp while clinging to his ribs as I teleported us back inside the room. Even though I had intended to let him escape, I have to confess that seeing him on my bed made me feel elated and almost giddy inside. Instead of writhing in anguish as his bleeding hands marred the white covers, he refused to take his eyes off of me.

"Show me" I queried him sternly, unwilling to meet his eyes.

"It's not that bad, I'll heal in a few days" He responded while examining the claw traces on his arms. He was bound to be in tremendous agony, but he remained disguising it somehow. I got the impression that he wasn't at ease displaying his vulnerabilities in front of me.

Does he still fear me?

The thought persisted in my head. Nonetheless, I prioritized tending to his wounds.

"Few days?" I chuckled, raising my hand after assessing the severity of his injuries and immediately mending him using my magical healing powers. Both the bruises on his ribs and the claw markings on his arms vanished. He initially stared at his body in confusion before settling back on the pillow and nearly rolling his eyes.

"Oh.. right. You're not just a werewolf. That's new information that I'm still processing. I .. have a billion questions" he remarked. I could tell he wasn't a fan of dishonesty but in my defence, I've never had the opportunity to tell him what I truly was. I'd just assumed he would have known by now. But deep down, I wondered whether using my abilities to obfuscate his memories had a role in my decision to withhold some of the truth.

"Are you feeling okay?" I asked him knowing that my powers only healed him externally. When the mansion was teleported, Frieda had the support of her coven. However, during the Shadow Pack invasion, I did end up using a lot of my powers holding the barrier up. But even in the safety of another city, I felt irritated that I couldn't summon enough healing power to completely heal him.

"Given everything, yeah. I've been worse" he chuckled. He kept gazing into me, stunned or in awe or in fear. This time I met his gaze, hoping he could see me as less of a threat.

"Define worse" I mumbled, intrigued to know what troubled him before, eager to get rid of anything that even slightly upset him.

"Let's see, there was this beast who took me hostage a while back.." He responded with a huge grin on his face. His eyes sparkled, briefly causing my heart to flutter.

"Are you trying to be funny with me, little claws?" I frowned.

"Maybe. Yes" He smirked. I stared at him in confusion. Maybe I had interpreted things wrong in my mind. Maybe he wasn't afraid of me. Because if expressions could talk, it'd be nothing short of crave and desire. He continued to gaze at me as his smile slowly faded from his face.

"Stop looking at me like that" I stated given him a small glare. Maybe he hadn't been injured in the first place, I would have done something about that stare. A punishment was what he was asking for, so a punishment is what he'd get. But right now, I needed him to rest and recover.

"Like what?" He asked innocently. Fuck, why does he need to have those puppy brown eyes?

"Like you've never seen me before" I replied, gently cleaning the dried blood off of his arms with a damp cloth.

"I can't help it. You.. smell nice" He murmured. Lust glistened in his eyes. I glanced at the pitched tent under the blanket for a split second. His cock was throbbing and I bet if I really listened, I could hear it pumping blood through its veins. I felt hot and it was taking everything in me not to jump his bones. He inhaled deeply as if he was intoxicated. I knew I had wiped that memory, so it would be as if he was getting acclimated to my scent for the first time. The last time, he deduced himself as my mate from my scent, so I could only presume he was coming to that realization now.

"So, Izzy's not your mate?" I asked, pressing the towel against his skin more firmly in an effort to divert the conversation. The whole thought of him and her made my blood boil. And the fact that he was actually planning to carry out the mating ceremony, "pffft," made me furious. I knew I shouldn't have left him unmonitored.

"I guess not" His face suddenly took on a mixture of rage and melancholy. If it weren't for his pleas, I knew I would have killed her. I wanted to kill her. I regret not killing her.

"So the mating ceremony. . " I continued, but he cut me off.

"Was never going to happen. I just needed to buy time to escape" He replied.

He looked away from me. I stared at him wondering what was going through that little mind of his. If only I grew up surrounded by a healthy pack, maybe I would have been able to differentiate emotions and decipher them. What do you want, little claws? Name anything. I would give it. I wish I was able to say these words but I held back.

The handcuffs that were still fastened to the bed post caught his attention as he glanced around the room. He fiddled with it briefly with one hand. I laughed as I noticed how eagerly he grasped the handcuffs with his hands. "You're funny, little claws. You managed to escape the mansion and yet here you are, back like you've never left" I chuckled.

"Well, I thought I'd find another beta handcuffed in your room" I could almost sense a hint of jealousy in his tone.

"There's only one beta here and that's you" I replied. "And if you really want me to cuff you, I will gladly do so" I intimidated him.

"What makes you think I don't like being cuffed?" He said in an instant.

"You seem pretty eager to be my hostage again" I smirked.

"I will not confirm nor deny." He replied.

I felt my pussy get wet by his words. He quickly turned to face me, as if he could sense my mood. His gaze swept down between my legs. Oh how badly, I wanted to sit on his face and let him work that magic tongue on me. I was getting so aroused at the mere thought of him touching me, licking me, fucking me . . .

But my rational mind forbade me from acting on such notions. Just a few days remained until the full moon, and I needed to gather my strength for the ritual. A ritual I was planning to do alone. But now that he was here, I couldn't help but feel conflicted about it.

"I have to go and check on Frieda. She used a lot of her power to teleport us. You should get some rest" I stood up from my seat, ignoring his lust filled eyes.

"Wait" His hand held mine just as I was about to leave. "Will you come back?"

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"I mean, I'd prefer if you slept here." His eyes pleaded as if he was making a huge request.

"Sure" I replied

"Sure? That was easy. I was going to handcuff you if you had said no" He chuckled as he raised the handcuffs.

"And you would have been punished for it" I said in an attempt to patronize him, while raising an eyebrow. But his response nullified all my efforts.

"Exactly" He smirked.

I tried to maintain my composure and bit my lip to keep from laughing aloud. I turned around as I approached the door.

"Sleep well, little claws"

I proceeded to the mansion's entrance and went outside after making sure Frieda was getting some rest. Within the garden's boundaries, I could no longer detect Falcon Valley's oaky scent.

Yes, we were in a different city, safe for the time being.

The wind blew directly in my face while a faint murmur persisted in the air, "Everyone you'll ever love, will ultimately die . ."

I wanted to light the rose bush on fire as I cast a gaze at it. Under the rose bush in the garden, I buried mother and father. Mother's spirit still roamed free within the mansion. She made herself acquire the privilege to watch how the curse would ultimately end me. She took pleasure in watching me suffer even in the afterlife. But I no longer wished to be influenced by her remarks. However, knowing that her presence was intended to last until the curse was lifted delighted me.

If I die during the ritual, I'll die knowing that her wicked soul has vanished from the earth for good.

The witch powers that coursed through my body had reached an all-time low. I felt weak, but I didn't want it to hinder from the fact that I had little claws back. For some reason, knowing he was within my reach made me feel warm and secure. Returning to the room, I halted at the door to see whether he was awake. However, his calm heartbeat suggested he was sound asleep.

I enter the room to see him lying on the bed sleeping. I crawled into the bed next to him while savouring a feeling I had not experienced in a long time.

Happy.

Maybe it was okay embrace it while I had it. Even if it's just for a few weeks. My eyes traveled down to his torso and fixated on the semi bulge. Remembering Frieda's words about the kind of love Hugo deserved, I decided not to indulge myself, just yet. I spooned him while he slept off what I could only call a rough day.

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to relax while inhaling in his scent, which was mild to me due to the curse. But I was awoken by Wolfie's voice trying to connect with me. I spent the next hour listening to what he had to say. Although it helped me understand Wolfie better, it hurt my heart to know what had caused Hugo to become so reserved and helpless.

Hearing the truth made me realize what I needed to do next. It was something Wolfie was afraid of as he confided in me and thought it best be revealed to Hugo from me rather than him. I spent the rest of the night, cuddling Hugo and holding him tight.

Because god knows, he'd need plenty of it for what's to come.