<b>Chapter </b><b>62 </b>
The next morning sun spilled through the tall windows of the Alpha’s manor, golden rays warming the polished floors and gleaming softly against the <b>dark </b>wood of Francesco’s office
I stepped inside, trailing just behind him. Something about this room–his sanctuary always felt more solemn than the rest of the man. Maybe it was the scent of old paper, the <b>heavy </b>silence between the walls, or maybe… it was the weight of what we were <b>about </b>to do.
Francesco closed the door behind us. His eyes, intense yet thoughtful, met mine for a moment before he gestured toward the desk. “Let’s sit,” he said
gently.
He wanted to know more <b>about </b>her.
About Anastasia
About the power she once held, and the legacy she never <b>dared </b>to reveal.
I reached into the small satchel I carried and pulled out the thick leather–bound book–the one that had nearly burned in my hands the first time touched it, the one that helped me save his life not long ago. The cover was worn, the edges frayed with age, but the <b>aura </b>around it was unmistakable. magic, old and patient.
I handed it to him.
He took it carefully, as if afraid to damage something sacred, and ced it on his desk. Slowly, he opened it, the pages whispering against each other. His brows furrowed as he read the inked markings, a mixture of Latin, symbols, and old dialects I hadn’t yet deciphered. “It’s been more than a century since Theard about witches,” he murmured. “And even then, it was always in whispers. Superstition. Caution. Never, this.”
His voice was low, almost pained. “Never thought Anastasia was hiding something like this.”
Inodded softly I understood, How could I not<b>? </b>The woman he once loved, his fated mate, had kept something so monumental from him. A whole world she belonged to…one he never know.
“<b>She </b>didn’t know how,” I whispered, sitting beside him. “That’s why she had <b>such </b>a difficult time telling you. It wasn’t just about hiding. She was…
afraid.”
Francesco’s lips curved into a sad smile. “I understand her now he said after a pause.“I didn’t before. But I do now… because I have you.”
The warmth in his voice made my heart ache. Treached across the table and ced my hand gently over his. “This power…it’s part of me now. I don’t know why, or how, <b>but </b>I need to learn it. To understand it. Maybe event… finish what she couldn’t.”
He <b>stared </b>at me, something unreadable in his expression. Then he nodded<b>, </b>a quiet agreement between us. Not as Alpha and subject. Not even as mates. But as two people bound by fate and grief, and now, by hope.
“Never thought your path would intersect with hers,” he said, almost to himself.
I stood and walked around the desk, reaching for him. “Maybe that’s why I’m here,” I said sohly. “Maybe that’s why we <b>found </b>each other.”
He wrapped his arms around me<b>, </b>holding me close. And I held him back–not just to reassure him, but to remind myself that no matter how heav new path was, I didn’t walk it alone.
When he cupped my face and told me <b>he </b>was okay, I could see in his eyes that he meant it. That even if there was still pain in his heart, even if he <b>still </b>mourned the life he once imagined with Anastasia<b>, </b>he had made peace with it. Because now, there was us
And so, for the next two days, we worked together in quiet determination. From morning until evening, webed through every corner of the hidden garden room–Anastasia’s sanctuary–collecting every book, scroll, note, and enchanted relic she had left behind. There were more than we expected. Books that hovered an inch above the ground, tomes bound in wines that only responded to my touch, and pages that whispered truths under candlelight
Francesco had a cab built inside his office just for them. It was Beta Alfonso who brought it in, grumbling at the strange request <b>but </b>too loyal to ask
questions, I caught his suspicious nce more than once, but he said nothing
We kept it betweenus For now.
Even Audrey and Monica began to grow curious. They teased me gently, asking if i was “hogging the Alpha” and leaving Beta Alfonso drowning in paperwork. Iughed it off, telling them had university assignments that Francesco wat helping me with I saw the doubt in their eyes, but they didn press further. Maybe they sensed this wasn’t something they should push
Still, I knew they were watching
By the third day, I finally ced thest book into the polisher
polished oak cab Francesco had cleared for me.
I wiped my forehead with the back of my hand and exhaled. “Is that ar
Francesco, who had just finished arranging thest set of journals in the bottom row, turned to me. “That’s all of them?”
Inodded and handed him a ss of water I had prepared earlier. “Yes. That’s thest one.”
He took it, his hand <b>brushing </b>mine, and gave me a tired but genuine smile. “Thank you<b>.</b><b>” </b>
I turned toward the cab and let my gaze sweep across the collection. “She hid all of this,” I whispered, more to myself than him. “Not just the books- but herself. Hertruth. Her power.”
Francesco came to stand behind me. His hand gently pressed against my back, grounding me. “She hid it with magic,” he said quietly. “And you’re the only one who could retrieve them. Without you… they would have stayed lost forever.”
<b>I </b>leaned against his chest, letting his arms wrap around me as we both <b>stared </b>at the cab. The weight of it all settled <b>over </b>me then–not just Anastasia’s secrets, but the responsibility that now belonged to me. The echoes of a woman I never knew, who left behind a legacy of power and pain, and somehow<b>… </b>chose me to carry it forward,
“I should read them all, I muttered. “<b>God</b><b>, </b>how many <bnguages </b>is that<b>?</b>”
Francesco chuckled, amused by my groan. “You’re stronger than you think,” he said with a kiss against my temple. “I know you can do it.
I turned my face toward him, halfughing, <b>half </b>crying “God, help me
“I already did,” he murmured. “He gave you to me.”
Those words settled deep in my chest, <b>a </b>warmth blooming beneath my ribs.
This was just the beginning. There would be fear. There would be questions. There would be danger–especially if Luca ever discovered the truth of what I was now capable of
But in this moment, I was <b>safe</b>. I was loved. And I was ready.
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