Still His 64_Shattered Bonds: A Second Chance Mate

Chapter 64

 Knock Knock…

 A sharp knock sliced through the silence.

 The door creaked open before either of us could respond, and in walked Beta Alfonso–his sharp eyes narrowing the moment he stepped into the room.

 He paused, his gaze locking onto us. His brows furrowed, thick and dark above his tense face, the kind of expression he wore when something wasn’t

 right

 I was still trembling slightly in Francesco’s armis, nestled on the floor beside the open book that had just nearly swallowed me into a world of magk and memory, Francesco was kneeling beside me, protective and unyielding, one arm braced behind my back while the other pressed over my hand like an anchor.

 Neither of us moved when Alfonso walked in. 

 “What happened?” Alfonso’s voice cracked through the air, sharp and edged with panic. He crossed the room in a few fast strides, eyes scanning for danger. “Is there another threat? Did she use magic again?”

 The moment he asked, Francesco’s jaw tightened, a flicker of something stormy darkening his face.

 Gently, he scooped me into his arms with practiced case and carried me toward the couch as though i weighed nothing at all. I didn’t resist. My limbs felt weak, my mind still half–trapped between this world and the echoes of Anastasia’s memory.

 Heid me carefully on the cushions before settling beside me. One of his hands never left inine.

 “You knew?” Francesco asked, his voice quiet, but heavy it wasn’t truly a question–more like an usation.

 Alfonso stopped just in front of us, breathing hard. Then he let out a dramatic sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

 “I was there,” he muttered. “When she nearly copsed just to make sure she got the potion for you, Alpha. Of course I knew.”

 He looked at us both, a glint of betrayal Eashing in his eyes.

 ng his arms with the ir of someone truly wounded.

 “The way you two keep trying to hide things from me is, honestly, heartbreaking,” he said, crossing “After everything I’ve done, after everything I know….you’re still keeping secrets?”

 I let out a quietugh despite myself

 This is rich seeing Beta Alfonso act like an offended older sibling was strangelyforting. The weight in my chest lightened.

 Francesco sighed, ncing away. His thumb ran slowly over my knuckles.

 “We just wanted to be sure,” he murmured. “We didn’t want to say anything until we understood what we were dealing with.”

 “Magic isn’t something people can easily ept,” I added, my voice still hoarse from the effects of the spell and the memory. “Even I’m not sure what it

 all means yet.”

 Alfonso rolled his eyes with the ir of a drama king “That’s exactly what Audrey told me.”

 Francesco and blinked in unison.

 “Audrey knew too?” we asked.

 Alfonso turned to me, exasperated “Luna, you’ve forgotten, it was us who helped you arrange everything for the potion. Do you think books float

 themselves into locked rooms?”

 I blinked.

 He was right, I forgot about that. Then let out another nervous chuckle. “Right. I may have… blocked out a few details in the chaos”

 “You think?” he deadpanned, but his tone had softened. He rubbed a hand down his face, muttering something about how he deserved better french

 Then his gaze shifted, drawn toward the corner of the room. Toward the old cab I’d unlocked just days ago the one that held Anastasia’s ancient journals, spellbooks, and the remnants of her quiet, dangerous power.

 He walked toward it slowly.

 So that’s what you two have been doing,” he muttered. His hand hovered over the top of one of the books as though afraid it might burn him.

 Francesco watched him with calm intensity. “We recovered them from the old estate and hidden ces. Eine has been studying them, tranting the enchantments.”

 “She’s better at it than anyone else would be,” I heard Francesco add under his breath.

 Alfonso nced over his shoulder. “And what happened tonight? What’d she find that left her shaking like that?”

 My throat tightened.

 Damn, he knew!

 I sat up a little straighter, brushing my hair away from my damp forehead, I still felt the phantom touch of Anastasia’s fingers on my face, the weight of her regret hanging heavy in my chest.

 “A memory” I whispered. “One she hid inside the book. It pulled me into her past. I saw….everything”

 Alfonso book a step closer. “What did you see?”

 I looked to Francesco for support

 He nodded once, silently telling me it was okay to say it aloud.

 “She wasn’t Francesco’s true mate,” I said. “She used a spell. A strong one. To make him believe they were fated. She cast it on him to survive. To gain

 protection.”

 ed at ma

 Alfonso stared at me, stunned.

 “She cast a mate bond?” he asked, voice low,

 Inodded slowly. “It was never real. But to him, it felt real. <ol><li>l. She said the magic worked too well. That it made him love her. And it broke her.” </li></ol>

 The silence in the room was deafening. Francesco said nothing, his face unreadable, but his hand never left mine.

 “She left that memory for you?” Alfonso asked after a long pause

 “She wanted me to understand,” I said. “That magicke this alwayses with a cost. That I shouldn’t use it unless I’m ready to pay that pr

 Alfonso paced slowly in front of us, then stopped and looked down at the book lying open on the floor. The ancient ink still glowed faintly

 “We should burn them all,” he said.

 Francesco raised a brow. “And lose every warging she left? Every answer?”

 Alfonso clenched his jaw. “This is dangerous, What if someone else gets their hands on them? What if someone stronger than her finds a way to twist the magic even further 7”

 I sat forward, my

 He studied me for a long moment

 (we need to leam, |

 Understand

 we can control it not be controlled by it.”

 Then, finally, he nodded. “Then I’m staying I’m helping I don’t care what Audrey says, I’m not letting you two stumble through this alone

 I smiled, a small breath of relief loosening my chest

 “Thank you, Alfonso.”

 He waved a hand like it was nothing. “Someone has to be the responsible adult in this pack. May as well be me.”

 Then his eyes slid toward Francesco

 “Still, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me. After all these years, you, Alpha of secrets, hiding something like this?”

 Francesco’s lips twitched upward in a rame, sheepish smile. “I wasn’t sure what to believe. I needed time.”

 Alfonso huffed. “You need a lesson in trust. And possibly friendship”

 Francesco’s smile grew, and suddenly, the heavy air felt lighter,

 As the fire crackled softly in the background, I looked toward the cab, knowing the road ahead wouldn’t be easy

 ?

 AD 

 Comment

17kNovel

Still His 64