Lauren''s


    POV


    "Do you know what this is, Lauren?"


    My eyes remained on the vial. I am terrified to say what was on my mind. I feared that it might be true.


    L shook the tiny ss container. The liquid inside moved so slowly. It even glittered when the light reflected on the ss.


    Knowing that she sided with the dark witch, I knew that the vial contained a potion that may break me. I am not sure if I can survive it despite my ability to heal.


    "A single drop of this potion will sever the bond between you and Victor." My stepmother pronounced.


    Fear crept inside me when I heard that.


    What Victor and I have is too precious to be taken away. With him, I found happiness. And wanted to create a family with him. A family that I so wanted to have for so long.


    L must have seen the fear on my face that the side of her lips turned up. It was followed by her evilugh. It resonated on the small cottage.


    The woman indeed perfectly impersonates the evil stepmother from the children''s books.


    "The moment this potion entered your blood stream poor Victor will suffer an excruciating pain. He will experience the effect of being rejected." L exined. "His heart will constrict and he will have a hard time breathing. He will know that his mate rejected him." "No. That''s not true." I denied.


    The older woman snickered. Her left eyebrow raised as she looked at me in the eyes.


    She continued her tale as if I said nothing.


    "He will wonder why his so-called mate rejected him when he offered her marriage. He will second guess himself thinking that he is not enough. That despite everything you still chose to leave him. He will be at lost while his whole body is in pain as the mating bond between you slowly fades."


    "You''re lying. No potion can do that. A rejection can only be done when two mates rejected each other." I refuted. "In person."


    I have not heard of the rejection that L has reiterated. Although the effects that she told was true for rejected mates but no mating bond has been severed true potions.


    L shrugged. The smirk remained on her lips posing a challenge.


    "See it for yourself then. Let''s test your ability as a healer if your body can contain this powerful potion." She dered. "I heard that you have a powerful healing ability that you are able to heal Victor from the curse that the dark witch ced on his legs. But does your healing power extends to your own body?"


    I did not respond. It would be best that I will not give L the leverage of knowing the extent of my ability.


    Although I am almost immune to poisoning and drugging, I did not know if this particr potion will work on me. What if it does?


    My heart thumped louder at the uncertainty that has been clouding my mind. Although I have not heard of this potion, what if L is telling the truth.


    "Be careful, Lauren." Be reminded inside my head. "Let''s not give it to chances. I will not lose Kent."


    "I will not allow that." I responded to my wolf.


    I stepped back when I saw L make one step closer to me.


    I almost lose my bnce when I stepped back. I remembered that my feet were tied together. I was only able to kicked L minutes ago because I was on my ass. "Afraid now, dear?"


    I hopped when L made another step in my direction. Yet, I was too slow that the other woman was able to grab my hair.


    "Going somewhere, dear?" She whispered in my ear.


    The roots of my hair are starting to get painful as L pulled arge chunk of my hair harder. I will not be surprised if I saw bits and pieces of my dark mane on the floor. "Get away from me!" I yelled


    I elbowed my way out of her grasp but she appeared to be stronger than I thought. It made me wonder what else the dark witch has given to her aside from the vial in her possession.


    I started gagging when an arm surrounded my neck. I feared even more. Not only for my life but the possibility of L forcing the potion on my mouth. I did not want to think of the consequences if a single drop of it touched my mouth.


    "Are you not confident that your healing power can save you, Lauren?"


    "Get your hands off me, L!"


    I wiggled away from her despite how hard it might be with her arm on my neck.


    "You see, Lauren. When your father refused to find my daughter when she went missing, I knew that I lost an ally in him. Your sted father chose to be an alpha to save himself than be a father to my Janice! He cannot make me an official Luna and he cannot even name my daughter as his heir either! He is a useless man! I regret giving the best years of my life with him."


    "He gave you everything, L. My father chose you and Janice over her own child. What else do you want?!" I screamed in anger, too.


    Janice and this woman are too selfish!


    I cough out when I find it hard to breath with L''s hold on my neck tightened.


    "I want everything that you and your mother have. But your sted father refused to give it all away."


    "Because it was not his to give. The inheritance that you wanted for Janice is mine. nco Group is under my mother''s name. It would be mine to give. Not his!''


    "NO!"


    I coughed even harder. If this woman continuous, I will be dead of asphyxia than the loss of my own mate and our mating bond.


    I gasped for air when suddenly the arm was out of my shoulders. My hands went to my neck. To breath is even hard to do.


    I nced at L. The woman was looking back at me with a smug smile on her lips.


    She''s crazy!


    "By the way, I left your father already. I don''t need him anymore." She inhaled. "When I thought that I lost everything, my daughter, the tribe, an ally found me."


    The smile on her lips widened. Her eyes were so bright she appeared to be high on something.


    This woman is losing her mind.


    L crouched in front of me. The smile remained on her lips as she spoke again.


    "It was not only you who has powerful acquaintance, Lauren. I have found a partner that would help me achieve my goals. An associate who hated the person I hated."


    A frown marred my face.


    "Afraid now, my dear stepdaughter?"


    The woman is trying to show off. She wanted to rub on my face the things that she thought she has.


    I blinked my eyes.


    There seemed to be a hollow in my head.


    "Lauren? Lauren! My Love, are you alright?"


    I swallowed.


    "Help me, Victor. Hurry!" I screamed in the link.


    "I''m almost there, my love. Hang on!"


    I was not able to respond in the link when I felt a punch in the side of my face.


    "B*tch!"


    My hair has been grabbed again. It was more painful this time since L only managed to seized a few strands.


    She banged my face on the wooden chair beside me.


    It broke into two that splinters break into my cheek.


    While L was marveling on finding an ally, as she bragged that she found a person that supports her revenge against me and my father, the enchantment that ced in the area went down a little that Victor managed to established a contact with me. Although Victor and I were not fully mated and not in the same tribe, we were able to mind link each other since we were true mates.


    Pain bombarded my face again when L punched me squared in the jaw.


    I started to feel lightheaded. I must admit that I did expect L to be as strong as this.


    "Dammit!"


    In between the woman''s swearing and hits, I tried to establish contact with Victor again. It was to no avail. L ced the enchantment back in ce.


    "You think you can fool me again, Lauren?"


    Whack!


    The chair broke down totally.


    Blood poured from my forehead.


    "I will not allow you to destroy my ns. The dark witch was the only ally that I have. I will not let you ruin it!"


    I was kicked in the ribs. I think, she broke two.


    "W-why?" I huffed. "Is she going to discard you, too? Like what my father did when you didn''t fit in his life anymore?"


    I need to buy more time. Victor is near. I can feel it in my bones. I need to know what L knows about the dark witch.


    Blood poured out of my mouth when she kicked me again. And again.


    If only I am not bound by the ties in my hands and feet, I want to kick this woman, too. The pain is bing more unbearable at the hits I am getting.


    I moaned when I tried to sit. I settled on my back when more pain assaulted me when I move.


    I breathed out slowly. My sight is bing hazy at the blood pouring from my head.


    I gazed at L. She seemed rattled.


    "You know, Victor will find me." I exhaled slowly. I think, more than two ribs were broken. "He will not stop until he finds me. What will the dark witch do if you ruin her ns?" "NO!"


    I swore when L kicked me again. Twice in the left hip.


    "Not only will Victor hunt you down. The dark witch will kill you, right? If you happened to fail this abduction."


    L cleared her throat. She sent me a smile.


    "That''s right. So, I will make sure to ruin you first." The older woman straightened. "Omar! Jonas!"


    After she called out, two men entered the cabin. One of them was the guy who carried me from the truck. A look of surprise was on their faces when they saw me on the floor. "What happened, boss?"


    "She found a breach in the protection I ced in the area. This ce ispromised. Omar, hold her down!"


    The man who carried me approached me on the floor.


    I wiggled away despite the pain. The ribs were not fully healed yet!


    "Pour this in her mouth." L ordered the other man. She gave the small vial.


    "What is this?" Jonas asked.


    He stared at the vial. He seemed fascinated by it, too.


    "Stop asking, Jonas. Make her drink it. All of it."


    "No! Please, don''t do this, L!" I begged.


    "Grab her face, Jonas." Omarmanded as he hold me tighter.


    Jonas tossed the lid off the vial and stepped closer to me. I tried to kick him away to no avail.


    "NO!"


    My words turned to squeak when Omar ced me into choke hold. My eyes went wide as I saw Jonas iing hand.


    We were all startled when the thin wall of the hut was sted into smithereens. The forbidding form of my alpha mate stood in the debris of the destroyed side of the shack.


    in a manner of seconds, the arms that were holding me were gone as the screams of pain flooded my head. I was back on the hard ground.


    I groaned.


    I blinked away the hair that obscure my sight.


    "Lauren? Love, answer me please."


    Victor was kneeling on my side. Gone was themotion on the background.


    "I am in pain but I am alright." I responded.


    He started to remove the ties on my feet and hands.


    "Can I move you?" I nodded.


    He ced an object on top of my stomach before he picked me up. He did it very carefully.


    I nced at the object.


    Iughed out despite the pain on my middle.


    It was one of my shoes!