Diana I look between them, heart pounding. “Wait—what’s so special about the knife?” Dominicus’s eyes find mine, grim and steady. “The hilt is made from the bone of the first Amadeus Alpha. The founder of our bloodline. It’s said that he carved it himself. Ripped out his own femur bone and shaped it with his teeth and claws.” I stare at him, stunned. “He used his own bone?” He nods once. “That knife was used during the very first Binding Ceremony—the ritual that created the first generation of Amadeus wolves. It was a pact with the land, forged in sacrifice and magic. That relic isn’t just sacred—it’s foundational. It holds the essence of our entire bloodline.” My mouth goes dry. “So when Thomas gave it to them—” “They corrupted it,” Eleanor finishes, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze goes distant, like she’s staring into something vast and terrible. “Now it all makes sense.” Dominicus leans forward, his jaw tight. “Eleanor.” She blinks, and turns to him. She
DianaEleanor exhales slowly, rage still simmering beneath her composure. “They waited… until every last wolf was home, and then started the curse. It spread through the land’s magic like a virus in a bloodstream,” she says.“And it couldn’t be stopped,” I whisper.“No,” she answers quietly. “Because it wasn’t meant to be. The spell wasn’t just targeting minds—it was targeting history. Legacy. It wanted to erase the Amadeus name from existence.”She looks at us both now. “And because the spell was fueled by ancestral magic—and because they used a sacred relic as the anchor—there was no reversing it. Not without destroying the land. Not without tearing apart the very foundation of your bloodline.”“And at that moment, there was no time to do any of that”.Her eyes focus on Dominicus.“But you survived,” she says. “The curse somehow couldn’t fully take hold in you. You resisted the madness, even when no one else could. That resistance… it proves what I’m saying. You’re truly special Dom
Diana “That’s not all,” Eleanor says, her voice calm and certain. I glance at her from where I’m standing beside Dominicus, my arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. He’s seated across from her at the table, silent and still. He hasn’t spoken since she revealed the truth about the Soulforge Binding—about how she twisted a death curse into something that kept him tethered to this world. His silence is heavy, but not stunned. He’s focused. Sharp. Absorbing everything like a blade honed to perfection. Eleanor’s eyes are locked on him with something like wonder. There’s no fear in her expression. Only awe. “You’ve probably noticed it already,” she says, a slight, intrigued smile playing on her lips. “You’re constantly getting stronger, aren’t you?” Dominicus gives a single nod. He doesn’t elaborate. He doesn’t need to. I blink in surprise and glance down at him. Really? Wow. “Your body hasn’t stopped,” Eleanor continues. “It’s still absorbing magic—even now, as we speak. You are
Diana She blinks, confused for a moment—then her expression softens in understanding. A smile curls her lips. “As I said earlier—she’s your Anchor Bond. The curse recognizes her as home. You’re bound, Dominicus. It won’t let her go.” She gestures to the mark on my neck. “As long as that bond holds—as long as you’re still mates—her lifespan is tethered to yours.” She turns to me with a teasing smile. “No need to worry, sweetie. You’ll be stuck with your grumpy Alpha for as long as he lives.” Relief hits me like sunlight breaking through clouds. I melt into Dom’s arms, and I feel him tighten his hold on me just a little more. Then Eleanor’s voice draws us back. “This appearance of yours,” she says thoughtfully, “unchanging and untouched by time… it’s probably part of why the Elders could never let you go. Even after everything—even through fear—they were drawn to you. They couldn’t resist. You terrified them, yes. But they wanted you too. Wanted to keep you close. Like mot
Diana Eleanor’s voice lowers, shadowed with old pain. “I still don’t know how he did it. Maybe some were afraid. Maybe others were seduced by the raw power he wielded. Or maybe… maybe they were already waiting for someone like him. But whatever the reason, more and more turned to his side. And before long, more than half of our kind had abandoned the way to follow him.” A heaviness builds in my chest. “They gave themselves to the darkness. And it rewarded them. Their powers grew quickly—unnaturally so. They soared past their natural limits. It was like the magic fed off their corruption. Off their bloodlust.” Her hands tighten. “The rest of us—those who held on to the old ways—tried to resist. But we were unprepared. Unmatched. Only the strongest among us could stand against them. The rest… were forced to retreat.” She shakes her head slowly, almost in disbelief even now. “But Caedrim’s war was never just about light witches versus dark. That was only the beginning. His
Diana “After the war, the remaining dark witches scattered. Those who survived went into hiding, slinking into the shadows. And the light witches… we came together. We spent years unraveling the dark magic Caedrim left behind. Healing the plagues. Cleansing the land.” Eleanor pauses, gaze distant. “But the war had cost us too much. We’d lost too many. Entire bloodlines wiped out. The few of us left withdrew from the world. We faded into secrecy. Survival demanded it.” Her voice softens further. “We withdrew from the world. Just as Azrael—your ancestor—did after the sealing. He took the divine rune and vanished with his pack. People forgot, but it was necessary. That kind of power... in the wrong hands..." She trails off, and I feel a chill despite the fire crackling nearby. “After that, peace returned. There were still flickers of trouble here and there—mischief, whispers of dark spells—but nothing like before. The world settled into something resembling calm.” Her eyes
Diana “Killing the Castellanos Pack twenty-one years ago, at the time it happened hadn’t been random. It was timed. Because- That’s the year they had planned to perform the unsealing ritual.” I freeze. A tremor passing through me. “The ritual to unseal the Dark Mage,” she continues quietly, “must be done during a very specific celestial convergence. One that comes twice in a century… and then not again for seven hundred years.” I lean forward, heart thudding. Eleanor’s voice drops to a hush. “It’s called the Seventh Solstice.” “The Seventh Solstice?” I echo. The name doesn’t ring any bells. “It comes twice in one hundred years, then disappears for the next seven centuries. The first of the pair appeared twenty-one years ago… exactly one week after the Castellanos Pack is wiped out.” A chill creeps up my spine. “On the night of the Seventh Solstice,” Eleanor continues, “the veil between life and death thins. The dark realm cracks. To unseal Caedrim, they need to present six hu
Diana My heart stops. I turn slowly. Eleanor doesn’t move. Doesn’t flinch. Her expression doesn’t change. But her silence—her absolute stillness—says everything. I stare at her, my thoughts reeling, crashing, burning. “You…” I whisper. “You’re the Primarch Arcana?!!” my voice comes out high pitched towards the end. She meets my gaze, calm. “Yes,” she says. I blink, trying to process them, but my heart is already racing—hope igniting in my chest like a flare. Eleanor. The Primarch Arcana- granted, I don’t really know how powerful that is, or even what that means- I gasp, “were you the one that fought against the Dark Mage?” She looks at me quietly before answering with a simple, “Yes”, again and this time, my gasp is audible. That person is really Eleanor? My mouth hangs open. She’s that witch? The one who fought alongside my ancestor and Dominicus’s to defeat the Dark Mage? She’s here. Sitting right in front of us. I almost laugh. It’s perfect. I was thin
Diana My heart stops. I turn slowly. Eleanor doesn’t move. Doesn’t flinch. Her expression doesn’t change. But her silence—her absolute stillness—says everything. I stare at her, my thoughts reeling, crashing, burning. “You…” I whisper. “You’re the Primarch Arcana?!!” my voice comes out high pitched towards the end. She meets my gaze, calm. “Yes,” she says. I blink, trying to process them, but my heart is already racing—hope igniting in my chest like a flare. Eleanor. The Primarch Arcana- granted, I don’t really know how powerful that is, or even what that means- I gasp, “were you the one that fought against the Dark Mage?” She looks at me quietly before answering with a simple, “Yes”, again and this time, my gasp is audible. That person is really Eleanor? My mouth hangs open. She’s that witch? The one who fought alongside my ancestor and Dominicus’s to defeat the Dark Mage? She’s here. Sitting right in front of us. I almost laugh. It’s perfect. I was thin
Diana “Killing the Castellanos Pack twenty-one years ago, at the time it happened hadn’t been random. It was timed. Because- That’s the year they had planned to perform the unsealing ritual.” I freeze. A tremor passing through me. “The ritual to unseal the Dark Mage,” she continues quietly, “must be done during a very specific celestial convergence. One that comes twice in a century… and then not again for seven hundred years.” I lean forward, heart thudding. Eleanor’s voice drops to a hush. “It’s called the Seventh Solstice.” “The Seventh Solstice?” I echo. The name doesn’t ring any bells. “It comes twice in one hundred years, then disappears for the next seven centuries. The first of the pair appeared twenty-one years ago… exactly one week after the Castellanos Pack is wiped out.” A chill creeps up my spine. “On the night of the Seventh Solstice,” Eleanor continues, “the veil between life and death thins. The dark realm cracks. To unseal Caedrim, they need to present six hu
Diana “After the war, the remaining dark witches scattered. Those who survived went into hiding, slinking into the shadows. And the light witches… we came together. We spent years unraveling the dark magic Caedrim left behind. Healing the plagues. Cleansing the land.” Eleanor pauses, gaze distant. “But the war had cost us too much. We’d lost too many. Entire bloodlines wiped out. The few of us left withdrew from the world. We faded into secrecy. Survival demanded it.” Her voice softens further. “We withdrew from the world. Just as Azrael—your ancestor—did after the sealing. He took the divine rune and vanished with his pack. People forgot, but it was necessary. That kind of power... in the wrong hands..." She trails off, and I feel a chill despite the fire crackling nearby. “After that, peace returned. There were still flickers of trouble here and there—mischief, whispers of dark spells—but nothing like before. The world settled into something resembling calm.” Her eyes
Diana Eleanor’s voice lowers, shadowed with old pain. “I still don’t know how he did it. Maybe some were afraid. Maybe others were seduced by the raw power he wielded. Or maybe… maybe they were already waiting for someone like him. But whatever the reason, more and more turned to his side. And before long, more than half of our kind had abandoned the way to follow him.” A heaviness builds in my chest. “They gave themselves to the darkness. And it rewarded them. Their powers grew quickly—unnaturally so. They soared past their natural limits. It was like the magic fed off their corruption. Off their bloodlust.” Her hands tighten. “The rest of us—those who held on to the old ways—tried to resist. But we were unprepared. Unmatched. Only the strongest among us could stand against them. The rest… were forced to retreat.” She shakes her head slowly, almost in disbelief even now. “But Caedrim’s war was never just about light witches versus dark. That was only the beginning. His
Diana She blinks, confused for a moment—then her expression softens in understanding. A smile curls her lips. “As I said earlier—she’s your Anchor Bond. The curse recognizes her as home. You’re bound, Dominicus. It won’t let her go.” She gestures to the mark on my neck. “As long as that bond holds—as long as you’re still mates—her lifespan is tethered to yours.” She turns to me with a teasing smile. “No need to worry, sweetie. You’ll be stuck with your grumpy Alpha for as long as he lives.” Relief hits me like sunlight breaking through clouds. I melt into Dom’s arms, and I feel him tighten his hold on me just a little more. Then Eleanor’s voice draws us back. “This appearance of yours,” she says thoughtfully, “unchanging and untouched by time… it’s probably part of why the Elders could never let you go. Even after everything—even through fear—they were drawn to you. They couldn’t resist. You terrified them, yes. But they wanted you too. Wanted to keep you close. Like mot
Diana “That’s not all,” Eleanor says, her voice calm and certain. I glance at her from where I’m standing beside Dominicus, my arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. He’s seated across from her at the table, silent and still. He hasn’t spoken since she revealed the truth about the Soulforge Binding—about how she twisted a death curse into something that kept him tethered to this world. His silence is heavy, but not stunned. He’s focused. Sharp. Absorbing everything like a blade honed to perfection. Eleanor’s eyes are locked on him with something like wonder. There’s no fear in her expression. Only awe. “You’ve probably noticed it already,” she says, a slight, intrigued smile playing on her lips. “You’re constantly getting stronger, aren’t you?” Dominicus gives a single nod. He doesn’t elaborate. He doesn’t need to. I blink in surprise and glance down at him. Really? Wow. “Your body hasn’t stopped,” Eleanor continues. “It’s still absorbing magic—even now, as we speak. You are
DianaEleanor exhales slowly, rage still simmering beneath her composure. “They waited… until every last wolf was home, and then started the curse. It spread through the land’s magic like a virus in a bloodstream,” she says.“And it couldn’t be stopped,” I whisper.“No,” she answers quietly. “Because it wasn’t meant to be. The spell wasn’t just targeting minds—it was targeting history. Legacy. It wanted to erase the Amadeus name from existence.”She looks at us both now. “And because the spell was fueled by ancestral magic—and because they used a sacred relic as the anchor—there was no reversing it. Not without destroying the land. Not without tearing apart the very foundation of your bloodline.”“And at that moment, there was no time to do any of that”.Her eyes focus on Dominicus.“But you survived,” she says. “The curse somehow couldn’t fully take hold in you. You resisted the madness, even when no one else could. That resistance… it proves what I’m saying. You’re truly special Dom
Diana I look between them, heart pounding. “Wait—what’s so special about the knife?” Dominicus’s eyes find mine, grim and steady. “The hilt is made from the bone of the first Amadeus Alpha. The founder of our bloodline. It’s said that he carved it himself. Ripped out his own femur bone and shaped it with his teeth and claws.” I stare at him, stunned. “He used his own bone?” He nods once. “That knife was used during the very first Binding Ceremony—the ritual that created the first generation of Amadeus wolves. It was a pact with the land, forged in sacrifice and magic. That relic isn’t just sacred—it’s foundational. It holds the essence of our entire bloodline.” My mouth goes dry. “So when Thomas gave it to them—” “They corrupted it,” Eleanor finishes, her voice barely above a whisper. Her gaze goes distant, like she’s staring into something vast and terrible. “Now it all makes sense.” Dominicus leans forward, his jaw tight. “Eleanor.” She blinks, and turns to him. She
DianaHis hands clench, knuckles white, and my heart drops as I watch him.Eleanor sees it too—sees both our faces. Her expression folds into something quietly mournful. A sad smile tugs at the corner of her lips, and she looks away, into the crackling fire.“You remained that way because I was unable to reverse the curse. I don’t have that ability-“He sneers and she insists, “I swear it!”“I swear Dominicus, if I could have reversed it, I would have. But I couldn’t. I couldn’t make a single dent in it. I tried”, she swallows, “That kind of terrible curse would require a lot of powerful witches to cast and even more sacrifices”. “It didn’t work so I decided to stay. Not just because you were important to the world,” she says softly. “I stayed because I was worried. About you.”Dominicus still doesn’t speak. But something in his shoulders shifts—just slightly. I see it. The smallest ripple of emotion beneath all that control.“I wanted to keep an eye on you,” she says, “to make sure