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 Dom leans back, and the flicker of firelight reflects in his eyes, cold and gold. “That’s not the only thing that doesn’t make sense.” I glance between them, my heart beating faster. The air is thick. The shadows in the corners of the room seem to stretch. His voice lowers again, but now it’s laced with something else—uncertainty. Concern. “All this time, Eleanor… you’ve been quiet. Passive. Watching.” He pauses. “That’s not who you are.” She bites her bottom lip hard, but she still doesn’t respond. “You’re the Primarch Arcana. You stood against Caedrim. You fought beside the Castellanos Priest and the Alpha of Amadeus to seal him. You’re no coward.” Silence. “So if you haven’t fought all this time,” he says slowly, “then the only explanation is…” He trails off. I sit still, not daring to move. He looks at her—truly looks at her—and I see it in his face. The shift. The weight of the conclusion he doesn’t want to reach. “You’re injured or something. I don’t
DianaShe stops in front of him.“The witches at the Castellanos pack…” she says, voice quiet, “they did reach out to me.”I bite down on my lower lip. Hard.“But not to ask me to come. They weren’t calling me for help.” Her gaze flickers to me. “They just wanted me to know what was happening. That the dark witches were there. That the Castellanos were preparing to fall.”Her voice dips, heavy with the weight of regret.“I wanted to go. I swear I did.” Her hands tighten at her sides. “But I knew… I knew if I went like I was, I’d only be a burden.”The words hit like a cold wave.“I couldn’t use my magic properly,” she continues. “It was still tainted. I was still walking that razor’s edge. And if I stepped into a battle like that—drew onto the bulk of magic to battle- the dark magic inside me would’ve stirred violently… fed on the chaos”Her throat tightens.“I would’ve had two choices: fight it or give in. If I had resisted, it would have killed me. If I had given in…” She looks up a
Diana I swallow the lump in my throat. For the longest time, Dom had no one. I’m so glad is finding more family and loved ones. He doesn’t answer. But his eyes shine, and he reaches up, catching her wrist. “You should’ve told me,” he murmurs, his voice thick, “I wasn’t in the right state of mind for a long time, but when I got better-“ She looks at him with weary affection. “Because you’d already suffered enough,” she says softly. “You were just starting to come back to yourself. I didn’t want to pile all this… this heavy, dark mess on your shoulders.” Her eyes flick over to me, and a teasing smile tugs at her lips. “And you had just started falling in love, too. I couldn’t bear to spoil it.” My cheeks warm instantly. Eleanor chuckles. “After nearly a decade of pain and silence, you deserved a little reprieve. Both of you. Watching it happen—watching you fall for each other—it was so cute. And awkward.” I let out a tiny, strangled sound and cover my face with my hand
DianaI don’t say anything. I can’t—because part of me agrees with him.He searches my face, voice cracking.“I already lost your mate. And for 13 years, I believed I lost my child too. I won’t lose you.”The silence between us stretches again. The grief in his words coils around my ribs like a vice.After a long moment, I exhale.“I promise,” I say softly, reaching for his hand, “we’ll talk about this. We’ll figure it out. But right now… let’s go back inside. There’s still more Eleanor has to tell us.”He looks at me for a long moment. Then, finally, he nods.We walk back together, quiet and heavy with unspoken thoughts. Inside, the room is just as we left it—Dominicus and Eleanor still seated, their faces somber.Billy crosses his arms as he steps in, his tone dry but edged in steel.“Might as well just leave her with the humans. She was safe there. Let her stay hidden.”Eleanor tilts her head slightly.“Yes, she’s safe,” she says calmly. “But for how long?”He frowns but doesn’t an
Diana The room goes quiet. I blink in confusion, taken aback and not understanding why he’s so angry. My brows furrow as I watch him in confusion. He seems to be getting more furious by the second. It’s a fury I don’t think I have ever seen on him before. My mind races a second more and it clicks. My heart stutters before dropping to the pit of my stomach. I hadn’t thought of that. Not fully. Shit! Blood drains from my face and I suddenly feel sick. Billy asks again, slower this time, the words like steel. “Who the fuck did you say was gonna fight him?” Eleanor’s expression crumples into something close to guilt. She looks down. I bite my lower lip. Dom’s brows draw together. Billy’s voice is calm but dark. “Three people, right? That’s what you said?” He points at Dominicus. “One is the Amadeus Alpha. He’ll fight the physical battle.” Then he points at me. I flinch. “Second is the Castellanos Alpha and Priestess. That’s you.” I can’t meet his eyes. “And the third…
Diana He starts pacing toward the door like a man possessed. I glance outside—the sky is pitch black, the moon high and silver. “Billy,” I say gently, “it’s late. Why don’t we go tomorrow?” But he shakes his head, already reaching for the doorknob. “I can’t wait. Who knows where she is? What kinda situation she’s in? If she’s far, the sooner I leave, the sooner I’ll reach her—” Eleanor lifts her eyes to Dom in a silent signal. Dominicus stands immediately, moves forward, and catches Billy by the shoulders before he can bolt. “Wait,” he says gently but firmly. “Where are you going? You don’t even have the tracker yet. How will you find her without it?” Billy blinks. “Right. Right, right.” He lets himself be guided back, still jittery, heart pounding in his chest. He turns to Eleanor again, eyes wide and pleading. “Then give it to me. The… the thing you said. What is it?” “I’ll make you a Scrythorn,” Eleanor replies. “It’s an ancient charm, carved and imbued with s
Diana Billy hasn’t moved. His eyes are bloodshot and shining, and when he finally speaks, his voice is hoarse. “You said you used dark magic, too,” he rasps to Eleanor. “But you’re still here. Still… you. Why couldn’t she do the same?” Eleanor’s face softens. “Because she wasn’t strong enough. Six years of dark magic, even in small doses, is too much. I stopped after one spell. I cut myself off. Let the darkness bleed out slowly over time. But your mate…” She sighs. “She didn’t have that luxury. The curse had corrupted her too much”. But I know the rest. Eleanor is the Primarch Arcana. Stronger than any light witch alive. That’s the difference. That’s why she survived. Billy lowers his head, shoulders slumping. He doesn’t speak for a long time. My chest aches with a pressure that builds and builds until I can barely breathe. All those years, I thought no one loved me. That I meant nothing to anyone. I was wrong. Now I know—my parents, the witches who could have teleport
Diana Eleanor folds her hands in her lap, her face as gentle as ever, but I see the flicker of regret in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Billy,” she says softly. “What I’m about to tell you might be hard to hear. But I believe it will answer the questions you’ve carried for a long time.” Billy glances between Dom and I, seeing the corresponding seriousness on our faces and sits straighter, “Go on,” he says. Eleanor nods. “Just as I was explaining to Diana and Dominicus, your mate—Myralie—was the one who suppressed Diana’s wolf. It was the only way she could keep her from shifting, and from being found.” Billy’s head jerks slightly. “Myralie?” he repeats, his brow creasing. “You mean… Myra?That her real name?” I watch the flicker of pain flash through his eyes. He once told us he didn’t know much about her. Only her name. And now it turns out… even that was only half true. There’s a bittersweet sadness in his face as the realization sets in. His mouth parts slightly, but no words come. “S
Diana Dominicus stares at her, brows drawn. “So… you’re not dying,” he says, voice low, suspicious. “I’m not dying,” she insists, looking directly at him now. “I swear it.” He holds her gaze for a beat longer. Then, finally, he nods. I feel the tight coil of tension in his body loosen, the faintest ripple of relief coming through the bond. I exhale too, only now realizing I’d been holding my breath. “It’s not fair,” I whisper. The words slip out before I can stop them, soft and aching. Eleanor looks at me with kind eyes, and then gives a small smile. “Magic isn’t a person, dear. It has no consciousness to look into the facts surrounding the incident and decide whether or not it’s fair. It doesn’t think or feel. It simply is.” She sets her teacup down gently, the sound barely audible. “Light magic doesn’t coexist with dark magic. It won’t. The moment I used it—even to save someone—I knew what it meant. My days as the Primarch were numbered.” Her smile turns wry. “The fac
Diana She lifts her eyes, and they shimmer with something like wonder. “I felt it. A divine ripple. Like something ancient had stirred. Like the pattern of fate had twisted slightly on its axis.” Her fingers curl around the porcelain cup. “I didn’t know what it meant. But I knew—something was coming. I didn’t know what, or who, but… I hoped.” She looks at me now. And her expression softens into something almost reverent. “And then, one morning… a girl walked in.” My throat tightens. Eleanor’s voice drops into a hush, as though telling a sacred secret. She gives me a small smile. “A werewolf… a werewolf with a sealed wolf”. “A beautiful girl,” she continues. “Her eyes were haunted and it was obvious she was running from something.” My stomach tightens. Eleanor’s expression softens again. “It took me just one look. I knew exactly who you were. The Castellanos Alpha heir. The one who escaped the massacre. I was… stunned.” She shakes her head with a quiet chuckle, bu
Diana I swallow the lump in my throat. For the longest time, Dom had no one. I’m so glad is finding more family and loved ones. He doesn’t answer. But his eyes shine, and he reaches up, catching her wrist. “You should’ve told me,” he murmurs, his voice thick, “I wasn’t in the right state of mind for a long time, but when I got better-“ She looks at him with weary affection. “Because you’d already suffered enough,” she says softly. “You were just starting to come back to yourself. I didn’t want to pile all this… this heavy, dark mess on your shoulders.” Her eyes flick over to me, and a teasing smile tugs at her lips. “And you had just started falling in love, too. I couldn’t bear to spoil it.” My cheeks warm instantly. Eleanor chuckles. “After nearly a decade of pain and silence, you deserved a little reprieve. Both of you. Watching it happen—watching you fall for each other—it was so cute. And awkward.” I let out a tiny, strangled sound and cover my face with my hand
DianaShe stops in front of him.“The witches at the Castellanos pack…” she says, voice quiet, “they did reach out to me.”I bite down on my lower lip. Hard.“But not to ask me to come. They weren’t calling me for help.” Her gaze flickers to me. “They just wanted me to know what was happening. That the dark witches were there. That the Castellanos were preparing to fall.”Her voice dips, heavy with the weight of regret.“I wanted to go. I swear I did.” Her hands tighten at her sides. “But I knew… I knew if I went like I was, I’d only be a burden.”The words hit like a cold wave.“I couldn’t use my magic properly,” she continues. “It was still tainted. I was still walking that razor’s edge. And if I stepped into a battle like that—drew onto the bulk of magic to battle- the dark magic inside me would’ve stirred violently… fed on the chaos”Her throat tightens.“I would’ve had two choices: fight it or give in. If I had resisted, it would have killed me. If I had given in…” She looks up a