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Yet… it felt good knowing he had been a mess without me. All this time, I expected him to move on and claim another. There wasn’t a claiming bite on his neck.

“So?” I tried to play it off like I didn’t care, but something about the way he looked brought me some joy.

“What do you mean,so? The man is losing his mind without you. He is also having trouble controlling his lycan because of the severed bond. I know he hurt you, but don’t you think he has gone through just as much as you?”

I snorted in derision at that. “No, I think the man could use some groveling.”

She laughed. “Okay, that’s fair. Some groveling may be what he needs so he won’t do it again. But you may also want to consider this: Maximus came here to fight for your bond. That says something. I’ve heard of others rejecting their mate and not fighting for them at all.”

That was news to me. I hadn’t even heard of people rejecting their bond. Though I lived a sheltered life and didn’t know much outside of the daily beatings and being told I was worthless.

But… he did come here to work things out. That’s why he showed up today to talk. Maximus wanted to work on things, but I was the one who sent him away.

No. He needs to accept accountability. Max has too much to apologize for before I can accept the bond being completed again.My breath caught in my throat, but I looked away from Charlotte so she couldn’t see.He has too much to heal before things can go back to the way they were.

***

A nurse had come in to take the baby so I could get some sleep just as Nathaniel entered the room. He told me about his conversation with Maximus and how my ex-mate had walked off to make some changes before returning. I had a hard time believing that just a talk with Nathaniel would change Maximus’s tone to what I needed it to be to work on things, but I also knew Nathaniel. The ex-alpha had a way of talking to people that made them listen. He was a big, intimidating guy, but so was Maximus.

He held the baby just before the nurse arrived, and they both said they would stop by later to check on me. As I drifted off to sleep, I heard someone enter the room. I turned in bed to see who had come in and was surprised to see an attractive woman walking in.

This woman wasn’t a lycan.

There was something different about her scent that I couldn’t decipher. It wasn’t something I had ever smelled before. The scent was bitter and sour. A lycan’s scent usually carried the daily essence of their homes and routines mixed with a specific scent that was uniquely theirs. This woman didn’t have that; it was just flavors instead of a distinct scent.

What the hell was she?

She was tall and curvy, a sight I didn’t normally see in lycans. Dressed entirely in black and exuding power, she radiated a lethal vibe. Her black hair cascaded in waves around her chest, and her piercing blue eyes captivated me. I quickly averted my gaze, realizing this woman was far beyond my league, and I didn’t know what she was or if looking into her eyes would make her think I wanted to challenge her.

A throaty chuckle caught my attention, and I looked up to see her seated in the chair Charlotte had pulled over to be by my bed. I pushed myself up, wanting to get as far away from her as possible. I didn’t know this woman, and she wasn’t a lycan. The power radiating from her confirmed what she was, but I didn’t want to believe it.

She was a witch.

“You can remain calm, young luna. I am not here to hurt you.”

Luna? How did she know my former title?

“Who are you?”

“My name is Zephyrine. As your nose has probably told you, I am a witch.”

Well… I’m dead. Witches weren’t exactly high on the friendly scale from what I had heard about them. There were many in existence, and the ones who willingly interacted with lycans weren’t exactly the nicest people in the world.

“What are you doing here?”

Her blue eyes danced with amusement, knowing she could smell my fear. All supernaturals had heightened senses, even witches. My lycan retreated to a deep part of my mind out of fear of this creature, so even if I wanted to fight back, I couldn’t. I was on my own.

“I wanted to meet the one who was fated to Maximus. Truth be told, I thought you would be the one to break the curse.”

Curse? What curse? Maximus never mentioned meeting a damn witch or having a curse placed on him!

“What?” I squeaked, realizing what a curse could mean.

Witches tended to throw curses around, which was why my kind avoided them. They were not to be messed with in any shape or form and could curse us to never have the ability to shift again. It would drive lycans to become feral if we weren’t able to shift.

Zephyrine just stared at me, and I squirmed under her gaze. I wasn’t sure what her endgame was here, but if it was to creep me out, she succeeded. I was creeped out. Even though this meant Maximus kept a big secret from me, I could understand not wanting to talk about meeting a witch. Being in her presence made my skin crawl as her power washed over me.

“I don’t understand. Why would you curse him? What did he do to make you do something like that?”