Page 107 of A Female Alpha for the Lycan Prince

Liam sits down and takes Marius’ other hand into his. “We need to be physically close for this to work,” he tells me, motioning for me to shift forward a little in my chair. “Just like Marius and I are brothers, Fenris and Cyrus are brothers too. We are going to the place between waking and dying to try and connect with both Marius and Cyrus using our combined brotherly bond.”

I don’t really understand how this is supposed to work, but it’s not the time and place to ask questions. I sit quietly and allow Liam to focus on his task. Liam’s whole body relaxes into itself, looking calm and collected.

I, myself, make sure not to let go of Marius’ hand for any reason, occasionally stroking my free hand across his cheek or resting it against his chest. My mind drifts back to our first meeting, and how painful that was, and all the things that have happened between us since. When I look back though, I remember seeing the haunted look in Marius’ eyes. Every now and again, his guard would drop, and for just an instant, it was like he’d forget to hate me and everyone else, and the loneliness would seep in. The pain radiating from his soul in those moments was immense.

I wonder who or what hurt him so badly. Is it the reason why he’s hurt me in return? Was there a woman once in his life who broke him?

I know that it’s not my fault. I tried to reach out a few times, I never let my emotions get the better of me or lash out at him. Well, not much, at least. Maybe I could have tried a little harder?

But then… why should I be the only one to fight for the mate bond?

And what am I going to do now, anyway? What will happen once he wakes up? Will he continue resenting me? If he does, should I reject him and free us both from this mate bond he obviously doesn’t want? And if he wants me… what will I do then? Do I even still want him?

I’m getting a headache from your thoughts,Danica complains.

I’m sorry. I just wish I knew what to do.

There is a pause.You have a big heart, Celine,she says to my surprise.Whatever you do, I will have your back. If you want to give him a chance… I might not like it, but I will give him one too. If you don’t… I will accept that it will hurt us and share the pain with you.

All these options don’t mean anything unless he wants us,I point out.But there is still the possibility that he truly does not want us to be his mate.

He does,she says quietly.

How can you be so sure?

The one time that Cyrus was able to reach out to me, he might or might not have told me that deep inside, Marius wants you, but he is scared,she admits.

Her words surprise me.And you’re only telling me this now?

Actually, I shouldn’t have told you at all. This is something you humans have to solve. But he can only truly be our mate if he faces his past and is honest with us. There is no other option for him, or you. I don’t know what happened to him, Cyrus never said. However, his past might explain his behavior towards you, but it’s not an excuse, and it shouldn’t influence your feelings.

I’m about to ask for more information, but Danica suddenly perks up and starts concentrating on something I can’t feel or see. Liam must have found Cyrus in the depth of Marius’ mind. I decide to keep quiet so that Danica can focus her strength on her mate instead.

I don’t know how long I wait, but suddenly, I can feel Marius’ skin getting warmer in my hand, and tiny sparks are shooting up my arm from where I’m touching him. It’s got to be the mate bond coming back. It’s both a blessing and a curse, at least for Marius and me. The sparks are weaker than before, and nothing in comparison to the time he kissed me, and the electricity from his touch almost drove me crazy. It’s faint and barely there, but better than the coldness of his skin before.

I smile.

Suddenly Liam gasps, and his eyes snap open. He’s panting heavily, frantically looking around the room, his face a picture of pure horror.

“Liam?” I mutter.

There is so much going on in his eyes. Shock, surprise, anger, pain.

“What happened?” I urge him. “What did you see?”

Liam stares into nothingness for a while. “It’s… I’m not sure.” he pauses, the silence lingering. Then his hands clench into a fist. “Someone has scarred him deeply… but I can’t see it clearly,” he frowns, looking annoyed that he doesn’t know for sure what happened. A shiver goes through his body. “I can feel it, however. We can only wait, Celine. Marius will need to be the one to tell us what truly happened. I promise… once he is awake again, I’ll make sure he finally stops running away.”

I look at him in surprise, feeling a deep sense of dread settling inside of me. If whatever it is has shocked Liam this much, it has to be really bad. My eyes wander from Liam to Marius. Even now, in his sleep, he looks tormented. Despite my anger at how he’s treated me, I suddenly feel more pissed at whoever or whatever has caused him to be this broken. And whoever it is that’s hurt him… I’ll make sure to kick their asses!

Dumb and Dumber

*CELINE*

It’sbeenaroundfifteenminutes since Liam’s mind meld with Marius, and it’s left him looking tired and unusually pale. I guess spending so much time in someone else’s conscience took a toll on him. He hasn’t elaborated any further on what happened inside Marius’ mind, and it’s left my imagination to run wild. I desperately want to pester Liam for more information, but I know he won’t tell me his brother’s most private thoughts. I wouldn’t do it either.

And frankly. I’d prefer to hear the truth from Marius anyway. If Danica is right, and he truly wants us, that’s the least he can do.

My thoughts go back to that haunted look I would see in his eyes sometimes. Did someone hurt him physically? Maybe he was cursed? Or maybe it’s something more personal, like psychological abuse… was he bullied so badly that it scarred him deeply, as Liam said?