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"Lie her in bed so I could look at her." Isolde commanded with urgency.

Bowen lay Sara on the bed. He could not brush off the growing fear in him.

The witch succeeded with her plans with his mate.

He blames himself for letting his guards down.

Sara boldly risked her life to aid him in the battle and yet he could not even protect her from a bound witch.

Frustration is stamped on his face. The battle may have drained his strength but it is nothing compared to how weak he feels now that Sara may be in grave danger.

"It could not be that serious. It was just a paper! I feel fine except I am dying for a shower right now." Sara tried to ease up the tension. Bowen looked like he would have a heart attack any time now. The usual composed Isolde is also rattled.

"I need you to be still, Luna Sara. Let me do my thing, just to be on the safe side." Isolde led.

Sara nodded and cooperated. The sooner they finish the sooner Bowen and herself could relax after an eventful afternoon.

Isolde concentrated. With eyes closed she skimmed her hands just above Sara's body. Sara could swear Isolde was like shimmering at the moment. It took Isolde three minutes to hover over Sara's body.

"A curse has been placed on the luna. I am sorry." Isolde revealed.

"What curse?" Bowen asked in anger. Sara sat up, anxious to hear the truth as well.

"I do not know specifically the curse but I am positive she was cursed. I felt the black magic." Isolde continued.

"Can we reverse it?" Sara asked. Bowen is scratching his head in utter fury.

"The curse can only be totally reversed when the witch who cast it dies." Isolde said.

"But the wretched witch is dead. I killed her with my own hands!" Bowen shouted. Confusion and desperation eating him.

"The witch you killed delivered the cursed but she is not the one who concocted it. You should not have killed her because we could have squeezed some information from her." Isolde scolded.

Bowen growled at Isolde's audacity. But deep inside he knew she talks sense. He felt foolish and impulsive. Sara's chance to be released from the curse becomes dim. Bowen clawed the wall to the startle of Sara and Isolde.

"Bowen, stop!" Sara screamed in alarm as blood drips from Bowen's claws. "Enough! What has been done is done. Let us focus on what else we could do. Please." Sara pleaded.

"The luna is wise. I may not be able to totally remove the curse but I can give a counter charm, a charm to protect the luna from harm and sickness." Isolde offered a respite from bad news.

"Do it! Do everything you can to help Sara, please!" Bowen beseeched.

"I will cast my spell of protection at the same time that you mark her, Alpha Bowen. Only then can we be assured that the spell will work, for the marking of a mate is a symbolism of acceptance, loyalty, protection, and love for werewolves." Isolde laid the condition.

"Fine, if that's what it takes to secure my mate. Sara, I need you to consent to the marking. Please, my brave one, I know we still have this wall between us. But this is a matter of urgency and dire need. What do you say?" Bowen persuades his mate.

"Alright, I consent to the marking. But for goddess' sake, Isolde, can we at least clean up before the marking?" Sara asked.

Isolde smiled. "Of course Luna. I will be back in an hour. I will go now."

Bowen carried Sara to the bathroom the moment Isolde shut the door.

"Whoa, I can clean up on my own." Sara asserted but Bowen had a plan of his own.

"We save time if we shower together. Uh-uh! Do not even try to argue. I have missed you. I have not seen you for days. At least let me touch you, my love." Bowen begged.

Sara blushed. She too felt the need to connect to Bowen. Bowen has put his nose to the grindstone with the war and he deserves a prize, Sara thought. "Oh well," was all she said as she starts to strip her clothes slowly.

Bowen growled with impatience and dashed to her. He ripped every remnant of fabric on his beautiful mate and on himself. He led Sara to the shower and turned the knob.

As water danced over Sara's skin, Bowen wasted no time and sought for her lips. Sara could feel the need in his kisses, his caresses, and with the taunting of his member. She let Bowen have his way with her body as she is reveling in the pleasure as well.

Bowen stopped for a moment to lather soap and shampoo. He took pleasure in touching her soft skin especially her breasts and her private part. Sara would whimper in his masterful touches.

He softly moaned when Sara reciprocated the lathering. Sara massaged his erection and Bowen tried to control his desires to bend her over and take her in the shower room.

"Such a tease! I would gladly mate with you Sara, but not here. So let us finish this before things get torrid." Bowen could not believe how he is able to pull back from Sara. It is probably because her safety will be the priority than his carnal need to bed and claim her.

As promised, after an hour Isolde came knocking on the door. As she met Sara's eyes, a knowing smile crossed her face, as though she knew precisely what had unfolded in the shower room.

"Nice shower, eh?" She dared taunt Sara. Bowen gave her a sharp look and Isolde cleared her throat.

"Let's begin, then. Alpha and Luna stand here by the beam of the moonlight. Alpha Bowen try to sustain the bite as long as you can. Luna Sara, try to overcome the pain. I need time to weave and cast the spell. Can you do that?" She asked both.

Sara and Bowen nodded.

Bowen faced Sara to him at arms length. "Curse or no curse, marking you will be my greatest honor. I am grateful to the moon goddess for gifting you to me. I could not have a better mate than you, my brave one, my white wolf, my Sara. You will always come first, I promise."

"I am not perfect but I am yours as you are mine." Sara sweetly replied.

The two engaged in a passionate kiss. Bowen moved his kisses down Sara's neck until the spot where he will mark her. The pulse on her vein drums to a tune that guided him to the timing of his bite. And with one mighty bite, the alpha marked his true mate.

Blood slowly flow from Sara's neck to her chest. Bowen held the bite savoring the moment that Sara is finally his and his alone.

Sara moaned in pain and pleasure. Her grip on Bowen's back and waist tighten.

Isolde mumbled an unfamiliar language as the pair sustained their locked position.

After six minutes she announced, "it is done."

Bowen retracted his fangs and started to lick the blood on Sara's wound. Sara was left too weak from the marking.

"I bid you goodnight. My work here is done." Isolde who is drained exited the room.

Bowen carried Sara to bed. He recognizes her need to rest as the marking took most of her strength. He laid beside her in a tight embrace. He prayed to the moon goddess that Isolde's spell would work and that his precious mate is spared from pain and danger.

He looked at Sara with such admiration. He may not like it at first that she marched right into the war but he understood her need to protect her mate as well. Sara's wolf was fierce and bold. She would make a great luna, she was born to do and achieve a many great things.

He planted baby kisses on her shoulder and soon yielded to his depletion.