Chapter 9
Ambrose
“I’m sorry,” the words tumble out of my mouth. Without thought, but it doesn’t make them any less true. I don’t know who attacked us or how. All I know is that it was my job to protect her, and I failed.
“It’s not your fault we were attacked,” Lumi says.
“It is. If Riven is right, then my curse caused someone to attack us.”
“It could have still been the witches or vampires, but even if it was your curse, it’s still not your fault.”
I sigh. “I’m your mate. I love you. I’m supposed to protect you. I failed. I didn’t sense the danger. And I was lying on the ground instead of protecting you.”
“You were attacked and unconscious. And your connection to Nyx saved us. I was able to communicate with him because of you.”
I stare at Nyx, who is still glaring at me like I’m the reason Lumi was severely injured.
And for once, I don’t blame him. Except I’m still angry with him for what seemed like trying to sabotage my date with Lumi.
I don’t know if he was doing more to help or hurt.
Still, I can be the bigger man when it calls for it.
“Thank you,” I say to Nyx in his mind.
He chuckles back. “I don’t even get a public acknowledgment for saving you and your mates’ lives.”
“Oh, now she’s my mate, huh. Not your love.”
“Yes,” he says simply in the most humbled way. “She has to be yours.”
For a moment, I forgive him for everything he’s done, but that moment is short-lived when Lumi glances in his direction and looks at him like he’s her whole world.
He stole her from me. Turned her against me for a mistake that I had no control over, and if I could give her her wolf back, I’d sacrifice everything, including giving my own wolf up in the process, to help her get hers back.
“So Ambrose’s curse is already trying to kill Lumi, and we are losing our ability to shift. We’re completely fucked aren’t we?” Sylara says.
Lumi looks at her with a focused expression. “No, we aren’t fucked. It’s just a puzzle. We have all the pieces to solve it, we just have to figure out which piece to start with.”
“Well, while we do that. I think you need more protection,” I say.
“Agreed,” says Nyx.
Everyone else nods their heads.
Lumi huffs. “I’m fine.”
“You’re not fine. The gash on your neck alone could have killed you,” Kael says.
She looks at me as if reading my mind. “You’re not locking me or anyone else up.”
I think for a moment. “I could cast a spell that would keep everyone at least five feet away from you.”
“I can still kill her even if I’m five feet away. And it prevents me from saving her when your ass fails to protect her,” Nyx says.
I growl at him. “Then what do you suggest?”
“We find a way to break your curse, all of the curses and fast,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “Not really helpful.”
“Putting people in magical cages isn’t helpful either. Even if you’re trying to help. It’s still a cage!”
“I want to test Riven’s theory,” Emeric says.
“How can you test his theory?” Lumi asks.
“By breaking my own curse,” Emeric says, looking at me like it’s going to kill him to do it.
My connection with Emeric is second only to my connection with Lumi. He’s been my best friend since we were babies. We grew up together. Shared everything together. He was the obvious choice as my beta when the time came.
But his curse, gods, his curse is unlike anyone else’s. The pain he has to bear on my behalf is unfounded.
“Whatever you have to do, do it,” I say. He doesn’t deserve a lifetime of pain because of me.
“You and I will never be the same,” he says.
I frown. “No, we’ll be stronger.”
He looks at me skeptically, like this will be the ultimate test of our friendship. But he doesn’t have much faith in me if he thinks that breaking the curse and ultimately giving us a way to break my own curse is going to do anything but strengthen our bond.
“I’m denouncing my role as beta. I’m denouncing my membership in the Moonlight pack. I want to join the Bloodmoon pack,” Emeric says with such conviction that I know there is a reason beyond breaking the curse that he wants to do this.
I feel such an ache in my heart at how sure he sounds. How painful his words affect me. And I can see my own pain still reflected on him. But it could possibly be the last pain I ever cause him if this works.
I look at Nyx, who is staring Emeric down.
“You understand what you’re doing. If you join the Bloodmoon pack, you’re giving up your connection to Ambrose.
You’re giving up your spot at beta. You are pledging loyalty to my pack members and me.
You will be one of us. I’ll have alpha command over you. ”
“I know what I’m doing. You’re a good alpha. One who is strong and loyal and treats his pack members with respect. I can pledge my loyalty to you. I can willingly give you power over me because I know you’d never use that power unless you absolutely had to. I’m tired of living in pain.”
I wince at his words.
Nyx looks over at me. “You really going to let him go?” He asks mind to mind.
“He’s my best friend, and I hate that he’s suffering because of me. I’d do anything to protect him.”
“You know that once you are exiled, you can’t go back. The Moonlight pack will never accept you again. If you ever choose to leave the Bloodmoon, you’d become packless unless another pack took you in. This can’t be reversed,” Nyx says.
“I understand. I want to become a Bloodmoon.”
“So be it,” I say. And without warning, I let my magic flare.
Usually, a witch would have to be involved, but I have enough power for this.
With a wave of magic, mine sweeps through him, ripping the runes from his body, the moonlight from his veins, the very essence of who he is from him.
I strip him bare until there is nothing left.
No magic. No moonlight. No gold flecks. Nothing that represents the Moonlight pack.
Emeric’s body twists in pain, but he doesn’t fight it.
He knows it’s the last pain I will ever cause him.
Seconds last minutes, minutes last hours.
It’s a slow process, one I wish I could change.
Every time I see a wince of pain on Emeric’s face, I want to step in and stop it.
A lifetime of watching him in pain is the only thing that prepares me for this moment.
Finally, it’s done. My magic stops. And our bond is severed. And my best friend feels like he’s been ripped from me. I didn’t realize until now how much I’m connected to him. How every thread of me is twisted with him. Until now.
Riven walks over to me and pricks my finger with the edge of a blade. “Can you feel that?”
Emeric nods.
Lumi, who looks on the verge of tears, says, “It didn’t work?”
Riven says, “Not until he pledges loyalty to another. His curse is about putting Ambrose first. To undo it, he must put himself first. Or at least another first. I thought maybe just denouncing the pack would release him from the curse, but it’s not enough.
It’s about undoing your individual curse. ”
Emeric looks to Nyx
“Do you, Emeric, want to initiate into the Bloodmoon pack? Do you promise loyalty to us above everyone else? Above all, you used to call a friend?”
“Yes,” Emeric says.
The air shifts, the ground shakes, the word spins.
I grab onto Lumi, terrified that she’ll be hurt again.
That is, until I see Emeric’s face. He takes a deep inhale, letting the oxygen fill him up completely.
Pink warms his cheeks, and his shoulders slump in a way that I haven’t seen since we were kids.
For the first time since the curse took root in us, Emeric is able to relax.
He did it. I know without testing it. It’s been years since I’ve seen him looking this free.
He smiles.
Riven pricks my finger again.
“Nothing,” Emeric smiles.
I do too. Despite what it cost me.
“So what does it mean for Ambrose breaking his curse?” Nyx asks.
“My best guess for Ambrose to break his curse is for him to stop loving Lumi and her to start loving him,” Riven answers.
I look at Lumi, and as she stares back at me. “That’s impossible, isn’t it?” She asks mind to mind.
“I hope you’re still capable of loving me. But me hating you seems like an impossible task. You’re my mate. I’m finally able to love you. Undoing that in any real way would be hard. And would severely test our future together.”
“I’m sure I could find ways to make you hate me,” Lumi says, flicking her eyes to Nyx.
My body stills, cold as ice. But I answer honestly, shaking my head. “There is nothing you could do to make me hate you.”
She doesn’t say there is little chance of her falling in love with me. The problem is me hating her while she loves me at the same time.
“You underestimate me. Because I can think of plenty of things I could do that would leave you hating me,” she says.