Cure
1018 Words
----Cure----
***Lanie's POV***
My mind was just a complete mess. My heart raced and crashed at the same time as the Evermoon home came into view. What was I going to do? What was I going to say? How was I going to be able to walk away from my heart?
I felt like I stayed outside for a while, looking at the house, before a familiar man ran over and scooped me up into his arms.
"Lanie!! I thought I could sense you! Why are you out here alone?" Alec spun me around with his arms around my waist before setting me down.
His lips found mine as electricity shot through my veins. I missed him so much. My heart fractured into pieces at what I knew I had to do. For his safety and for my mother's.
Pulling away from the kiss, I regrettably pushed him away while confusion washed over his face.
"Lanie, why did you push me away?" His voice sent shivers of regret down my spine. It killed my soul to see the pain in his eyes.
"Alec… we need to not see each other anymore." My eyes shot down as I bit my lip hard.
"I need to get this flower ready before it's too late. Please excuse me." Hurriedly, I ran inside carrying the flower to my mother.
"Lanie.. why…?" Alec whispered, watching her leave.
"Mother! I have the flower!" I tried my best to keep an upbeat tone to not have her suspect anything.
She didn't say anything or move. Fear paralyzed me as I set the flower casing down and rushed over to see if she was still breathing.
Placing my hand above her mouth, I felt bursts of air escaping from her mouth. Thank the goddesses. Placing my head on her forehead, she was burning up. Shifting around, Mother groaned.
"Sophie… Sophie, is that you? You've grown so much. Have you found your wolf?" She groaned in what appeared to be a fever nightmare.
"Sophie…? She must mean Sophia!" Running out of the room, I found Sophia carrying new bedding upstairs.
"I think mother is calling for you, but she is saying 'Sophie'?" My eyebrows furrowed in the confusion.
"She has had a fever since you left. We've done everything we could to control it. Do you have what you need?" Sophia tilted her head curiously.
"...Yes…" I looked down, not being able to keep eye contact as my thoughts went back to Alec.
"Let's heal mom up first and then you need to tell me what happened. I know when you don't look at me, it usually means there is bad news."
We went into the room as I made tea with the petals and sprinkled the pollen in some applesauce. As gently as I could, I nudged mother awake with my hand.
"Mother… wake up. I'm back. Please eat and drink this. You'll feel better in no time."
My mother woke up with a start, her eyes bewildered.
"Where are Rebecca, Michael, and Sophrona?!" My mother looked delirious as her head quickly snapped around the room.
"Who? Mother… you must have had a vivid dream." I rubbed her arm to calm her down and handed her the tea and apple sauce.
"Have these. You'll feel better soon. I promise." Tears threatened my eyes.
My mother slowly ate the applesauce and drank the tea while color returned to her face and she didn't look flushed from fever.
Her eyes started to look normal and full of life again as the flower seemed to lift years away from her wrinkled bones. She looked younger, more vibrant.
"I feel wonderful!" She smiled happily as even her voice sounded younger.
"How did you get the flower? Please don't tell me…"
Looking over at Sophia and back to our mother.
"I was so close to stealing one from where the Witches' Guild grew them. I was caught by the Elder and his son. I was forced to go back to the Elder's home. He gave me two choices… well one really. I could take the flower if I agreed to marry his son, Blaze. I apparently was arranged to marry him before we ran away…?"
"Is that why you broke up with me?" Alec appeared in the doorway, scowling with his arms crossed. His aura reminded me of a wounded and pissed off animal. I looked down guiltily.
"They threatened to kill my mother if I didn't comply… to kill you. I had no choice, Alec."
Sophia gasped as she hugged me tightly.
"Sis…"
"I'd like to see them try. You're my mate, Lanie. I'm not going to let you go that easily." A primal, possessive growl sounded from Alec which made me flinch more in guilt.
"Please… please don't make this harder than it needs to be. I don't want to formally have to reject you. Please… it's over, Alec. I need to do this to save my family and probably to prevent a war. Please understand. I love you and I'm doing this because my family and you are my life. I couldn't bear to see them find out about Sophia and harm my niece or nephew. They won't stop at anything to get what they want." My breathing hitched as my heart plummeted in my chest. I knew I had to sacrifice my happiness to save them the wrath of the guild.
"You are MY MATE!" Alec screamed and punched the door frame angrily. "I'm not going to lose you to some jackass in a cloak."
"It has to be this way. Find another mate." I sternly said but my insides felt like someone had taken a knife and stabbed them over and over.
A roar of anger and frustration sounded from Alec and he stormed off while I burst into tears.
"What have I done… I needed to do this… I had to.. I had no choice…"
As if the rest of the people melted into the background, I ran up to the window and saw him storm outside, shift into a wolf and run off.
"Alec…"
- Writer
