Alpha's Impossible Healer Mate

0011

Jasmine quickly led the mystery girl—who had finally returned to her senses—over to the couch and made her sit. Jasmine’s drunkenness had taken a backseat, it seemed. She appeared intrigued and amused. Something Zayden could only roll his eyes at.

“I bet you thought I was some crazy voodoo lady about to sacrifice you to some deity,” Jasmine chuckled with humour in her voice, reaching for her purse and returning with a green stone in her hand.

“Won’t you?” That was what the mystery girl asked, a frown tugging at the corner of her full lips.

Zayden took his seat back at the minibar counter and pushed the empty glass to the side, resting his elbow against the flat surface and watching them with anxious curiosity buzzing throughout his bones. He would have laughed at her conclusion of being sacrificed if he hadn’t been a witness to such gore himself. Even though it didn’t happen so frequently anymore, he knew the witches who practiced dark magic still made a living out of it.

Of course, that didn’t stop Jasmine from roaring with a peal of laughter. “What? No. Darling, I don’t need anyone to sacrifice their precious life for me to feel powerful. I have other ways to gain that power over people,” she winked playfully, causing the mystery girl’s cheeks to bloom with a light shade of pink.

Zayden couldn’t help but be amused.

“Alright,” taking a seat next to the mystery girl, Jasmine turned to face her. Placing the stone in the space between them and taking her hands in hers. “Tell me your name.”

Biting at her lower lip, the girl hesitated. But a mere exchange of looks with him, and she sighed. “Dhara.”

“Ooh, a pretty name for a pretty girl. Not bad.”

Dhara, his wolf repeated, drooling out her name and with that sick grin claiming his face, he surely liked it, too.

Drawing a deep breath, Jasmine closed her eyes and held Dhara’s hand a bit tightly. “Close your eyes and relax,” she said, the perky side of his witch friend long gone. “Let the energy flow from your hands to mine and mine to yours. Don’t think about anything but the dot of light in the dark. Focus on it. Let it consume you.”

Dhara stayed quiet for a few seconds. Zayden was glad that she at least was trying. But just when he thought he was almost on the edge of his seat, she opened her eyes and shook her head, exasperated. “I can’t.”

Jasmine opened her eyes and deadpanned. “You’re distracted.”

“Ask him to quit staring,” Dhara pouted.

Instead of scolding her for making excuses, Jasmine snapped her head up at him and glared. “Can you please not?”

He scowled. “What? I didn’t do—” but seeing that her glares only intensified, he forced himself to give up. “Fine,” and with that, he hauled his ass towards the window, pretending to look at the view of the city outside and not focused with all his supernatural senses on everything going on behind him.

“Will that work?” he heard Jasmine ask.

“I guess.”

“Come on, let’s try again. Give me your hands.”

Zayden rolled his shoulders to relax the tension in his muscles. The exhaustion of the day finally taking a toll on him. While all his men took a break from the search for the healer and went to have a drink at the club, Zayden returned to his room with the sole motive to find some rest. After a long shower, he barely moved to the bed when the bell of his door blasted, and the rest was history.

Approximately ten minutes must have passed by the time Zayden finally decided to take a peek over his shoulder. And when he did, he was satisfied with the sight of Dhara and Jasmine sitting sincerely in meditation.

He sighed. Now, all he had to do was wait. And soon, all his questions would be answered. He would know who this girl was and why she had such a strong effect on him. And whether she was his mate or not. Even though he was sure she wasn’t there was nothing wrong with having a second opinion.

Leaning his back against the wall next to the window, Zayden observed the two of them with an impatient gaze.

However, it didn’t take long for his calm demeanor to turn stiff and concerned. His mouth drew into a frown while his legs slowly led him to where the two of them sat.

While Dhara sat with an unruffled expression, Jasmine’s face twisted into something painful. Her forehead rippled with tense lines, and tears started to pour down her cheeks. She wasn’t crying, but her lips were moving frantically. Leaning forward with her eyes shut and face down, Jasmine let out a groan.

Dhara gasped.

Jasmine must have held her hands tighter because Dhara had broken out of her meditation and now seemed in a lot of pain.

His wolf growled. But Zayden growled back at him to wait. They couldn’t just barge in and break the link. It could have repercussions.

Dhara hissed with pain, having had enough of it and now trying to pull her hands away. But Jasmine held on to her hands as if her life depended on of. As if, she was seeing something that needed to be seen completely. As if, she was too close to whatever led that pain to her face.

But Zayden’s reluctance melted the second Dhara locked her gaze with him and winced. “It hurts.”

His wolf glared and growled like a maniac, threatening to jump out and take matters into his own hands. Zayden jumped to his feet. Within seconds, he yanked Jasmine back, pulling Dhara close to his chest.

“What the f**k are you doing?” he hissed, bristling with red molten anger. “You’re hurting her.”

Jasmine gasped at the realization, opening her eyes and touching her face as if to get some grip on the reality. “I’m sorry,” she panicked, gulping heavily, eyes zeroed on the moisture on her fingers. “I didn’t—Oh. My God. I’m so sorry.”

“It’s just—you,” she turned herself to face Dhara, her green eyes softening. “Dhara, I’m so sorry for what happened. You did nothing to deserve it.”

Zayden felt Dhara tensing against him. But not because she was in his arms. His grasp around her tightened, his blood rushing with possessiveness.

“What do you mean?” Her voice came out shaky as Dhara tried to get some air in her lungs.

“You, poor thing,” Jasmine shook her head, reluctant to say anything more. She bit her lip and frustratingly ran a hand through her hair. “I can’t.”

“What the hell did you see?” Zayden couldn’t keep his temper down anymore. “Say it!” He shouted, his deep voice reverberating against the walls, shaking the vase on top of the table.

“I saw her death,” she finally snapped, rendering the two of them silent. “And her blood in your hands, you asshole!”