Zodiac Aligned

10

"Why?" I asked through gritted teeth. I wanted to sink my canines into her neck for what she'd done to my brother, but I had a feeling this was important. “Why did you hope he would get you pregnant?”

Roxandra smiled, and this time it was dangerous. She carefully closed her mouth and stared at me, her eyes dancing with cruel amusement.

Anger surged through me, and I looked over at Larkin. "What happened?"

"The spell has worn off," Larkin said. "It only lasts for a short while. I'll need to cast it again."

“It’s time for a break anyway,” Ethan said, looking pointedly over at Jordan, who was still being held by Kaden against the wall. “We could all use one.”

“Let me go,” Jordan growled at Kaden.

“Why, so you can try to kill her again?” Kaden asked. "Actually, at this point, I might let you."

Jordan broke free of Kaden's hold, and I tensed, preparing for him to go after Roxandra again, but instead, he left the room without another word. I sighed and followed him out.

I found Jordan in the next conference room over, his hands clenched into fists as he stared blankly at a wall. His chest was heaving as if he’d just sprinted around the block, and he didn’t seem to notice when I entered.

I walked over to the jug of water and poured some into a paper cup. "Drink this."

Jordan took the cup and glared down at it for a moment, before tossing it back as if he could take out all of his aggression on the water itself.

“I’m sorry,” I said as he finished. “I know this must be difficult for you.”

Jordan crushed the paper cup in his hand. “Why would it be difficult? Hearing how my entire life is a lie, and that I’m nothing but a Sun Witch fuckboy?”

He met my gaze and I saw the hurt and fear behind all that anger. He hadn’t asked for this, and he desperately needed someone to help him. I stepped forward, moving slowly to not spook him, and wrapped my arms around him.

“I won't let them control you ever again." My voice grew stronger with each word. “And I’m going to find a way to break the mating bond too. I swear it."

Jordan went stiff for a few moments, although he let me hold him. I was about to pull away when he softened, wrapping one arm around me.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice rough.

I pulled back, my own anger still simmering under the surface. "I had no idea she'd done all that to you."

He looked away, unable to meet my gaze. "It started after you escaped the Leo village with Kaden. The Sun Witches took full control of my pack then, and they sent the Taurus pack after you. That’s when Roxandra…” He opened his mouth again, but nothing else came out.

I squeezed his hands tightly in mine, sympathy running through me. No one should have gone through what he had. "You don't have to say it. I understand."

He nodded, though he still wouldn't meet my eyes. “I wanted to tell you everything when you held me captive, but the Sun Witches had commanded me to not say anything about them. I couldn’t disobey or break the magic, no matter how hard I tried. Not until the moonstone necklace was on me."

I thought back to the many times I'd visited him while he was being held in this hotel, and how it had sometimes seemed like he'd wanted to say something, but couldn't. Or how he'd always push me away whenever I got too close to the truth. Something twisted in my gut. If only I’d known sooner.

Someone cleared their throat behind me, and I turned to find Kaden leaning in the doorway. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he looked intently at Jordan.

How much did he hear? I wondered. I hadn’t closed the door, so he’d probably heard everything.

As Ethan and Larkin came into the room next, Jordan squared his shoulders, tucking away the small bit of vulnerability he'd shown me. He looked every inch the Leo alpha once more.

“Thank you for your interrogation, Ayla,” Ethan said. “You did an excellent job, and we learned a lot. Your questions were very…enlightening.”

“It confirmed a lot of what we already knew," Kaden said.

"True, but a lot of the other alphas didn't believe it before. Now none of them will be able to deny that the Sun Witches have been manipulating and controlling us all this time. Not when they hear it directly from Roxandra's own mouth.”

Kaden shrugged. "True, but Roxandra is right. We can’t keep her here for much longer. It’s too risky. The Sun Witches could show up at any time and take control of the wolves again.”

A collective silence passed over us as we remembered the bloodshed during the last time the Sun Witches had gained control.

"We could use some more of those moonstone necklaces," Ethan said, eyeing the one around Jordan’s neck. He turned toward Larkin. “Is it possible to get more?"

Larkin flushed under the weight of Ethan’s gaze. “I can try to get some from the Moon Witches."

Kaden shifted in my peripheral vision, and I couldn’t help but look at him. His brow was furrowed, the look on his face troubled. I wished suddenly that I knew what was going on inside his head. I wanted to talk to him about everything we'd learned today, and my chest ached at the loss of what we'd once had.

Kaden's eyes lifted to mine as if he could feel my gaze upon him. We connected for the briefest moment, sharing a split second of our shared worries and fears, and then I looked away quickly, not wanting him to see how much I longed for more.

“We'll never get enough necklaces for everyone,” Kaden said. “We need to find a Sun Witch who will help us.”

I sighed, feeling deflated as I remembered how impossible it would be to break the mating bonds. "That's not going to happen. We were lucky to even get Roxandra."

"My mother might be able to help..." Jordan said, and everyone turned toward him with their jaws dropped. "If we can find her, that is."