Planing 21
1205 Words
Chapter 21
I turned to Drago, holding his gaze this time.
“But we do this carefully. We understand everything first. Every risk. Every consequence. I won’t trade one kind of harm for another just because it’s hidden better.”
His expression softened, pride and concern mixing in his eyes.
“That’s why I wanted to speak to you first.” I nodded once, then looked back at the book.
“Then we start reading,” I said. “Every word. Every symbol. Because if we’re going to break something this powerful… we’re going to do it the right way.” My fingers rested lightly on the page again, but this time, there was no hesitation in me. Only a mother’s determination.
Drago didn’t answer right away, and that alone told me everything. This wasn’t simple. He reached for another scroll, older than the rest, the edges worn thin like it had been handled far too many times over the centuries. Carefully, he unrolled it across the table, holding the corners down as if it might curl back up and hide its secrets.
“It’s a ritual,” he said finally. “Not just a spell you speak. It requires all of us… and precise timing.”
Joy stepped closer, pointing to a section written in the same ancient symbols. “It has to be done under a balanced moon. Not full, not new. That’s the only time the magic won’t lash back.”
I crossed my arms, my eyes scanning every line, every marking, even though I couldn’t understand half of it. “And the babies?”
Drago’s jaw tightened. “They have to be present… both of them.”
My head snapped up. “Both?” My voice sharpened instantly. “You’re telling me we have to bring our daughter near Alpha the one she’s bound to just to break it?”
“There’s no other way,” he said gently, stepping closer to me. “The bond has to recognize itself before it can be severed. If we try to break it from a distance…” He shook his head. “It could damage them. Permanently.”
Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating. Joy spoke again, softer this time. “The ritual doesn’t harm them, Levonna. Not if it’s done right. It will feel… strange to them. Like something being pulled away. But it won’t hurt, I looked back down at the scroll, my fingers gripping the edge now instead of brushing it. “And for her?” I asked quietly. “You said it’s stronger on her side.”
Drago hesitated again, and that hesitation made my heart drop.
“For her… she may feel the loss more,” he admitted. “She might cry. She might reach for him without understanding why. But it won’t last. The spell will settle, and the bond will sleep.”
Sleep. Not gone. I closed my eyes for a moment, taking in a slow breath, forcing myself to think past the fear. This wasn’t about comfort. This was about giving her a choice.
“When?” I asked, opening my eyes again, steady now.
Joy and Drago exchanged a glance before answering.
“Tomorrow night.” That was fast. Too fast. But maybe that was the point. The longer the bond stayed active, the stronger it would become. I straightened my shoulders, every part of me still aching, but none of that mattered now.
“Then we prepare,” I said firmly. “Every detail. Every step. I want to know exactly what happens from the moment we start to the moment it’s finished.” I looked between both of them, my voice leaving no room for argument. “And if there’s even the slightest risk we haven’t accounted for… we don’t do it.”
Drago nodded without hesitation. “Agreed.”
Joy gave a small, reassuring smile. “We’ll go through it together. Every part of it.” I glanced back at the scroll one last time, my chest tightening just thinking about what tomorrow would bring.
My daughter wouldn’t remember this. But I would. And I would make sure it was done right.
Joy pov
I was nervous for both babies, Alpha and Amber. How will they react to this? We all have to be there, my brother and Levonna, my mate Randy, all of us standing together for Alpha and Amber. They are just babies. I don’t understand how a bond could be this strong. Did the Moon Goddess do this? It’s rare… very rare. Once in a thousand centuries, a pair of babies, a boy and a girl. are bound right when they are born. It’s not fair to them. How will they grow up? How will they grow up knowing they are mates? Will they end up hating each other? Resenting something they never chose? The thought alone made my chest tighten painfully. We have to fix this. We have to. Tomorrow, we will go into the middle of the woods and perform the spell, all four of us, with our babies in our arms. The thought of it made my stomach twist. I was already on edge. Alpha is only a day and a half old… the same with Amber. They don’t understand anything but eating and sleeping right now. They don’t know what’s happening… what’s about to happen. And that scared me the most.
“Joy… it’s going to be okay,” my brother Drago said softly.
I didn’t realize I was shaking until he pulled me into a tight embrace. I clung to him, trying to steady my breathing, but it wasn’t working. Levonna wrapped her arms around me next, and I could feel it, her fear, her worry, it matched mine completely. We were all terrified.
“These are our babies,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “They haven’t even opened their eyes fully yet… they haven’t said their first word… and already something this big is shaping their lives.”
I pulled back slightly, looking between them, searching for something, hope, reassurance, anything.
“What if the spell goes wrong?” I asked quietly. “What if breaking the bond hurts them… or worse?”
Silence fell over us, heavy and suffocating. My heart pounded as I looked down at Alpha in my arms. He was so small… so fragile. His tiny chest rose and fell peacefully, completely unaware of the storm surrounding him. Amber wasn’t any different, just as innocent, just as defenseless. Tears filled my eyes as I gently brushed my finger against Alpha’s cheek.
“They didn’t ask for this…” I whispered. For a moment, doubt crept in, cold and sharp. What if this bond wasn’t a mistake?
What if it was fate? I swallowed hard, pushing the thought away as quickly as it came. No, right now, they were just babies. They deserved a chance to grow, to choose their own paths… not be tied together before they even understood what a bond meant. I tightened my hold on Alpha slightly, as if I could shield him from everything.
“Tomorrow,” I said softly, though my voice trembled, “we break it… no matter what.”
- Writer
