Page 24 of Forced By the Alpha

“I think I saw it a few days ago.Conexio Mysticum?” I asked.

She led me to a familiar shelf and pulled the book from its place on the bottom row. It was a thick tome, easily 2,000 pages of densely compacted text. I thanked her profusely and headed to my usual spot to search through the book. Although I had learned Latin as a child, my comprehension was a little rusty.

This is going to take ages.

I pulled my lapis lazuli crystal from my pouch and performed a three-turned circle over the text.

“Please, increase my understanding,” I asked the stone quietly. “Help me to locate that which I seek.”

My intentions manifested at once, and the words became clear to me as I combed through the pages. After an hour of searching, I found what I was looking for.

“‘To unleash hidden powers within oneself, the magical practitioner can draw energy from a direct ancestor,” I read. “‘Alternately, powers may manifest fully when the witch reaches maturity. In such cases, the enchanter must mate fully with her life partner to access the hidden reserves of her being.’”

My heart fluttered and sank simultaneously as I read which avenues were open to me. Either I could go back to Sparkle Hollow and seek help from my father—my only living ancestor—or I could give in to the mate bond between Franco and me. The first option seemed far more practical as a surefire way to break the curse.

I reread the passage a few times to make sure I wasn’t missing anything. It would make my task so much easier if I could link with my siblings instead, but the mystical text was clear. Assistance would only be useful if it came from a spellcaster’s magical lineage. Even if I could call on them, though, I wasn’t sure we would have enough magic to break the curse. My older brothers would be hesitant to use their magicto help an evil werewolf clan, and even though my little sisters would answer my call in a heartbeat their magic wasn’t as strong as the rest of ours yet.

Without bothering to put the book away, I hurried back to the cabins to find Franco and tell him what I had found.

The pack was still gathered when I arrived, and I could tell that their bloodlust had become heightened once more. With a pang, I realized their reprieve had been even shorter than usual. It wasn’t clear whether their violence hadn’t been fully satiated by the encounter with the rival pack or whether the curse was growing stronger. Either way, I was glad to have found a potential solution to the problem. As I watched their bickering intensify, it was obvious that a solution was urgent.

“Franco, you got a minute?” I asked. “I think I found a way to break the curse.”

His expression turned from curiosity to excitement, and I could practically feel the buzz of anticipation coming from him.

“How?” he asked.

“The library had a book about the connection spells. It’s old magic, something I’ve never tried before, but I think it could work,” I said. “You said I was the key to breaking the curse, but I don’t have the kind of power you described. This book said that I could unlock my potential by tapping into my ancestral power. If I can access my father’s magic, I could break the curse.”

Franco’s face fell into disbelief as he realized what I was saying. “You aren’t going back to Sparkle Hollow,” he stated. “That is completely out of the question.”

“Even if that’s what it takes to unlock my magic? I thought you wanted to fix this,” I said, disappointment coloring my tone.

“You know there’s nothing I want more,” Franco sighed. “But there must be another way.”

“There isn’t,” I replied.

I was lying, but it didn’t feel like I had a choice. There was no way for me to be sure that either option listed in the mystical book would work, and going back to my father for help made the most sense. It was the less drastic of the two options—for me at least.

“Soyousay,” he growled. I felt his anger wafting toward me in spite of his attempt to keep it at bay. I shivered, knowing that the monster he kept hidden could resurface at the drop of a hat. “Find another way to break the curse, Sienna, before things get worse.”

“There isn’t another way,” I whispered.

I was unwilling to discuss the other option with him. Especially when he was in this state. As much as I enjoyed kissing Franco, kissing alone wouldn’t be enough to awaken the kind of power I needed to break such a powerful and long-lasting curse. Mating fully wasn’t something I was prepared to do right now. It was too personal, especially when I wasn’t sure I could fully trust Franco. He was still my captor, in spite of the progress we had made toward understanding each other. I wasn’t ready to open myself up to him like that. Not for this.

Franco opened his mouth to argue with me again when a fight broke out among the pack. He turned to look at them, sighing in disappointment as the bloodlust took hold of everyone once more. As always, he didn’t interfere. There was no point in trying to dissuade them from satiating their needs. To do so would only postpone the inevitable.

As we watched brother turn against brother, friend against friend, I knew there was no choice. If Franco wouldn’t letme seek help from my dad, there was only one other option left to me.

“Come with me,” I said, grabbing his hand.

He looked at me questioningly but obeyed. By now, he would know that I didn’t want to watch the bloodlust unfold. All I needed to do was seduce him without arousing his suspicion about why I was doing it. Men needed to feel wanted, after all.

“Where are we going?” he asked.

“I thought we could use some space from everyone,” I said. “I’d rather be alone with you.”

As I spoke the words, I realized they weren’t a lie. Ididwant to be alone with him. The realization alarmed me, and I stumbled slightly over the uneven ground.

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