Page 58 of Hexmate

“But Atlas-”

“No,” I repeated, pulling him close. “Listen to me. We’re mates. That means we face things together. Your problems are my problems now.”

Caden’s body trembled against mine. “I can’t let him hurt you,” he whispered.

I cupped his face in my hands, forcing him to meet my gaze. “And I can’t let you hurt yourself. We’ll find another way.”

For a moment he just stared at me, his body trembling. “He… gave me an option. An ultimatum.”

I didn’t like the sound of that, but if we had options, I needed to know. “What is it? Tell me.”

Caden shook his head, tears streaming down his face. “He said I have to force you to become my familiar. By any means necessary.”

I felt my blood run cold at Caden’s words. Becoming a familiar was no small thing - it meant giving up a part of your soul, binding yourself irrevocably to a witch to be used as a magical battery. For a werewolf, especially an Alpha, it could mean Caden’s power would grow a hundred-fold. Power like that would turn even the most well intentioned of people.

“And if I refuse?” I asked, though I already knew the answer.

Caden’s voice was barely a whisper. “Then he’ll kill you. And... and make me watch.”

I pulled Caden closer, wrapping my arms around him protectively. My mind raced, trying to find a solution that didn’t end with either of us dead or enslaved.

“We’ll figure this out,” I murmured into his hair, even as doubt gnawed at me. “There has to be another way.”

Caden shook his head against my chest. “I’ve looked, Atlas. I’ve been researching all week. There’s no way to break a blood curse without...”

“Without killing yourself,” I finished grimly. I pulled back slightly, looking into his tear-stained face. “Which is not an option.”

“Then what do we do?” Caden asked, his voice breaking.

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm of emotions raging inside me. My wolf was snarling, demanding action, but I knew we needed to think this through carefully.

“First,” I said, gently guiding Caden to sit on the edge of his bed, “we need to take care of that cut.” I grabbed a first aid kit from his desk drawer and began cleaning the wound. “Now, tell me everything you know about this curse. When did your father cast it? How does it work exactly?”

Caden winced as I applied antiseptic, but his voice was steadier as he spoke. “It’s been there since I was brought into the supernatural world. I didn’t even know he did it until a few days ago.”

I growled softly at that but kept my focus on bandaging his arm. “And you’re sure he can see and hear everything?”

Caden nodded miserably. “Everything. He... he taunted me about things only you and I should know.”

My cheeks burned at the implication, but I pushed aside my embarrassment. This was bigger than my pride. I took a deep breath, trying to focus. “Okay. So, we know he can see and hear everything. But can he control you? Make you do things?”

Caden shook his head. “No, I don’t think so. At least, he hasn’t yet.”

“That’s something, at least,” I muttered. I finished bandaging his arm and sat beside him on the bed, pulling him close. “We need to think about this strategically. Your father wants me as your familiar, right? Why?”

Caden leaned into me, his voice muffled against my chest. “He says it’s so my power will finally awaken. So, I’ll finally be worthy of the Cromwell name.”

I nodded grimly. It made sense. An Alpha werewolf as a familiar would be an unprecedented source of power. “And if I refuse, he’ll kill me. But if I agree...”

“You’d be bound to me forever,” Caden finished. “You’d lose your freedom. And you’d be a source of power for me to pull on whenever I wanted. I could use you without your permission…”

Taking his hand, I glanced up at him. “But would it make you powerful enough to break the curse without killing yourself?”

Caden’s eyes widened, then darted down. I could see the gears turning in his head as he mulled it over. Finally, he looked back up, his brows furrowed. “I’m not sure. I’ve hardly tapped into my power at all, so I don’t know how far it could go.”

I took his face in my hands, kissing him softly on the lips. “Then maybe it’s time we bonded,” I said gently. “Your father thinks forcing me to be your familiar is the more powerful option. However, should you mate with me and then make me your familiar… well, you might be more powerful than him.”

Caden’s eyes widened in shock. “Atlas, no. I can’t ask you to do that. It’s too much. You’d be giving up everything - your freedom, your future as an Alpha. I won’t let you sacrifice yourself for me.”

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