The Magic of Hecate

"Guess who's arriving in half an hour," Luciano said as I slowly regained consciousness. I opened my eyes to see Luciano's feet. I then lifted my head to see his tall body towering over me. His arms were crossed and his face wore a harsh expression.

I noticed a plate with a piece of bread and glass of water beside me. "Eat," he ordered.

"No."

"Eat or I will force you to, sweetheart," he growled in a serious tone as he crouched down to my level and placed a finger under my chin.

I scowled at him before picking up the piece of bread and taking a hungry bite of it not doubting his threat at all. It felt good to have something in my stomach again. I could practically feel my gut beginning to digest itself.

"Good girl," he said taking the empty plate and glass when I was done. "And now you are coming with me little wolf," he announced hauling me off the floor.

"I'd rather not." Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ Find_Nøvel.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Wasn't a choice," he said.

Luciano held my upper arm tightly and opened the cell door before roughly dragging me down the corridor as I fought against him.

"Stop fucking struggling,” he growled forcefully pulling me closer to him and looking down at me with an angry expression.

"Or what?" I asked daringly.

What's he gonna do? Leo will be here soon. He doesn't have the guts to cross him.

"Or your dear big cousin will find himself in a coffin,” he retorted holding my arm even tighter.

I took a deep breath, hesitated for a moment before failing to withhold my anger and instead launching my free fist towards his face. His lightning-fast reactions meant that he caught it a couple of inches from his face and practically crushed my hand in his iron grip.

"Nice try," he said before forcing my arms behind my back and pushing me forwards. "I'll be sure to make Maxy baby pay for that.”

"There is a special place reserved for you in the fiercest, most excruciating corner of hell, Luciano,” I spat.

He chuckled in an amused tone before we reached a wooden door. He opened the door and shoved me inside before finally releasing me.

It was quite a comfortable looking, well furnished and ornate bedroom with a large king-sized bed and a huge window where the mid- afternoon sun was pouring in.

"There's a bathroom through there. Clean yourself up, brush your hair and change out of those filthy clothes,” he ordered pointing to a pile of folded fabric on the bed.

"No. I'm not cleaning myself up to make it look like you've been treating me better than you have, Luciano,” I said folding my arms over his chest.

He clenched his jaw before marching forward, grabbing my wrist and coercing me towards the door of the bathroom as I resisted him.

"We can't have the Alpha seeing you in this state, can we?"

"He already has," a deep voice said.

I froze as emotion flooded me as the powerful sound of his voice emanated through the room, bouncing off every wall vibrating every ornament. Luciano paused and slowly turned around

"Let go of my mate, Luciano," it said. "I can take it from here."

Luciano nodded immediately and let go of my wrist before leaving the room entirely. I couldn't bring myself to turn around for the entire time that we stood silently listening to Luciano's footsteps fade away.

"Face me, Ella,” Leonardo ordered.

I slowly shuffled my feet to face my mate. He looked as handsome as ever but I shivered at the cold expression he wore.

It was a look of anger, fury, betrayal, hurt, stress...relief.

He stepped forward and I instinctively backed away from him. I wanted more than anything to embrace him and never let go but his expression was warning me away.

There was something off and it was scaring me.

He paused for a moment before lunging forward and pinning me against the wall. For the first time in months, I felt totally and utterly powerless against his immense strength. How could someone so easily have my entire body immobilised?

It was suffocating but at the same time, our skin to skin contact sent a wave of electrical tingles throughout my entire body. We were so close that I could feel the warm moisture of his breath on my face. It was intense.

After a couple of seconds of silence, I felt a searing sensation across my cheek that brought tears to my eyes. I whimpered at both the physical and emotional pain.

He hit me. He said that he would never hit me.

But then again I said I'd never run away yet here we are seeing each other for the first time in three months.

I looked into his cold eyes that were still a whirlpool of swirling anger. His eyes then flickered down to my lips before returning to my eyes again seconds before I felt a warmth spread from my mouth.

The taste of his lips was like breathing again after months of drowning. It felt as though a tension had been released that I didn't even realise I was holding. He eventually released my wrists and moved his hands to my waist as I ran a hand through his soft hair and continued to kiss him.

“I'm sorry, Leo," I sobbed quietly as he hugged me tightly like he was worried that if he didn't, I'd disappear again. "I'm so so sorry."

I clasped his shirt in my hands and inhaled his beautiful, husky scent. I'd missed him and I'd missed him a lot. There was no doubt about that. "You've cut your hair," he observed in a soft tone as he ran his fingers through my hardly shoulder length, sun-bleached hair.

"Yeah," I replied now crying tears of happiness. "I did.”

"I like it," he said gently brushing it away from my face and softly kissing my cheek where he struck me.

I smiled and nestled my head on his chest.

"Never run away from me again. Not even for an hour, not even for a second, understand? I don't care what the reason is. It can never be as important as your life.”

I nodded and he kissed the top of my head and held me tightly like he too never wanted to let go.

"I guess I have a lot of explaining to do," I sighed.

" “a lot" is an understatement. You can begin by telling me why on earth you've been hanging out with Maximus Megestanis. Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

"He's a changed man, Leo. He is no longer the cousin that kidnapped me to hand me over to your archenemy.”

"Then who is he?"

"The cousin that has been helping me. I'd almost certainly be dead by now without him," I replied.

"Helping you do what exactly?" he asked a hint of anger rising in his tone and expression. "The single letter you left me wasn't exactly informative.”

I sighed and sat on the squishy bed.

"Come on. Spit it out. What was so important that you were willing to leave your mate, children and home to travel halfway across the world and risk your life?"

"Do you know who Milly Megestanis is?"

"No."

"That doesn't surprise me. You're not supposed to."

“Then who is she?"

"My cousin, Max's sister. Or not really my cousin and only Max's half- sister. After Milo Megestanis died, his mate had an affair with a man named Roberto Benedetta-"

"Roberto Benedetta...he works for the mafia. I'm sure of it," Leo interjected.

"I'l get onto that in a minute,” I said. "Anyway, the reason you don't know of this girl is that Max and his brothers have been keeping her a secret her entire life. And he's done a good job. Well, that was until during the war when all four brothers were out of the house and a ten- year-old Milly slipped into the forest to look for them. I stumbled across her lost and alone when I had been separated from you. I was being followed by Ayas warriors and they were sure to have killed the two of us if we didn't run. So that is what we did. Long story short, we ended up bumping into Max, who had recently been liberated by Ayas soldiers along with all the other convicts in the Northern prison. He thanked me for saving his sister and took her back to his house. He then later returned, after spotting Ayas soldiers coming in my direction, and saved my life. I asked him what was different about Milly and he told me that one day he would tell me. Then he disappeared into exile and I didn't see him at all until three months ago when I came here, to Italy, searching for him."

"Why did you come searching for Max of all people?”

"I needed help and I knew he'd care.”

"Max caring?"

"Yes, I know it sounds ludicrous but just listen,” I began. "Since the war, I've been visiting Milly to look out for her. Sure she still has Mason, Mattio and Miles but Max was her special brother and she felt lonely and in need of someone a little softer than Milo's youngest three sons. Anyway, I still couldn't be sure what was different about her but as I spent more time with her I began to notice things. Like sometimes when I touched her hand I'd feel an electric shock like spark or if she'd think too much of Max or felt any other strong emotion weird things would happen. As she grew from a child to a teenager, these things became more frequent and more powerful and it was clear that she needed help.”

"So you went to Max?" Leo asked still confused.

"I have to say, that was still a last resort. I wasn't willing to forget what he did to me anytime soon. Firstly, I went to our library, then the Pack library, then the internet, and then a day or two of total despair until I found a key in the third drawer down of the locked cabinet in your office.”

"Locked for a reason,” he pointed out.

"Relax, I only read one or two pages of your 2004 journal. Stacy in 7th grade sounds great.”

"Hey! That's at least ten pages in!" he said with an embarrassed smile. "Anyway, the key was to that room right at the top of the house that I had never been in. Every time I brought it up you'd change the subject or refuse to answer my questions.”

"That's because the books in that library are dark. Some of that stuff has caused the pack problems in the past so my ancestor locked them away. Although I've been told about the information in those books and the chaos it has caused, I've never actually been in that room nor has my Dad nor my Grandfather nor anyone for hundreds of years."

"I could tell. I practically had to kick the door down because it was so stiff and the dust was about three inches thick.”

"I suppose you read the books?"

"Yes, and I found three of particular interest and they all related to each other and Milly's condition-"

"I don't want to hear anything about those books, Ella. It is all myth and legend that should never have left that room. They can never bring anything but evil to my pack," Leo snapped.

"Leo, you don't under-"

"I said I don't want to hear it," he repeated in a deeper tone.

I opened my mouth to protest again but he raised his eyebrow and I stopped myself.

"I ought to go and thank Luciano for handing you safely back to me," he said. "And then we will go home," he added taking my hand.

"No, Leo. I need the amulet-" I began as we walked down the hallway. "The amulet? You don't really believe that bullshit do you? It is nothing but a rusty piece of crap. And I don't want to hear another word about Hecate or a fucking amulet or Milly Megestanis or any of this. Understand?"

"Stop talking to me like that. I'm not a child,” I hissed.

"Yet you run away in pursuit of magical necklaces like you are playing some kind of make-believe game?"

"This is not make-believe,” I argued. "Milly's dad is a descendant of Hecate and she was born on the exact moment of the new moon in the Aries constellation and-"

"That is enough,” he growled roughly seizing my arm and pulling me towards him.

I fought back and managed to free my arm. Leo grabbed a hold of my waist but I thrust my elbow into his abdominal area causing him to stagger back a step or two. A second later, he responded by driving me into the wall and pinning me tightly there.

"Where did you learn to put up such a good fight? I'm impressed,” he asked as I breathed heavily.

I didn't say a word not wanting to reveal the training camp that Elena and Maria had kept so well hidden.

"I asked you a question.”

"It's been three months. I've changed a lot."

"Who taught you?"

"Max," I lied trying to avoid eye contact.

"I could always tell when you are lying to me, Ells. You know that. But since I don't really care that much, I am willing to let it go. I should just be thankful that you have learnt to defend yourself. I don't doubt that it is part of the reason that you are still alive.”

"That and Max is almost entirely the reason, Leo,” I said. "Luciano hasn't done you any favours. I was on my way to the airport to come home when he abducted me and he's drugged me twice and almost hit me and look at my fist," I said showing him the bruises from where he had crushed my hand. "Therefore you shouldn't reward him with your trust or anything for that matter. That's what he wants. And that is why he handed me back to you like some kind of object. It isn't because he cares about me or your happiness for that matter.”

"Every Alpha in the world has men looking for you. I have promised them a reward of their choosing. If my trust is what Luciano wants then that is what he shall have and besides, I don't blame him for feeling the need to drug you and although I am pissed that he has hurt you, that bruise probably wasn't undeserved. You aren't exactly cooperative,” Leo replied dragging me through the hallways of the building.

"He wants you to allow him back into the pack, Leo," I said.

"Then to show my gratitude that is exactly what I shall do."

"He is a bad man! A rapist! A murderer! Surely you can't be so willing to forgive him for the things he has done?"

"I am no man to judge.”

"But you don't tolerate rapists, Leo. That is the one thing you have never and would never be so how can you let one into the pack? Where has that moral gone?"

"I don’t think you quite understand what you mean to me, Ella. Your disappearance tore me apart. I was driven to desperation and despair without you. I was beginning to think that you were dead! Every day was more painful than the last and every day I became more thankful for the person who may one day bring you back to me. It was all I could focus on. You were all I could focus on. Morals are long gone. I will continue to thank Luciano until the day I die no matter what I think about the things he has done. And regardless, you are in no position to question my authority right now.”

"I am truly sorry, Leo," I replied quietly. "But if you don't let me get the amulet back then all of this will be for nothing.”

"I have given you my answer and you know that I do not plan to change my mind. Don't even try to argue with me on this," he grumbled taking my wrist and continuing down the hallway.

"As an Alpha, there are only a few things you can't do. Unfortunately for you, dragging a screaming, kicking woman through an airport is one of them," I retaliated.

"Good fucking job I have a private jet then," he said with a sarcastic smile. "And I won't hesitate to sedate you if necessary.”

"And so what if you think it won't work? It's not going to cause any harm.”

"I do not want that piece of junk anywhere near my pack. It has been before and it was removed for a reason," he snapped.

"What is the reason?"

"The same reason those books have been locked away for centuries,” he answered although not actually answering my question.

"I don't know that reason either,” I pointed out although thinking back to what the oracle had said about both the good and evil power of the amulet.

"You don't need to. Just know that it will bring more evil than good.” "Much like Luciano,” I muttered under my breath.

"I don't know what has gotten into you in the past three months, spending too much time with Max would be my guess, but you are back with me now and we are going to go by my rules and my orders so you can get rid of that attitude.”

"No."

"No?"

"No," I repeated. "I don't go by anyone else's rules anymore. I'm an independent wo-"

"*Were an independent woman. We're back to square one now with babysitting, door locking and me practically having to keep you on a leash. You can kiss your freedom goodbye, baby girl. And my trust for you while you're at it."

“Leo-"

"What did you expect?” he questioned. "Me to forgive you and move on like nothing ever happened?"

"I expected you to at least listen to me and maybe even try to understand why I had to do what I did. Soon Milly's power will get out of control and only when your pack is in danger and it is too late will you realise just how wrong you are," I said spitting every word with as much spite as I could muster.

I could hardly believe he was acting like this. Obviously, I knew he would be mad but this was unexpected. To deny me of everything I've worked for in the last three months? To deny Milly her only hope of regaining sanity? I didn't think I could ever forgive him.

"Why are you doing this, Leonardo?" I asked. "Why won't you just listen to me for a second?”

"Because I am unbelievable furious," he deadpanned. "I told my self for three months that there was good reason behind this lunacy. Now that I have found out that there isn't, I am finding it hard to contain my anger so please do not argue with me anymore," he added in a forced calm tone before we reached the big wooden door leading to the “throne’ room and he took his eyes away from me.

Not the reunion I had hoped for, to say the least.

So just realised that I have failed to actually press publish two days in a row so this was meant for 1st February, sorry!