Chapter 48: Elder Walan’s Suggestions

"Did you speak to your mate?" Haylia asked, adjusting Siroos’s hair with a thin layer of lavender oil.

"About what?" Siroos was sitting on a low wooden stool so his mother could easily reach his head.

"About your duty to your pack and the oath you have taken," Haylia answered, her long fingers swiftly moving through his soft hair.

The muscles in Siroos’s body tensed hearing his mother’s words.

"I will tell her eventually, can’t scare her off before our mate bond is complete." Haylia’s hands paused in her son’s hair and her shoulders slacked.

"You are becoming too attached to her, Siroos. It’s a dangerous game you are playing. Pushing Kela away and spending long hours in the nights with Cassandra. What if you lose control?"

Siroos’s anger surged upon hearing what his mother had to say.

"She is my mate. I went to fetch her on your and the pack Elders’ demand. I uprooted her from her home without her consent. Now you want me to just abandon her and keep screwing Kela?" His raging voice boomed inside his room. The wolf spirit inside him squirmed painfully at the thought of someone else touching them.

Haylia drew in a deep breath, her elder son had always been an emotional one, making decisions from his heart. No matter how tough he tried to appear he was rather soft for the people he loved.

"You will need an heir so think rationally. The mate bond is new and it is messing with your head. The feeling will intensify when you mark her tonight; how will you restrain yourself when the bond will call to be completed? It’s better to not spend nights with her and quench your physical hunger elsewhere so you won’t break your oath and doom the whole pack."

Haylia placed her hands on her son’s extremely tensed shoulders, it was like holding onto a boulder.

Siroos quietly shrugged off his mother’s hands. Her words, though true–were extremely painful. She folded them on her chest and watched her son struggle with his emotions.

"---"

The silence hovered between them like a dagger ready to wound him. He finally spoke but in a definitive voice as if giving an ultimatum.

"I won’t bed another woman. Faris’s heir can rule the lands after me. And don’t judge my control again, I am an alpha who would always honour his oath."

Getting up he didn’t glance in his mother’s direction and left the room. Transforming into an eagle he flew away. Exiting their underground abode he soared into the air and let out a screech of his frustration. Letting the wind take him far he kept flying over his lands.

Cassandra had imbued herself into his very essence, the guilt of never telling her that he couldn’t truly be hers was eroding his soul like the salty water does to iron. He dreaded the time he would have to come clean to her and feared her reaction.

What if she decided to leave? How would he stop her? By force? Hadn’t he used it before and almost made her hate him? They were finally getting on the right path, but could they stay that way?

***

Seeing Siroos leave like that, Haylia’s heart had unease settling into it. That’s not the kind of life she had wished for her son. But the curse had taken its toll on all of them.

The pack elders wished to announce at the bonding ceremony that they couldn’t mate, but knowing Siroos, he would want to deal with that privately. Haylia knew she needed to visit the Elder Walan. He was the head of the elders and all pack decisions went through him.

She left Siroos’s room and arrived outside Walan’s chamber.

She called out to him from outside. A deep rusty shaded curtain had been hung instead of a door.

"Enter Luna Haylia." He granted permission.

Pushing the curtain aside, Haylia entered his small chamber, which smelled of incense and burning wood. A small kettle simmered on the firelogs in the corner and he was just putting out a small cup without handles.

"Just in time for some cardamom kehwa, have a seat." He offered with a wisdom-filled smile.

The age had crept up to Walan; his leathered face was strewn with wrinkles like the sandy dunes of the desert they lived in. The coppery skin was all shrivelled as his tunic was held lowly over his slackened muscles. But his tall stature, strong hands and not-so-bent back revealed he took care of his health.

"Thank you, Walan." She placed her arms filled with gold bangles on the table and faced him.

Walan picked up the kettle using a spare cloth and began to pour kehwa as Haylia silently watched. The sweet steam rose as the sloshing sound of the pouring liquid could be heard.

"What brought you here? Siroos?" He questioned with a hint of a smile on his chapped lips. He placed the small cup in front of Haylia and she sighed with a shake of her head.

"I fear his stubbornness will land all of us in trouble. He refuses to have an heir or touch another woman. I am worried about him Walan."

Haylia traced the rim of the small cup with her index finger, letting the stream rise and calm her nerves.

Walan placed a plate full of dates in front of Haylia and settled opposite her with his own cup.

"Hmm! I understand. Give him time, it’s the new mate bond. I have spoken to him about this issue twice. The Valkyries have already visited and warned him of the consequences," he paused and took a sip, making slurping sounds so as not to burn his tongue from the hot kehwa.

Haylia calmly listened, making no effort to comment in between and letting the old man finish.

"Siroos understands his duty. He is forged in the hot sands of Dusartine, and being its alpha, he would never jeopardise his pack. But precaution is necessary, especially when she would go in heat. Even without an animal spirit inside her she will still experience heat cycle and the mate bond will call him to her."

Haylia slowly nodded and said apprehensively.

"Hmm, that’s what I fear too."

"To avoid any mishap from occuring, Siroos needs to continue with his old lifestyle and Cassandra should go through the different trials to prove herself worthy of being the Luna title. Engage her in duties, keep her busy. Soon he will get tired and will welcome Kela back. He already watched her dance last night."

Walan’s words held no remorse, his priority was his pack as he continued.

"Seduction can create ridges in the mate bond too. Men are simple creatures, a woman opening her legs and offering herself willingly is a temptation not everyone can resist. Kela is the key to all our problems."

Walan told her with subtle hints and plucked a date from the plate to enjoy. It wasn’t a wise decision but a necessary one.

Haylia could only nod but a horrible feeling had settled in her heart. Tearing apart two mates always came with terrible consequences and this was her flesh and blood.

Once Haylia had left Walan’s chamber, he summoned Kela. It was time to create a rift between Cassandra and Siroos, right before their bonding ceremony. Cassandra will be pissed and won’t let him touch her. She had already agreed to be his Luna so there was no going back from that decision.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by Aunomay Read