The Alpha's Curse The Enemy Within

It was still the early hours of dawn, and darkness still lingered outside. | woke up earlier than usual the next morning. | had a few matters to tend to in my office today, and | wanted to get over with it before Sheila wakes up. I didn't plan on leaving her side for the rest of today and during tonight's ritual. didn't ike the state she was in these past few days. Everything was getting to her. The coming war, this dark magic, and Amelie visions.

Oh, goddess! 1 collapsed into the chair in my office, rubbing the exhaustion off my face. I had to admit, Sheila's words about Amelie's vision had hit me badly. | knew Amelie’s visions were always accurate, but | also do believe visions, especially ones that were of the future could always be changed if we thread differently. And Sheila was right, the

important thing now was finding the vessel and ending this darkness before the war.

1 pulled myself out of my thoughts and glanced at the darkness outside the window. I had to be done soon. | forced my full attention into the work | had to do too.

An hour later, | was all done. I glanced at the window again, and the darkness outside had begun to fade. | left my office, making my way to my chamber. | grabbed the door and pulled it open, stepping inside. The first thing that caught my attention was the empty bed.

My gaze scanned the chamber and Sheila's scent was everywhere but she wasn't in.

I growled in frustration. Sheila was so fucking stubborn. Maggie had stressed the need for her to pull back from everything and rest, but Sheila just didn't get it. What the hell does she want me to do if something bad happens to her? Fuck, Ill die.

looked around and her boots were not where they were supposed to be, and so was her cloak. That means she didn't go training.

Immediately, | headed to Valerie's spell room where she would be.

Without a second knock, Valerie pulled the door open. She was dressed already. | scanned the room, but there was no sight of Sheila, and | couldn't even pick up her scent. She hadn't been here.

“What happened?” Valerie asked.

“Did Sheila come by?" | asked nonetheless.

Valerie shook her head. "No. Why?" “She wasn't in bed when | came in, so | thought she might be here,” “She must be somewhere around. Do you want me to help you find her?” she offered, but | shook my head.

“There's no need, I'l find her," | said. "Where are you going?" “The Council. We have few preparations to set up before the ritual.”

1 nodded, sighing. “Alright, I'l leave now.” After | left Valerie, | mind-linked a warrior to check the witches’ quarters and find out if Sheila was there. But she wasn't. That confused me more. Where could she be? 1 left the castle and tried to mind-link her but I couldn't. Now | was getting worried. | began to track Sheila through her scent, and | was confused when it led me out to the East territory borders.

What was she doing here? I scanned around, but | couldn't see her, and it was difficult to pinpoint where she was because Sheila's scent was everywhere. | focused more, and it began to lead me into the woods.

I moved hastily in the fading darkness, halting instantly on my tracks the instant my eyes fell on Sheila. She was standing a few distance away from me in the middle of the woods, doing absolutely nothing with her back to me.

I moved closer to her. “Sheila,” | called to her but she didn't budge. It was as though she couldn't hear me. | invaded the distance between us, and hurried to her, grabbing her wrist. She was as cold as fucking ice.

“Sheila,” panic and fear rose within me as I spun her around to face me, but instead, her legs gave up on her and she was about to crash on the ground. | was quick to catch her, pulling her in my arms. Sheila went unconscious, and her cold body had me scared.

“Sheila, wake up,” | rubbed her arms, trying to warm her up. I called her name once more and she gasped awake, her breathing was fast and erratic.

I sighed in relief, pulling her close to me for a few seconds, before breaking apart.

“Where are we, Killian?" Sheila rushed, her blue eyes scanning through the forest. "What are we doing here?”

“Exactly what | want to know. Why did you leave the chamber without informing me? You promised me you'll rest, why did you come here?" As | kept bombarding her with so many questions, I felt her heart beat faster.

“And | did, | fell asleep and—" her blue frightened crystals got drowned with tears. “Fuck, Killian, | don't remember coming here,” She broke into tears, shocking me.

I held her tightly. "Sheila—" “No, Killian. No," she broke out from my arms. “This is the second time | can't remember anything. Something is wrong. | can feel it, something is wrong with me,” she was in tears moving around as if trying to understand why she was here.

1 rushed to her, “Sheila, stop!” I held her in my arms, wiping off the tears on her face. "Enough, please," I rested my forehead on hers, and she became still, inhaling my scent, but her tears never stopped

flowing. It killed me to see her like this. | hated it when she was in tears, all | wanted was to stop her tears.

“Killian, something is wrong with me,” she repeated after many seconds. "Please believe me.” I closed my eyes. "Maybe as Maggie said, you just need rest, Sheila," | began calmly. “But just to put you at ease, we could get to the bottom of this. There must be something you or Valerie could do to help you remember, right?" | asked, and her breathing was getting calmer.

“Yes. You are right,” she sniffed, wiping her tears. "Let's go to her now. | can't perform the spell on myself,” she held my hand, pulling me, but | stopped her.

“She has gone to the Council," | informed, and she thought for a second.

“Lorenzo will help us,” she said and | nodded. We headed back to the castle as daylight covered us.

From afar, Jax and Allen came to us, lowering their heads. Just by the looks on their faces, | knew they had something to tell me.

"What?" “The Council sent word, they would like both of your presence immediately,” Allen informed us and | couldn't stop the groan that vibrated from my throat. At this point, | would kill to have a break and a peaceful moment with my mate.

“And Morgan?" | asked.

“He left for the Grey Wolf pack already,” Jax replied and I exhaled, remembering Alpha Regan, one of the Alphas from the southern regions, had pleaded with us last night to allow his army to join ours in training.

“Alright, thanks,” | dismissed them, and my eyes shifted to Sheila.

“You don't have to come now. I'll go, while you have some rest and see Lorenzo.” “Alright,” she sighed, nodding, falling into her thoughts, but | pulled her attention back to me quickly.

“We will get through this, Sheila, as we've done in the past,” | whispered to her, kissing her tear-stained face. *I promise.” Sheila's point of view It was almost noon, and to the best | could, | tried to keep my promise to Killian and have some rest, even though I couldn't get my mind off anything. | couldn't even stomach the meals Ria brought to my chamber. And now, all | wanted was answers to so many questions | had.

I was in the woods, exactly where Killian found me, trying to make

sense of something. But the hours that wandered by left me with nothing. No signs of what | was doing here, or an inkling as to why | had come out here. Nothing.

I started back to the witches’ quarters to meet Lorenzo and | found him in the witches’ spell room, engrossed in some spells. Once he noticed my presence, he stopped chanting. His dark eyes took me in as | walked in.

“Sheila,” he called, joining me at the table. “I thought youd be at the Council by now.” “I had some things to think about here, and Killian insisted | need some rest," | said, settling on one of the chairs, and so did Lorenzo.

1 decided to cut to the chase. “Enzo, | need your help to perform a spell on me,” 1 said and his brows crippled.

told him everything, including the fact that I kept having blackouts

and the favor | needed him to help me with, just like the last time when I needed to know about my past. And he agreed to help.

He went around and picked up some necessary items, before coming back to me. He drew closer to me, pulling his hands to my temples, his dark eyes plunging into mine. “This will hurt,” he warned and | nodded. | had prepared myself already and | wanted to get answers.

Lorenzo began to chant and | felt a strange feeling in the depth of my soul, almost as if there was a cold, fathomless void within me.