Hector's POV
I knew I was hard on Athena, but I needed her to understand the seriousness of her actions. She had always been the more sensible out of us so to see her make a split-second decision like that, it was terrifying. It wasn't just her life she was now risking but that of our pups. If something happened to either of them it would finish me. Axel had been distant since he returned. His pup placed in the children's ward at the hospital as he refused to bond with her. Everything had turned from bad to utter shit. We were avoiding each other even though we knew we needed to be together to accomplish what needs to be done. To harness the power of my mates it would likely kill me, but that was the duty of a silver wolf. To protect the gifted wolves. I had blocked out the emotions of my mates, their feelings blending and merging with my own it felt like my head would burst.
Knowing we wouldn't have long until the evil bitch reared her ugly head again, I headed to Axel's office. I knew he was in there I could feel it. I didn't want to talk to him, not yet but what choice did I have.
"Hector I..." his eyes shot up as I entered the office. Those gorgeous green eyes had once made me feel lost while calm and collected, but now they pissed me off. I didn't want to be mesmerised by him.
"Don't even open your fucking mouth. All I want you to do is sit there, shut up and listen. We have got twenty minutes until your mum comes back; we need to prepare. Read this and it will explain" I cut him off and threw the book I had been reading at him.
"We can't do this. Not with Athena pregnant and my wolf now being dormant. You would have to be the one to wield it and that's not happening" Axel pushed the book across the table before continuing to write whatever the fuck he had been writing. Why did both my mates feel like they had a right to say what I could or couldn't do.
"I'll tell you what I told Athena. I'm not asking your permission. I'm doing it end of. Now get your head out your ass and be outside in ten. We need to link ourselves and to do that you need to bleed into some special bowl along with Athena and then I have to drink it. That way I'll be channelling each of you. It's the only way to stop her. She has already ruined everything, do not let her harm our pup to" I turned to leave when Axel stood and called for me to wait.
"Let me explain... please"
"Then explain because right now I don't want to be anywhere near you for any longer than I need to be. Athena has snapped her emotional state is fragile and because of your feelings merging with my own I've treated her like utter shit. She deserves better Axel"
"Thor has been craving Vanessa's touch since we marked each other. I have been denying his feelings for as long as I could, but when I saw her... it was like raw instinct took over. The need to touch her, to kiss her, to feel myself inside her. I know you all think I'm in the wrong and yes in a way I am, but I was marked by her first so whether I like it or not the bond drew me to her with such a force. Since that night it's become harder and harder to forget her, to see her as the home wrecking slut I knew she was. I'm disappointed in myself for giving into the mate bond when I knew I should have just found her and bought her back" Axel had moved around the desk, his hand slowly moving up my arm. "Those sparks I know your feeling at my touch, that's what I felt when Vanessa touched me, only they were stronger because of the absence we had"
"An yet I can pull away" I snatched my arm from his touch, a look of hurt and rejection flooding across his face.
"Yes, because we have been together since we completed the marking process. That's my point. When Vanessa touched me, it was like all control abandoned me. We hadn't been near each other since the day I tortured her. Even then when she felt the pain so did I. I needed to, I needed to associate Vanessa with pain, but it didn't work. My will snapped Hector. If you had been away from Athena and me for more than twenty-four hours, then the same would happen to you"
"Axel, I know the bond is strong, the pull we feel to our mates hard to ignore. But think about how Athena feels. Vanessa was her twin sister. A sister that abused her relentlessly over the years. Did you know she tried to take her own life last year? Well, that was because of Vanessa and my sister. The sister I'm finished with. Athena is well in her right to hate you and right now I don't particularly like you either"
"How is she?" Axels eyes fell to the floor as he sat on the edge of his desk.
"She killed her sister without a second thought and she's pregnant. How do you think she feels? If I were you, I'd give her some space and prove to her that she needs you. Judging by her emotions she wants to reject you so if that's what you want fine. If you don't want her to reject you then I suggest you prove to her why you deserve her. She rejects you and I will to. I mean it Axel, I chose her over my fated mate and I'll choose her over you. Now hurry up and get outside" walking out of his office I felt utterly lost. Just last week everything was great, but now... now I just didn't know what to do.
Finding Luna Angel outside also with Alpha King William, I watched them set everything up. This was the only chance we would get, it had to work. Athena came out Alpha Jakes arm over her shoulders as they headed towards me. Athena smiled upon seeing me but one stern look from me and she immediately glanced to the floor. A rush of guilt and sadness hit me like a ton of bricks causing me to stumble. Athena was hurting, she had lost everyone and here I am being a total dick towards her. Hanging my head, I sighed before walking over to my mate. Jake growled at me, a warning not to hurt or upset her further, she was in a fragile state that much was clear. As he walked towards his mate I pulled Athena to me, and as I did her flood gates opened. Tears poured down her face, my t-shirt soaking them up.
"I'm sorry Athena. I really am" I mumbled into her hair as I breathed in her scent letting it calm me down. Eventually her breathing evened out and her tears came to stop. She needed this embrace just as I did. She looked up at me her eyes a brighter blue from where she'd been crying. After a moment she went to say something but when she noticed Axel come out, she went back to being silent.
Axel looked at me and Athena before walking over to where Luna Angel was waiting with Henrik. They had bought him to do the spell. We needed someone we could trust and that was him. On the ground a pentagram made from salt had been drawn on the floor. A candle place where each symbol overlapped.
"Right Athena, I'm ready for you" I walked her over to the pentagram where Henrik stood at the side. "I just need to slice your palm over the bowl my dear. Thank you." Athena just stared at the cut in the palm of her hand as the skin began to knit itself together again as she healed. "Alpha Axel? Your turn" Axel stormed over and took the knife from Henrik slicing his own hand so the blood would mix with Athena's in the bowl. Handing the knife back he stepped aside giving Athena the space she needed.
Henrik told us what to do step by step. We only had one chance and had to get it right. I stood in the centre of the pentagram while Athena stood to my left and Axel to my right. Both of them standing on the joins of the symbol. Apparently as he chants their power will trickle across the symbol flowing to the bowl that sits at my feet. Once the bowl glows I'm to drink it.
As Henrik began to chant the air around us turned cold and windy. Electric zaps tickled my skin as the pentagram lit up, the candles flames growing higher. A small whimper left Athena as her power shred, sharing enough so that I could channel her. Axel just stood there his eyes and fists clenched tightly as his power began to join Athena's, both racing to the bowl on the ground.
"Hector now" Henrik's eyes were milk white as he gave my instruction through his chant. Looking at the bowl of blood it now glowed. Picking it up I bought it to my lips and downed the blood in one. It was fucking disgusting, how vampires could stomach it was beyond me. It was a struggle to stop myself throwing it back up. My entire body began to heat up. I could feel the intense burning that Axel felt when his anger reached the surface. The calmness of Athena's power sent a cold chill through me chasing away the burning heat. I felt stronger, more energised, and powerful as hell. Bring on the witch bitch.