Benjamin’s POV
For years I’ve longed to find the one for me. Always so alone, I’ve never had anyone to fully show myself to. For the past week, my dreams consisted of always running and never being able to reach the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid eyes on. A pair of big brown eyes would never look right into mine, someone else was always clouding her sight. At last, my fingers would graze her skin, the closest I have ever been. Feeling my electric touch she turned around with those rosy lips parted slightly in surprise, finally noticing me all of the sudden as the clouds dispersed from her line of sight. I believed this was only a dream, a fragment of my imagination but it seems the real world has a sick way of turning my dreams true.
Now Diana’s eyes were solely focused on her brother as if she didn’t feel the electric shots going through her body with my close presence. I couldn’t stop glancing at those lips pursed together in concentration. Her hair was a beautiful mess of curls that tickled my skin ever so softly.
“Somnum,” I whispered leaning down to say it in her ear. Like in my dream she turned those doe brown eyes towards me, finally noticing what she has been blind to before. Those lips were parted just tempting me to finally kiss the most stunning woman I have ever laid my eyes on.
Before I got the courage she got out of her daze and turned her eyes back to James.
“Somnum,” She whispered but nothing happened because she wasn’t pronouncing it the same way as I was.
“Say it again,” I ordered and she rolled those pretty eyes at me, probably thinking it wasn’t going to do anything.
“Somnum,” She said letting her voice get drifted in the wind for it to reach James's ears in unique soundwaves that caused his body to shut down with the mere sound. His body gave out as the spell hit his ears doing its magic. James was not hurt in any way by this, he was only put to sleep for a while.
“You’re a natural,” I said pushing off the tree I was leaning on and standing up straight again as her eyes were back on me, giving me their full attention.
“Most witches can’t let their magic be focused as a spell of the mouth. There are four types of spells. The ones you speak out loud are focused mainly on the control of the body itself. For instance, there is a spell you can whisper into someone’s ear to get them to tell the truth. Yet, by doing that spell you’ll be giving something away in return since it’s pushing magic the way you want it to work. Getting the body to do something that is not physical. When it’s related to something out of the ordinary it becomes black magic.” I said slowly cutting off what I was saying because her big brown eyes looked so stunning as the sun cast down onto her. I took in a deep breath to keep myself back on track of what I was saying. “Spells with symbols are another way to focus your magic. Spells while using a gem is popular since you can channel black magic in there instead of inside your body where it can possess you.”
“I don’t fuck with that kind of dark side. You’re telling me black magic can possess you like a demon?” Diana asked, already disliking the idea and realizing that’s what was inside her already, all this time.
“So messing around with healing is like messing with life or death. It is an unusual power so it’s connected to black magic. And... that is what is inside of me as we speak?” She asked feeling terrified, chills ran down her arms causing goosebumps to appear. I remember feeling the same way when my father healed my hand and I had witnessed it go inside me like a cloud of pitch black smoke. Diana never even knew it had gone inside of her.
“Don’t be scared of it, Diana. It can use your fear as a weakness against you. Right now you haven’t healed that many people so it can’t take hold of you.” I said softly, laying a reassuring hand on her arm and feeling my warmth soothe down her nerves quickly. Slowly she allowed me to bring her to my chest and comfort her. I wrapped my arms around her gently, loving the feel of her body pressed against mine. It gave me a feeling like I was finally home to someone after being a rogue all my life.
She wasn’t ready yet, or maybe I wasn’t. Could I interfere with a marked individual because I feel she is the one for me? What kind of nightmare would I be living in if Diana rejected me for Angelo who was her true mate? Diana broke away to give herself from distance and I decided to check on her brother.
So into my own thoughts, the possibility of her using her new magic on me was slim to none.
“Somnum,” Diana’s voice reached my ears and I had a second to look at her hair flowing in the wind as she ran. I was in complete surprise that she dared used it on me. She sprinted away from me trying to escape. Only she was never going to be able to get away ever again, I made sure of that. Instead, Angelo would be living in my dreams. He will never fully be able to reach her while she is here. The spell I cast took a little part of me but it was worth it. Angelo will get a taste of what I’ve been going through ever since I found Diana.
Angelo’s POV
I have been running for what seems hours, yet I can never reach the house in the distance. The strangest part is that I can see Diana between the trees faintly, just standing there watching me struggle. It motivated me to keep running but soon the hope died out like a flame. At some point, the day turned into the night so it meant I have been trying to reach her for hours. Some part of me knew something was wrong, that something was off, but I could not stop running towards her awaiting figure. My mind was only on getting Diana back when she was this close to me.
Ryan clashed into me on purpose like a bull with horns, causing me to fly out by the impact. I let the momentum take me so I could switch my body around in the air land on all fours. I turned to face him, growling to show my patience was thin right now. Crouching low ready to lunge at him, I noticed there were more people behind him so it wasn’t just him with me.
Ryan was someone that could not be fazed by much. He always wore a boyish smile to go along with his drunken state, but right now he was serious and sober. He held up his hands up showing me that he didn’t want to fight, but his eyes were burning into mine and his shoulders were tense meaning he would if it came down to it. I’ve never seen him like this so it was one of the many things that made me snap out of it.
“Benjamin must have done some weird ass witch stuff to stop us from getting to her, man. Don’t let the pack see you like this. I know you. You know how to beat this, so let’s go back to the packed house and set another plan in place.” Ryan’s brown eyes were compassionate as he understood what I was going through. His hands slowly went down to his sides when he saw that I wasn’t growling anymore. Yet, Ryan knew me better, knew not to let his guard down so fast.
I wanted to fight him and let out my frustration on someone but I didn’t. Every inch of my body was tired but I still wanted to keep running. The alpha side of me saw the state my pack was in, drained and tired. We were a pack and I was their alpha. They went wherever I went even if it meant running for hours.
A pain in my chest let me know I had fucked up as their alpha. I watched some wolves lay down on the ground panting. I didn’t even notice they were still behind me all this time, my mind was on Diana. I almost wanted someone to punch me for it. Instead of thinking like an alpha I was thinking like a desperate mate. I didn’t want to give up hope on getting my mate back but right now my pack needed to rest.
“Alright,” I said running my fingers through my hair sighing, feeling the weight of being in charge back on my shoulders. “Have someone who was guarding in the packed house come and patrol here for the night. Let’s go back.”
The tension in Ryan’s shoulder slowly eased like he didn’t wasn’t sure I was cool-headed. I proved that he didn’t quite believe my genuine reaction by patting his back and having him go stiff as a board. Ryan would let me punch him if I wished, but I only passed him and walked towards a figured crouched in the distance. Diana’s father sat there with his hands on his head and I could tell he was fighting off tears since he wasn’t alone. As the alpha, you couldn’t show weakness even if your children were taken from you. I feel for the man, I hope to never feel the loss of a child.
“We will get her back, I promise.” I gently laid my hand on his shoulder, afraid he could break with my touch. Diana's father only looked up at me through sad looking eyes that resembled hers before saying, “I already lost one child, my heart can’t bear to lose another one.”
I swallowed the big lump in my throat and nodded back. What do I say to something like that?