***Conlan's POV***

"Let's go."

"Yes, Beta Conlan." Theo replied quickly and made his way to the Jeep.

"James." I growled out.

"I'll run first." He said as he stalked off towards the group leaving for the woods.

I was about to call out to him to order him back when the Gamma came out with Zara. One of his arms was around her slumped shoulders and the other was supporting her weight as she grasped on to him to walk down the steps. Her aunt was close behind popping around like a mother hen. For the life of me I couldn't calm down and it was so irritating. There was no good explanation for my reaction to her being around another male.

'An unmated male.' Karr reminded me in a menacing tone. Needless to say my temper rose a few notches and the truck's handle wasn't taking it so well. There was now a permanent dent of my thumb forever on the truck. 

"Everyone. It's time to leave."

Inside I was careful not to break the steering wheel. When all the doors slammed closed I punched the truck into drive. Hours ticked by in complete silence. By lunchtime Zara started groaning in a fitful sleep. She had dozed off just before her aunt woke up.

"Her fever is too high." The witch complained. "We need to stop somewhere and get her some medicine." In the mirror I could see her stripping Zara of her coat before she moved on to her boots.

"What are you doing?"

"I need to get her fever to come down."

"Do what you can. We're not stopping." I said with finality. "We should have already been there. I'll alert the pack doctor of our ETA."

"You better hope that there isn't any damage to her body."

"What are you saying witch."

"She's not quite human anymore, Alpha. She's somewhere in between for now. "

"What? What does that mean?"

"Eventually, at some point Zara's wolf will return." The witch stated solemnly.

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"Only if she's found her mate."

"What happens if that doesn't happen?"

Grey hair slid down her face and hid her expression as she turned away. A moment later I smelt a saltiness in the cramped cab of the truck. 'She's crying?'

"Tell me." I command as I turn to look from her to Zara. "Hhhhh" I gasped.

Zara's face was flushed scarlet and her hair clung to her face and neck. Sweat beads formed as if she just stepped out of the shower. Her white T-shirt looked like a second skin.

"She'll lose and Gwen will win this time."

'This time?' "Stop talking in riddles, witch. I'm not in the mood. Just tell me. Tell me everything."

"I don't even know where to start." She laughed.

Karr growled.

"Relax. Witch hunter." She snapped, but her hand reached to feel Zara's forehead and cheeks again. "The Siege. That's when I lost almost everything. Zara's mother, Ingrid, was killed and during that same battle Zara was taken." Her voice trembled making it sound deeper. "I thought she was dead. Like the rest of them."

"The Alpha females you mean?"

"Yes. Now I feel a bit guilty thinking that my brave girl died at the hands of that monster. But when she came back over a month later all I could feel was happiness, and determination to never lose her again. I'll never lose her again." The last bit was barely audible even for my Alpha ears.

"What happened when she came back?" 'How did she escape? Could there be other survivors?' So many questions ran through my head.

"At first the concern was getting her well. Zara was barely breathing and Gwen was so broken. The bond that was meant for her mate was taken away in the most dreadful way. It destroyed her; them. She felt guilty for surviving. Like she betrayed her mate by living. Her wolf wasn't healing properly, and Zara had to endure all the suffering."

"Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr." Karr busted through in my moment of horrified weakness.

"After a while Zara was getting better physically but Gwen began to change. While Zara was still dealing with the loss of her mother and the fact that she bore the mark of that beast, her wolf had convinced herself that. That." Hazel stopped speaking, and I feared my heart did too. I took a chance to glance back in the mirror. Her hand came up and was holding the vulnerable part of her throat as her expression was somewhere far far away. "He was her mate."

"GGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRLLLLLLLLLLLL."

The witch winced in pain while Zara curled up and whimpered. 'Back down mutt. NOW!' He was so enraged he lost all forms of intelligent speech and quite honestly I wasn't far behind. If it wasn't for my focus on the road I'd have shifted and torn apart something by now. As my breaths became more even and under control Hazel continued.

"For weeks Zara tried to mentally fight her wolf. Every day she lost a part of her sanity. One day I came in to check on her and Gwen took over Zara and slashed my throat. Thankfully I could heal myself with my magic otherwise I would have died. It was the wake-up call Zara needed to ask me to "subdue" Gwen. She couldn't shake all the guilt she was under. In her mind she was responsible for the death of her mother, her broken mate bond, and for hurting me. That's why we did what we did. There isn't anything I wouldn't do for my Little Rose."

Hazel stopped talking as soon as the royal escort vehicles joined our caravan. Nervousness filled the air. Clearly, the witch was uncomfortable with the sight of the royal emblems, and rightfully so.

"What did you and Zara do?" I encouraged.

"She asked me to sever her bond with Gwen. Completely."

Sadness overcame me. I couldn't imagine the pain that must have been involved to choose to live without a way to find my mate and to lose my wolf all in one go. In the back of my mind I can hear Karr's mournful cry.

"Then how is Zara getting her wolf back?"

"The matebond is strong powerful magic gifted by the Moon Goddess, as is the marking and mating ritual for binding the souls of mates together is unbreakable. When the beast marked her he exchanged a piece of his soul with hers in order to complete the bond. And when he found her again he didn't hesitate to claim her as his once more. Magical equilibrium was tipped in an unexpected direction. To banish Gwen the price was my magic. For him to bring her wolf back he had to give a little bit of himself, but without her wolf present, what he did instead was break my spell and in doing so he unintentionally returned my healing gifts."

"Then can't you heal her fever, and make her back wounds all better too."

"Not yet. I can feel a slight tingling like I will be able to soon, but right now I'm still powerless."

"And that's how you know that her wolf is returning."

"Yes. But that has some major consequences. Gwen was so obsessed with her false mate that it drove the both of them into madness. What you saw that day you tied her up was a taste of what it was like before they attacked me."

"Oh Goddess, Zara."

"She needs to find her mate. Mother implied that he was the answer we've been praying for, and I sincerely hope she's right, and that we'll find this 'great and loyal man'." She finished and rubbed Zara's head affectionately.

Silence followed. My stomach turned as my thoughts digested the witch's words. A welcome to "Yukon" sign appeared and passed. 'Two more hours and we'll be on Sacred Moon Pack land.'

***

"Yvette."

"Yes. Beta Conlan."

"Get a bed ready for a feverish she-wolf. Well human."

"A feverish human she-wolf. Got it." Her sarcasm that usually made me smile wasn't doing the trick.

"It's bad. She's the forced mark Alpha female survivor, and she needs urgent medical attention."

"Oh Goddess! Okay. That changes things. Don't worry. I'll prepare everything."

"Good. We'll be there within the hour."

"Yes. Beta. Does Alpha know?"

"I don't want Lawson anywhere near her."

"Oh dear. I meant Alpha Bryce." The pack doctor, Yvette, scoffed.

"I'll tell him." I gulped.

"No. No!" The witch exclaimed in alarm.

Royal guards were paired up with some of our witch hunters at the pack border blocking the road to the pack house. Pack patrol members were behind them looking tense. James let out a signal howl to stop the Veiled Moon pack and the other vehicles.

"We need to get to the hospital now. The rogue needs medical attention."

"Whose this Beta?" Ezekiel, Second of the witch hunters, asked pointing to the witch with his hag stone. I gripped the steering wheel until my knuckles turned white. 'Fuck.'

"She stays with me."

"I don't think so, Beta. You know the law." He smirked. He's been out to get me since I came to this pack all those years ago. Ezekiel Graham still hasn't gotten over the fact that I'm a better witch hunter than him and became the Beta of this pack, that power hungry little shit. 

"What's the hold-up?" A royal guard asked.

"Get out Hazel. If you go peacefully they won't harm you. I promise."

"Have we gotten soft Beta Conlan?" Graham mocked.

"She's not a normal witch. Hazel is a white witch."

"I can't wait for Alpha to hear how you're on a first name basis with a witch!" He laughed.

Hazel hugged that stupid plant they took from Zara's grandmother's house. Her round frightened eyes begged me to help her.

"Go with them." But there was nothing I could do. I have to get Zara to the hospital.

"Noooooooooooo!" Hazel yelled.

"Auntie?" Zara said drowsily.

My heart clumped in my throat as I witnessed the witch being dragged roughly away. Zara was powerless to stop them as they broke their hands apart. Her profane choice words hurled at me during the drive to the hospital were cutting into me. Normally, I'm in charge. Controlled. Even tempered. The good guy. Not right now though. Right now I'm barely hanging on.

"What is the meaning of this Conlan?! What's all this ruckus about and what's this I hear about a witch in the truck with you?" Alpha Bryce stormed over to me.

I ignored him as I opened the door to the back seat and grabbed a kicking and screaming rogue.

"Answer me Beta!"

"I can't right now Alpha. This one needs to see Yvette." I surprised myself with how calm I was.

"You." Zara said, looking at Alpha Bryce as a heavy silence followed.

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Hello readers. I'm so happy to have you here reading my story. Please let me know your thoughts! I love hearing from you! :D

(I've published 3 chapters this week! 26, 27, & 28 So make sure you didn't miss one :D)