Chapter 153: A wounded, furious wife

By the time Alyssa returned to the estate with Alec, Dorian was already back. The Rolls Royce was parked in the driveway, the same Rolls Royce he had sped away in while she stood screaming his name on the porch.

So he came back and didn’t even bother looking for me at the Academy, she thought, her fingers tightening around the strap of her handbag. The realization sparked a far hotter fury than she was prepared for.

She walked up the front steps, her chin held high. Voices drifted from the living room as she crossed the foyer with Alec trailing silently behind her.

Nina was there, speaking in a low, measured tone. Seated around her were Dorian, Elvira, Jake, Anthony, Pandora, and Henna.

Every eye in the room shifted to Alyssa as she crossed past the archway toward the stairs. However, she couldn’t help but notice how close Elvira was sitting to Dorian. Her thigh was pressed against his, and a bitter wave of jealousy sliced through Alyssa’s chest.

Dorian caught her gaze. He rose to his feet, taking a tentative step toward her, his eyes searching hers as a relieved smile touched his lips.

But Alyssa didn’t smile back. She turned her face away, ignoring his gesture completely, and reached for the banister when Nina’s quiet voice halted her mid-step.

"Luna Alyssa?"

Alyssa froze at the base of the stairs. The last thing she wanted was to play audience to a household meeting while another woman practically hogged her husband.

"Yes, Nina?" she answered flatly, without turning around.

"Could you join us, please? It’s important you hear all that we’ve discussed."

Alyssa let out a slow breath. She wanted nothing more than to retreat to her room, but she knew running would change nothing.

Turning on her heel, she walked back into the living room. From the corner of her eye, she felt Dorian’s intense gaze following her. He gestured subtly for her to come to him, but she walked right past him, taking a seat beside Pandora and tightly crossing her arms.

Where did he expect her to sit? On his lap? Or squeezed between him and Elvira who looked as if she was trying to melt directly into his side?

"Well, here I am," she stated. "What is it?"

Nina cleared her throat, her eyes darting nervously between Alyssa and Dorian. The air in the room was so tense and thick with unexpressed rage. She waited until Dorian slowly lowered himself back into his seat before speaking.

"It concerns the mate bond between the Alpha and Elvira," she began carefully. "The surge he experienced this morning was triggered by a complete lock down on his bond with Elvira. He was incapable of resisting the pull because the bond has been sealed."

Alyssa frowned, looking at the healer in confusion. "Sealed? What does that mean?"

Nina looked uncomfortable under Alyssa’s sharp stare. "According to ancient texts, it’s when two fated mates are bound by a force too intense to be broken."

"I still don’t understand," Alyssa said.

"Let me clarify," Nina explained gently. "Originally, Alpha Dorian’s demon blood prevents him from feeling the mate bond. He was never meant to find a fated mate, but he did, and his soul became tethered to Elvira’s. Because the bond has now been forcibly locked, he will never be able to reject her."

Alyssa snapped her head toward Dorian. He was already staring back at her, his eyes dark with unspoken desperation, silently pleading with her to understand.

She looked away, turning back to Nina. "What?"

Nina nodded somberly. "Yes, Luna Alyssa. And as it stands, there is no ritual or procedure that can break the bond, except death. Furthermore, Elvira cannot leave the Northern territory because distance would induce an excruciating agony that would eventually kill them both."

Alyssa’s head was spinning. Just when she believed Dorian would break the remaining shadow of his past and return to her, another nightmare had already locked them in place.

She could feel the sympathetic gazes of the entire room, but she ignored them completely.

"Is that the only way a mate bond can be locked down?" she asked finally. "Through soul-tethering and sealed bond?"

Nina nodded slowly. "It is the only way recorded in ancient texts. If there are other ways, then they fall outside my knowledge."

She leaned forward, pointing to the object hanging around Elvira’s neck. It was a flat wooden talisman, etched with symbols and runes drawn in black ink.

"The talisman will keep the surge of the mate bond under control, and it will prevent Alpha Dorian from losing control to the pull. Elvira must wear it at all times without exception while I continue researching for other ways to break the bond without anyone dying."

The reality of the situation crashed over Alyssa in waves. How was she expected to live like this? How was she supposed to wake up every morning and pretend her marriage was intact while her husband’s fated mate resided beneath the exact same roof?

And what would happen the day Elvira decided to remove the talisman? Would Dorian fight it, or would he fall back into her arms?

She slowly lifted her gaze to Elvira. The woman was already staring straight at her. And just as Alyssa had caught earlier that morning, a faint smirk curved the edge of Elvira’s lips before she quickly masked it behind an expression of innocence.

This was all her doing. She planned it all. But Alyssa had no evidence. Without one, no one would believe her, not even Dorian. They would think she was trying to get rid of Elvira.

She stood up abruptly and marched straight for the stairs without speaking to anyone.

Once her footsteps faded completely, Dorian let out a long, ragged exhale and looked at the healer.

"I’ll talk to her," he murmured. "I’m the one she’s upset with. Thank you for coming, Nina."

"Just doing my job, Alpha," Nina replied and rose to her feet with her medical bag. "Remember, Elvira. The talisman shouldn’t leave your neck under any circumstances."

"I understand..." Elvira began softly, but Dorian coldly cut her off.

"I will ensure it stays around her neck," he muttered. "The day she removes it is the day I kill her myself."

Without another glance at Elvira, he stood and walked Nina out to the front porch. As they stepped into the quiet afternoon air, Dorian questioned her in a low tone.

"Any progress on the amulets meant to keep the shapeshifters away?"

Nina shook her head. "None yet, Alpha. But I am working on it."

Dorian nodded, then voiced the question that had been burning in his chest since Nina arrived. "You haven’t spilled the truth about Alyssa’s bloodline to anyone, have you?"

Nina let out a soft sigh. "No, Alpha. I gave you my word that I would keep the secret."

"You didn’t exactly give your word," Dorian corrected sharply. "You just walked away."

"I was in shock, and I apologize if my departure seemed disrespectful," Nina said quietly. "Have you uncovered the nature of her other half?"

"Not yet," Dorian replied, his jaw tightening. "But I will. Thank you for coming, Nina. You may leave now."

Nina bowed respectfully and made her way down the driveway. Dorian remained on the porch for a long time, staring into the quiet woods as the cold reality of his situation settled over him.

Finally, he turned and walked back inside, his heart pounding heavily in his chest as he made his way toward the bedroom.

He had a wounded, furious wife waiting for him, and he needed to beg for her forgiveness.