I looked at her, then over at Rowen, who had walked in as Laurel spoke.
“What am I missing?” I asked, my voice soft. The water had helped more than it would have if I’d been human. “Where is Rome?”
“Rome will be here soon. At least, I hope,” Rowen answered. She gave me a look, then continued. “It hurt him to save your life. Do you understand that you were near death? That blade Faith shoved into you was coated in magic and was siphoning not only your powers as a witch, but also your life-force. You were dying. You would have died without Rome saving your life.”
My hand moved to my neck. I touched the slight indentations there that I knew had fully healed and remembered the bond and the bear that had butted me in my dreams.
It was the mate bond with Rome.
One that was only between him and me and no other.
“I’m mated…” I whispered.
Laurel and Rowen nodded before giving each other a look before looking away.
“He’s upset about it,” Laurel whispered.
I felt like my heart broke. As if I had been shoved off a cliff. He didn’t want the mating. After all this, he didn’t want the mating.
“He…he didn’t want this?” I asked, my voice shaking.
“No, that’s not what I meant,” Laurel added quickly before looking at Rowen, her gaze pleading.
Rowen shook her head. “Rome wanted this more than anything. But you see, Sage… Mating is supposed to be a consensual agreement between parties. It’s a cherished bond. When mates take that risk and leap towards another, it’s beautiful. But because of how things were, because you were dying, you weren’t able to mark him back. Not in a way that mattered. The mark on him is one of his own making. The pain that he took into himself because he marked you without your agreement. You were unconscious and dying, and he marked you to give you part of himself.”
Tears fell again, and I clutched at my chest as if trying to feel the bond. “Is Rome dying because he saved me?” I didn’t know what I would do if they answered yes.
Laurel shook her head. “But he likely feels like it inside. He blames himself.”
“What do I do?” I asked. “What should I do?”
Rowen raised her chin. “Soon, you’ll need to go to him. To reassure him in ways only you can. Because I know you. You are kind, and you are strong, and you will ensure that our alpha is whole, just as he did for you. But, first, we need to make sure that you are fully healed so you can protect yourself and others.”
I nodded. “I want to go to him. Help me get up.” I tried to move off the bed, but Laurel kept me in place. And then we weren’t alone anymore.
Trace, Jaxton, and Ash walked into the room, and I pulled the sheet up over my chest. Rowen or Laurel had dressed me in my sleep since I was fully clothed, and I assumed it was because blood covered my outfit from before. But I felt far too vulnerable at the moment for so many people to see me in bed. I did my best not to think about the blood that had been on me. Everything hurt, and I felt like I was in a fog, probably because of the drugs they’d given me.
I could face my near death because I had to. I would think about my mortality when the time came, but the fact that the person I loved most here was gone…nearly crushed me. She was gone. Aunt Penelope was dead. And it was my fault.
“She’s blaming herself,” Ash said into the void. His voice was low and devoid of emotion.
Rowen sighed. “I knew she would feel like this.” She turned towards me. “You can’t blame yourself. This was Faith and Oriel. Do you understand? You didn’t kill her. It is not your fault that you weren’t strong enough to protect her. Because honestly? That wasn’t the case. Strength had nothing to do with it. Not when you were fighting pure evil. Do not make Penelope’s sacrifice be in vain by self-sacrificing yourself or blaming yourself for what happened. You will fight and train harder to take vengeance. Get stronger. But you will not take the blame. Do you understand me?” Rowen asked, her voice a whip. Laurel smirked, and I wondered what it meant.
I shook my head. “I need time. Do you understand that I need some time to process everything?”
“We might not have time,” Ash warned. “Death magic and necromancy take sacrifice. And that’s what Faith has been doing for who knows how many years. You said before that Rupert died because of her. That was all set up. I have a feeling they were trying to curse this town long before you showed up, Sage. Why weren’t you here before? You should have been here.” Ash frowned, and I realized that was the most emotion I’d ever seen on his face.
“And why did you leave?” Jaxton asked softly, and Laurel and Rowen both flinched.
“This isn’t the time,” Ash growled. “What I do know is that Faith has been circling this town for long enough that she knows all our secrets—or at least most of them. And that means we need to be prepared. She has something up her sleeve. And so does this other necromancer we need to figure out and identify. I don’t know how they know about this town or what they want from it—other than our destruction.”
Rowen narrowed her eyes, her magic wild as it blew her hair back from her face. “Well, then, we’re just going to have to stop her. We’re stronger together.” She wasn’t looking at Ash when she said the words, but I saw his face tighten as she spoke.
“I’ll help however I can. I promise. I need to get to Rome. I can feel him inside me, and I don’t understand it. I really need to get to him first. Okay?” I hoped I was making sense.
Trace nodded. “I’ll help you find him. He needs to get his head out of his ass. And not just because of you, also with the pack.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
Trace shook his head. “You’re going to be thrown into a lot, Sage. There’s a reason matings don’t happen this way, why it sometimes takes a little bit of planning to make sure a person’s ready. But you’re strong, you’ll be a good alpha.”
I started and nearly fell off the bed. “Did you say alpha?” I couldn’t have heard him right. Because there was no way I was going to be alpha.
Trace raked his hands through his hair, looking so much like Rome just then that it was a little startling. “You are mated to an alpha now. That means, you’re also alpha. And not everybody will be happy about that.”
Laurel cursed under her breath. “Do you think this is a good time for you to mention all this?”
Trace smirked, but I didn’t see humor in his gaze. “No, but I figured it’s as good a time as any. And, frankly, she needs to be prepared. So, let’s get you to Rome. Let’s fix whatever the hell is wrong with him right now, and then we’re going to save this town because I’ll be damned if one of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever known died for nothing.”
I nodded, my heart breaking. But I pushed those thoughts away and tried to get out of bed quickly.
Rowen just shook her head. “Give us some privacy, boys. Let’s get the final herbs into her so she’s healthy, and then we will send her on her way to meet her mate. And then, we fight. Because our town needs to be protected, and I will not let another person die because of that necromancer and her senseless hatred.”