Healing His Broken Luna.... Chapter 107

Chapter 20 - Curse

My eyes fluttered open and I could feel an overwhelming amount of Alpha aura around me. I was back at the hotel laying on the sofa. Lukas and his parents radiated such powerful aura's.

My eyes met the intense honey colored eyes of his very handsome father and then moved to the beautiful blue eyes of his mother. I've never met a female who radiated such a powerful aura. They had been very kind to me and didn't seem to care that I was a lowly Omega. A broken Omega.

"Syble, how's your wolf doing?" His father asked me.

"She's doing good Alpha." I replied.

"Is she able to talk to you now?" He asked and I nodded my head.

"I have a theory about your wolf, but I want to check with my in-laws who should know the answer first." He said.

"Oh no, you're going to tell grandma and grandpa already?" Lukas asked.

I wondered if he was embarrassed of me or worried about their reaction to me.

"I like his parents." Storm whispered to me.

"What is your theory?" I asked.

He looked at me with pause, as if trying to decide if he wanted to share the theory about my wolf. Then he spoke, "when we were on the beach, your eyes shifted, your wolf was on the surface. I've met thousands of wolves in my lifetime, she's strong. My wolf, Dom, scented something unusual when she emerged. Something my father in-law spoke about during his work on the shifter's council."

"What is it?" Lukas asked.

"Dom scented anise, which is usually linked to dark magic, witchcraft or curses." He told us.

"Anise?" I asked.

"It smells like black licorice. Old dark magic leaves a footprint and it's usually a faint scent like anise.

"Ouzo tastes like black licorice. I barely scented it, but it was there just after she tried to shift." Lukas said.

"Am.. Am I cursed?"

"Your wolf might be." He said just as his phone started ringing and he excused himself to take the call.

Lukas sat beside me and without really thinking I leaned into his side and felt much better when his warmth engulfed me. His scent also soothed me. He wrapped his arm around me and pulled me close as if it was the most natural thing to do.

We sat quietly for another ten minutes waiting for Alpha Dimitri to return. When he did he paced the room deep in thought before he finally spoke.

"Your grandparents are absolutely overjoyed that you've found your destined mate Son. They cannot wait to meet her and would like to see both of you at Crescent Moon soon. Your grandfather confirmed that a lingering scent of black licorice is a sign of dark magic. He's going to reach out to Alpha Trevor and see if he can get any information on Syble's family."

"So a curse is keeping her from shifting?" Lukas asked.

"Yes. We might need to find another witch or warlock to break it."

"I know where we can find a witch. Vincent Rossi down in little Italy is mated to Katrina who's a witch." Lukas said.

"We should pay them a visit tomorrow."

"Tomorrow is the humans Thanksgiving holiday. I don't think they will be open." Angelo said.

"If you're feeling up to it, we can always have dinner in little Italy tonight?" Alpha Dimitri asked me, and I nodded my head yes.

An hour later, we walked up Mulberry street in Little Italy to visit a restaurant that belonged to a wolf. We entered the red brick Italian ristorante and the waiter pushed two tables together to accommodate us. We looked over the menu as he poured wine.

"What a wonderful surprise we have here!" Vincent shuffled over to our table and bowed his head. He greeted everyone and instructed the kitchen to bring out the antipasto platters.

"Ahh Alpha Dimitri, I must say the only olive oil any good restaurant uses these days is your label. The humans are wild about your Greek oils." Vincent said.

"Thank you Vincent. The Greeks are passionate about a fine olive oil. But I'm afraid we are here to seek your help regarding a peculiar matter. We wanted to speak with your mate and seek her... expertise." The Alpha said.

"Of course, she's up the street at the other restaurant, but I will ask her to come here at once. Please make yourself comfortable, I've asked the kitchen to prepare all the house specialties for you, on the house. I recommend the seafood black linguine, it's Alpha Diesel's favorite." He bowed and scuffled off to the kitchen.

We were in the middle of eating dinner and Lukas kept putting food on my plate for me to try. At one point he even used his own fork to feed me a piece of the meatball he wanted me to try. A round woman who barely stood five feet at best walked in and shuffled over to our table.

"Hello Alpha and Luna, what a pleasure to see you again. This must be your son Alpha Lukas and other family members. Welcome." She smiled but her eyes scanned the table and met mine. "I understand you wanted to seek expert advice on a matter, I am at your disposal Alpha." She bowed.

"Thank you Katrina. My son Lukas has just found his mate and we have discovered that her wolf is having difficulty shifting. We suspect dark magic." Luna Raven told her.

"And you are seeking to undo the curse." Katrina stated and walked closer to me. She pulled out a grayish black crystal looking pendulum on a silver chain and held it in front of my face while mutter something foreign. The pendulum swung side to side and then started turning in a circular motion. She looked at me with pity in her eyes.

"She does bear a curse. The scent of anise indicates a strong potion. Do you know who the witch or warlock was that cursed you?" She asked and I shook my head no.

"If you can't shift, it's a binding curse, it keeps you bound to your human form. It takes strong magic to produce something like that."

"How do we break the curse?" Lukas asked.

"I'm sorry, It's beyond my abilities. You must either find the one who cast it or seek the help of a grand warlock." She told us.

"How do we find a grand warlock?" Angelo asked.

"The only one in the U.S. is Magnus and he's in New Orleans." She said.

"Do you know where in New Orleans?" Lukas asked.

"I suggest you try the French quarter, lots of voodoo shops are set up for the tourists but witches do operate out of back rooms. Someone should be able to direct you." She said. 

"Thank you Katrina. Your expertise is greatly appreciated."

"Anytime Alpha. I wish you all the best on the journey."

After dinner we returned to the hotel. Alpha Dimitri and Luna Raven stayed in the suite across the hall from us. They left to make arrangements for us to travel to New Orleans tomorrow in search of Magnus.

"Let's get you upstairs, it's been a long day and you should rest." Lukas said and took my hand leading me up the stairs of the suite.

"Good night you two." Angelo called out as he went to his room.

"Would you like me to run you a hot bath?" Lukas asked and I nodded my head yes.

We walked into my room and I watched as he filled the bath. He added bath salts and bubbles. I bit my lower lip in frustration, he was attractive, charming and now he was trying to take care of me. He smelled so good and all I wanted to do was cuddle up to his chest. His blue eyes locked with mine while I was lost in thoughts of him and I looked away feeling like I had been caught.

"How's Storm doing?" He asked and Storm let out a bark.

"She's okay. Do you think she'll be trapped forever?"

"Not if I can help it. We'll find a way to break this curse. Syble, do you know who my family is?" He asked and I shook my head no.

"My mother is a LaRue. Crescent Moon Pack is the largest and strongest pack in the world, it has been for over a century. My great-grandfather Alpha Knox LaRue started LaRue Enterprises and it's grown into a multi-billion dollar global company. My grandmother is not only elemental, but she's also a descendant from the God Apollo and a golden wolf. There's only one born every hundred years from that blood line." He paused a moment before he continued.

"My father is a Theodorus who also comes from an elemental line of wolves. His ancestors descended from the first werewolf turned by Zeus, King Lycoan, which makes our wolves bigger and stronger than any Alpha. My father also founded the international family company in the Greek olives and olive oil industry." He explained.

"My father's sister is mated to Hades Kappas, the petroleum tycoon, and my cousins have all taken packs. Between my uncles, cousins, and siblings, a quarter of the world's wolves belong in a LaRue, Theodorus or Kappas pack. We have lots of connections and resources. We will find every damn witch or warlock on this planet and set Storm free."

"What about you? Do you have a pack?" I asked him.

"No. I've not been interested in taking a pack, though I've considered taking a few when I was younger. When I turned eighteen, all I wanted was my mate. I didn't feel I could take care of a pack until I had my Luna. I searched and searched for years and found nothing. It would seem that the Moon Goddess has something special in mind for me."

"I was just a pup when you were looking for me."

"Ten years after searching, I figured maybe my mate had been killed or maybe the Moon Goddess didn't give me one. I lost hope of ever finding you and when I finally did, I didn't believe it."

"When did you know?" I asked.

"Luke scented you the first day, but I didn't believe him. I realized when you finally looked me in the eyes on the cliff side and the gray wolf said your name. That's when I felt the mate bond connect. I jumped over the cliff to try and find you, came across the wolf poacher at the campgrounds where they had taken you." I gasped as he told me.

"I killed him and went to the auction to find you. When I didn't find you there, Angelo and I scoured the city looking for you. You did well surviving out there alone little mouse." He smiled at me.

I realized he had inched closer and closer to me as he spoke. His scent was doing the strangest things to me and I felt myself longing to feel him pressed against me. To kiss him and taste his lips. To trail wet kisses on his neck and down his chest until no memory of Donnatella was left. Sweet Moon Goddess, what is wrong with me?

"Your bath is ready. If you need me, you know where to find me." He grinned and then stepped out of the bathroom.

I sat in the tub and was left alone with my thoughts thinking about everything he had just shared. I thought about my elemental gift, I remember hearing about gifted wolves when I was a pup and thought it was old wolf lore. His family was not only full of elemental wolves, but it was also a powerful and strong family. I wondered how I would fit in.

"We will fit in just fine." Storm said to me.

"I'm sorry you're stuck Storm. I don't know how or why this happened." I told her.

"I wish I knew too." She replied.

Lukas had dimmed the lights in the bathroom when he left. I laid back in the tub and closed my eyes. I heard Storm whimper, longing for her mate. He was a beautiful wolf and a fine specimen of a man. I wondered if the age difference bothered him. I've never considered having a much older mate. A handsome, sexy, strong ...mate.

I opened my eyes to find that it was morning and I was sleeping in my bed. I was in my hotel room this time, but I don't remember getting out of the bathtub. His delicious scent brought me comfort and peace. I felt his heavy arm snaked around me and his naked body pressed to my naked back again. I wondered how I kept waking up in this same position.