Snow White and the Seven Wolves

12. The wrath of the king

Conroy's POV 

Six strange wolves stand around my mate. At first it's quiet but when Winter doesn't say anything they all start to argue about Winter lying about something important. Winter tells them off and then flees into the kitchen leaving a blonde yound wolf to calm the rest down. 

"Give him some space" he tells them and then they argue about Winter not deserving space. My anger builds up and I shove them all out of my way. In the kitchen I find Winter. He's holding a bottle labled Apple juice. 

"What on earth is going on, Winter?!" I grumble, but as soon as I grab his arm his face goes all pale before he passes out. I catch him just as he drops. His eyes roll back and then close. I feel his heartbeat slow down and it makes my own pound fanatically. The blond one appears in the doorway and sucks in a shocked breath. 

"No" he whispers inaudiably with a look of total horror. 

"What?!" I demand and stare at him with my most demanding eyes. He's going to tell me what's going on, and then he is going to fix it. 

"That is a potent sedative. It was meant for a big bear. I got a whole bottle so I poured it in my only free container, the apple juice bottle. Winter must have taken a sip. What are we goin to do?!" he tells me frantically and clutches his face. 

"Call the alpha. Now!" I order and hoist Winter up. Another wolf with the same face shows up and dangles a pair of car keys. 

"Should I take him to the pack house?" he asks and I nod. 

"Yes. You" I turn to the first one. "Inform Eric we're coming." 

With Winter in my arms we hurry to the car leaving the rest of the confused wolves hollering behund us. 

When we get there Eric is standing by two big black cars with Kellan, his mate and the Grandmother. They all help ease Winter into the car where he is held by Eric. 

I've only ever seen this dispair in the eyes of two people before. The faces of my parents as they saw Lisas dead body is something I could never forget. The same horror, the same pain is carved into Eric and I can almost sense it as sit down next to him. 

My stare stay on Winter the entire ride. Eric informs me that he knows a witch that has extended knowledge of werewolves and that he hopes she can do something. I clutch the bottle in my hand and curse the cloudy liquid within. What if he never wakes up? 

We stop at a tall building where a doorman lets us in and points Eric to the elevator. Apparently the doorman has been informed ahead because he lets us know that someone named Illyssa is waiting for us. 

At the top floor we are greeted by a young boy who doesn't smell of wolf nor gives off the aura of a witch. He simply lets us pass into a big living room.

"In here. Put him on the table" a woman, who can be no one but the witch, says. Her long white hair lies in mysterious waves and the long dress she is wearing is red. Her dark eyes shine as she inspects us quickly. 

"Eric, take a step back from him and let his mate take your place. Here" she instructs me. "Take his hand." She guides my arm to Winter's and then stands at the end of the table at his head. Long fingeres with painted nails grab his skull and then she whispers in a language that sounds like none other on earth. 

Lifetimes could fit in the short time that we wait. But as anyone who has ever waited for the fate of their loved one can tell you, waiting is the hardest part of all. I suffer more than during my seven years of distant longing. 

The melody of her odd words is all that guide me through the solemn waiting. When she finally opens her eyes we all hold our breaths. 

"He is put to sleep by wolf magic, only the same can wake him" she claims. Her eyes are lodged in me the entire time and her gaze has all but seen the deepest of my secrets. 

"What magic?" Eric asks and takes a step forward. 

"A sleep potion, made by a mighty wolf. Truly a strong sedative. It has put him to sleep in so many ways that none of mankind's or witchkind's methods can intervene. Only the strongest pull by the fircest wolf strength will waken him at this point" she explains. 

"And what would that be?" Eric begs her. Her gaze finally shifts from me to him as if she knows how I will react. 

"The pull of the bond" she says, thanfully not meeting my eyes. 

"Then we must do it. How?" Eric wants to know, ignoring the obvious. 

The witch gives him a look as if she knows what he is ignoring. 

"The bond is indeed unbreakable in the meaning that you cannot escape it. There is no wolf that can break away from their mate. However it is not unbreakeble in the meaning that you can damage it beyond repair. That is also why using the bond to pull at the heart of your mate is dangerous" she points out but Eric refuses to recognize what she is insinuating. 

"But it can be done? Winter can be woken by his bond, right?" he demands her to agree. 

"Yes." Her eyes shift to me. "But this bond is already weakened" she tells him, finally revealing the secret we all already knew. Eric's head hangs in defeat. 

"But it can be done?" I ask. All of their stares find me. 

"Your mate has given himself to six others, body or heart. Towards you his heart is closed and only the heat could force you to join your bodies in mating. This bond is made fragile by both of your distrusts. It could break it beyond repair" she says solemnly. 

I don't want to lose Winter. What if he hates me for the rest of his life? What if our bond becomes so broken that he feels nothing for me anymore? 

I don't want to lose Winter. 

The choice is easy really. There is only one thing to do so I nod. 

"We have to do it."