“What way?” Scott stared intently at me.
“Soul-Devouring Sorcery needs to be purified. Only a mate blessed by the Moon Goddess, by offering their ‘Life Source,’ can do it,” I said calmly, though my heart was racing.
“How do you know this?” Scott’s eyes narrowed, full of suspicion.
“The Shaman told me,” I lied. In reality, I had witnessed Joanna suffering the backlash of the sorcery in my past life.
“Let’s go.” Scott grabbed my wrist without another word, his grip strong enough to nearly crush my bones.
We raced through the forest to the pack Shaman’s wooden cabin. In the dim candlelight, the Old Shaman was grinding some herbs.
“Shaman, is this true?” Scott got straight to the point. “Can a human’s Life Source undo Soul-Devouring Sorcery?”
The Old Shaman looked up, a flicker of surprise in his eyes, then looked at me, his expression complex. “Yes, Alpha. But…”
“But what?”
“For a human, extracting their Life Source is almost fatal,” the Shaman sighed. “She will most likely die.”
Scott’s hand abruptly let go of me. He turned, his back to me, shoulders tense. “No.”
“I’m willing,” I stepped forward, my voice firm.
Scott whirled around, his eyes full of shock and anger. “Are you crazy? What does this have to do with you?”
“This is what I owe Joanna,” I looked him straight in the eye. “And what I owe you.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it. The internal struggle was almost written on his face.
“Prepare the ritual, Shaman,” I said, not giving Scott a chance to object.
The Old Shaman sighed and rose to prepare. “Alpha, the ritual will be very painful. Are you sure you want to be present?”
Scott didn’t answer, but his eyes told me—he wouldn’t leave.
An hour later, the ritual site was ready. The Shaman had drawn complex runes on the ground, surrounded by seven lit black candles. Joanna was brought in, her condition shocking—her skin was as pale as paper, her eyes completely black, with black bloodstains around her lips.
“Let’s begin,” the Shaman motioned for me to lie in the center of the runes.
Just then, Scott suddenly took off his leather jacket and covered my eyes with it.
“Don’t look.” His voice was surprisingly gentle. “It’s going to hurt a lot.”
In the darkness, I felt his presence near. “I’ll make it up to you… no matter what.”
