------Rose's POV-----

I went to wipe the blood from my lips as I stared at Malachi in front of me but found that there were no traces of blood anywhere on me.

She smiled bitterly at me until her expression turned a bit more sympathetic.

"Rose."

She sighed.

"If only you'd listened to me."

She started to walk and I followed.

Once again we arrived at her village, she led me to her hut and gestured for me to take a seat, I nodded and sat around the fire she had burning.

"Marak...come."

Malachi spoke and my eyes widened as I dared to turn and face the man who had produced my mate...produced my everything.

The first thing I noticed about him were his eyes, how they were a deep brown color, how Michael had the same ears as his father...and their body shapes were almost identical.

The faint outline of a smile could be seen through the rough exterior of a man underneath the war paint he bore.

"Rose."

He spoke, I nodded unknowing what to do.

These were stories I grew up with, legends...fairy tails come to life.

I almost felt like crying, I wanted to tell my family of Malachi, of Marak and my mate....but here I was, stuck in this world.

"Rose, there is much you must learn before the war between worlds, you are capable of more than you know. My son...I've missed most of his life, I-I admit that I never loved him how I loved Nonotoka. My first born...he was my everything, and I regret never spending enough time with Mora-Michaelangelo, but after Ninyanak took him away from us...I wanted nothing more than for him to be with us in this afterlife. I wanted to be the one to tell him, bring him here and tell him it's alright."

He hung his head, Malachi taking his hand.

"I just...I need more time. Please, please just let me have him for myself, only for a little while. I can't promise you that no lives will be lost in the war of worlds but... I am a Lycan, I cannot survive without my love. I need him, but I understand my duties, and I will- I'll...die."

I had trouble with the last word, but managed to sputter it out without choking on my own tears.

"We can see Moraoro inside of him, he has turned into a monster...I mean no offense towards the Lycans but, Moraoro is a warrior, we never wanted him to be reborn as a werewolf. But...I know he loves you, and we will give you time with him. However, when the time has come for your inevitable death, Rose Burnett, you will come, you will not respond to Moraoro, no matter what his pleas are, no matter what you leave behind...you cannot escape death."

Malachi spoke, peering straight into my eyes, right into my soul.

I nodded.

"I will not disappoint you."

I narrowed my eyes for emphasis, guaranteeing my word.

She pulled a knife from her boot.

"A blood bond...just to be sure."

She cut her hand, holding the spewing blood in the palm of her hand before passing the blade onto her husband who had done the same and then unto me.

The sting of the blade as it cut across my hand made me clench my jaw as it slid across slowly and I watched as Malachi tucked the blade back into her boot and nodded at both Marak and I.

We all opened our palms to the open flame and watched as it turned into a bright red color, sealing our bond, branding our hands with a circle in the palm.

"Take care of him...he's all we have."

Malachi smiled, before touching my forehead and sending me back into the living.

------------------------

Gasping and coughing I woke to the sound of my mate's cries.

"Rose! Thank the gods you're alright."

He hugged me tightly and I sat up in the grass only to wince as my hand touched the wet ground.

The brand was fresh, but my Lycan abilities were healing it, slowly but surely.

"Michaelangelo I love you, I promise you that I will never- I will never betray you. You're my everything...and I should have been honest with you. I'm so sorry, I'm so fucking sorry."

I sighed, trying to hold back the tears forming in my eyes. The fact that death was forever cursed on me, specifically on my hand just made me want to die already. I didn't want to leave him, however early they may call me or even if it's years from now.

"It's alright-I...I'm sorry, just calm down please, come back to the car and we can talk about this in Montreal."

He took my hand in his and I nodded, letting him help me up and walk me to the car.

"You know, I really am sorry...I never meant for any of this to happen and I'm a huge asshole for doing that to you, speaking to you that way, I love you Rose, I just don't want to lose you."

He constantly clenched and un-clenched his jaw, never breaking eye contact with the road ahead of him as he spoke.

"Both of use have a lot of repairing to do, but that will never change the fact that you're my mate, and no matter what we're in this together, and I love you."

I reached over and took one of his hands in mine, noticing the shaking of his fingers as I laced them with mine.

"Rose?"

He spoke after several moments of silence.

"Hmm."

I responded, taking my eyes away from the scenery of the window and focusing them on Michaelangelo.

"Who's Malachi?" I froze.

Shit.

-----Jack's POV------

"Well?"

I pressed after moments of awkward silence, the doctor turned around and sighed, sitting in her chair and placing the X-rays back into the folder.

"Alpha...your bones, they aren't healing as fast as they were before. Who ever this man was, he certainly did not have this sort of power before he encountered you in your chambers. It had to have been a charm...some sort of, magic."

She pressed the glasses up from the bridge of her nose.

"Magic..."

I trailed off, my mind instantly going to the moment in the ballroom with Rose.

"Yes I would say so, his mate, whomever she or he may be, must be very powerful to have given him this sort of strength."

She narrowed her eyes on the pen she twiddled with in her hands.

"Yeah...mate."

I nodded, fixing my eyes on the pen, twirling around her fingers.

Rose...she possessed this 'power', gave off this aura, if only I could get my hands on it.

I could definitely run the country with the power she could give me.

"How do you suppose he came across this sort of power?"

I questioned.

She placed her pen down, and crossed her arms.

"Well there are numerous ways he could've possessed it. For starters, he could have mated."

I resisted the urge to scowl, I hated him...both of them.

"There's the possibility he had marked his mate and they had willingly given him access to their powers."

I nodded and stood, pacing the room, limping on one leg.

"And then there's the last...not one of my favorites but, also a possibility."

She cleared her throat and I raised my eyebrows, telling her to go on.

"There is an old method, even after the virgin is no longer pure...it is possible to take the blood of a hybrid...prophet, witch, anything supernatural and drink it's blood, giving the consumer, untouchable power."

My eyes widened, my mouth went dry and lips curved into a smile.

There's no way Mike would have done that to his 'mate' so it was one of the two first choices.

As much as I didn't like that my Rose was being touched, caressed or even loved by another man, I wanted nothing more than to take her for myself...

I liked the sound of that.

Thanks so much for reading! I think Saturdays will be my new 'update days' as I no longer have work on those days! I love you all and I hope you enjoyed! Until next time xx