Chapter 2

• "Back at the pack where you had come from, we were an inseparable trio, always hanging around together, always doing things together. And that was till our teenage years when your father began to attribute himself to bad traits. I was all too concerned and as time went on, she was mated to him and that was when I knew I had to leave." His hand gripped the staff tightly, "I didn't want her with him cause of his attitude and them being mates was automatically kicking me out, I couldn't stay back and I had to leave but we still kept in touch till she died." His tone had a shaky edge now like he was reliving the pain of losing his best friend, my mother, "She never told me that she was pregnant and that was what made me skeptical about you being hers."
• "Why did you leave? You could have found your mate." He laughed at my statement, his laughter made me feel like I had asked a dumb question, "Did I say anything wrong?"
• "No luna, you didn't." He smiled placing a hand on my shoulder, "You see, not all wolves are born with the ability to find mates but the few ones without that ability have something called a soul bond."
• "A soul bond?" It sounded weird but I waited on him to finish.
• "A soul bond isn't like when you meet someone and catch the whiff of a unique scent and boom instant attraction!" He explained, "A soul bond happens slowly at first, and then it goes into full-blown attraction followed with the sparks when you touch and that person filling the empty spot in your heart. It sounds like falling in love, but it's not. Soul bond leaves you empty, so empty that you feel the hollow physically till you find that missing part of you, that soul that compliments yours."
• "Sounds like falling in love to me." I laughed.
• "Oh, it's not my dear." He gave me a sad smile, I could see the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, "Only one person can feel it, that physical emptiness you feel can only be sealed by that person, you can't be with any other person unless your chosen soul bonded person. It isn't like the mate bond that you can undo and choose someone else and then there is a mark." He moved his hair at his neck exposing a red crystal marking like a tattoo, "That's my mark."
• "You had a soul bond?"
• "I did but she never loved me back and so I left and took the vow of involuntary celibacy to become a healer." He sighed, "It was of no use having anything if it wasn't with her, it was of no use loving someone if it wasn't her." He sighed, "It's not like I had a choice."
• "I am so sorry." I gave him a weak smile covering his hand with mine.
• "I do not think Amara will be as unlucky as I am."
• "What do you mean?" I asked knowing what he was trying to say.
• "She can't have a mate but she can have a soul bond." He added.
• "No!" I almost shrieked, glaring at him, "What do you mean my baby is never going to find love?"
• "She will." He said still looking as calm as ever, "We just have to cross our fingers that he does love her back as she will be the only one to feel it."
• "Is there nothing we can do? How did you know?"
• "No Luna, we can't do anything." He held my gaze and I saw how sad his eyes were, "I knew from having one too, I can recognize people with one."
• "But she has no mark," I argued.
• "Appears on her 18th birthday." He shrugged.
• "Ooh." My hands fell to my laps with my heart saddened with sadness at the prospects of my daughter's future, "Thank you for letting me know." I said with a small smile, "Do you mind me asking who the person you shared a soul bond with was?"
• I never got the chance to get my answer as Lycus came barreling into the fields.
• At first, I could smell him, and then the thumping of his feet couldn't be missed plus the stressed energy radiating off him, Let's go! As long as I want to be around Spyro, I do not want to be near him! Hera said and she didn't have to repeat herself. I leaped to my feet, "Amara!" I yelled and almost immediately she turned around racing towards me with fluffy in one hand and the flowers she had picked in the other.
• "Your highness." Xerxes greeted with a bow, "You are still alive and not dead from heartbreak yet, I see."
• "Xerxes." Lycus called in acknowledgment with annoyance in his tone, "Nyx." His voice was softer now and he tried to step toward me.
• "Do not come any closer!" I growled. Amara had reached me now and I snatched her up in my arms.
• "Flowers? Mummy." She handed them to me before turning her face towards locus, "No flowers for you, you made mummy cry." She huffed.
• I gave lycus an icy glare before turning on my heels and threading towards the castle. I turned back to see him trying to follow me but Xerxes had stopped him which made me glad. I felt bad for him knowing that he loved someone and he never got to absorb the full feeling as if you have ever had it too? A small voice at the back of my head said.
• Xerxes had caught up with me now and we were walking towards the castle together with Lycus staying back where we had left him, "Thank you." I said to Xerxes as soon as we got in, "Thank you very much."
• "You are welcome, child." He said placing his hand on my head, "All these trials you shall overcome and become one of the greatest Queens, you just have to be strong."
• "I will be strong," I mumbled and turned around to leave.
• "Nyx." He called and I turned on my heels, "The person I had the soul bond with was your mother."