Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1308 - 63 : Searching for Solutions

*Noah*

The next day, we sat in the lounge area of Midnight Sun pack with my three aunts eyeing us excitedly. Evidently, we were going to try to figure out why we couldn’t maintain the bond.

However, this first test was... strange, to say the least.

“Why exactly is the number of flowers in my hair important?” I grumbled.

Zara leaned over and put another one in, trying to weave it properly as I blinked and scowled. I noticed Aunt Marguerite giggle softly.

“Because it is peak fashion!” she said.

Aunt Harriet waved her hand. “Trust me. This is one of the tests. Just keep it up, Zara. You’re doing great, dear.”

“Oh, darling!” Aunt Genevieve said, clapping her hands. “Oh, your color selection is so wonderful. I agree with Marguerite. She always has had such an eye for fashion.”

Zara’s eyes flashed skeptically at their methods.

Tell me about it, I thought.

They were highly intelligent women that I trusted with all my heart, but this... this was a bit silly.

“Can you tell anything yet?” I asked.

“Hm,” Aunt Harriet said. She then shook her head. “No, sadly that is a big no, dear. Thank you, Zara. You can stop now. Onto the next test!”

The next one was some sort of card trick. Aunt Marguerite held out some cards face down. “Pick one,” she said excitedly.

I did so, and then Zara was told to do the same.

The deck was shuffled, and my aunts gathered around, murmuring back and forth to one another. I furrowed my brow, picking flowers out of my hair and letting out a sigh.

“I didn’t expect their testing to go like this,” Zara muttered to me. “Are these... really methods that would work?”

“Magic works in mysterious ways, I guess. They’re odd, but they tend to know what they’re doing,” I replied.

Aunt Genevive suddenly turned, commenting, “The only thing we’ve figured out is how much Noah snores at night, darlings.”

I opened my mouth to protest but was cut off by a giggle.

Aunt Harriet chimed in. “She is joking, dear,” she said in an amused tone. But then she frowned and sighed. “Unfortunately, though, our tests are inconclusive so far.”

Aunt Marguerite nodded, a sad expression on her face. “It could be due to a number of reasons... some sort of spell blocking us... the time just not being right.”

“We may need a complicated tribute to the moon,” Genevieve added. “It’s something we wanted to avoid. It can be complex and take quite some time to gather the resources.”

Aunt Harriet focused on Zara. “Dear, where did your powers come from?” she asked.

Zara frowned in thought, her eyes growing distant. “Well,” she muttered. “To be honest, I don’t know. I was adopted.”

“How fascinating!” Aunt Marguerite exclaimed, giving a wide grin. “Your parents are wonderful for that. Anything else important we should know? Where did they adopt you from?”

“They said that I came from the stars.”

My aunts exchanged glances, and Aunt Harriet spoke up. “Not as just a bedtime tale, right, dear?” she asked softly.

“I don’t know,” Zara said, staring at her hands.

Her shoulders were slumped, and her tone was laced with frustration. She clearly wanted definitive answers, and I couldn’t blame her.

If only things could be more straightforward.

Zara let out a sigh, reaching up to rub her temples. “I wish I could give you more information,” she said. “But that is all I know.”

“Don’t worry, darling,” Genevieve said softly. “How about when you see your own mate bond for yourself? Can you see it right now, with your magic?”

“No,” Zara said, her tone edged. “I can only see the threads between us during the full moon. Then... the next day... Noah loses his memory of our time together.”

I heard her voice waver and felt a sadness settle in my heart. No doubt, the more we went through this, the more painful it was for her. I felt a frown deepen on my face.

“Can you and Noah try to resist mating during the next full moon?” Aunt Harriet asked. “It would be quite valuable to see what happens, dear.”

Zara stared at her hands and nodded. “But we won’t know for sure if it will work?”

“Not yet. This will be a bit of a process,” Aunt Marguerite said in a reassuring tone.

I noticed Zara wince, and at this point, knew she needed a break. I stood up, saying, “For now, let’s go clear our heads with a walk. Thank you all very much for your help.”

They nodded, giving us both a sympathetic stare as we walked outside and to the garden.

Today, Zara was in a tight-fitting black dress with roses that only showed in the light. It was beautiful, just like she was. Once more, I was caught by her beauty, casting glances over to her as we walked toward the back door and exited into the garden.

Zara’s eyes were distant, and she muttered, “I was really hoping we’d get somewhere this time.”

“I won’t be giving up yet,” I said, “or at all, Zara. I know how important this is to you. I feel the pull you have on me. I really want to remember.”

My tone was pleading, and I hoped she understood. She turned to stare at me, hesitating a moment before reaching up to rest her hand on my cheek.

Surprised, I leaned into it and said, “That feels really good.”

“I know,” she whispered.

She dropped her hand to her side and carried on, walking toward the woods with me by her side. Her stare was cast ahead, and she let out a breath. “I know everything that feels good between us,” she said.

“I am not surprised. You said we mated under the full moon. How many times did we do that?”

“Enough times,” she said, letting out a thoughtful hum. A smile played on her lips. “Every single time felt powerful. The feeling of lust and love running through me is so hard to describe.”

“I want to remember all the times we made love, and beyond that... what we’ve done together.”

“Maybe your aunts’ speculation about the full moon could be right. But... does that mean we could never mate during the full moon or risk your memory?” She frowned.

“Hopefully, it’s just a temporary measure, beautiful.”

“Hopefully, because I really love feeling you in me under the moonlight.”

Her eyes turned to me again, and as we walked through the woods, I caught sight of the hungry spark in her gaze.

Shit.

I wanted to take her here and now, the temptation to be intimate with her almost overbearing, especially since we wouldn’t be able to do anything on the next full moon.

I took a deep breath, resisting that urge. I tried clearing my thoughts so that I could ask an important question that was on my mind.

Silence stretched between us for a moment before I cleared my throat, getting her attention again. I ignored my wolf, who just wanted me to jump in and mate right now.

This was serious.

“Zara, what do you need from me to help rebuild trust? I really, really want to make this work. I’m drawn to you. I feel the connection. I want you.”

“Oh Noah,” she sighed.

She stopped and turned to me, reaching up to cup my cheek again. A surge of passion rushed through me at this tender gesture.

I really did love it so much when she did that.

Zara continued, “I love you deeply. After all we’ve been through, and after how much of a good person I know you are, I want to make things work. It isn’t about trusting you.”

“But?”

“But... something is going on beyond our control.”

“Well, we’ll take control of it. We have to, for us. I’m sure there’s nothing we can’t accomplish together. We’re both very confident and strong people.”

“And how do you know that about me?”

“I wouldn’t have fallen in love with you if you weren’t. But I see how passionate and determined you are firsthand, here and now, Zara.”

“I am beyond touched to hear you say that, Noah. But—” Her tone then took on an edge of fear, and she shuddered. “I’m worried something worse will happen.”

“We won’t know if we don’t take the chance.”

“But everything is already so fucked up, and every time we try to solve it, things get so much worse.”

“We won’t use the Luna Lilies this time.”

“Maybe not, but who knows if messing with this further regardless of the way can cause something horrible to happen?”

I couldn’t blame her given all she’d been through lately for thinking that way, but that didn’t mean I was going to give up.

“Well. Regardless of what happens, I promise to always cherish you, with or without the bond.”

Zara lowered her hand, staring into my eyes with a raised brow. “How do I know that? You could lose your memories regardless of if we make love under the full moon.”

“I lost my memories a few times now, clearly, and yet here we are together again.”

“That’s a fair point,” she sighed, though I knew she was questioning the idea of living like that.

I knew it wasn’t ideal, but it was the best I had for now.

“I know it’s not the most romantic thing, Zara. But you’re now the mother of my child, the next future heir of Drogomor. That means more to me than any so-called fated situation.”

Zara winced at how I worded that, and I felt a pang of both concern and sadness rush through me at her expression. She wanted true love. That much I could tell.

Could I give it to her, with the tendency to forget everything?

“I’m afraid we’re going to get close again, Noah, build it all up, and lose it again. I’m so tired of my hope being destroyed.”

“There has to be some way to figure this out. But in the meantime, remember my promise.”

“I’ll try.”

With that, she turned away and started back toward the Midnight Sun house. Her shoulders were slumped, and she hung her head as she walked.

I resisted the urge to move a loose strand of her hair behind her ear again as we walked. Now wasn’t the time for a gesture like that.

I reached up and touched the cheek she’d rested her hand on as we walked, savoring that memory I had of her touch.

Why couldn’t I get my brain to remember everything else... the times we’d spent together, all the touches she gave me?

Frustration billowed within me, and it took my all not to start calling up every single person I knew to demand their help on this matter.

I mulled over everything in my mind as we arrived inside. My aunts were sitting around the table, eating lunch. They looked up and gave us a smile.

Aunt Harriet focused on Zara. “Just the woman we were looking for!” she said.

Zara’s eyes lit up with a bit of hope, and I tilted my head. “Oh?” she said with excitement.

Aunt Harriet then frowned, a look of guilt crossing her face. “Nothing to do with your mate bond, sorry dear,” she said softly.

Zara’s expression fell, and sadness settled in me once again as well upon seeing the deep frown on her face. She then asked, “What am I needed for?”

“A Luna from a neighboring pack wants to talk to you about finding a mate for her daughter.”