THE ALPHA'S HEALING MATE; BONDED TO THREE

than usual, "there's no wat

eleste calle

eleste and didn't bot

to her, "are you still

rep

ands on her waist, "I

ignored her as though no

e Celeste always talk to, she i

the buckets. It was her n

e feet padding softly against the damp

and the occasional rustle of leave

before the bustle of village life. It

hing unusual. The serenity of the morning was

hat was happening. A group of women had gathered near the we

ed her pace, her bucket swinging against he

ll, the scene before he

cradled in the lap of an older woman who was rock

ing his pale skin and the edges of his shirt. His

ng, some clutching their faces, others

crowd, her voice cutting through th

on a brick. He fell and hit his head on the edge of the well. We heard the scream,

ndson...my only grandson..." she wailed, rocking him g

His skin was cold, his breathing barely there. The wound on

bad. To

he women. "Has any

here's no one. The healer's out of the village...an

nged with despair. "He's just a bo

d racing. The sight of his small, fragile body stirred something deep within h

mly, her voice steady desp

ed, exchanging un

oom for argument. Slowly, they stepped back,

e didn't fully understand the power that coursed through her veins, but she knew

nergy on the boy. Her hands began to tingle, a

heavier, the sounds of the women's

ncentrated, willing the lif

was there. She focused on strengthening it, o

faint gasp escaping his lips. It

urry with tears. The boy's eyes flutte

led through

women exclaimed, her voice a

holding him tightly against her chest. "Thank you...t

g faded. Her heart raced, her body weak from the effort. She didn

ured in awe, their eyes w

n, but her voice trailed off, the

standing shakily. "He's alive. That's all that

e turned with her bucket

her as she left, their whispe

used to lean against a tree. Her hands were still trembling

sure, whatever power she he

care

ealer! She's

nt, growing louder and more insistent as th

d so loudly it felt like it would burst out of her chest. She froze for a mome

one of th

d on her heels, her bucket dropping to the gro

ps and voices grew louder. "Wait, wait!"

long skirt brushing against the tall grass lining the dirt path. The village was smal

raced as fast

kept her gift a secret. Her grandma had made sure of that, war

d countless times. "They'll use you, Celeste. They'

he edge of death, and hearing his grandmother's cries, she couldn't stand by. She

w they

the cottages, her lungs burning, her legs

nt this

, come

er of this village, but in her panic, it felt like she was trapped in a maze

g, a narrow alley between two

her arms and legs. She crouched low, pressing herself against

en's voices growing faint as the

's f

She couldn't

to muffle her breathing. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing

mpletely. The village fell silent again, save for the

ng out from her hiding s

egs trembling as she stepp

intervals, to see i