"I'm still in high school, how could you make me a step-mom? What am I going to tell my mother?!" She pulled on his collar and shook him.

Asher was astounded and still had a hand to his cheek. That slap had stunned him.

"Huh, you're not talking? Are you that proud of what you did? Were you planning on keeping it away from me forever?"

Asher's mouth twitched, how was he going to speak when she kept peppering him with questions; his mate hadn't given him a chance to say a word.

"Lia, listen to me," he said, eyeing her animated hands. Who knows when she will launch another slap on his cheek?

"Oh, I should listen to you?" His angry mate gave him no chance to explain himself and he rubbed his forehead, this was going to be a long time.

"Who is her mother? A vampire? Human? Is she demanding your attention and welfare for her child? Does she want you to settle down with her?" Lia gasped, "Is she your first love? Is she prettier than me? Is that why you had a child with her? Are you planning on rejecting me? Wait a minute, you're going to dump me for -"

Lia was silenced with a kiss.

Asher was relieved when the rest of her words were swallowed forever. His mate was too insecure, does she not have faith in him?

The audience in the room looked away with a blush. Seriously, these lovey-dovey couples were at it again. Perhaps, it was better when both were separated? At least then, they had no chance of running into the couple eating each other's faces.

"A-hem," Zukai purposely cleared his throat to remind them that they still had company.

"I just didn't have the opportunity to tell you. You were preparing to leave for Kinney" Asher began," I love you and nothing is going to change that, child or nor mother of my child," he promised.

"I love you Asher, but I can't stand kissing you with Raphael's body, we need to get your own body as soon as possible," Lia said to him.

She turned around to the guilty witch, "And how do you suggest we do that, Sabrina?"

At the mention of Sabrina, Asher's demeanor changed as his eyes flashed and he was before Sabrina before she could think of escaping.

Before he could lay his hand on the witch, Lia had put herself between both of them.

"This is not the time, Asher," she placed both hands on his chest, knowing she was the only one that could calm him down.

"We still need her, Asher. We need to reclaim your body and Raphael has my mother. We need all the help we can get. We can think about appropriate punishment for her once" his mate explained.

Asher's anger came down but not thoroughly, he was one step away from wriggling her neck or tearing out those vocal cords that aid her spell making.

"I'm sorry for what I did," Sabrina apologized but Asher didn't give her face.

"Save it for who needs it," he waved it away.

"I can change you both but only if I have both of your DNA and a connection between you two because of the distance," she said.

"I don't think that's possible because I don't have"

"Can this serve?" Electra lifted a strand in the air.

"Asher's hair?" Maya inquired.

"Yes, when he grabbed me earlier, I pulled against his hair and this fell off," she explained.

"That should do," Sabrina carefully took the strand of hair from her and examined it, " I need a connection, next,"

"What's a connection?"

"A link between Raphael and your mate Asher," she gave more details.

"I can be one, right?" Lia was unsure," I am Asher's mate and Raphael had this unhealthy obsession for me," she pinpointed.

"The connection of love, that might work," commented Sabrina, ready to begin with this trail.

"What a minute," Zukai captivated everyone's attention," If we return their souls, doesn't it mean that the one standing right here would be Raphael instead while Asher soul goes back to wherever Raphael is?"

"Oh boy, you're right," Lia realized,

"We can't do this," she refused.

"What do you mean we can't do it," Asher didn't like the sudden change of plan," Don't you want to see me back in my body?"

"I really want to see you back in your real body, Asher but not at the cost of your life. I know who Raphael is- the past days have taught me how deceptive and cruel that animal is - and he's always one step ahead of us. It wouldn't be surprising if he knows we're about to change you back now you've escaped," she told him.

"She has a point Asher," Said Dan who appeared into the room, " If Raphael knows this, he must have placed your body in a tight spot where you might be destroyed instead," He made his point known before hugging him, "Thanks for staying alive,"

"Thanks for keeping my mate safe," Asher patted his back.

"He did nothing," Lia snorted, folding her arm across her chest.

Asher broke the hug saying, "But I'll still going ahead with the plan,"

"No way," Lia refused," I just got you, I'm not losing you again,"

"I'm not going to die on you, I promise," His mate tried to look away but Asher clasped her face," Please"

Lia didn't want to do this but it was his will and his body, he had the right to recover it.

"Fine," she gave in after a short internal struggle, but not without kissing him once more even though she hated that face, "Let's do this"

"You should sit on the sofa with Asher beside you," Sabrina instructed her, "And carefully hold that strand in your other hand,"

They carried out her instruction with Asher sitting on her left while the hair was held in her right palm.

"What next," Lia breathed.

"You relax," hushed Sabrina as she stood before both and started her spell.

"Fatis swititched sit switched spiritu, anima fit posterius priori switched"

chanted the witch vehemently.

When she stopped, everyone was stunned, nothing spectacular happened.

"I don't feel any different," Asher informed them, "Is still me in there,"

"Wait, let me try again," Sabrina told him "Fatis swititched sit switched spiritu, anima fit posterius priori switched"

Sabrina said the spell over and over again but nothing happened and was instead left with a raspy voice.

"Something's not right," she heaved.

"Maybe you said the wrong spell?" Lia shrugged," Am I holding the hair in the wrong hand?"

"No, is not that," she shook her hand, breath still heavy," Is the -"

"Connection," Asher filled in.

"Exactly," Sabrina acquiesced," The connection is not strong enough. Which means -"

"You need my mother. Raphael and I came from the same womb; Helen is the stronger connection," He figured out.

Asher turned around to Dan," You know what this means,"

"We're bringing the war to Raven Clan," Dan understood.

Lia stepped in " But Helen isn't necessary if Raphael is physically present here, right?"

"Yes," Sabrina answered," We only need her as the connector because of the distance between Asher and Raphael,"

"Then what if we set a trap for Raphael using me as bait. He needs me, he would surely call," she suggested.

Asher was outraged "No, that plan is risky, I won't gamble with your life,"

"Asher, I'm indestructible," she argued," I can't die -"

"Yet " Asher interrupted, "Just because there hasn't been discovered a weapon that can end your life doesn't mean you can't be incapacitated. A stake to your heart knocks you out cold and makes you appear dead, remember?"

" But still -"

"Even without needing my mother, the battle between Nicolli and Raven clan is inevitable," he made it clear to her.

"And Your people are here already," Dan notified him.

Asher was surprised," How did you make arrangements so easily?"

Dan motioned his hand to Lia, " Your mate did. She became your substitute after we all thought you died,"

"Alright, I'll be down to address them all. For the moment, give me some space with my mate," he ordered.

No one argued rather filed out of the room.

"I can't wait to beat the life, no wait, he's a vampire so he's dead already," she rephrased briskly," I can't wait to rip that goddamn heart out of his body,"

"Yeah, I know," Asher agreed, his eyes following her every enthusiastic gesture.

"If you're going to be at the war front, I want to be with you...!"

Lia yelped when she was suddenly lifted from the ground and found herself on the bed before she could even blink.

She gulped when she saw Asher's, scratch that, Raphael's face, hovering over her.

Lia laughed nervously," Asher, can't you wait at least until you get your body back,"

"No, I missed you so much"

Lia closed her eyes as he lowered his head, unconsciously parting her lips but when she thought he would kiss her, she heard a clicking sound and something metallic clasp around her wrist.

Her eyes popped open.

"What are you doing?" She questioned suspiciously.

"I can't let you go to war with me. I promised to keep you safe and I'll keep to that," he said firmly.

Shit, power dampening cuffs, Lia realized.

"This isn't going to stop me," Lia snarled at her mate.

"I know, which is why Sabrina would be warding this place off"

" Asher, don't do this" she pleaded

"I'm sorry but I have to protect you from my brother,"