Rhylie’s POVI could feel the deaf silence of the witches’ chamber leaving a cold, unsettling feeling in my stomach. The voice, the one that whispered through the darkness, hadn’t been part of the spell. It was something else, something ancient and far more dangerous than I had anticipated.I took a shaky breath, staring at the altar in front of me, the blinking candlelight. My hands trembled as I gripped the edge of the table, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.“What was that?” I whispered to myself, feeling the pulse of magic still lingering in the air. The ritual had been interrupted, but the dark magic was still moving around me, suffocating, waiting for me to make a decision.I glanced down at the book in front of me, the forbidden spell I had begun still open, the blood from my earlier incantation drying on the page. My mind was racing, fear battling with my desperate need to keep Zane. The voice had been a warning, one I should have heeded, but I couldn’t afford to stop now.
Scarlett’s POVThe morning after Zane kissed me, I woke up with a tightness in my chest. The kiss had been unexpected, intense, and now… awkward. It wasn’t that I hadn’t felt the pull, I did. But after everything I’d been through, the last thing I wanted was to fall for another Alpha, especially one like Zane. I rolled out of bed, trying not to have the feeling that I was drowning in my thoughts. We both should pretend nothing happened, I told myself. The deal between us was clear: break the curse, and in return, I get my revenge. That was all.“Yeah right,” my wolf Luisa Said with a bored voice Yet, as I stepped into the corridor, I couldn’t help but wonder if he felt the same. Maybe he was regretting it too. Zane was ruthless, focused on his pack and the curse. He didn’t have time for feelings, or maybe I was the one who didn't have time for feelings, not after everything that had happened, but still… there had been something in his kiss, something I couldn’t understand “Shut up
Zane's POVMy hand froze inches from Rhylie’s door, my body torn between instinct and reason. Everything in me screamed to turn around, to walk away before I did something I will be regretting for the rest of my life. But the bond... the pull to her was undeniable, stronger than I had ever felt.I could feel Dalton pacing in my mind, his fury making my mind feel like a burning furnace. "Zane, don’t do this. You know something’s wrong."But I couldn't understand what he meant; Rhylie was our mate; it was normal to feel this way, but what bothered me more was the fact that ….It didn’t make sense. Just last night, all I could think about was Scarlett. The way her lips felt against mine, the way her body had fit so perfectly in my arms. But now... it was like she was fading, slipping away, and all I could think about was Rhylie.It wasn’t natural. It couldn’t be.The door opened before I even knocked, and Rhylie stood there, her eyes wide with surprise. I stared at her all I could feel we
Scarlett's POVI sat beside my bed, tears flowing down my face before I could even stop them. I didn’t understand why I was crying. What was happening to me? My heart ached, and my chest felt burdened, like something inside me was breaking apart. Why do I care? Why am I hurt? Why does it really hurt so much? I have no reason to be. I had told myself that I only wanted revenge that I had agreed to say here for a single purpose, the deal, to break the curse and return back to my pack to have my revenge, but. yet seeing Zane with Rhylie, seeing him about to make love to her after the kiss we shared last night it was too much, too painful to bear, I didn't understand why I felt betrayed I wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand, angry at myself for feeling this way. It shouldn’t matter. It was just a kiss, I reminded myself. It wasn’t supposed to mean anything.But the pain said otherwise. The betrayal I had once felt with Rand and my cousin now seemed like a distant memory compared to
Scarlett’s POVI had woken up this morning, hoping to get something done. I had cried myself to bed yesterday, but right now, my thoughts are spinning wildly. Ever since I had seen Zane in Rhylie’s room, my emotions were tangled in a mess I couldn’t seem to untangle. I didn’t want to care. I told myself repeatedly that I shouldn’t. The mate bond, whatever was pulling me toward Zane, wasn’t real. At least, it wasn’t meant to last. Maybe it might disappear after the whole deal thing.You’re stronger than this, Scarlett. I muttered to myself, but the pounding in my chest disagreed. Every time I thought of Zane with Rhylie, I don't know, but I felt anger, hurt, and confusion.Like as if I got betrayed for the second time."Forget about it," I whispered, shaking my head as if that would clear the thoughts from my mind. "You have bigger things to worry about. The curse, your revenge Zane doesn’t matter."But he did. No matter how much I fought it, the bond between us was there, pulling at m
Scarlett’s POVI walked down the corridor, the pain in my chest growing tighter with every step. My eyes burned with unshed tears, and my mind was anxious about what I had just witnessed. The image of Zane and Rhylie together, so intimate, so close, wouldn’t leave my head. It haunted me, making every step feel heavier than the last.I don’t care, I told myself, but the ache in my chest screamed otherwise. I shouldn’t be this upset. After all, Zane wasn’t mine, and I wasn’t his. Fuck the mate bond. He was free to be with whoever he wanted. That was the reality of the situation.But despite my attempts to understand it, I couldn’t stop the pain coming at me. My hands trembled as I clenched them into fists, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.“You have no reason to cry, Scarlett. Focus on the curse. Focus on your revenge” I said to myself “Umm, Scar, don't you think Zane has been weird lately” Luisa said“Weird?” I said laughing, “Not weird Lui, this is the second t
Kent’s POVI paced around my room, to and fro, trying to calm the emotions running through me and raging inside me. Scarlett had pulled away from me, and no matter how much I tried to brush it off, it stung. Badly. I couldn’t understand why I was feeling this way. It wasn’t like we were mates, but the connection I felt with her was undeniable. Something had changed between us, or maybe I was the only one who could feel it, but I knew I could feel that it was something real. And then, just when I thought she might feel it too, she pulled away. It left me feeling lost, angry, and confused. I ran a hand through my hair, my thoughts confusing. “What the hell is wrong with me?” I muttered under my breath. “I told you to not go after Scarlett,” my wolf Lucas said “Shut it !” I said blocking Lucas from communicating with me.I wasn’t supposed to feel like this. Scarlett had made it clear she was focused on the curse and her revenge, and I had told myself I was okay with that. But after to
Scarlett's POVI woke up, my heart pounding. I have been having nightmares lately. The darkness, the figure from the cursed tree, his words running through my mind like a curse I couldn’t escape. I rubbed my temples, and the witches’ instructions echoed in my mind: Return to the cursed tree.Taking a deep breath, I pushed the blankets off me and forced myself out of bed. I wasn’t sure what I would find at the tree, but I was ready for whatever it might throw at me.“Lui, you there?” I whispered to my wolf.“I’m here,” Luisa answered, her voice soft. “But this whole thing feels… wrong. Going back to that tree…”“We have to,” I whispered back. “If we want any chance of ending this curse, it has to be done.”Luisa didn’t respondGetting ready, I prepared to leave for the forest, I moved quietly through the corridors, heading toward the forest. The sun was yet to be setThe forest was cold and so scary but I tried composing myself as I approached the cursed tree. Each step felt harder th