3: She's My Mate

HERA

The powers shimmer from my fingertips, white flames lapping upwards. I closed my eyes and chanted. It was yet another forbidden spell; faking a mate bond. With great personal repercussions. But I had to do it.

I have to do anything to survive. This arrangement with Atticus is evidence of how desperate I am to survive. In the whole of the Red Valley, no one hated me more than he did. I could see the glee in his eyes, the wheels turning in his head as I signed my life away to him. He must be thinking of how much he was going to take from me, how much he was going to make my life a living hell. I knew he'd do anything to ensure that. Yet, I wasn't going to stop.

I needed to stay alive to fulfil my promise to Wanni.

My chants increased. The white flame on my fingertips burnt brighter. I grabbed his free hand without opening my eyes and merged our souls with my spells. The flame broke out on his fingertips too. I pressed my palm to his chest. I pressed him to mine.

We both winced in unison as the powers wrapped around her heart and mind; creating the illusion of that sacred bond, the mate bond.

I opened my eyes. He was still looking down at me, pure malice and hatred brimming in his eyes. I wasn't fishing for him to be impressed but I wasn't expecting that he'd be this outrightly disgusted too.

"One of your many disgusting powers, hmm?" his hold on my neck tightened, "do you guys do this all the time? Manipulate bonds like this?"

I tried not to wince at the pain he was causing me, "I'm your lifeline now, you should be nicer to me."

"More like I own you now and I can do anything I want to you."

His hold tightened. I winced this time around.

"Are we going to remain like this?" I injected a bored tone into my voice, "You naked and trying to strangulate me?"

The reminder that he was naked did nothing to him. The hatred in his eyes only burnt brighter as he appeared to think about something; probably weighing his options on how we were going to get out of her. He slowly released his grip on my neck. The pressure of his thing brushing against my upper thigh disappeared when he moved back.

"I'm going to shift now," he stated, the anger still evident in his voice, "you'll climb onto my back and hold on for your dear life if you don't want to fall to your death."

I didn't have time to process his words when I heard the cracking and shifting of bones. It didn't take a second for him to land on all fours, for his wolf to appear, all sparking white and mighty with a beauty that was second to none.

He howled as I climbed on. I didn't even get to settle properly before he took off, running wildly, throwing me sideways, upwards, and nearly sending me tumbling to the ground.

And yeah, I had to hold on for my dear life.

I've never been to the Red Valley Palace before. And despite my state, both physically and mentally, I was awestruck by the beauty in front of me. Red Valley was made up of six packs inclusive of The Feral Blood Pack that produces the royal family and The Shadow Claw Coven, my pack; ultimately the most powerful and most feared in Red Valley.

The leaders of each pack regularly meet up at the palace for a monthly meeting, more like a monthly report to the alpha king. Mother used to attend before she died but I put an end to it once I ascended to the throne. It made no sense for the most powerful she-wolf to cower before a King. That was the start of my enmity with Atticus. It worsened when his mate was killed and he blamed my Coven for such a ridiculous crime.

Now, I was standing in front of the palace and I was blown away by its beauty. The castle was in black and gold and the combination never looked more royal. The entrance's architecture looked like a throne. Without giving the context or even knowing where you were, everything screamed elegance and power.

The guards bowed their greetings to Atticus as we entered. They hesitated when they saw me and even though they were royal guards, trained to mask their feelings, I could hear their thoughts.

Isn't that Hera, the fallen head witch of the shadow claw?

What's she doing here?

Did he bring her here to torture her?

"My Prince," a man suddenly appeared in front of us. I recognized him to be Kai, Atticus' second in command, and the Beta of the pack. He glanced at my direction and he paled for a second. His hand instinctively went to his sword.

"Gather everyone now," Atticus' voice diverted his attention, "I have an announcement to make."

"Yes, Alpha Atticus."

Then he was gone like he was never there. I walked side by side with Atticus and by the time we got to the entrance of the main palace, a large entrance raised almost two stories above the ground, a lot of people were already gathered, looking up at us. Murmurs and whispers were being exchanged amongst them. I knew I was the cause and it didn't bother me a bit.

Kai and another she-wolf welcomed Atticus. The she-wolf wrapped her hands around him and pulled him into a hug he didn't return. She was dressed in all silk, a heavily made-up face, and a gigantic hair that just made her head hurt. She didn't regard me at all. Even when she spoke about me, she didn't look at me.

"Have you brought her here to be tortured? Is that what the announcement is all about?"

Kai didn't reply to her. Instead, he faced his people. Again, I took my place beside him.

"I found my second chance mate," he announced, "Lady Hera of The Shadow Claw Pack here," he pointed at me and I raised my hand in a little wave. Their increased murmurs and whispers didn't deter me.

"She's my mate and you'll all do well to address and treat her as such. That's all."

The crowd dispersed and when we turned around, the lady was looking at me, her eyes full of hatred that made Atticus look like a child play.

"She's your mate?" the question was directed at Atticus but she didn't tear her eyes off me, "she must have done something to make you think so. For fuck's sake, Atticus, she's going to die in four days if she doesn't get into a new pack. She must have used her spells to do this."

She gestured in between the both of us, frustration sharpening her voice into harsh edges. Atticus ignored her again. Instead, he snapped his fingers and a maid appeared in front of us.

"Take her in and get her settled."

The maid bowed and gestured for me to follow her. I obliged and followed her into the interior which made a complete joke out of what the exterior looked like. This was a beauty that couldn't be described with words; each pillar, each curve, each bend was just too surreal. Maids and guards alike bowed and made way for us. The lift took us to the top floor.

"Here," she opened a room, one almost twice as big as my room, "you can have your bathe while I sort your dress out."

"Thank you...?"

"Agatha ma," she replied. I noticed that she was trembling, that she couldn't meet my eyes.

"Thank you, Agatha."

I walked to the bathroom, took off the lousy gown the elders gave me last night and a sigh of relief left my mouth when the water touched my hair and my skin. I washed my skin, washed away what happened yesterday. This was a chance to start again, to re-strategize and really make a crown out of Wanni's skull. I was thinking about that, plotting that when the memories attacked me out of nowhere.

Aiden giving me flowers.

Aiden giving me handwritten notes.

Aiden cooking for me, setting up dates, doing all those little things that made me fall in love with me.

A bitter taste took over my mouth as I drowned in those memories. The back of my eyes burnt and I pretended that the liquid rolling down my cheeks was just water.

Almost two hours later, I stepped out of the lift and was surprised by the sight that welcomed me. I thought I was stepping into the first floor but I stepped into a dark long room. The air here was colder and stiffer. The interior was sharper and the gold a darker shade than the rest of the house.

It was the throne room. I realized why I looked straight ahead and saw my new mate sitting on the throne like it was specifically made for him. I started to walk towards him when the main door burst open and a group of angry elders stomped in. They were six, each bearing the aura of old age, power, and prestige. I didn't need to know them personally to know that they belonged to the council of elders.

"What is this that we hear about that fallen witch being your second chance mate?" the first one spat venomously. It wasn't going to take a guess to know that she loathed the idea.

"She must has used a charm on you. The whole Red Valley knows she'll die in four days if she doesn't get another pack to take her in," another one added. They share the same opinion and it wasn't surprising.

"You should have rejected her on sight instead of bringing that tainted soul into our sacred palace."

They still haven't noticed me even though I was standing right in front of them.

"I insist that there's black magic in play here. Isn't it surprising that you'd feel a mate bond towards her the same day she was banished from her pack?"

"I found it surprising too," Atticus spoke for the first time, his voice loud and authoritative, "That's why I brought her here so she'd be tested."

He gestured towards me and the elders turned to me, finally noticing my presence. The malice in their eyes shone so bright my body would have shaken if I wasn't Hera Volkov.

"From this moment, she'd be subjected to Tanzu to confirm if the mate bond is true or falsified."

I tried not to freeze and tried not to show any reaction while the elders rejoiced openly at Atticus' words. Tanzu was a rigid procedure that was done by other packs to check if the black magic hadn't been on something. It was basically created to curtail The Shadow Claw's members.

And it has never failed before.