~ MARA ~

The witch’s hovel smells like rotting herbs and ancient magic.

I wrinkle my nose as I step further into the shadowy space, my designer heels clicking against the wooden floor. The interior is exactly what I expected, shelves lined with strange bottles, dried plants hanging from the ceiling, candles burning in dark corners casting everything in an eerie red glow.

"You said you could create a fake mate bond," I say without preamble.

Selene and Kaia reached out to her earlier and managed to speak with her, so my only job now is to convince her to perform whatever dark magic she has to in order to make it happen.

The witch, an ancient crone with silver eyes and skin like parchment, looks up from her mortar and pestle. A slow smile spreads across her weathered face.

"For the right price, I can create many things," she says, her voice drifting through the room like a cold breeze. "A false mate bond is... complicated magic. It requires something that carries his essence."

I frown.

"What do you mean by something that carries his essence?"

I reach into my bag and pull out a strand of Ronan’s hair that I managed to acquire weeks ago. A guard had been sympathetic, had brought me things from his room.

The witch takes the hair, examining it carefully.

"This will work," she murmurs. "But the bond won’t be permanent. It will fade with time. And if he suspects the truth, the magic will shatter."

"I don’t need it to be permanent," I say coldly. "I just need it to be convincing enough to drive a wedge between him and his precious Roselle."

The witch begins working immediately, mixing ingredients that I can’t identify, chanting words in a language that predates human civilization. The air suddenly get filled with magic, and I watch as the strand of hair glows with an ethereal red light.

Finally when she hands me the completed spell, a small vial of liquid that shimmers with the same red glow, she warns me:

"Use it quickly. And be careful. Magic this strong... it will have consequences."

I don’t care about consequences.

I take the vial and leave payment on the table, already planning my next move.

The Moon Goddess is finally on my side.

The moment I leave the witch’s place and return to the pack, Sienna hurries toward me, carrying exactly the information I’ve been hoping to hear.

"There was a fight," she whispers, her eyes darting around nervously to make sure no one is watching us. "Between Alpha Ronan and Roselle. She was upset about something, and he’s in the guest wing... reeking of alcohol."

Perfect. My plan begins to crystallize in my mind.

Roselle has pushed him away. He’s hurting. He’s vulnerable. And he’s drunk, the conditions are perfect.

I spend hours getting ready, rifling through my wardrobe in search of the perfect dress to seduce him. After trying on several outfits, I finally settle on a thin red silk slip that clings to every curve of my body.

I take my time applying my makeup, blending a smoky-eye look before finishing it off with my signature red lipstick.

Finally, I reach for my perfume, the same intoxicating scent Ronan once complimented back when we still had something between us.

A slow smile tugs at my lips as I slip the vial containing the fake mate-bond magic into my pocket.

Tonight, everything is going to change.

I slip on a robe, covering my body before making my way to the guest wing.

Luckily, the door is unlocked and slightly ajar, another sign that the Moon Goddess is finally on my side.

I find him exactly as Sienna described, except he’s now half-dressed, his clothes are disheveled, a bottle of tequila hangs loosely from one hand, and darkness clouds his eyes.

He’s devastated, broken, and absolutely perfect.

I shove the sting of jealousy deep down, refusing to let it surface.

Even though I know he’s never fallen apart like this over me before. Fuck that Westbrook girl. And fuck whatever spell she’s cast over him.

"Ronan," I say softly, closing the door behind me.

He looks up, and for a moment, I see confusion cross his features. But the alcohol has dulled his mind, made him less guarded.

"You shouldn’t be here," he slurs, but he doesn’t move away.

I approach him slowly, my body moving with sensuality.

"I wanted to check on you," I say, my voice honeyed and sweet. "I heard about your fight with Roselle. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

I reach out and touch his chest, feeling the warmth of his skin through the thin fabric of his shirt.

"I can help you forget," I whisper, leaning close. "I can make you feel better."

For a moment, just a moment, I think it might work. His hand reaches up, and his fingers brush against my face.

But then something changes, His eyes clear slightly, and I see recognition dawn. Not recognition of me as his mate, but recognition of what I’m trying to do.

"No," he says sharply, his voice cutting through the alcohol. "No. Get away from me."

He stands abruptly, and I stumble backward.

"Mara, what the fuck are you doing?" he demands, his voice growing more alert with each word. "How did you get in here?"

"Ronan—" I start, but he’s already moving.

He grabs my arm and physically lifts me, carrying me toward the door despite my struggling. I’m clawing at him, trying to hold on, trying to keep myself in the room, but he’s too strong. Too sober now.

He throws me out into the hallway and slams the door shut, locking it immediately.

"Stay away from my room," his voice comes through the door, sharp and commanding. "Stay away from me. And if I find out you’ve done anything to manipulate Roselle, I’m going to finish what I started."

I lie on the cold stone floor of the hallway, fury and frustration coursing through me.

But then I realize, I’m still holding something.

His boxers. They came off in my struggle with him, and in the chaos of being thrown out, he didn’t notice them in my possession.

My lips curl into a smile. It’s not what I planned, but it might be even better.

~~~~

I’m in a private room with my two closest confidantes, Selene and Kaia, the only women in the entire pack who’ve proven themselves loyal to me rather than to that golden-haired bitch.

We’re celebrating.

"Everything is falling perfectly into place," I say, swirling a glass of expensive wine. "Did you see the look on Roselle’s face when I mentioned last night? She believed every word."

Selene laughs, a sound of pure malicious joy.

"She looked absolutely devastated," Selene says. "And Ronan couldn’t deny it because he’s so drunk he probably can’t even remember what he did last night."

"The fake mate bond magic is working beautifully," I continue, feeling the red thread that connects me to Ronan humming with power. "He can feel it. His wolf recognizes it. And now, with Roselle doubting him, with her pushing him away, he’s going to be vulnerable to me."

Kaia leans forward, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"So what’s your next move?" she asks.

I smile—a smile that’s all predatory satisfaction.

"Roselle is going to leave," I say with absolute certainty. "She’s going to walk out of this pack house, and she’s going to disappear. And Ronan, desperate and broken and confused by his bonded mate, is going to turn to me. He’s going to accept the mate bond. He’s going to mark me."

I stand and walk to the window, looking out over the territory that will soon be mine.

"And then I’ll be the Luna," I continue, my voice dripping with triumph. "I’ll have everything I’ve ever wanted. The position, the power, the status. Everything that bitch tried to take from me."

"What about Ethan?" Kaia asks nervously. "He seemed very confident in his plan to challenge Ronan for the throne."

My smile widens.

"Let him challenge," I say dismissively. "With me as Ronan’s mate, with the fake bond keeping him confused and dependent on me, with Roselle out of the picture, I’ll have complete control over him. Ethan will be easy to manipulate once I’m Luna."

I turn back to face my friends.

"Everything is possible," I say, raising my glass. "Everything we’ve planned, everything we’ve worked for, it’s all coming to fruition. Roselle is already doubting him. Soon she’ll be completely out of the picture. And everything... everything will work out in our favor."

Selene and Kaia raise their glasses in response, and we drink to our victory.

I can already feel power slipping into my grasp. I can already hear the throne calling my name.

Roselle is finished. Ronan is mine. And the pack house that once rejected me will soon bend to my will. Everything is falling into place.