The floorboards didn’t creak. That was the first thing Brier noticed as she slipped through the shadows of the alpha’s bedroom. Six years of training had taught her to move like smoke. And tonight, all that practice would finally pay off.
Her fingers tightened around the hilt of her blade, its surface gleaming with the poison she’d carefully applied hours earlier. One cut. That was all it would take. One precise cut while he slept, and the most dangerous shifter in the territory would be dealt with.
The moonlight streaming through the tall windows cast everything in silver, making the massive four-poster bed look like an altar. And there, sprawled across dark sheets like he didn’t have a care in the world, was her target. His face, all masculine lines from strong jaw to straight nose, was relaxed in sleep. He looked harmless.
Completely, utterly human. Brier frowned. She knew what shifters were. Savage beasts who wore human faces to lure in their prey, who pretended to be civilized when they weren’t.
But seeing one now, his chest rising and falling in peaceful rhythm… No, she had to focus. She forced herself to think of her parents. The house fire that claimed them when she was sixteen. The way the coven found her broken and alone, and explained the truth: that it hadn’t been an accident.
Shifters had killed them, just like they’d killed so many others. This was for them. For every child who would never have to lose their parents to these monsters. For every witch who would sleep safely knowing one less beast walked the earth
Brier crept closer, her magic humming beneath her skin like a second heartbeat.
But the alpha looked younger than she’d expected. Pathetic, she thought. He’s dangerous. She raised the blade.
The poison would work fast, before he could call for help. One quick motion—
And his eyes snapped open. Startlingly blue. For a heartbeat that stretched into eternity, they just stared at each other.
Her poised above him with a weapon in her hands. Him blinking up at her with an expression she couldn’t read. Then, impossibly, he smiled. Not a grimace of fear or a snarl of rage—a genuine smile, soft and almost pleased.
Her heart did something stupid, a little skip that made heat rush to her cheeks, and the unexpected reaction enraged her. She snarled and drove the blade downward, but his hand shot up, fingers wrapping around her wrist with inhuman speed. “No,” he said quietly, his voice deep and rough with sleep. “I don’t think so.
”
She fought his grip, twisting and pulling, but he was stronger than he looked. Much stronger. His fingers were like steel bands around her wrist, and the heat of his skin burned against hers. The blade tumbled from her fingers, clattering harmlessly to the floor as he rolled them both, pinning her beneath him on the massive bed.
Suddenly she was trapped beneath solid muscle—his thighs bracketing hers, his bare chest pressed against her body. “Let me go,” she spat, bucking against his weight. “Get off me, you animal! ”
His eyes had shifted to gold, pupils dilating as he stared down at her.
To her absolute horror, his nose skimmed along her throat and inhaled deeply. “What the hell are you doing? ” she demanded, her voice higher than she’d intended. “You smell like wild flowers,” he murmured, and there was something almost reverent in his tone.
“I smell like your death,” she shot back, struggling beneath him. “Now let me. ”
The bedroom door burst open, and suddenly the room was full of people. Large, intimidating people who moved with the fluid grace of predators.
“Alpha! ” A woman with short cropped hair and worried eyes rushed forward. “Are you all right? ”
“We heard.
”
“I’m fine, Laura,” the alpha said, his voice perfectly calm despite the fact that he was currently pinning a would-be assassin to his bed. “Just had an unexpected visitor. ”
“Who is she? ” demanded a man with scars across his jaw.
His eyes found the blade on the floor, and his expression darkened. “She was trying to attack you. ”
“Trying being the operative word,” the alpha said with what sounded suspiciously like amusement. “Her technique needs work.
”
“My technique is perfect,” Brier snarled, renewing her struggles. “And this is over. I’m going to end you. I’m going to—”
“Lara,” the alpha interrupted, finally lifting his weight off her but keeping one hand firmly around her wrist.
“Would you mind escorting our guest to the holding cells? I think she needs some time to cool down. ”
“My pleasure,” Lara said grimly, hauling Brier to her feet with surprising strength. “Come on, little witch.
Let’s go. ”
As they dragged her toward the door, she twisted back to look at the alpha one last time. He was sitting on the edge of his bed now, completely unruffled, watching her with those unsettling blue eyes. And damn him—he was still smiling.
“This isn’t over! ” she shouted as they pulled her into the hallway. “I’ll find a way to finish what I started. ”
His low chuckle followed her down the corridor, and she hated how the sound made her traitorous heart race.
. * * *
Two days. Brier had been trapped in this barbaric cell for two whole days. The stone walls were cold.
The heavy door was reinforced with what looked suspiciously like iron. Even the lock appeared to be warded against magic. These animals were more prepared than she’d given them credit for. “How are you enjoying your breakfast?
” her guard asked, nodding toward the untouched tray. Brier picked up the plate and hurled it at the bars. The ceramic shattered satisfyingly. “So, I guess that means you still won’t tell us who sent you.
”
“Take these off and I’ll show you,” Brier snarled, holding up her wrists to display the silver cuffs locked around them. The metal burned against her skin, completely nullifying her magic. “And have you casting a spell? ” The man rolled his eyes.
“I don’t think so. ”
She flipped him the middle finger with both hands. “Just you wait. I’ll get out of here soon enough.
”
“Bold of you to make threats while being held in a cell. ”
“And bold of you to try to go after the alpha of all people. ”
“You’re right,” Brier said sweetly. “Next time, I’ll go straight for you.
”
A low snarl escaped the guard’s throat, and Brier quickly scanned the cell for anything she could use as a weapon. The broken ceramic pieces were too small, but the metal food tray might work if she could get enough leverage. “Marco. ”” The single word came in a deep, calm voice.
“Alpha. ” The guard immediately stepped back from the bars. “I was just—”
“I know what you were doing. ” The alpha stepped into view, and Brier’s breath caught despite herself.
. “Go,” he said. “But sir, she was—”
“Marco. ””
Marco’s footsteps echoed down the corridor until they faded entirely, leaving Brier alone with the person she least wanted to see.
The alpha didn’t speak immediately. Instead, he just looked at her, those blue eyes taking in everything from her tangled hair to her wrinkled clothes. “What? ” She finally snapped.
“You want an apology or something? You’re not getting one. ”
The alpha stayed silent for a beat, and then:“What’s your name? ”
The question caught her off guard.
“What? ”
“Your name? ” He repeated patiently. “It’s go screw yourself,” Brier snapped.
His mouth curved into that infuriating smirk she remembered from two nights ago. “Apparently, you won’t tell us who sent you either. ”
“Maybe I sent myself,” Brier rolled her eyes. “Even thought of that.
”
“Oh. ” He leaned against the wall across from her cell, crossing his arms in a way that made his biceps strain against his sleeves. The prick. .
“And why is that? What did I ever do to you? ”
This made Brier pause. “I don’t like your face,” she decided eventually.
“You don’t like my face. ” He raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. “Well, I don’t. It’s too—” She paused, searching for the right word.
“Symmetrical. Sharp-featured. Perfect. ”
“Take your time,” he said mildly.
“It’ll come to you. ”
The patronizing tone made her want to scream. “What do you even plan to do with me? ” she demanded.
“You can’t keep me here forever. ”
“Actually,” he said,“I do intend to keep you forever. ”
Brier stared at him. “Why?
The second you let your guard down, I’m just going to come for you again, fool. ”
His gaze lingered on her face, tracing her features with an attention that made her skin prickle with awareness. “Stop staring at me,” Brier snapped. “It’s creepy.
”
His jaw tightened, and she could see him swallow hard. “If I intend to keep you forever—” He trailed off, his eyes meeting hers and then looking away. “Because what? ” Irritation flared in her chest.
“Spit it out already. What kind of game are you? ”
“Because you’re my mate. ” He interrupted.
“Excuse me. ” Brier blinked. “What did you just say? ”
“Mate.
” He repeated, his voice quieter than before. “You’re my mate. ”
“Fate—fate says otherwise,” he replied. “Fate?
” Brier’s voice cracked. “What the hell does that mean? ”
He was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, his voice was gentle and patient. “All shifters have destined mates.
One person who completes them, who they’re meant to bond with for life. Finding your mate is rare, a gift most of us never receive. ”
“Whoa. Okay.
” Brier interrupted. “I don’t like where you’re going with this. You’re messing with me, right? Trying to confuse me into giving you information or something?
”
When he didn’t respond, didn’t even crack a smile, her shock transformed into fury. “What kind of sick sense of humor is this, wolf? ”
“I’m very serious,” he said, that maddening calm never leaving his voice. “When I saw you in my room, I knew the bond.
It’s like nothing I’ve ever felt. Even now, being near you, I can sense your emotions. ”
“Oh, good,” Brier snarled. “Well, then I hope you feel my complete and utter disgust for you.
”
Something flickered across his face—hurt, maybe—but it was gone so quickly she might have imagined it. “I understand you haven’t heard of faded bonds,” he continued. “It’s not something humans usually know about. ”
“Stop talking about bonds!
” Brier screeched. But he didn’t stop. If anything, he seemed more determined to explain. “These connections are sacred to my people.
When you find your mate, they become the most important thing in your world. The person you’re destined to care for and cherish above all others. ” His eyes met hers through the bars. “I’m telling you this so you’ll know that I would never hurt you.
Not ever. ”
The earnestness in his voice, the way he looked at her like she was something precious—it destabilized her completely. “Do you really feel nothing when you look at me? ” he asked quietly.
“I feel complete and utter horror,” she spat, jerking to her feet and pressing herself against the far wall of the cell. He nodded slowly, like he expected that response. “I hope to change that. I want you to feel safe with me.
”
“Go away,” she screamed. * * *
Three days had passed since the alpha dropped his ridiculous bombshell, and Brier was still reeling from the audacity of it. Mate. He pretended she was his mate.
What kind of manipulative monster invented this kind of stuff? The worst part was that everyone seemed to be in on the charade. Just this morning, she’d overheard Marco talking to another guard in hushed tones. “Poor Alpha.
To think that’s his mate—a witch who tried to kill him. Maybe she’s enchanted him somehow. ” The other guard replied. “You think a witch could fake a mate bond?
”
“I don’t know, but something’s not right about this whole situation. ”
It infuriated Brier how committed they all were to the act. The alpha—she refused to think of him by name because names humanized people, and he wasn’t people—had been visiting her cell every evening for the past week. Not to interrogate her, which would at least make sense.
No, he just sat there and tried to make conversation. . “Are you comfortable enough? ” he’d asked yesterday.
“The nights are getting colder. I could have someone bring you another blanket. ”
“I could have someone bring you a knife to the throat,” she’d snarled back. He just smiled,that patient, understanding smile that made her want to scream.
. Tonight was no different. He was back again, and this time he’d brought a book. “I thought you might be getting bored,” he said, holding up the leatherbound volume.
“This is one of my favorites. ”
“I couldn’t care less,” Brier cut him off. “I don’t want to hear your voice. ”
He was quiet for a moment, considering her words.
“All right. I’ll just sit here then, maybe read to myself. ”
And he did. He actually sat there reading silently while she glared at him from across the cell.
This was exactly what the coven warned them about. Wolves were master manipulators, able to present themselves as harmless while they plotted their victim’s destruction. Sister Thorne had drummed it into all the initiates. Never trust their human faces.
Never forget what they really were underneath. Brier thought of the other girls in the coven. Young women like herself who’d lost everything to these monsters. Sarah, whose parents died in a car accident that was really a shifter attack.
Elena, who’d barely survived when wolves broke into her family’s house. They were probably worried sick about her right now. The thought made her stomach clench. Meanwhile, that idiot alpha was still sitting there, only occasionally glancing up with something almost hopeful in his expression.
. That loser must think whatever it was he was doing was working. And, come to think of it…… A slow smile spread across Brier’s face. His little act could work out in her favor.
If he wanted to manipulate her by pretending to be some kind of caring, devoted soulmate, then she’d let him think he was succeeding. She’d make him believe she was starting to fall for his act. And when his guard was down, she’d strike. At worst, she could feed him false information about the coven.
At best, she might actually manage to escape. “So, what’s it about? ” she asked suddenly, interrupting his reading. “I’m sorry?
” He looked up, clearly startled. “Your book,” Brier said, trying to inject just the right amount of reluctant curiosity into her voice. “What’s it about? ”
“Oh.
” He cleared his throat. “I’m just rereading the Odyssey. ”
“Right. ” Brier paused.
“What’s it about? ”
“You don’t know what the Odyssey is about? ” The man asked, looking affronted. “Of course I do,” she snapped.
“Just checking you do, that’s all. ”
“I understand what it’s about. ” He snorted, which made her want to shake him. Instead, she sent him her sweetest smile.
“Could you—could you maybe read it to me? ” She asked in a tone that she hoped sounded delicate and vulnerable. “I mean, if it’s not too much trouble. ”
She must have succeeded, because the smile that crossed his face was so genuine that for a moment she almost felt guilt.
“It’s no trouble at all,” he said. * * *
Two days into her brilliant manipulation plan, and Brier had made excellent progress with the alpha. The first night, she’d simply listened to him read his boring Odyssey book, occasionally asking strategic questions about the wife’s motivations—because, like, for real, who waited for a dude that long? By the second night, she’d graduated to making carefully timed observations about the story that made him pause and look at her with something approaching interest.
Soon he’d be eating out of the palm of her hand, she thought with satisfaction. So, when the alpha arrived for his evening reading session, she was prepared with her next move. “Could I get some fresh air? ” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
“Fresh air. ” He paused, one eyebrow raising slightly. “I’m going stir crazy,” she explained, forcing a note of vulnerability into her voice. “I suppose dinner upstairs wouldn’t be unreasonable.
You’d have to remain cuffed, of course. ”
“Of course. ” Brier agreed quickly. .
Twenty minutes later, she was following him up a stone staircase, her magic-suppressing cuffs still firmly in place. The house above the dungeons was nothing like what she expected from a pack of murderous beasts. It was elegant—all warm wood and expensive furniture with actual artwork on the walls. “This is nice,” she said, injecting just the right amount of surprise into her tone while cataloging escape routes.
“Thank you. ” If he noticed her initial reconnaissance, he didn’t comment on it. . the dining room was massive, dominated by a table that could easily seat twenty people.
Of course, he gestured for her to sit at the far end while he took his place at the head, putting a good ten feet of polished mahogany between them. “What’s wrong? ” Brier asked. “Worried I’m going to stick my fork in your eye?
”
“A little bit, yes,” he admitted with that infuriating half smile. Before she could respond, the door opened and a middle-aged woman hurried in. “Alpha, I’m sorry to interrupt, but we need to discuss the Morrison account. ”
“Why?
What is it? ” he asked, setting down his fork. “The deadline is tomorrow, and if we don’t get your signature on the revised terms, we’ll lose the contract entirely. ”
“The alpha sighed, pulling out a pen as he gestured for her to bring the stack of documents to his place next to his plate.
“So,” Brier said, watching him pick up his fork again after a good fifteen minutes. “Do you actually plan to eat now, or—? ”
The door opened again. A younger man with urgent eyes rushed in.
“Alpha, there’s been a boundary dispute with the Riverside pack. ”
Brier took another bite of her chicken, watching the alpha eye his cooling dinner with something like longing. “You were saying? ” He asked her when he was done with the new task.
“I was saying that at this rate,” Brier replied, gesturing with her fork,“Penelope will sooner see her missing husband than you get to eat. ”
The door flew open yet again. This time it was Lara, still in her guard uniform. “Alpha, the new security protocols need your approval.
”
And so the alpha pushed his plate away with a resigned expression while Brier finished her chicken and started on her vegetables. By the time Lara left with her answers, she was reaching for dessert, and the man hadn’t taken a single bite. “I mean, who needs food anyway? ” she asked.
“Being alpha means being responsible for everyone in the pack,” he told her. “Their problems become my problems. ”
“Right. You mean they can’t think for themselves?
”
“That’s not what I—” The alpha began. “Right. ” As an older man barged in. “Alpha, forgive me, but the Henderson contract.
”
“Oh, come on. ” Brier snapped. “The man is eating. Can’t you give it a rest?
”
The sudden silence was deafening. The alpha blinked at her, clearly startled by her outburst, but he didn’t protest. And soon enough, the room cleared, leaving them alone. “Thank you,” he said quietly, looking unsure for the first time since she’d met him—like he was torn between gratitude, annoyance, and some sort of shy pleasure.
“You can’t possibly deal with business every five minutes,” she told him. “Well. ” He sighed. “I do run several businesses that employ pack members, handle disputes, negotiate with other packs, maintain relationships with human authorities.
”
“Businesses. Negotiations. Human authorities. ” She repeated.
“Yes,” he said,“you know, so they don’t discover what we are. ”
“Oh. ” Brier nodded knowingly. “You mean covering up all the murders.
”
The alpha’s fork froze halfway to his mouth. “The murders? ” He repeated, sounding genuinely confused. “All the humans you kill,” Brier explained。“you know, to appease your wolves with blood so you can maintain your shifts.
”
For a moment, whose alpha just stared at her, his face completely blank. “Excuse me—what? ” He asked. He set down his fork, pushing back from the table.
“Oh, come on,” Brier insisted with an eye roll. “I’m a witch, not exactly human. I know what you are. ”
“And what is it that you think we are?
”
“Did you just say that we kill humans for blood to maintain our shifts? ” The alpha asked. “Is that what—who told you this? ”
The question hit too close to home, and Brier immediately shut down.
This was it. The part where the gentle manipulation stopped and the real interrogation began. She should have seen it coming. “None of us commit murders,” the alpha continued, leaning forward with concern written across his features.
“It’s against our laws to harm humans. We have strict policies. ”
“Liar. ” The word tore from her throat before she could stop it.
Images flashed through her mind. Her parents’ house engulfed in flames. The coven’s explanation of what really happened. The wolves that came for them in the night.
Brier shook her head, her breathing becoming shallow. How dare he? How dare he expect her to act like she didn’t know what he was, what he did. The room began to spin.
“I’m not lying,” the alpha said, his voice urgent but soothing. “No one kills humans. No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe here.
”
But she couldn’t hear him over the roaring in her ears, couldn’t see past the visions that always came when someone challenged what she knew to be true. Her parents screaming her name. Fire everywhere. The shapes of wolves moving through the smoke.
“Stop. ” She whispered, her voice breaking. “They killed them. They killed my parents.
Sister Thorne showed me. She explained it to me. ”
The sobs came without warning—harsh and painful, ripping through her chest like physical wounds. She was sixteen again, standing in the ashes of her home, completely alone in the world.
The grief was as fresh as it had been seven years ago. Suddenly, the alpha was beside her, his hands on her shoulders, warm and steady. “Hey,” he murmured, his voice low and soothing. “You’re safe.
Just breathe with me. All right. ” His thumbs traced gentle circles on her shoulders, and the relief was so immediate, so profound that it left her gasping. “In and out,” he murmured.
“That’s it. ”
““I’ve got you,”” the alpha said quietly, his hands moving to cup her face. “Whatever they told you, whatever they made you believe, none of it was real. ”
His voice was so certain, so gentle that for a moment she almost believed him.
Almost. But the images kept flickering behind her eyes. Fire. Screaming.
The shadow of wolves in the smoke. She gasped, clinging to the alpha. Even as her mind screamed that he was the enemy,that his touch shouldn’t comfort her. “I don’t understand,” she cried out, her voice raw from crying.
“What’s happening? ”
She was falling apart in the arms of her enemy,and she didn’t even know why. The last thing she was aware of was the alpha’s arms tightening around her as consciousness slipped away. * * *
Consciousness came in fragments.
Brier felt like she was swimming up from the bottom of a deep, dark pool. She was lying on something soft—a bed, she realized dimly—but exhaustion weighed her down like lead. Her eyes felt too heavy to open. Voices drifted through the haze, low and urgent, the sound of footsteps pacing back and forth across what sounded like hardwood floors.
“…Alpha, she’s too unstable. If she’s really your faded mate, she’s—”**
“All the more reason to get rid of her. ” The interruption came sharp and certain, and Brier recognized the alpha’s voice immediately. “She’s been completely brainwashed.
She tried to kill you. If she stays and your bond actually forms, you’ll—”**
“I want to know who did this to my mate. ” The alpha interrupted, his voice carrying a dangerous edge now. “Contact every pack, every contact we have.
Someone fed her those lies. Someone twisted her mind,and I want to know who. ”
A heavy sigh echoed through the room. “West.
Listen to yourself. You’re already not being rational about this. ”
West. So that was his name.
She hadn’t even thought to ask. Not even when Sister Thorne had told her she’d earned her first mark,and her next assignment would be her first kill. She hadn’t asked for his name. She lost consciousness again.
. The next time awareness found her, it was night. Arms—warm and solid—were wrapped around her, but it took her a moment to realize she was being held. Her body stirred slightly, and blue eyes met hers in the dim light.
“Sorry,” the alpha said quietly. “You thrash a lot when I don’t hold you. ”
“Your name is West? ” she asked, the words coming out rougher than she expected.
Her throat felt raw, like she’d been screaming. “Sleep,” he murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. The tenderness of the gesture confused her. “Did you drug me?
” she asked, because the exhaustion felt bone-deep, unnatural. “No. Your body just exhausted itself with stress. ”
“Stress?
” she repeated. “Yes. It appears our discussion triggered something within you at dinner. You’ve been struggling since.
”**
“Oh. ” Her eyes drifted closed again to the sound of his steady breathing. * * *
When she woke the third time, she kept her eyes shut, listening. She heard the alpha’s voice and felt the presence of magic beside her.
But this magic was wrong—dark and twisted. Something deeply unsettling that made her skin crawl and the hair on her arms stand on end. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. “…Well, she’s a witch, that’s for sure.
” The responding voice was unfamiliar. Male, with an oddly melodic quality to it. West’s exhale was audible, frustrated. “Right.
But is she in danger? Is she under some sort of spell? ”
“No, not that I can…. ” The stranger paused.
She heard the rustle of fabric, felt the bed shift, then without warning, cold fingers wrapped around her wrist. . Brier’s eyes snapped open. .
A man with copper hair and green eyes was leaning over her, his skin pale as parchment. The darkness she sensed was emanating from him like heat from a fire, making the shadows in the room seem to writhe and dance. “You have dark magic,” she breathed, instinctively, trying to pull away. “So do you,” he said calmly, looking at her arm.
Brier followed his gaze and saw the mark on her forearm glowing faintly through her skin, pulsing with a sickly green light. That was her coven mark. Everyone received one when they joined, but it was supposed to stay hidden. How was it visible now?
Brier tried to scramble away from him, but the dark magician made a disapproving sound—a soft tisk that somehow sent chills down her spine—and placed one finger against her forehead. His touch was like ice,and darkness rushed in again. . * * *
The next time she woke, West was beside her,and fury blazed through her immediately.
“What did you do to me? ” she demanded, trying to sit up. “Nothing,” he said, but he looked troubled. Haunted even.
The scent of food drifted from a tray on the bedside table—something warm and comforting that made her stomach growl despite everything. But Brier had to focus. She was remembering the dark magician—how he’d seen her mark. It couldn’t be good if the alpha had seen it too.
If he had a clue that could lead him to the coven, she needed to escape now. When a knock came at the door and he got up to leave, she seized her chance. “West. ” Brier called out.
The sound of his name on her lips made him pause. Time to double down on her manipulation, she thought. Time to make him believe she was starting to trust him. “Stay with me,” she asked, making her voice small and vulnerable.
“Please. ”
For a moment, he looked clearly torn. But the fact that she’d asked him to stay—that she’d used his name—was clearly affecting him more than she expected. There was something raw and grateful in his expression, like she’d just given him an unexpected gift.
Perfect. This was exactly what she needed. Brier let a small shy smile curve her lips. She shifted slightly on the bed, making room for him while keeping her movements hesitant.
“Thank you,” she whispered, looking up at him through her lashes. “I just—I don’t want to be alone right now. ”
The effect was immediate. The alpha’s entire posture softened,and his hand moved like he wanted to reach for her before stopping himself.
Hook, line, and sinker. “Could you? ” She started, then bit her lip. “Could you hold me like before?
”
He froze, staring at her suspiciously. “I feel safer when you’re close,” Brier pressed. “The alpha blinked before clearing his throat. “All right.
”
Except the second his arms settled around her, he sort of melted, his breathing deepening as he buried his face in her hair. Brier froze, startled by the raw intimacy of the gesture. He was inhaling slowly, deeply, like he couldn’t help himself,and for a moment, she almost believed—no. He was probably pretending, of course.
Trying to make her drop her guard. Well, two could play at this game. Brier let herself sink deeper into his embrace,and pressed a soft kiss to the warm skin just below his jaw. His pulse jumped beneath her lips.
When she pulled back to look at him, his eyes were wide with surprise, pupils dilated, beautiful. Before she could think, she was stretching up to press her lips to his. The kiss was nothing like she expected. His lips were warm and soft,and the taste of him—something distinctly masculine and appealing—flooded her senses.
But West didn’t respond. In fact, he went completely frozen, like a statue. It was so jarring, she pulled back almost instantly, confused. “That’s it?
” she asked, the words tumbling out. “That’s all you’ve got,after I just kissed you? Really, man? ”
He raised an eyebrow.
“Thank you. ”
Brier seriously considered shaking him. “I thought I was your faded mate. Your destiny or whatever.
”
West looked like he was trying not to laugh. “You are,” he said confidently. “So, doesn’t that mean you’d be interested in kissing me? ” she insisted.
West studied her face for a moment. Something almost predatory in the way he watched her. “You don’t actually want to kiss me,” he decided, sounding quite certain. “What?
Of course I do,” she insisted. “No. ” He shook his head。“I can feel it through our bond. Whatever you’re planning, Brier, it’s not going to work.
”
Well, crap. The fact that he could sense her emotions through some supernatural connection was definitely not something the coven prepared her for. If she wanted to get out of here, if she wanted to warn the coven before it was too late, she was going to have to step up her game considerably. * * *
Three weeks.
Three entire weeks of trying to seduce a man who claimed she was his destined mate,and Brier had absolutely nothing to show for it. “Want to make out? ” she asked casually, draping herself across West’s desk. It had become her catchphrase at this point, tossed out at random intervals throughout the day.
All part of her carefully calculated plan to earn his trust,and ultimately escape. Except West didn’t even look up. His brow furrowed slightly,and his lips pressed together. At least she was no longer in that cold cell.
Now she had a bedroom—a nice one even, with soft blankets and a view of the mountains. Of course, she was still wearing these annoying magic-suppressing cuffs. And there was always someone watching her, either West himself or one of his trusted guards. Her attempts at seduction had been embarrassingly unsuccessful.
Actually, embarrassing didn’t even begin to cover the spectacular disasters of her so-called brilliant plans. There was the massage incident, where she’d complained of sore shoulders, batting her eyelashes so dramatically she probably looked like she had something in her eye. The plan was genius. Get his hands on her, distract him,and snatch the keys to her cuffs from his pocket.
Instead, she turned into human putty the second his fingers touched her, making sounds that would have gotten her kicked out of a respectable library. Then there was the dinner disaster. She’d spent days sweet-talking the cook into giving her access to the kitchen, claiming she wanted to prepare a special meal for West. The centerpiece of her plan: three different bottles of wine, perfect for loosening West’s tongue aboutthe coven.
Or maybe those cuff keys. Three hours later, West was annoyingly sober while she couldn’t remember how many fingers she had. “The room is spinning,” she’d slurred, clinging to his shirt. “How are you still standing?
”
“Shifters have a strong metabolism,” he’d replied with that infuriating gentleness. “Alcohol doesn’t affect us the same way. ”
She’d responded by throwing up on his shoes. And so, the weeks had gone, each plan more elaborate than the last, each failure more spectacular.
She’d tried everything short of interpretive dance to break through his defenses. All for the mission, of course. Not because she enjoyed the way his eyes lit up when she made him laugh. Definitely not.
She told herself she was collecting intelligence when she noticed how intently he listened to every concern brought to him,or how he never raised his voice. The only thing was that none of this fit with what Sister Thorne taught her about shifters. But Brier pushed the doubt away. It was all an act.
She reminded herself, just like her own. . * * *
This morning, the house was in chaos when West brought her downstairs for breakfast. Pack members were rushing about with decorations.
Furniture was being moved. “What’s happening? ” Brier asked, watching in growing confusion as more pack members arrived, carrying everything from flowers to what appeared to be a crystal fountain. “Hmm?
” West looked up, blinking as if he’d been lost in thought. “No, but seriously,” Brier insisted. “What’s with all the excitement out there? There’s an army of people transforming your house.
Surely you must have noticed. ”
She crossed her arms, staring him down until he sighed. “Fine,” he admitted. “There’s a party being thrown.
”
““A party? ” She repeated, one eyebrow raised. “You mean, you’re throwing a party? ”
“Not exactly,” West replied.
“What does that mean? ”
“It means the party is being thrown for me. ”
“For you? ” Brier blinked.
“Why would—? ”
“For my birthday,” West interrupted with a slight wince. “Your birthday? ” Brier froze.
“It’s your birthday today? ” She was suddenly offended that he hadn’t mentioned it before. Not that she cared, obviously. It was just information she should have been told.
That was all. For mission purposes. “When were you going to tell me? ” she asked.
“I wasn’t aware it was that relevant information,” West replied mildly. “Right. ” Brier scoffed. “So I take it I’m not invited, then.
” She meant it as a joke, but something in his expression made her pause. “Wait—are you serious? You’re not inviting me? ”
“Come on, Brier.
” West sighed, running a hand through his hair. “You know why that’s not a good idea. ”
“And when she just gaped at him, he added,“You try to escape. ”
““I try to escape?
” Brier exclaimed dramatically. West gave her a flat look, making her scoff. A crowded party with everyone distracted was the perfect opportunity to slip away. But the fact that he naturally assumed this was something she would do only made her want to prove him wrong.
By showing up in a nice dress,and stay by his side all night. Ha. Joke’s on him. “Well, what do you expect me to do?
” she snapped. “Stay in my room the entire night? ”
West’s expression turned apologetic, which only infuriated her more. Because she’d be missing a prime escape opportunity, obviously.
* * *
Hours later, Brier paced her room like a caged animal—which, technically, she was. “Can’t believe him,” she muttered. “It’s not like I’d try to assassinate him at his own birthday party. ”
The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became.
“How am I supposed to get him a gift if I didn’t know it was his birthday? ” she grumbled, flopping onto her bed. “Now I just look rude. ”
Not that she cared what West thought, obviously.
This was purely strategic. Earning his trust required certain social niceties. That was all. The distant sounds of the party filtered up through her window.
Laughter. Music. The clinking of glasses. Whatever.
She didn’t care. Nope. Eventually, she tried to sleep, if only to escape her own thoughts, but it wasn’t long before something yanked her back awake. A discomfort—vague and insistent—like an itch she couldn’t quite locate.
Her head throbbed with what felt like the beginning of a migraine,and there was a strange pressure in her chest. Brier sat up, rubbing her temples. The feeling persisted—a sort of restless unease coupled with physical discomfort that seemed to radiate through her entire body. It felt almost like anxiety, but not quite.
Like she’d forgotten something important,but couldn’t remember what. “Girl, just go back to sleep,” she told herself firmly. But she couldn’t. The feeling grew stronger, more insistent.
It wasn’t physical exactly. More like a pull—a tug on something deep inside her that said she needed to be somewhere else, with someone else. With West. The thought came from nowhere—sudden and startling.
But the moment it surfaced, she knew it was true. Something was wrong with West. She didn’t know how she knew. She just did.
“I’m being stupid,” she mumbled, but she was already on her feet, moving toward the door. She threw it open, startling the guard stationed outside. “I need to go downstairs,” she announced, not entirely sure why she was doing this. “Nice try.
Back in your room. ” The guard, a burly man with a beard she didn’t recognize, looked unimpressed. “You don’t understand,” Brier insisted. “I need to see West.
”
“The alpha,” the guard corrected with a sneer,“is busy entertaining guests. And you’re not invited. ”
A second guard appeared from around the corner, equally unimpressed. “Problem?
”
“The witch wants to crash the party,” the first guard explained. “Look,” Brier said, trying to keep her voice level. “I need to check on West. He’s unwell.
”
That got their attention. “How would you know that? ”
Brier opened her mouth, then closed it. How did she know?
She had no idea. She just did. “I’m his mate,” she said finally. “I can tell.
”
The words came out before she could stop them, surprising her as much as the guards. She didn’t believe in the mate bond. It was nonsense. A fairy tale West invented to manipulate her.
But right now, it was the only explanation she had for this strange certainty. “Go get him,” Brier instructed. “Tell him there’s a very important phone call with very important people waiting for him in his office. ”
“But there isn’t,” the first guard protested.
“Everyone important is here. ”
“Right,” Brier said, crossing her arms. “So if he comes, you’ll know I’m right. ”
The guards exchanged another look before the second one nodded.
“I’ll wait in his office. ”
More skeptical looks, but eventually they agreed. And soon enough, Brier paced the office, trying to make sense of what just happened. Just when she was beginning to think her ploy hadn’t worked, the door opened,and West stepped in.
“Brier,” he said, clearly surprised. “The guard said there was an urgent call. ”
“You’re welcome,” Brier replied. “What?
” West’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Oh, come on. ” She rolled her eyes. “You don’t feel well.
I can tell. ”
The words hung in the air between them,and suddenly Brier paused, struck by the strangeness of it. How could she tell? She pushed the thought aside, focusing instead on the opportunity in front of her.
West looked off-balance, vulnerable even. This could be her chance to finally get under his skin. “So, what’s wrong? ” She asked, studying him more closely.
“Nothing,” he said. His hands clenched and unclenched at his sides, knuckles white with strain. “Liar,” she said, softer than she intended. West sighed, lowering himself carefully into his chair.
“Don’t worry about it. ”
“So, you admit something’s up,” Brier pressed, moving closer. “What is it? ”
Another sigh, deeper this time.
“Fine. ” West muttered, avoiding her eyes. A muscle jumped in his jaw as he clenched his teeth. “It’s because of the bond.
” His eyes, when they met hers briefly, had a feverish gleam to them. “The mate bond. It requires that I spend time with you—stay close to you. And because I’ve done so a lot recently, the bond has grown.
” He trailed off, looking away. “Now what? ” Brier asked, feeling a flutter of nervousness in her stomach. West met her eyes,and the intensity in his gaze made her breath catch.
“Now it requires that I be with you. ” He confessed. “Be with me,” she repeated. “That I claim you,” he said quietly.
His breathing had grown more labored, his chest rising and falling with each carefully measured breath. “Claim me? ” Brier let out a forced laugh. “You ain’t claiming nobody.
”
“Yes. I am aware. ” West winced. “Brier stared.
The reality of the situation slowly sank in. “You’re serious, aren’t you? This bond thing—it’s not a joke. It’s not a manipulation tactic.
It’s not a lie designed to confuse me or make me lower my guard. It’s real. ”
“I would never lie about something like this,” West said quietly. “To us, mate bonds are sacred.
”
For a moment, Brier didn’t know what to say. Everything she thought she knew, everything Sister Thorne taught her about shifters being manipulative monsters… If this was true, if the bond was real,then what else might be false? “Okay, shut up,” she said finally, pushing the troubling thoughts aside. “So, what do we do?
How do we make you feel better? ”
West looked distinctly uncomfortable, shifting in his chair. “You said you needed to be close to me,” Brier prompted. “Yes,” he admitted reluctantly, the word coming out almost as a growl.
Brier’s mind raced. Close to her. All right. What did that mean exactly?
And then it hit her. Physically close. That was what he meant. Her eyes widened.
“Don’t,” West said immediately, reading her expression. But nope. He pushed himself to his feet,and backed away from her. “Oh, come on,” Brier said.
“You know I have to. ”
“Brier. ”
“Want to make out? ” She interrupted triumphantly.
Something snapped in West’s expression. “No, I don’t want to make out. ” His eyes flashed fully gold now, his breathing ragged. “I don’t want to touch you,” he said, almost a snarl.
“I don’t want to get anywhere near physical intimacy with you when you obviously do not reciprocate—or feel the need or want to touch me back at all. ”
The vehemence in his voice took her aback. “You are my mate, Brier,” he continued, the words pouring out now—harsh and strained. “And it might not mean much to you, but to me, you’re everything.
Your scent. Your feelings. I feel connected to you in ways I’ve never felt before in my life,and never will again. So, forgive me,” he growled,“but I don’t think I can bring myself to touch you,and have you feel absolutely nothing.
”
She cut him off by pressing her lips to his. It was impulsive—unplanned—the exact opposite of the calculated seduction attempts she’d been making for weeks. She didn’t even know why she did it, only that she couldn’t stand to hear him talk like that for another second. West froze for a heartbeat, his entire body going rigid with shock.
He responded—a brief, desperate press of lips—before he tore himself away, his chest heaving. “Stop being stupid,” Brier sighed,kissing him again. A sound tore from his throat—half growl, half groan—primal and desperate. Suddenly, his arms were around her, pulling her against him,and the kiss was nothing like the tentative press of lips from before.
This was raw and hungry—the culmination of weeks of denied desire. His mouth moved against hers with an urgency that stole her breath,and Brier found herself responding with equal fervor. Heat bloomed everywhere they touched. His hands on her waist.
His chest against hers. The intensity was overwhelming—unlike anything she’d ever experienced. But more shocking than the physical sensation was what she felt emotionally. Somehow, impossibly, she could sense West’s feelings.
A tidal wave of need, desire, relief that made her heart stutter in her chest. There was a desperate edge to it, like a man who’d been starving, finally given a feast. **
She pulled back, gasping for air. All the restraint he’d shown these past weeks—it was all a facade.
Underneath, he’d been burning for her. ““Wow,”” she said, grinning. “You’re so into me. ”
West groaned, his eyes molten gold now.
Their lips met again,and this time Brier melted against him, her arms winding around his neck as he lifted her effortlessly onto his desk. She nipped at his lower lip, drawing a sound from him that was more wolf than man. His control slipped further,and suddenly he was kissing her harder, deeper, his tongue sliding against hers in a way that made her toes curl. Brier had been kissed before, but never like this.
Never so thoroughly that she forgot everything except the feel of someone against her. The mate bond—it was real. The realization should have terrified her. Instead, it sent a thrill through her entire body.
All this time, West had been telling the truth. Just as his hands slid to her hips,and the heat between them became almost unbearable, West suddenly pulled back. “What? ” Brier pouted.
“Look, I—” West hesitated. “Brier, there’s something you should know. ” His eyes, still more gold than blue, were troubled as they met hers. “What is it?
” She asked. West took a deep breath. “It’s about your coven. About Sister Thorne.
”
* * *
Brier pushed away from West, panic flaring in her chest. “How do you know about the coven? ” she demanded, her voice rising with fear. “What they told you—what they’ve been telling you your whole life—it’s not what you think,” West attempted.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Brier interrupted. West held up his hands, trying to appear non-threatening. “Please calm down. ”
The softness in his voice only made her angrier.
“Leave my coven alone,” she snapped, backing toward the door. All the warmth she’d felt moments ago had vanished, replaced by cold dread. “You don’t understand,” West said, a pained expression crossing his features. “They’ve been lying to you.
”
“You’re the liar,” Brier interrupted, not wanting to hear another word. West’s shoulders slumped slightly. “Remember the man who came to see you when you were unconscious? ” He asked.
“The one with the copper hair? The dark magic user? ”
“You can’t seriously believe anything a dark magician says,” Brier scoffed. “Your coven uses black magic, too,” West said quietly, his blue eyes searching hers, pleading for understanding.
“That mark on your arm proves it. ”
Brier’s hand instinctively covered her forearm, where her coven mark lay hidden beneath her sleeve. “You should never have seen that. ” Her voice cracked,and she hated the vulnerability in it.
The idea that he’d seen something so private, so integral to her identity, made her feel violated. “It’s a siphon mark, Brier,” West declared, his voice gentle. “It draws magic from you. ”
“What?
” The word came out as barely more than a whisper. “The mark has been placed on you to siphon magic to whoever put it there,” West explained. “Your coven leader, I imagine. ” He took a half step toward her,then stopped himself when she flinched back.
The hurt in his eyes was palpable—a raw wound that somehow made her chest ache in response. “I would know if my magic had been siphoned,” Brier’s voice rose with desperation. “It’s mine. It’s part of me.
”
“You’d know if something was wrong with your wolf,” West countered. “Well, I’d know if something was up with my magic. ”
“Except if it isn’t yours,” West murmured, his voice heavy with regret. “What are you talking about?
”
“The magician who came here—his name is Adrien. ” West grimaced, leaning against his desk. “He’s very powerful—capable of granting any wish for a price. ”
“So he’s made a pact with a demon,” Brier asked, her witch’s knowledge filling in the blanks.
“Yes. ” West’s jaw tightened, eyes darkening with concern. “Adrien is bound to grant wishes, but he always explains the potential consequences—that you’ll pay with what you love most. He told me he once granted a witch a wish—the power to draw a shifter’s magic to herself by killing them.
”
Brier’s blood ran cold. “I believe this witch—Annabella Thorne was her name—is the one who placed that mark on you and other members of your coven. She draws magic from the mark every time one of you kills a shifter in her stead,” West concluded. “No,” Brier exclaimed, recoiling from his words.
“That’s not true. The coven is about protecting humans from shifters. We’re the good guys. ”
West’s expression softened with something like pity,and it made her want to scream.
“Right. And we’re the murderers who kill to be able to shift. Brier, that isn’t true. Surely you know this by now.
”
Brier fell silent, her mind racing. It was true. She’d never actually seen a shifter kill to maintain their form. And nothing about West or his pack matched what Sister Thorne had taught them.
But Sister Thorne wouldn’t lie. Wouldn’t use them like that. And wolves killed her parents. They did.
West’s face fell at her silence. A flicker of devastation crossing his features before he masked it. “You know me,” he murmured. “You can feel what I feel.
I’m not lying. ”
The vulnerability in his plea tore at something deep inside her. Pain lanced through Brier’s head suddenly—sharp and unexpected. Images flashed before her eyes.
Fire. Screaming. The shadow of wolves moving through smoke. “Wolves killed my parents,” she whispered, pressing her hands to her temples.
West reached for her, his expression desperate. “No. That’s what they made you believe. They conditioned you.
I looked into your parents’ death, Brier. It was an accident. ”
“No! ” She shouted.
“Get away from me. ”
She didn’t wait for his response, fleeing from his office,and racing back to her room. The guards didn’t try to stop her. Perhaps they heard her shouting.
Or perhaps West gave them some silent signal to let her go. Brier slammed her door shut. Her head throbbed. The images came faster now.
Her childhood home engulfed in flames. Her parents’ screams. It can’t all have been a lie, she whispered to herself. It can’t.
But what if West was telling the truth? What if Sister Thorne had been using her, using all of them? What if the mark on her arm wasn’t a symbol of belonging, but a brand of ownership? No.
West was the liar. His plan worked. He managed to trick her into thinking that mate bond nonsense was real. And now that he could tell she believed him, he thought she’d turn on the coven.
Except she felt him when they’d kissed. How genuinely happy he’d felt. That—that couldn’t have been a lie. Nothing made sense.
Brier wrapped her arms around herself. Perhaps this dark magician tricked West. Yes. Perhaps West actually believed what he said because he was the one being manipulated here, not her.
And maybe some wolves were bad, but others, like West, weren’t. He wasn’t like the wolves who killed her parents. He was different. “Hello, Brier.
”
Brier jumped to her feet, whirling toward the voice. Standing by her window as if she’d materialized from thin air was Elena—a fellow witch from the coven—with her distinctive silver-streaked dark hair and sharp green eyes. Brier opened her mouth to ask what she was doing here, but Elena quickly pressed a finger to her lips. “Shh,” she whispered.
“I’ve put a cloaking spell on myself, so I can’t be seen or heard. But you aren’t cloaked, so if you speak, the wolves will hear. ”
Brier closed her mouth, trying to convey her questions through gestures instead. “I’m here to rescue you, of course.
” Elena smiled. “After you went missing, Sister Thorne concluded you’d been captured. ” Elena moved closer, her voice dropping even lower. “I’ve been observing you undetected.
I must say, I’m impressed. You’ve done magnificently tricking the alpha—getting so close to him. This is going to be really handy for the next part of the plan. ”
Brier furrowed her brow, mouthing,“The plan?
”
Elena nodded, her smile turning predatory. “The plan to kill the alpha. Of course, I’m here to help. ” And seeing Brier’s expression fall, she added quickly,“Don’t worry, sister.
Together, we will get rid of him and his evil ways for good. ”
* * *
Brier paced her room, unable to sit still. “Will you stop moving? ” Elena hissed.
“You’re making me dizzy. ”
Brier ignored her, mind racing. West’s words kept echoing in her head, mingling with Sister Thorne’s teachings until she didn’t know what to believe anymore. “Here.
” Elena said, reaching into her pocket,and pulling out a small silver tube. “You’ll need this. ”
Brier stopped pacing to look at the object. A lipstick.
“What’s that for? ”
“Poison. ” Elena smirked. “Put it on before you see him next.
Kiss him,and he won’t see a thing coming. ”
Brier’s blood turned to ice. Wolf’s Bane—she realized—turned into a poison she helped develop herself. A lethal concoction specifically designed to kill shifters.
Fast-acting,and virtually undetectable. The truly insidious part being that it didn’t make victims feel sick. Instead, it induced euphoria, ensuring they’d never realize they were dying until it was too late. “Go on, take it,” Elena urged, extending her hand.
Brier took the lipstick with numb fingers, her mind conjuring unbidden images of West laughing, eyes bright with artificial joy as the poison stole through his system. A tight knot of panic formed in her chest. “This won’t work,” she shook her head. “He can feel what I feel.
”
“Well, make sure to keep calm,” Elena shrugged. “Brier’s anxiety spiked. “I can’t just—you can’t. ”
“Elena interrupted, her expression hardening.
“Sister Thorne was right. They got to you. ”
“West is different,” Brier defended quickly. “He wouldn’t kill innocent people.
”
“Elena stared at her. “You’ve only been here a month,and already you’re on his side. ”
“It’s not just him,” Brier protested. “This magician came,and he said our marks—”
“It doesn’t matter,” Elena interrupted.
“Sister Thorne will sort you out. ”
Brier froze. “I was just testing you anyway. ” Elena’s lips curved into a grim smile.
“I don’t need you to do anything anymore. I already took care of it. ”
“What do you mean? ” Brier asked.
“I’d already applied it on you earlier,” Elena said, holding up the lipstick. “It’s done. ”
Brier’s hand flew to her mouth, horror dawning as the implications sank in. “He’s been poisoned already—” she exclaimed.
Elena lunged forward, clamping a hand over her mouth. “Shut up, will you? They’ll hear. ”
But Brier barely registered Elena’s words.
All she could think about was West. The warmth of his lips against hers. The way he’d held her. She glanced at the door, calculating.
She needed to act quickly. “We need to leave,” she said now. “Elena blinked, momentarily thrown. “Now?
”
“Yes, now,” Brier said urgently. “If we wait, everyone will be after us. ”
Elena studied her face, clearly suspicious. “So, what do you suggest?
”
“Take off my cuffs,” Brier said, extending her wrists. “I can use my magic to help us escape. ”
Elena’s eyes narrowed. “Nice try, Brier, but I don’t trust you.
Ever since I told you about your alpha being poisoned, there’s been blatant fear in your eyes. ”
“Well, obviously, Elena,” Brier snapped. “He’s the alpha of this pack. His people are going to come after us.
”
“That’s not why you’re afraid, though, is it? ” Elena interrupted. “You’re worried about him. You care about him,” she added, sounding horrified.
Brier’s heart sank. “Fine,” she said. “Then you should go now,before they find out what happened. I’ll stay here—cover for you.
”
This made Elena falter. “And leave you behind? ” she asked, hesitantly. “I’ll be fine,” Brier insisted.
“I can say I had no idea what you were planning. ”
For a moment, real concern flashed across Elena’s face. “Brier, I can’t just leave you here alone. You’ll be the first person they’ll blame for this.
They’ll hurt you. ”
Brier seized the moment. She grabbed a crystal paperweight from the nightstand,and slammed it into the back of Elena’s head. “I’m sorry,” Brier murmured as she collapsed to the floor.
Elena wasn’t evil—just another pawn in Sister Thorne’s game. She searched her pockets, hoping for an antidote. Nothing. Panic rose,but Brier forced it down.
Think. Her eyes caught on a silver ring on Elena’s finger—the cloaking spell. She slipped it off,and onto her own. The air shimmered.
Working quickly, she bound and gagged Elena with strips of bed sheet. Then, invisible now, she slipped into the corridor. Music and laughter echoed from the grand hall. Her heart raced as she entered the crowded room, eyes scanning until she found West.
He stood near the center of the room, surrounded by well-wishers, face flushed,and eyes bright, looking very much like a man who’d had a bit too much to drink on his birthday. But Brier knew better. The artificial brightness in his eyes—the slight looseness in his movements—these weren’t signs of intoxication. She pushed through the crowd, desperation growing with each passing second.
“West! ” she exclaimed, slipping the ring off her finger. “Quick—you need to—Brier. ” He interrupted, blinking in surprise.
Up close, she could see the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead, the too-rapid pulse at his throat. But before she could say a word, he swept her into his arms, nuzzling his face against her neck. “You came back,” he sighed, sounding perfectly content. “West,” she tried, but he wasn’t listening.
“You smell so good. ” He chuckled, his lips brushing her ear. Lara approached, her expression wary as she eyed Brier. “Alpha, is this really a good idea?
” She asked. “Having her here? ”
“West beamed, his arm tightening around Brier’s waist. “She is my mate,” he declared, his words slurring slightly.
“I want her with me all the time. ”
Seeing him sway on his feet, Lara’s face fell. “Alpha, is everything okay? ” She attempted.
“Brier studied him. “West, listen to me,” she said urgently. “You need help. You’re—I’m fine, Brier.
” He assured, trying to kiss her again. She winced. “He’s not fine,” she told Lara. “He’s been poisoned.
Remove my cuffs,so I can help him. ”
“I don’t think so—” Lara’s expression hardened, though she deflated a little when she noticed how West was leaning heavily against Brier now. “Come on,” Brier told him. “Tell them to uncuff me, please.
”
He looked down at her, his smile fading slightly as his head dropped to her shoulder. “I can’t,” he sighed, sagging against her. “Then you’d leave me, Brier. ”
“West, I’m not going to leave,” she promised, panic rising.
“I’m going to heal you. Trust me. You know I’m not lying. ”
He looked at her through heavy-lidded eyes, a small frown forming.
“Okay,” he began, but the word trailed off as his eyes rolled back. “West! ” Brier cried, struggling to keep him upright as he collapsed. Lara rushed forward,and together they lowered him gently to the floor.
Around them, the party dissolved into chaos as guests realized something was wrong. “What did you do? ” Lara demanded, her eyes shooting daggers at Brier. “It wasn’t me,” Brier said automatically,then amended.
“Well, it was. But I didn’t know. ” Wrong answer, she realized with a wince, as Lara looked like she was about to end her right here and there. “Arrest her,” she ordered,and immediately guards appeared at Brier’s sides, grabbing her arms.
“She’s done something to the alpha. ”
“No! ” Brier struggled against their grip as they began to drag her away from West. “You don’t understand.
He’s dying. You’ve got to let me heal him. ” She was screaming now, desperate, watching as Lara and several others knelt beside West, trying to rouse him. His face was deathly pale—the flush of euphoria replaced by an ashen pallor that terrified her.
“Please,” she begged, desperate. “If it were me, why would I try to warn him? Why would I ask you to let me help him? ”
One of the guards—Marco, she realized—gave her an uncertain look.
“If we uncuff you, you could harm him further,” he pointed out, sounding uncertain. “Further than what? ” Brier asked, her voice breaking as she pointed to West’s still form. “He’s dying right now.
”
The guards continued dragging her away, but Lara suddenly looked up, her expression conflicted. “Wait,” she called out. The guards paused,and Brier held her breath. “Bring her back,” Lara ordered finally, her voice tight with worry.
“And uncuff her. ”
“Are you sure we—” Marco began. “Now! ” Lara snapped.
“She’s right. He’s dying,and she might be our only chance. ”
They brought Brier back to West’s side,and removed her cuffs. The moment the restraints fell away, Brier felt her magic surge back—wild and fierce—rushing through her like wildfire.
“Don’t try anything funny,” Lara warned. But Brier barely heard her. Her focus was entirely on West. “I won’t,” she whispered, placing her hands on his chest.
Other witches would need herbs, spells,and antidotes. But Brier was a green witch. Plants were her gift. And Wolf’s Bane—deadly as it was—was still a plant.
She closed her eyes, reaching into West’s body with her magic. There. The poison. It coiled around his heart, flooded his lungs, ran thick through his veins.
It was worse than she feared. She drew a steady breath,and began. Her power moved carefully, precisely, withering the poison without harming him. It was like pulling thorns from living flesh.
Sweat beaded on her brow. The pack was silent, watching, waiting, but she tuned them out. Come on, she breathed. Fight it, West.
Stay with me. Seconds dragged. Her strength faded,but she didn’t stop. Then his heartbeat steadied.
His breath deepened. Color returned to his cheeks. Brier exhaled, trembling. She heard Lara murmur something, felt the pack shift around her, but all she saw was West as his eyes fluttered open.
Blue. Clear. Alive. “Brier,” he rasped.
A sob broke from her. “I’m here. ”
His hand found her cheek, warm and solid. The pack watched in stunned silence, uncertainand afraid.
But none of that mattered. West was alive. And he was looking at her like she was the only thing that made sense. * * *
Elena sat stiffly on the cot, refusing to meet Brier’s eyes.
The room—comfortable but secure—had been her home for three days. “Come on, Elena,” Brier said, sliding a folder across the table. “Just look at the evidence. ”
“I don’t need to look at wolf propaganda,” Elena snapped.
“I know what Sister Thorne taught us. ”
“That’s the problem,” Brier sighed。“She taught us lies. ”
Elena’s gaze finally snapped to hers, full of fury. “You’re the one who’s been lied to.
Bewitched by that alpha. ”
“I thought that too,” Brier said gently. “Until Lara showed me this. ” She opened the folder.
Police reports. News clippings. Photos from the fire that killed her parents—gathered by West long before she trusted him. “It was faulty wiring.
An accident. Not shifters. ”
Elena glanced at the documents,then looked away. “They could be faked.
”
“I checked them myself. They’re real. ” Brier laid out more. Interviews.
Insurance forms. Autopsies. Nothing pointed to foul play or anything supernatural. “And then there’s this.
” She rolled up her sleeve, revealing her altered coven mark. “Adrien explained how it works. ”
Elena flinched at the name. “I was scared of him, too,” Brier said.
“But he showed me how Sister Thorne used our marks to siphon power. Every time we killed a shifter, she grew stronger. We were just batteries. ” Brier leaned in.
“Have you ever actually seen a shifter kill someone? Ever seen them need blood to survive? ”
Elena stayed silent. “She kept us isolated, filled our heads with horror stories.
But they’re not monsters, Elena. We’ve been hunting innocents. ”
Silence stretched. Then finally, Elena whispered.
“I don’t know what to believe anymore. ”
Not acceptance. But a start. “Just think about it,” Brier said, rising.
At the door, she hesitated. “I miss you. The real you—not the weapon Sister Thorne made us. ”
She left quietly, the ache in her chest deepening.
Elena’s doubt had mirrored her own weeks ago, but rejection still hurt. Brier climbed the grand staircase, feet moving on instinct. She’d spent the last few days in West’s chambers, watching over him. Through their bond, she felt his presence—steady but still healing.
He lay sprawled across the bed, eyes closed, breath slow and even. Her gaze lingered on him. His face softer in sleep. No longer her enemy, but something far more precious.
When he stirred moments later, his eyes found hers instantly. “Hey,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep. “Hey, yourself,” she replied, aiming for carefree. West’s expression shifted subtly.
“What’s wrong? ” He asked. “You’re upset. ”
“I’m not upset,” Brier protested.
But West only raised an eyebrow in response. “How is Elena? ” He challenged. “Brier sighed.
There was no hiding from the bond between them. No way to shield her emotions from his awareness. “Elena’s being stubborn,” she admitted. “Like someone else I know,” West teased gently.
“I just—I thought once I showed her the evidence about my parents, she’d at least consider the possibility that Sister Thorne lied. ”
West nodded, understanding in his eyes. He shifted position slightly, wincing with the effort. “Give her time,” he advised.
“It took you weeks to start questioning your beliefs. ”
Brier shook her head. Here he was, trying to make her feel better when he was the one who had almost died. “You should be resting,” she said, guilt clouding her mind.
“I’ve been resting for days,” he countered. Through their bond, she could feel his weariness—the lingering effects of the poison that had nearly claimed his life—and she winced. This too, he noticed. “It wasn’t your fault, Brier,” West told her, reaching for her hand.
His fingers hovered just above hers, not quite touching, as if he didn’t dare go further without permission. The hesitation in the gesture made her heart ache. “Move over,” she decided,sitting beside him. West raised an eyebrow, but complied, shifting to make room.
“You don’t have to do this,” he said quietly, though she could feel his pleasure at her nearness humming through their bond. “It’s the least I can do,” Brier reminded him, voice small. “Being the one who poisoned you,and all. ”
West tensed at that, his body growing rigid beside her occasionally.
He attempted to joke, but the damage was done. Brier sensed his unease. And for a horrifying second, she thought he was nervous about being near her—the person who almost got him killed twice. But then she realized it had nothing to do with that.
Their bond revealed that if he was concerned, it was only because he believed she was sitting next to him out of guilt. “Her sudden offer of closeness born of obligation rather than desire. ”
“I like touching you,” Brier declared, rolling her eyes at his surprised expression. It was the truth.
Despite her lingering confusion about so many things, this being close to him felt right in a way she couldn’t explain. West melted at the words, pleasure seeping through their bond once more as he pulled her close. Through their bond, Brier could feel his contentment growing, his pain receding slightly at her touch. The mate bond—she was learning—seemed to have healing properties of its own.
“I also like talking with you,” Brier admitted, emboldened by the warmth of his response. Her fingers traced a hesitant pattern on his chest, feeling his heartbeat quicken beneath her touch. “In fact, I like everything about you. ”
West shifted, propping herself up on one elbow to look at her properly.
“You like me? ” He asked, sounding so hopeful it nearly broke her heart. Brier took a deep breath, gathering her courage. “Love,” she corrected, clearing her throat.
“I love you. ” She added, torn between looking away and cupping his face between her hands. The words hung between them, raw and honest. She felt the impact they had on him.
A wave of such intense emotion it momentarily took her breath away. “You don’t have to say anything back,” she added quickly. “I know this is all complicated. ”
And West’s hand came to silence her, landing over her mouth.
“Brier,” he murmured。“I’ve loved you since the moment you stood over me with that blade. I’ve just been waiting for you to catch up. ”
The simple honesty in his words—the depth of feeling behind them—made tears spring to her eyes. Through their bond, she could feel the truth of it.
How he’d held himself back, how he’d contained his feelings, afraid of overwhelming her while she was still coming to terms with everything. “Well, you’re crazy. ” She joked, tearful. “I was trying to kill you, remember?
”
West laughed, the sound bright and clear. “Even so,” he told her warmly. He leaned down, pressing his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. Unlike their first passionate encounter, this was soft, reverent—a promise rather than a demand.
She could feel his love washing over her, warm and steady as sunlight. And deeper than that, a profound relief. Relief that after all this time, after her hatred and suspicion, she’d finally seen him for who he truly was. Her mate.
Entirely devoted to her. “What are we going to do? ” she asked when they parted. West’s eyes were shining with emotion.
Brier settled back against him, her head on his chest. “We need to figure out how to help Elena,and the others,” he declared. “Do you think we can? ” Brier asked, voicing her deepest fear.
“Save them? ”
“I mean, I don’t know,” West admitted. “But we’ll try. They’re your sisters, even if they don’t know it yet.
”
The quiet determination in his voice filled her with gratitude. “Thank you,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his chest, right over his heart. “Thank you for not giving up on me. ”
West’s arms tightened around her, his love flowing through their bond.
“You were always worth the wait, Brier. Always. ”
They fell quiet again, content to simply be together,to feel the bond between them growing stronger with each passing moment. Outside, the sun began to set, casting the room in golden light.
Whatever came next, they’d face it as one. It wouldn’t be easy. Brier knew that. The path ahead was uncertain, filled with challenges neither of them could predict.
But she had her mate now. “Together,” she murmured, the word both a promiseand a prayer. West pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his voice soft but certain when he replied,“Together.
”
