When I walked into my office, she followed closely behind, her eyes sweeping over the room as though she were inspecting a property she planned to buy. She finally settled on the couch near the window, crossing one leg over the other with the kind of confidence that felt… performative.
As I had already noted, she looked nothing like Ella. Both sisters were beautiful, but in very different ways. One carried herself with quiet humility and calmness that even worried me, while this one had that main character kind of arrogance that made her look like a bully.
After the wedding, I had tried digging deeper into Ella's background, but there wasn't much to uncover—only that her mother had died when she was around ten, and her father had been unfaithful during his marriage. That affair was what gave him another daughter. This one.
"What did you want to talk to me about?" I asked, making my way toward my desk just as Kayden, my beta, knocked and stepped inside.
Before he could say a word, the sister turned to him with a pointed smile and said,
"Would you please get me some coffee?"
Kayden froze, shooting me a surprised look. The entitlement in her tone was almost painful to listen to.
I didn't bother hiding my annoyance as I leaned back in my chair.
"Did you skip breakfast this morning," I drawled, "or do you just wake up craving attention and caffeine at the same time?"
After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Kayden cleared his throat and placed the files he'd brought on my desk.
"These are the merger documents. Hudson dropped them off a few minutes ago," he said.
I dragged the folder toward me with one hand. Once Kayden had left, I turned my focus back on Ella's sister.
With an arched brow, I asked,
"So, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"
"I… I don't know if I should be the one telling you this," she began, her fingers knotting together. She tried to mask her nerves with a toss of her hair, but the hesitation was obvious.
Out of pure curiosity, I nodded for her to continue.
She drew in a breath.
"I know my dad was the one who killed your parents."
The words reached me as a surprise.
Only two people had known the truth—me… and the man who witnessed it. And he was already dead.
"And?" I asked flatly.
She pressed her lips together, choosing her next words with an irritating slowness.
"I also know you're with my sister because of that. Because she's the reason your parents died… and you want revenge."
My jaw tightened.
"And why exactly would you think that?" I asked. Because nothing she was saying made sense. Ella didn't look like someone to hurt anyone.
"Why else would you marry her?" she asked. "You're rich. Influential, Very attractive. You had no reason to choose her. So the only thing that makes sense is that you want to revenge revenge your parents death."
Her explanation still didn't answer the most important question burning in my mind.
How the hell could Ella possibly be involved in their murder?
"You have no idea what Ella is capable of."
She paused, watching me carefully, gauging my reaction. "I know you probably won't believe anything I say, but there are reasons she can't shift. Reasons only her mother, and my dad know about. And because of that reason… a blood sacrifice was needed for her to live. And tell me—what father would watch his child die, when there is an antidote?"
Their bodies had been mutilated and if there were with markings, I didn't notice it back then. I was in too much pain to even take note of the smallest things... I should have been more keen but too many emotions were running through me at that time.
The practice of dark magic had been banned by every pack and for over a century, there had been less than three cases of its practice.
I didn't believe her, I didn'twant to and as she could see doubt written all over my face, she reached into her handbag and pulled out an old, weathered envelope. She walked toward me and held it out to me.
"I found these in my father's possession. If you don't believe my words, at least you can believe this."
With the little patience I had left, I opened the envelope and drew out the brittle parchment sealed with an old quill mark. The instant my fingers touched it, a jolt of energy prickled up my arm— unmistakably dark magic.
It was a witch's spell.
I unfolded it and scanned the writing. The ink was smeared in places, as if the writer was in a hurry.
*****
Lunaris Fractum
When a werewolf is born cursed with "Moon Rot" ... a rare affliction that causes their life force to drain every full moon — the only cure is the Severed Moon Ritual, a spell that transfers the dying werewolf's curse into two purebreed werewolves. Their bodies take the decay meant for her, splitting the curse between them until their life forces burn out.
Requirements
Two purebreed werewolves, alive.
A witch whose bloodline has touched the Moon's magic.
A silver bowl.
The sick werewolf's blood (three drops).
Moonlight during its peak.
Incantation
"Luna, divide the doom meant for this soul.
Let her thread be rewoven,
and let another bear the unraveling.
Lunaris Fractum… vita solvatur."
Effect
The curse transfers into the two wolves, making his/her life permanent—but slowly killing them. Their wounds reopen endlessly, mirroring the cyclical lunar curse they absorbed until they die.
*****
I looked at the parchment over and over again. My vision blurring at the memory of my mother and how she looked tired and tortured even in her dead state. My father too.
I couldn't blame Ella for it but the thought of her would only bring the memories of my parents, just for her to live, my parents had to die. If there was that chance given to someone.... if I could sacrifice her just for them to come back to life, then I would do it. But then, there was no way I could turn back time to save them.
I turned my gaze to Ella's sister whose eyes were already on me and wanting to be alone, I asked her to leave.
"Don't you want to talk about it?"
She asked but I was on edge. The thought that I had marked and mated with the woman who was the major reason for my parent's death made me feel like shit.
"Leave." I repeated my words but the girl was still persistent.
"Vince...-"
"Do you want me to call the guards to escort you out?!" It was with those words that she furiously got up and as she was about to pick the parchment that she had handed over to me, I stopped her and she just glared at me before stomping out of my office..