The chill of Charlotte's voice froze me in place. There she stood, in the dark with a smirk curling her lips as if she had just won a game none of us knew we were playing.
"Did you miss me, Tasha?" Her voice was sweet, dripping with mockery. She tilted her head, taking her time to study each of us, but her gaze remained on Mascot a beat too long. My chest tightened. Jacob stepped forward, fists clenched, teeth bared.
"Charlotte," he snarled. "What twisted game are you playing now?"
She raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "Game? Oh, Jacob, I thought you'd appreciate a little reunion."
Mascot was silent beside me, his jaw clenched, eyes burning with a mixture of anger and something else-a vulnerability I rarely saw in him. Charlotte's presence seemed to pull at something within him.
His silence spoke louder than any words could. I tightened my grip on my weapon, forcing myself to meet Charlotte's eyes. "What are you doing here? Allying yourself with Eden?"
Her laughter was a knife slicing through the silence. "Ally? Oh, Tasha, you make it sound so formal. Eden and I share a... mutual understanding. We both want something, and together, we'll get it." Her gaze flicked to Mascot again, and my stomach twisted.
She knew exactly how to dig under my skin, how to dredge up every insecurity and tear open old wounds. It had always been her talent-playing with people's emotions, weaving her web of deceit. "Mascot was never meant to be yours," she said, her words dripping with venom. "You never even had a claim to him."
Mascot's face hardened, but I could feel him tense beside me.
Jacob scowled, his eyes blazing with anger. "Shut your mouth, Charlotte," he growled. "You're nothing but a pawn in Eden's scheme."
Her eyes gleamed with dark amusement. "Is that what you think, Jacob? That I'm a pawn?" She took a step forward, her gaze sliding over him, then to me, and finally settling on Mascot with a smirk. "Funny. I could say the same about you all. Just pawns, moving exactly as I need you to."
Jacob's patience snapped. "Enough," he barked. He reached for his blade, and Mascot followed suit, both of them stepping forward.
But I held up my hand, stopping them. This wasn't just about violence; this was about the answers we needed. "Wait," I whispered. My heart pounded as I met Charlotte's eyes. "You're not here by chance, are you? There's something more."
Charlotte's smile widened, pleased that I was finally catching on. "Perhaps you aren't as naïve as I thought, Tasha," she mused, her gaze appraising. "But still, you're soft. Always have been. And that softness? It's why you'll lose. Every single time." I swallowed, the sting of her words sharp and deep.
But I couldn't let her get under my skin. "What do you want, Charlotte?" I demanded, my voice hardening. "If you're here to taunt us, to threaten us-fine. But if you have something worth trading, spit it out."
Her eyes sparkled with triumph, as if she'd been waiting for this moment. "Very well. I hold the key to defeating Eden."
Her words echoed in the tense silence, and my pulse quickened. "What kind of key?"
She leaned closer, her smile dark and knowing. "An artifact that can help you defeat Mascot. But there's a price, of course." She tilted her head, watching me closely.
"What's the price?" Mascot's voice was low, guarded. I could feel the tension radiating off him as he looked at her, and I didn't miss the flicker of pain in his eyes. Charlotte had hurt him deeply once, and now she was twisting the knife.
Her gaze moved back to me, her smile growing colder. "It's simple. I'll give you the artifact... if Tasha agrees to sever her bond with Mascot. Permanently." The words hit me like a slap, leaving me stunned, breathless. I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. My mind whirled with the implications, the impossible choice she was dangling in front of me.
Jacob's face twisted in anger, his voice cold. "Are you insane? You expect her to give up Mascot for this? He isn't worth-"
"Jacob," I cut him off, my voice sharper than I intended. I turned back to Charlotte, forcing myself to stay calm. "What do you get out of this, Charlotte?"
She shrugged, feigning indifference. "A little satisfaction, perhaps. Closure. Mascot was never meant to be yours, Tasha. I had him first, and you took him away." Her eyes flashed with a possessiveness that made my skin crawl. "This is my way of taking back what was always mine."
Mascot's gaze was fixed on her, filled with a mix of defiance and pain. "I was never yours, Charlotte," he said quietly, his voice carrying a strength that steadied me. "You lost that right when you decided to make Jacob take you as his mate."
Her expression darkened, the smirk faltering. But she quickly recovered, crossing her arms. "That doesn't matter now. You're either with me, or against me, Tasha." Her gaze returned to me, challenging, daring. "So what will it be?" I clenched my fists, my heart pounding as I weighed my options. I could refuse, risk everything and face Eden without the one weapon that could ensure our victory. Or I could accept her offer... and betray Mascot in a way that would change us both forever.
"Don't do it, Tasha." Mascot's voice was low, pleading. He turned to me, his eyes filled with a desperation I hadn't seen before. "Please, trust me one last time. We don't need her. We can find another way."
But Jacob scoffed, his voice cold. "Don't be naive, Mascot. You think Eden will give us another chance? This is our only shot. Tasha, take the deal. Mascot isn't worth-"
"Stop it, both of you!" I snapped, my voice cracking. My gaze flicked between the two of them, torn between loyalty and the growing pressure of the decision I had to make. I looked at Mascot, seeing the pain in his eyes, the raw vulnerability he rarely showed. And I looked at Jacob, his anger hardening into cold resolve, urging me to take the deal, to sever the bond and gain the weapon we needed.
Charlotte watched me with satisfaction, clearly reveling in the turmoil she was causing. Her lips curled into a triumphant smile, a predator's smile, knowing she'd backed me into a corner with no easy escape. "Tick-tock, Tasha," she taunted, tapping her wrist as if she had all the time in the world. "Make a decision. Time isn't on your side."
I closed my eyes, the weight of the choice settling over me like a heavy cloak. I could feel Mascot's gaze on me, pleading, begging. And Jacob's, colder, more pragmatic, reminding me of the stakes, of the lives depending on us.
Finally, I took a shaky breath and looked up, meeting Charlotte's gaze. Her smile widened, sensing her victory. "Fine," I whispered, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "I'll do it. But only if you swear to keep to your words. No more games, no more tricks."
She grinned, her eyes gleaming with triumph. "Done," she purred, extending her hand, a satisfied glint in her eyes that chilled me to the bone. As I reached out, hesitating for just a moment, my heart breaking with every inch closer, Charlotte's grin widened. This was the moment she had waited for, her final victory over me. And though I hated her for it, I knew I had no other choice.
My fingers brushed hers, sealing the pact. Mascot gasped, his eyes filling with shock and betrayal. And Charlotte's laughter echoed around us, cold, as she slipped back into the shadows, leaving us worse than ever.