Collusion

AURELIA

“The king can’t be killed. Even if I could do it without the whole mate issue, he’s still invincible. How do you think I can get past that?”

“First, tell me your gift. Then I’ll tell you what I know,” he said.

“I don’t trust you,” she said, not mincing her words. “You dislike me more than anyone else on the council. You want me and my mate dead.”

A bitter laugh slipped from the silver-haired fae.

“Anger hidden behind fake smiles and sweet words. Every council member is pretending with you. They want you as a friend, or they’ll secretly destroy you as a foe.

“Maybe I’m the most poisonous council member, but at least I don’t hide it.

“The one you need to watch out for isn’t me, it’s them. I’m honest with you. Because the only thing that drives me, and the darkness, is—”

“Revenge,” Aurelia finished.

Cathan’s lips curled up slightly as he nodded. He clearly enjoyed playing mind games, weaving his words like a dance. And she was just learning the steps.

“The king’s father was the one who killed the fae. Why are you so set on killing the king?”

“We were friends when we were kids. He was one of my best friends,” Cathan admitted.

Aurelia’s eyes widened. They were friends? The way Cathan spat out the king’s title was as bitter as anyone could sound.

“But look at us now, being hunted by him, his armies, his entire race. And you’re here, standing in front of me, his mate.

“If you weren’t half fae, I would’ve found a way to kill you by now,” he said.

His words made her defenses shoot up, and she took a step back.

“I’m just being honest with you, Aurelia, like allies should be. If I wanted you dead, you’d be dead. But I don’t. You don’t need to be scared of me. I’m not threatening you.”

“But you brag about how easily you could kill me,” Aurelia shot back. “But... you’re right. I trust you.”

“You shouldn’t trust me—”

“I do. Because I think you’re being honest with me right now. And that can change, and don’t think I won’t notice.

“I trust the man you are. Men like you, driven by their goals and willing to do anything to reach them.”

“You think I’m blinded?”

“In a way. You see more than most. But I think revenge is the only thing on your mind,” Aurelia said, sounding wise beyond her twenty years.

But she was just trying to seem careful and strategic, to make herself less of a target.

“What’s your gift, Aurelia?”

“Compulsion,” she confessed, their eyes locking as the word sank in.

“C-compulsion?” he stuttered, almost not believing what he heard. She nodded quickly, and this time he was the one to step back.

“Are you scared of me now? You were the one who guessed I had a powerful gift. But I wouldn’t call it a gift. More like a curse. A soul-draining curse.”

“Compulsion. That explains some things, but... The king. If you can compel, he could be at your mercy,” Cathan said.

“He’s the only one it doesn’t work on,” she replied with a heavy sigh. “If only it did.”

“Have you used it on me? On anyone here? Would I even know?” he asked, fear flashing in his eyes even though his face was blank.

“No, I haven’t used it here. I use it when I need to or when I feel threatened. Are you scared?”

Her words almost sounded like a threat, as if she enjoyed his uncertainty now that he knew.

Part of her liked seeing his fear, knowing she could do whatever she wanted to him and he was scared of that. But another part of her felt a pang of familiarity in his fear.

The people in her village wanted to march through the streets with pitchforks, cursing the witch wolf. But they were too scared, too passive, too cowardly.

“No.” As he said the word, her lips curled up in curiosity, and she raised an eyebrow at him.

“I want to be your ally, Aurelia.” He moved closer, stopping only when he was too close to take another step. His hand came up to cup her cheek as he looked at her intensely.

“You were right not to tell anyone about your power. The council members would either use it or get rid of you.”

“So what’s the plan, ally?” she asked, looking at him through her lashes. “He’s immortal, and my mate. How can I help?”

“You can make someone else do it for you.”

“That doesn’t solve the immortality problem,” she said. “If I get someone else to try to kill him, he’ll be on high alert. No one can beat him, especially not me.”

“Actually, powerful men usually have one weakness. Beautiful women.

“If anyone could take down the Alpha King, it would be you. There’s a spell. It’s called a destiny spell. You can change someone’s fate, no matter what the gods intended.”

“A spell is stronger than a god?”

“That’s why it needs someone stronger than a god to cast it. Dark magic is powerful magic. And you, my dear, have a lot of potential for dark magic,” he explained.

“I saw what you could do with my spell book, how you could tap into its power without even saying a spell or reading the words. You called forth the pure magic in the words on the page.

“And your gift—or curse, as you call it—it’s dark too, though you know that.”

“Why can’t it be light?”

“Light magic isn’t usually strong enough. Maybe your father used dark magic. Maybe I taught him.”

“Dad?” She’d never met the man, and neither had her sister. They might not even share the same father. One sister was a fae-wolf mix, the other a full wolf.

“Your mom was definitely the wolf. That’s clear because they would have booted you and your sister out of their village with her. So that leaves your dad. Ever met him?”

“If I had, wouldn’t I know what I am?” she shot back, bristling at the mention of her parents.

“He might still be alive, whoever he is.”

“How could my dad be fae? How would he or my mom even cross the border? It doesn’t add up.”

“Maybe your dad could cross borders too.”

“Why is that a special ability? Maybe because I’m part fae and part wolf, I belong on both sides.”

“The spell isn’t about which species is on each side. It’s about the fact that no one can cross it, even if a fae was stuck in the wolf kingdom when the spell was cast,” he clarified.

“Anyway, your dad isn’t the issue here. The spell needs powerful dark magic. I might be the most powerful dark magic fae around, but I can’t cast the spell alone.”

A crushing force bore down on Aurelia, like a wave pounding a stubborn rock. She stood her ground, but she could feel herself weakening with each passing moment.

“Ah... the mate bond. We’re running out of time. I’ll explain the plan, you’ll listen, and then you have to go back.” She nodded, but before he could start, she asked a crucial question.

“Why are you trusting me with this? You know about mates. I’m a risk. What if... I start to like the Alpha King?”

“I trust the darkness I see in you,” he answered quietly.

Then he laid out his plan.

Cathan escorted Aurelia back to the castle, giving her time to say her goodbyes. Ellathoria arched an eyebrow at their closeness, wondering where Aurelia had been all day.

Especially since Cathan had vanished too.

“Aurelia,” Cathan called, guiding the young fae-wolf aside as Ellathoria watched from afar.

Axon was intrigued by the pair and their secret conversation. He knew Cathan hated wolves, yet here he was, cozying up to one. It made Axon incredibly uneasy.

The other council members didn’t notice, busy chatting among themselves and waiting to push the wolf back over the border.

The entire kingdom was in turmoil, with many protests against the council for welcoming a wolf into their midst.

“Here.” Cathan slipped a golden disk into Aurelia’s hand, making sure she hid it from view.

“There’s a spell on the back. Hold the amulet, say the words, and you’ll be transported to my sanctum. I’ll know if anyone enters, thanks to a spell I have.”

“You want to keep this from them?” She glanced at the council members and saw Ellathoria and Axon watching them closely.

“Fake smiles, Aurelia, all fake smiles. I wouldn’t trust them.”

Aurelia had thought Cathan would be her biggest threat on the fae council, but now she wasn’t so sure.

He was right. He was the threat she could see. The ones to watch out for were the ones who were polite, who wore fake smiles and kind eyes, who tried to make her an ally without being honest.

But she wasn’t naive. She wouldn’t let her guard down around her new ally. Things could change in an instant if their goals diverged.

“Stay safe, Aurelia,” he whispered in her ear before kissing her cheek.

Aurelia gave him a soft smile in return, but she noticed the look in his eyes. A look she’d seen in the king’s eyes many times. And she chose to ignore it.

She walked away, knowing if she looked back, she’d see that look again. She had a mate to return to, though he wasn’t at his cabin yet. They’d told her he was on his way.

The journey back didn’t seem as long, probably because the mate bond was pulling her along at impossible speeds, even for a werewolf.

The trip had been enlightening. She’d gotten many answers and had even more questions. She was a hybrid. It shouldn’t have been possible, but here she was, alive.

What if her compulsion had worn off on the guard wolves—or even Laurent? How could she explain?

Punishment could mean her sister’s death. As repulsed as she was by Lochlan’s treatment of her, she felt a need to bring her sister home to him.

He clearly loved her. And she didn’t want to be the cause of their pain.

She walked into the cabin without a word. She passed through the doors with dignity. She was the future wolf queen. She didn’t have to answer to anyone.

Laurent bowed briefly to her and she told him to forget she’d left, just like she did with the guards.

Alastair would be there soon, questioning the wolves around the cabin, hoping she’d misbehaved, something worthy of a good, cold punishment.

The sadist loved to toy with his little mate and she loved to defy him. It was too easy.