Enchantment

AURELIA

Aurelia woke up, trapped under a muscular arm that felt like a cage. It belonged to the Alpha King.

Had they slept together? She had so many questions.

His breath tickled her ear, a soothing rhythm like a lullaby. His hand rested between her thighs as if it was meant to be there. At least there was fabric between them.

She didn’t understand why all male werewolves were so dominant and masculine. But she was grateful he hadn’t taken advantage of her while she was unconscious.

A strange thought invaded her mind.

~Kill the king…~

She recognized it as an enchantment, probably a test of her loyalty. She was aware of it, unlike others who might not be.

She’d tampered with minds enough to know when hers was being messed with.

She didn’t know the extent of his power, or hers. She wasn’t sure if she could kill the king, her mate.

For her sister’s safety, maybe killing him wouldn’t be so crazy. She wouldn’t even have to do it herself; she could make someone else do it.

~Kill the king…~

The voices whispered. The enchantment was strong, but not as strong as her. It tried to make her turn against him. But her power and wisdom were stronger.

~Kill the king…~

The enchantment was persistent and annoying. If she decided to do it, she wouldn’t be reckless. She was young, but not stupid.

Then, a different command floated into her mind.

~Come to the boundary, by the stream…~

The king didn’t know she’d left his kingdom. He didn’t know about the stream where she crossed. So, this wasn’t his doing. Maybe someone knew they were mates and wanted to use her.

It didn’t make sense.

Ellathoria had fought her own battle, deflecting Cathan’s enchantment without him knowing and using her own. She hoped the young fae wolf hadn’t fallen for Cathan’s tricks.

Against the Alpha King, the young wolf wouldn’t stand a chance.

Aurelia managed to free herself from the Alpha King’s grip and block any more mental intrusions. She knew a lot about the mind and enchantments.

But she wanted to know who was behind this.

So, she would investigate at the boundary. If she could escape. Just for one night.

“Lay back down, little wolf,” the Alpha King muttered in his commanding Alpha voice.

With her sister’s life at stake, she would obey. Her pride wasn’t worth her sister’s life.

So, she lay next to the Alpha King—her mate, her destiny. How had the goddess decided they were a match?

He was a ruthless, arrogant king; she was just an innocent wolf living on the edge of his kingdom. She should have been safe. Maybe bored, but safe.

But she’d wanted adventure, and she got it. The gods had a cruel sense of humor.

She turned in his arms, her face towards his chest. Their eyes met and held.

This wasn’t a battle; this was a moment she hoped would last forever. The Alpha King’s defenses were down, but she still couldn’t use her powers against him.

Up close, he was breathtaking. He had a powerful presence that only an Alpha King like him could have. His strong jaw matched his muscular body.

“You will stay in this room all day,” he announced, his eyes still closed.

“And close your mouth, before you catch flies. It’s hard to sleep when you’re staring at me,” he grumbled before getting out of bed.

He went into his closet and came out dressed in royal clothes.

The king didn’t allow servants in his room when he was there. They cleaned when he was gone, and when he came back, he could pretend they’d never been there.

Servants were weak wolves, those who weren’t strong enough to be warriors but were still alive. Most of them were female.

There were no female wolves in the king’s army. None were good enough, although it was rumored that the trainers made it especially hard for women to succeed.

A small wolf like Aurelia probably would have died if she’d been born inside the castle walls.

“Yes, your grace,” she mumbled, getting out of bed.

“And change out of those disgusting clothes. Take a bath, too. I expect my mate to at least be clean,” he sneered before leaving.

How was she supposed to live with a man like this? A king? He acted like he was untouchable. Like no one could ever be better than him.

How was Aurelia his soulmate? His one and only? She could never reach him on the high pedestal he put himself on. He was full of well-deserved arrogance.

She went into the bathroom, once again amazed by its beauty.

Crystals decorated the white tiled walls. A bathtub the size of a small lake was in the middle, surrounded by scented candles.

For such a heartless and indifferent king, his bathroom didn’t reflect that.

Aurelia took off her gown, which was torn, probably from the trip to the silver cells the day before. It clung to her like a bad smell, almost merging with her skin.

She slid into the water, heated by a servant for the morning, and let her body soak, washing away her impurities.

She couldn’t relax when her sister was suffering in a silver cell. She couldn’t enjoy the warm water soothing her aches when the king was a threat and she was in his grasp.

She couldn’t pretend her worries would just go away.

She’d wanted an adventure. She got a punishment.

Maybe she deserved to be sent to Tartarus for the crimes she’d committed in her village. Maybe her power was a test from the goddess to see if she could resist.

And maybe the goddess had paired her with this Alpha King as punishment for failing.

“My lady,” a female voice said, pulling Aurelia’s attention to the tall, thin servant standing at the entrance, a towel over her arm.

“I’m Kenna,” she said, her voice laced with a hint of bitterness she tried to hide. “The king has asked me to look after you.”

Kenna was a servant, and not a particularly high-ranking one at that. She was also someone the king occasionally slept with to satisfy his needs. And now, she was tasked with watching over the king’s mate, Aurelia. It was no wonder she sounded bitter.

Kenna’s brown hair was neatly pulled back into a bun. Her small, beady eyes narrowed as they met Aurelia’s gaze. She held herself with a dignity that Aurelia suspected was common among the king’s servants, who knew all too well that their king was not a kind man to those beneath him.

Aurelia could smell the faint scent of the king on Kenna, and it only fueled her jealousy.

Maybe she had no right to feel this way. She didn’t own the Alpha King, just as she didn’t believe he owned her. But that didn’t stop the green-eyed monster from creeping into her thoughts.

“Kenna, right? Could you hand me that towel?” Aurelia asked. As Kenna approached, she had no idea what the young wolf had in store for her.

Aurelia didn’t take the towel Kenna offered. Instead, she grabbed Kenna’s arm, pulling the servant down to her level.

“You will not flirt with my mate. You will not be attracted to my mate. You will reject any advances he makes. You will be loyal to me until your last breath.”

“My Queen,” Kenna bowed before leaving the room.

Aurelia could feel power stirring within her, but she pushed it aside. It was her only defense against the powerful Alpha King.

~Kill the king…~

The voice was back, urging her to plot against her mate. But how could she? She couldn’t kill her mate. She wasn’t strong enough.

~Come to the boundary…~

To use her power, Aurelia had to unlock not only the minds of those she was enchanting, but also her own. This opened her up to these intrusive thoughts.

After changing and eating, the chanting of the spells became unbearable. They drowned out all other thoughts. Anger surged through her, heating her from the inside out.

She pushed back, forcing the spells out of her mind with all her might.

And then there was silence. Peace, at least for the moment. Except for the maid lurking silently in the corner of the room.

At the same time, both Cathan and Ellathoria were thrown back.

The spells were broken, and it shook them to their cores.

Ellathoria had no doubt about it. She had felt the power in the earth when the young fae wolf stepped on it.

But to resist such a dark spell was unheard of. Yet Aurelia had done it.

The Alpha King’s mate was not to be underestimated, especially when she was a member of an enemy species and held so much power in such a small form.

Ellathoria could only hope that Aurelia wouldn’t completely ignore the spell and venture beyond the boundaries. And she would have to do it without her mate knowing.

Cathan’s followers looked at him in shock and confusion when they saw their leader thrown back by an invisible force. In that moment, Cathan knew Aurelia was no ordinary wolf.

She wasn’t just a weak fae-wolf hybrid on the brink of death. She was a force to be reckoned with, and Cathan was cautious.

He wouldn’t stand by while this wolf and her mate could potentially breach the boundary and slaughter them all, just like before.

Cathan knew that Alpha King Alastair wanted to continue his father’s legacy and finish what he had started. It was only a matter of time.

Cathan and his followers began to search through countless spell books of dark fae magic, arming themselves with whatever they could find.

Jaromir secretly sided with Cathan, preparing the elves for the impending war.

In one of the books, Cathan found an ancient spell, older than him and even his father. It was called “the Destiny Spell.” This spell could seal someone’s fate, allowing the spell-caster to change destiny itself.

Cathan smirked to himself, fully aware of the immense power it would take to cast such a spell—a power that neither he nor his followers had.

Maybe if the entire council combined their strength, they could cast the spell.

But if Aurelia was as powerful as they believed, Cathan would have to find a way for her to cast it on her mate.

He might even be able to break their bond. Could a fae spell be more powerful than their goddess? They were about to find out.

The nights were darker than usual. Darker days were on the horizon. A war was brewing.