49

Six miles from the northern border of the Green Mountain Pack, Mavrek stood cloaked in shadow, his dark magic crackling faintly in the cold night air. The forest around him seemed to shrink back from the energy he radiated, the branches quivering as though afraid. Impatience gnawed at him like a wild animal, his black eyes scanning the tree line for any sign of Morland. The bitter taste of failure clung to his mouth, a reminder of his broken promises.
He had sworn that the girl’s parents—Kyle Black and his wretched mate—would never stand in his way. And yet, they were still alive. Worse, their daughter, the one he had marked as his key to unimaginable power, was to become the future Luna Queen.
“How is this possible?” Mavrek snarled, his voice a low hiss, filled with venom. “I thought they were dead,” he spat, his eyes narrowing in fury. The tension in his body was palpable, his fists clenched tight enough to make his knuckles whiten. “You assured me their deaths. Now the future Luna is their daughter? This complicates everything.”
Morland emerged from the shadows like a specter, his face twisted in frustration that mirrored Mavrek’s rage. His thin lips pressed together in a grim line. “I don’t know how,” he began, his voice trembling with suppressed anger, “but Kyle Black and his mate are very much alive. And yes, their daughter—Kai-Lea—is set to become the future Luna Queen of my pack.” He paused, eyes flickering with something darker. “Something needs to be done.” His voice dropped lower, carrying a different kind of intent. Morland had harbored his own sick desires for years, watching Tomas Enwell’s daughters grow from pups into women, and now, he saw the opportunity to take what he’d always craved.
Mavrek’s fury surged like a tempest, dark energy curling from his fingertips. “She was supposed to be mine,” he growled, his voice barely more than a whisper, though it was filled with a chilling edge. His eyes gleamed with unholy light as he turned towards Morland, his frustration mounting. “I placed her with the Black Moon Pack for a reason. I spelled the Taylors to torment her, to break her will, to make her vulnerable to me. How did she escape that life?”
Morland’s gaze darkened. “My Alpha and his sons were investigating the Taylors for crimes against all wolf laws. When they arrived, they found her—nothing more than a servant. But somehow, they recognized her for what she was... their mate. The Alpha bought her from the Taylors and brought her back home.” His tone was laced with disgust, though whether at the Taylors or his own failure to secure Kai-Lea, it was hard to tell.
Mavrek swore under his breath, his mind racing with possible solutions. “She’s marked now, isn’t she?” he asked, though the answer was already clear in Morland’s grim expression.
“Just thirty-six hours ago,” Morland replied. “The bond is fresh, still forming.”
“Good,” Mavrek muttered, his lips curling into a twisted smirk. “There’s still time. If I can get her alone within the next six months, I can unravel their bond. All I need is a sliver of discord, just enough to weaken the connection. Then, I’ll have her power for myself. The mate bond can be broken... and when it is, she’ll be mine.” His eyes gleamed with hunger, already envisioning the untapped power that Kai-Lea carried within her. Power beyond even the Goddess herself.
Morland’s expression shifted, his own dark thoughts bubbling to the surface. “And what about me?” he asked, his voice slick with anticipation. “You promised me something in return.”
Mavrek rolled his eyes, his impatience with Morland growing. “Yes, yes, the Alpha’s daughters will be yours,” he said dismissively, waving his hand as though offering a trivial prize. “To do whatever you like with them, once I get what I need first.” His gaze flickered toward the vial he clutched in his hand, feeling the weight of his plan beginning to solidify.
Morland’s lips curled into a grotesque smile, his mind wandering to the twisted fantasies he had harbored for years. He could already imagine the power and pleasure he’d indulge in once he had his hands on Tomas Enwell’s daughters. “When do we act?” he asked, the eagerness in his voice unmistakable.
“When the time is right,” Mavrek replied, pulling out two small vials from his coat pocket. One glowed a faint green, the other a dark, swirling black. “This one,” he said, lifting the green vial, “will knock her out. Long enough for us to take her.” He shook the second vial. “And this will bend them to your every command. Even the Alpha’s will cannot resist it.”
Morland’s eyes glittered as he pocketed the vials, his heart pounding with anticipation. He had waited years for this. “I’ll be ready,” he said, his voice a low rasp. “Let me know when.”
As he turned to leave, Morland could already picture the moment when he would finally lay his hands on the daughters of Tomas Enwell. His sick fantasies were finally within reach, and the dark alliance he had forged with Mavrek was the key to making it all happen.
But Mavrek’s thoughts were already elsewhere. No one knew the true extent of Kai-Lea’s power, not even her. She wasn’t just part of the Goddess’s bloodline; she was tied to something even older. Asena, the first of the wolves, had left her mark on Kai-Lea’s soul, making her more than just a powerful wolf—she was a living conduit to the power of the ancients. Mavrek’s smile widened. He didn’t just want her for himself. He wanted her power to rival the Goddess, to become something even greater.
And nothing—not the Alpha, not the pack, not even the mate bond—would stand in his way.