The Alpha's Silent Bride: Seventh Time's The Charm novel Chapter 68

Chapter 68: 068: Mara’s Plan

~ MARA ~

The witch’s hovel smells like rotting herbs and ancient magic.

I wrinkle my nose as I step further into the shadowy space, my designer heels clicking against the wooden floor. The interior is exactly what I expected, shelves lined with strange bottles, dried plants hanging from the ceiling, candles burning in dark corners casting everything in an eerie red glow.

"You said you could create a fake mate bond," I say without preamble.

Selene and Kaia reached out to her earlier and managed to speak with her, so my only job now is to convince her to perform whatever dark magic she has to in order to make it happen.

The witch, an ancient crone with silver eyes and skin like parchment, looks up from her mortar and pestle. A slow smile spreads across her weathered face.

"For the right price, I can create many things," she says, her voice drifting through the room like a cold breeze. "A false mate bond is... complicated magic. It requires something that carries his essence."

I frown.

"What do you mean by something that carries his essence?"

I reach into my bag and pull out a strand of Ronan’s hair that I managed to acquire weeks ago. A guard had been sympathetic, had brought me things from his room.

The witch takes the hair, examining it carefully.

"This will work," she murmurs. "But the bond won’t be permanent. It will fade with time. And if he suspects the truth, the magic will shatter."

"I don’t need it to be permanent," I say coldly. "I just need it to be convincing enough to drive a wedge between him and his precious Roselle."

The witch begins working immediately, mixing ingredients that I can’t identify, chanting words in a language that predates human civilization. The air suddenly get filled with magic, and I watch as the strand of hair glows with an ethereal red light.

Finally when she hands me the completed spell, a small vial of liquid that shimmers with the same red glow, she warns me:

"Use it quickly. And be careful. Magic this strong... it will have consequences."

I don’t care about consequences.

I take the vial and leave payment on the table, already planning my next move.

The Moon Goddess is finally on my side.

The moment I leave the witch’s place and return to the pack, Sienna hurries toward me, carrying exactly the information I’ve been hoping to hear.

"There was a fight," she whispers, her eyes darting around nervously to make sure no one is watching us. "Between Alpha Ronan and Roselle. She was upset about something, and he’s in the guest wing... reeking of alcohol."

Perfect. My plan begins to crystallize in my mind.

Roselle has pushed him away. He’s hurting. He’s vulnerable. And he’s drunk, the conditions are perfect.

I spend hours getting ready, rifling through my wardrobe in search of the perfect dress to seduce him. After trying on several outfits, I finally settle on a thin red silk slip that clings to every curve of my body.

I take my time applying my makeup, blending a smoky-eye look before finishing it off with my signature red lipstick.

Finally, I reach for my perfume, the same intoxicating scent Ronan once complimented back when we still had something between us.

A slow smile tugs at my lips as I slip the vial containing the fake mate-bond magic into my pocket.

Tonight, everything is going to change.

I slip on a robe, covering my body before making my way to the guest wing.

Luckily, the door is unlocked and slightly ajar, another sign that the Moon Goddess is finally on my side.

I find him exactly as Sienna described, except he’s now half-dressed, his clothes are disheveled, a bottle of tequila hangs loosely from one hand, and darkness clouds his eyes.

He’s devastated, broken, and absolutely perfect.

I shove the sting of jealousy deep down, refusing to let it surface.

Even though I know he’s never fallen apart like this over me before. Fuck that Westbrook girl. And fuck whatever spell she’s cast over him.

"Ronan," I say softly, closing the door behind me.

He looks up, and for a moment, I see confusion cross his features. But the alcohol has dulled his mind, made him less guarded.

"You shouldn’t be here," he slurs, but he doesn’t move away.

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