Whines and howls of pain left him as Evanora laughed maniacally. “One of my favorite ways to torture your kind is to stop you mid-shift when your bones and tendons are in shambles.”
“No!”
Our agonizing wails mixed with each other, and my heart broke over and over again. I couldn’t help Xavier no matter how much I tried.
TWENTY SIX
Xavier
I’d never been so fucking hopeless in my life, even when I’d watched Liv get her throat slit in front of me. It was nothing compared to the pain of not being able to help Harlow.
Deep, rumbling laughter rolled into the room as Lockhart himself came in. “Stop it, Evanora. Even I cannot be that cruel.”
She sighed and the spell she’d cast ceased, and I shifted back to human form. “You have no sense of humor.”
I inhaled a lungful of oxygen, and my eyes dropped closed. I never wanted to experience that kind of soul-crushing pain again. “Harlow, are you alright?” I croaked the question.
“I’m managing,” she said in a weak voice.
My wolf was pissed and so was I. I wanted to tear that witch limb from limb and burn her body parts.
“Look who found his real mate.” Lockhart strolled around to me with a smile on his smug face.
I panted, and sweat trailed down the side of my face. “The fuck are you talking about?”
“This witch is your mate, no?”
“Of course she is,” I growled.
He threw his head back and laughed. “But you haven’t figured it out yet?”
“What are you rambling on about, Lockhart? Spit it out.”
“Haven’t you realized a difference between your bond with this witch and my little sister?” His fingers tapped against his lips with delight.
Of course I had. My bond with Harlow was stronger. Pieces started to click together in my mind as he kept talking.
“With the help of Evanora, we placed a spell on Olivia and Sophia’s Beta, which was you, to mimic the mate bond. Olivia knew all along she wasn’t your true mate.”
My heart dropped. It made so much fucking sense and hurt all at the same time. Betrayal coiled around my blood cells and pumped through my entire body.
“But the bitch got attached to you like some lovesick puppy. I had to kill her because she knew we were working with witches. Hell, she knew everything because she was a part of it all, and it was a matter of time before she ratted us out.” He smirked.
My canines popped out and back in as I struggled not to shift. Olivia wasn’t my mate. She was a traitor. She was an imposter, and she robbed me of that first moment with my true mate. Olivia made me so fucking suspicious of Harlow when we’d first met and it was unwarranted.
I’d gone so long thinking she was my mate and that I loved her just because she was my mate. The signs were all there, the sparks, the urge to protect her, and the pain I carried when she was killed. It was all for nothing. It didn’t mean shit. Was all the abuse shit too? Or did she play on the protective nature of my wolf to gain my trust?
“That’s so messed up,” Harlow said.
He laughed. “I’m messed up, sweetheart.”
I growled at him. He better stay the hell away from her.
Xavier, I’m pushing my thoughts into your head. It’s me. Harlow kicked my chair leg. I used the last bit of my magic to call for help from the Lunar coven. They should be here soon. I love you.
“I love you, Harlow.”
“Oh, how sweet,” Evanora cooed before focusing her attention on Lockhart. “I’m going to leave you alone with the wolf and take the witch with me.”
He shrugged. “I don’t care what happens to the witch.”
“Well, I do. I have so many plans for this one.”
Lockhart grabbed my chair and turned it toward Harlow. All I could see was her back, but her hair was in disarray and her body trembled as blood leaked from her leg to the floor. I saw fucking red, and I wanted their blood.
The witch, Evanora, looked like an old hag in a younger form, but still disgusting. She slinked over to Harlow and healed her wound for some reason unknown to me.
“Can’t have you bleeding out on me, can I?” The crone lifted her hands and the binds fell off her as she levitated Harlow in the air.
My mate was bruised and battered despite the witch healing whatever she’d done to her leg. We must’ve fallen hard from the tree, but my body was able to handle the impact. I hadn’t even thought it had affected her.
Panic exploded within me as the witch curled her fingers and a floating Harlow trailed behind her in protest.
“Where are you taking her? What the fuck are you doing?”
The door slammed shut behind them without ever answering me.
“Former Beta, Xavier Kingston. I have plans for you,” Lockhart said as he stepped forward with Wolfsbane in his gloved hand.
Oh, fuck. If it wasn’t the most dangerous plant known to our kind. He didn’t say he wanted to play dirty, but if he was—so would I.
TWENTY SEVEN
Harlow
My body floated unbound behind Evanora across the pack grounds. Wolves didn’t stare but took quick glances. She must’ve had these wolves deep under a chaos spell. I didn’t know how I hadn’t seen it before.
I absorbed her magic as she used the levitation spell on me, repairing my body and recharging my magical energy as we went—and she hadn’t even noticed as she blabbered on and on about her nefarious plans.
I glanced around the woods. We weren’t near the packhouse, and she’d taken us about ten minutes away from wherever they’d kept Xavier and me. “Where do you plan on taking me?”
“Home.” She glanced back with a sharp
