Chapter 127

Giana's POV

I watched Raymond pace his quarters like some rabid animal caught in a cage. His obsession with Aurora had reached embarrassing new heights. The magical conditioning I'd woven through his mind was working perfectly, but his fixation on his wife was becoming seriously inconvenient.

The man who used to command respect as an Alpha now muttered fantasies and violent schemes to himself. His hands wouldn't stop shaking. His eyes held this fevered brightness that made my skin crawl.

"She'll realize eventually that I'm offering her the only real choice," Raymond muttered. His hands trembled as he spoke. "Kane abandoned her. The Alpha King will abandon her too when things get messy. I'm the only one who truly understands what she brings to a relationship."

I nodded with fake sympathy while rolling my eyes internally. Raymond's delusion that Aurora would return home to take on a new role as his second mate was almost as pathetic as his conviction that he had something valuable to offer her.

The magical conditioning had taken his natural possessiveness and twisted it into something monstrous. What used to be Alpha dominance was now unhinged obsession, fueled by artificial emotions that made him genuinely dangerous to be around.

"Of course, my love," I murmured, placing what I hoped looked like a comforting hand on his arm. "Aurora will see reason eventually."

Truth was, Aurora's stubborn refusal to break was becoming a real problem. I'd expected her to crumble under the pressure of political scandal and personal betrayal. Instead she was still fighting, still investigating, still posing a threat to everything David and I had built.

Most women would've surrendered by now.

The combination of public humiliation, romantic betrayal, and political isolation should've destroyed her completely. But Aurora possessed this irritating resilience that made her dangerous even when she seemed defeated.

Raymond's obsession was useful to a point. But his increasing desperation was making him reckless. The man who'd once been a calculated political leader was becoming a liability driven by magical conditioning and sexual frustration.

Raymond had no clue that the magical conditioning amplifying his obsession with Aurora was slowly destroying his mind. The artifacts David and I used required constant reinforcement. Each renewal left the subject slightly more unstable, slightly more disconnected from reality.

Within a few months, Raymond would be completely insane. A drooling puppet who could barely function without direct commands. But by then our conquest would be complete and his usefulness would've ended anyway.

"She still cares about me," Raymond insisted. His eyes bright with manic hope. "I can see it when she looks at me. The concern, the worry, she's just confused by Kane's manipulation."

I made appropriate noises of agreement while calculating how much longer I needed to maintain this charade. David's timeline was accelerating, which meant I could begin the final phase of eliminating inconvenient loose ends soon.

Raymond's delusions got more elaborate by the day. He'd convinced himself that Aurora's investigation was actually a desperate attempt to return to him. That her partnership with Kane was reluctant cooperation rather than genuine affection.

What a joke.

"Perhaps a more direct approach would be effective," I suggested carefully. "Aurora responds to strength and decisiveness. Show her that you're willing to take what belongs to you."

Raymond's expression darkened with possessive hunger that made my skin crawl. "You think I should be more... assertive?"

"I think you should remind her who holds the real power in this situation," I replied with calculated encouragement.

The beauty of magical conditioning was how it made subjects believe their corrupted thoughts were original insights. Raymond genuinely thought his obsession with Aurora was romantic love rather than artificial compulsion designed to serve my purposes.

I moved to the window, gazing out at Blood Moon territory that would soon serve as one of David's staging grounds for the final assault. Everything was proceeding according to plan. Pack leadership across multiple territories was compromised. The Alpha Council was paralyzed by political infighting.

Transforming this territory into a military fortress was proceeding ahead of schedule. Raymond's conditioning made him eager to accept any suggestion I framed as protecting his "property" from external threats.

"What about the Alpha King's mobilization?" Raymond asked. His political instincts occasionally surfaced through the magical haze.

"Let him waste resources chasing shadows," I replied dismissively. "His intelligence is incomplete and his alliances are fractured. By the time he realizes the true scope of our network, it'll be far too late to mount effective resistance."

I didn't mention that Aurora's investigation had come uncomfortably close to exposing crucial aspects of our operation. The woman was more competent than I'd anticipated. That's why eliminating her had become such a priority.

Her ability to see patterns and connections had impressed even David. Under different circumstances, he might've tried to recruit her rather than destroy her. But Aurora's moral code made corruption impossible.

"I want Aurora brought home," Raymond said with sudden intensity. "Whatever it takes. I'm tired of watching her embarrass herself with these paranoid delusions."

"Of course, my love," I agreed, though I had very different plans for Aurora's fate. "She belongs here with us, where she can be properly... guided."

Raymond smiled with satisfaction. Completely unaware that he was planning his wife's destruction. The magical conditioning had made him genuinely believe that forcing Aurora into submission would be an act of love rather than violence.

I excused myself and made my way to the secure communication chamber I'd established in the estate's basement. David needed to know that our timeline was accelerating and certain loose ends required immediate attention.

The chamber itself was a masterpiece of dark magic and modern technology. Ancient symbols carved into stone walls channeled power from the artifact network, while encrypted communication devices provided secure contact with assets across multiple territories.

The encrypted communication device activated with a pulse of dark energy. It connected me across vast distances to my true mate and partner. The connection felt like coming home after playing devoted subordinate for months.

"Progress report," David's voice came through with electronic distortion that couldn't disguise his commanding presence.

"The Aurora situation is reaching critical mass," I reported efficiently. "Raymond's obsession is becoming useful leverage, but her continued resistance threatens operational security."

"Eliminate her," David replied without hesitation. "We can't risk her exposing our staging areas before the final assault."

The casual way he ordered her death reminded me why I loved him. David never let sentiment interfere with strategic necessity. Aurora was a threat, so she'd be removed.

Simple as that.

"I'm coordinating with our agents at the Alpha King's stronghold," I confirmed. "Multiple assassination attempts have failed, but I have a new approach that should prove more effective."

"What about the Kane situation?"

I smiled with vicious satisfaction. "Kane has removed himself from the equation through his own emotional weakness. His fear-driven betrayal has left Aurora isolated and politically damaged. He's no longer a factor."

"Excellent," David said with approval. "Begin the military buildup at Blood Moon. I want that territory transformed into a fortress within the week."

"Already in progress," I replied. "Raymond's conditioning makes him eager to follow any suggestion I frame as protecting his 'property' from external threats."

The conversation continued for several more minutes as we finalized details of the upcoming operation. The conspiracy that had taken years to establish was finally ready to bear fruit. Werewolf civilization would fall, and David would rise as the supreme leader of a new order.

When the communication ended, I allowed myself a moment of pure anticipation. Soon—very soon—Aurora would be dead and the last serious threat to our plans would be eliminated.

I climbed the stairs back to Raymond's quarters, where I found him staring out the window with that fevered intensity that had become his constant expression.

"Planning something, my love?" I asked with false sweetness.

"Aurora's rescue," Raymond replied with disturbing certainty. "It's time to bring her home where she belongs."

Perfect.

Raymond's obsession would provide perfect cover for the trap I was preparing. Aurora would come to save him from his magical conditioning, and she'd die in the attempt.

The irony was delicious. The woman who'd fought so hard to save everyone else would be destroyed by her own compassion.