Chapter 87
Giana's POV
The stolen Swift River artifact pulsed with malevolent energy as I prepared the ritual chamber deep beneath the pack house. Ancient stone walls, carved with symbols that predated written history, absorbed the candlelight and threw twisted shadows across the ceremonial circle I'd spent weeks preparing.
Blood magic was dangerous, unpredictable, requiring sacrifice and precision that few were willing to risk. The knowledge had cost me dearly to acquire, trading favors and secrets with creatures that dwelt in the darkest corners of our world. But it was the only way to ensure Raymond remained completely under my control, especially with Aurora growing more suspicious and Kane supporting her investigation.
The ritual space itself was a testament to ancient power. Hidden beneath the pack house's foundation, accessible only through passages that had been sealed for generations, this chamber had witnessed dark ceremonies long before Raymond's family claimed this territory. The stone walls wept with condensation that looked disturbingly like tears, and the air hung thick with the weight of centuries-old magic.
I'd spent three days fasting and purifying myself according to the old rituals, my body weakened but my mind sharp with purpose. The Swift River artifact lay in the center of the circle, its surface etched with runes that seemed to move in the flickering candlelight.
Carefully, reverently, I pricked my finger with the ceremonial blade I'd inherited from my grandmother—a rogue witch who'd taught me the old ways before her death. The blade was ancient silver, stained black with the blood of countless rituals, and it bit into my flesh with eager hunger.
Crimson drops fell onto the runes carved into the stone floor centuries ago, each one hissing and steaming as it hit the ancient symbols. The stone seemed to drink the blood hungrily, the carved lines glowing faintly with absorbed power.
The incantation rolled off my tongue in the old language, words that bound souls and twisted natural bonds into artificial chains. Each syllable carried weight, power, consequence. This wasn't the kind of magic that could be undone easily—it would leave permanent scars on the fabric of reality itself.
"Vinculum naturae corrumpere," I chanted, feeling the spell weave itself around Raymond's consciousness like chains of shadow. "Cor ejus ad meum solum ligare. Videat tantum quod volo eum videre."
The Swift River artifact flared with dark light as the magic took hold, its power coursing through me like liquid fire. Pain and ecstasy warred in my veins as the ancient magic transformed me into a conduit for forces that predated civilization.
"Let his mind be clouded," I whispered, feeling the spell reach across the pack house to wrap around Raymond's sleeping form. "Let his heart be bound to mine alone. Let him see only what I wish him to see, remember only what serves my purpose."
The ritual chamber filled with shadows that moved independently of the flickering candles, drawn by the dark magic I was channeling. Whispers in languages that had been forgotten before the first wolf walked upright filled the air, offering power in exchange for pieces of my soul.
This was forbidden magic, the kind that left permanent stains on the soul and bound the caster to forces beyond mortal understanding. But I was beyond caring about consequences. Power was worth any price, and Raymond's complete devotion was the key to everything I desired.
The spell complete, I felt the altered bond settle into place like a collar around Raymond's consciousness. He would love me now with desperate intensity, see me as perfect and blameless, defend me against any accusation or evidence. Aurora's investigation would fall on deaf ears, her evidence dismissed as the desperate fabrications of a jealous wife.
Aurora's POV
Pain ripped through me like lightning, dropping me to my knees in Kane's quarters as if I'd been struck by an invisible force. The silver crescent at my throat burned like a brand, and I could feel something fundamental shifting in the pack's energy, something dark and wrong that made my wolf howl in distress.
The agony was unlike anything I'd ever experienced, not physical pain but something deeper and more violating. It felt as if the very bonds that connected me to the pack were being twisted and corrupted, natural magic perverted into something monstrous.
My vision blurred as supernatural forces tore through my consciousness, showing me flashes of the ritual chamber, glimpses of Giana's triumphant face, fragments of the spell that was reshaping reality itself. The silver crescent was reacting violently to the magical pollution spreading through our territory.
Kane found me collapsed on his bedroom floor, my body convulsing as mysterious pain racked every nerve. His face went white with panic as he dropped to his knees beside me, his hands hovering uncertainly as if afraid touching me might make the suffering worse.
"What's happening?" he demanded, his voice sharp with fear and helplessness that cut through his usual confidence. "Aurora, talk to me! What can I do?"
"Something's wrong with the pack bonds," I managed to gasp between waves of agony that left me breathless. "I think Giana is manipulating them somehow, twisting them with dark magic. I can feel it spreading like poison through our territory."
Kane's frustration at being unable to help was palpable, his usual strength and capability rendered useless by forces he couldn't fight or understand. I could see it eating at him, this feeling of inadequacy in the face of supernatural assault.
"Use our connection," I whispered desperately, reaching for his hands with fingers that shook uncontrollably. "Anchor me to something real, something pure."
Kane understood immediately, his fingers intertwining with mine as he poured his strength and love through our growing bond. The mate connection between us became a lifeline, his presence grounding me as dark magic warped reality around us.
When he gathered me in his arms, his touch became my anchor to sanity. Our physical connection fought against the supernatural assault, his love and loyalty creating a barrier that the dark magic couldn't fully penetrate.
"Stay with me," Kane whispered against my hair, his voice breaking with emotion as he watched me suffer. "Don't let whatever this is take you from me. Fight it, Aurora. Fight it with everything you have."
Our lovemaking became a desperate act of defiance against the dark forces trying to tear me apart. His touch grounded me to reality, his love anchoring my soul when the magical backlash threatened to shatter my consciousness entirely.
The magical assault lasted nearly two hours, leaving me drained and shaking in Kane's arms as the foreign magic settled into the pack's foundation. But as the acute pain receded, I became aware that something fundamental had changed in the energy patterns that bound our community together.
"It's done," I whispered, my voice hoarse from screaming. "Whatever she was trying to accomplish, she’s succeeded. I can feel the corruption in the pack bonds now, like a poison that's seeped into our foundation."
Kane held me closer, his protective instincts flaring as he realized the implications. "The timing isn't coincidental. This was planned to coincide with something specific."
The change in Raymond was immediately apparent when we saw him the next morning, the magical conditioning having worked with terrifying efficiency. The occasional flashes of clarity, the moments when I caught glimpses of the boy I'd grown up with, were completely gone.
That night, as Kane held me while I recovered from the magical assault, we both understood that we were truly alone now. The conspiracy had played its trump card, and Raymond was lost to us completely.
