Mona turned toward the mansion again and began to seek out the life forces of those near. She could feel a strong pull just beyond the mansion. The packs, she decided. They had run the opposite direction and were waiting. She smiled to herself. Witches had been wiped from the minds of the Canis lupis long ago. The wolves feared the magic and tried to ignore it, thinking it would just go away.
We are not so easily forgotten, she thought. I will remind you wolves who wields the power and to whom you should bow.
As she focused on the power of the wolves she began to chant.
"Earth, water, wind and fire,
Heed my words, fulfill my desire.
Find the one whose name is Fane,
Seek him out, make your claim.
Bind his memories, treasured few,
Take him back to feel the pain anew.
In his mind, mysteries uncovered,
Rip out the mate he has discovered.
Earth, water, wind and fire,
Hear me now, do as I desire."
Mona continued to focus, waiting for her spell to hit its target.
"Did it work?" Thad asked impatiently.
"Shh!" Mona growled. "I will feel it when it hits him."
Seconds ticked by. The wind began to pick up and Mona's hair started to whip around her face. Her eyes glowed and darkness seemed to wrap her in a cloak, caressing her, embracing her as a lover. She closed her eyes once more as a crash of thunder echoed across the sky. Then she let out a skin-crawling growl.
"It didn't work? What happened? Speak, witch!" Thad snarled.
"His Beta protected him." Mona spoke through gritted teeth. "Somehow he heard the spell in the wind. He shouldn't have been able to."
"What are you going to do now? Can you send another spell to Fane?"
"Damn wolves." Mona turned on Thad. "There are laws that bind our magic. We can't just do whatever we want, wolf. The curse hit the Beta instead. You said he was mated?"
"Yes, but I tried to have his mate killed. I don't know if she is indeed dead but I don't think so. From the way he spoke in those last few moments in the mansion, she was still alive but injured."
"So you want the Beta's mate dead as well? Damn wolf. Do you want all of their mates killed?"
Thad growled at her.
Mona shook her head. "Just hold on."
She began to think aloud, working through the possibilities. "Now the Beta no longer remembers his mate. Right about now, he should be awakening. He will remember the worst day of his life and will think that today is that day. I can't curse Fane now. Even I don’t have the power to maintain two curses such as this. Damn the laws fate has bound me with. I could curse the Beta again to make sure his mate is never found..." She tapped her lip with her long fingernail. "Hmm. That has possibilities. If the Beta couldn't find his mate, then the Alpha would assign his most trusted to the hunt. That would leave them exposed, vulnerable." Mona smiled and turned back to Thad. "The Beta will be the only wolf able to find his mate," she announced.
"How is that going to help?" Thad's brow furrowed.
"He won't remember who she is, dummy," she told him, waiting for him to get the obviousness of the situation.
"So?" Thad shrugged.
Mona groaned. "Are you kidding me? The universe wasted a perfectly good amount of energy on your life," she mumbled. "As her mate, he would be able to use their bond to find her. If he doesn't remember her, he doesn't even remember her scent. Even if he can still hear her through the bond, he won't trust the voice. He doesn't know he's met his mate."