That’s why she didn’t blink an eye when I pointed the problem out. She had already thought of a solution. Suddenly, my legs can no longer support my weight. I reach for the nearest chair, needing to sit down. I knew I was making a deal with the devil, but the implications of what I allowed her to do to me go beyond my fears. She set me up, played on my emotions, and I let her. I was so fucking stupid.
With my head in my hands, I fight the urge to cry. What the hell am I going to do now?
“What’s your plan?” I ask. “I assume you have one.”
“You’re going to keep acting as if nothing has changed. We can’t do anything against Elena Montenegro until she shows her hand.”
“Are you saying I have to continue with the sham engagement and marry Calvin?”
“I’m afraid so.”
I let out a shaky breath as my world collapses on top of me. What about Saxon? The potion has dulled the power of the bond temporarily, but it’s still there, vibrating in my chest. God, I wish he were here. I miss him, even though we’ve only been apart for a few minutes.
“You’re thinking about your mate,” the warlock says.
“Yes,” I reply without making eye contact.
“I have the power to break your bond, if you desire.”
A sharp pain pierces through my chest as my entire body rejects the idea. I should say yes; it would make things much easier. That was the goal—finding a way to end the mating bond. And now that’s been offered to me on a silver platter, I can’t take it.
“I don’t want to break the bond.” I lift my eyes to his. “Saxon is my mate. I’m not going to give him up.”
“But you have to marry Calvin. What you’re doing is madness. It’s torture.”
He’s not wrong. But knowing how badly that old bitch played me has given me a moment of much needed clarity. She knew what was in my heart before I did. I love Saxon. It’s why I couldn’t bear to lose him.
“Can’t you end the blood vow instead?”
The man squints while his jaw is clenched hard. “I can, but Elena would know the moment it happened that she’d lost the connection to you. We can’t have that.”
Undiluted anger rushes through my body, making me see red. I’m tired of awful things snowballing out of control and being unable to stop them.
“Are you saying that I’m your pawn now?” I grit out.
“Don’t you realize, Aurora? You’ve always been a pawn. But now, you’re playing in my boardgame.”
On unsteady legs, I get up. “I’m nobody’s pawn. You just told me you can’t act against Elena until you have proof, which means you need my help. If you’re as powerful as you claim, you will find a way to free me of this vow without Elena knowing before I have to marry Calvin.”
His nostrils flare as he stares at me in a cold and calculating manner. “I don’t take orders from anyone, girlie, especially from a barely-of-age witch.”
“Then don’t consider this as me ordering you around. Think of this arrangement as a collaboration. Neither of us can get what we want without the other, so why not partner up?”
He doesn’t answer for a couple of seconds, and in that time, I keep my gaze steady, locked on his. Warlock or not, I’m not going to be intimidated by him.
“Fine. I’ll need a few days to come up with a solution. In the meantime, I’d suggest you keep your trysts with your mate private. Your little sister won’t be around to cover for you next time.”
24
Aurora
The annoying warlock is gone. He’ll get in touch when he can figure out a way to break the stupid blood vow I made with Elena. His promise should have relieved some of the weight crushing my chest, but blood vow or not, I’m still expected to marry Calvin.
If that wasn’t already a death sentence before, now that Saxon has come into the picture, the situation feels more impossible than ever.
I text Miranda to see how she’s doing. She shouldn’t have lied like that to cover my ass, but I’ll be forever grateful that she did. There’s no answer, which could indicate part of her punishment means no access to her phone. I send a text to Niko as well. If Miranda is on social lockdown, Niko will have all the details. She’s usually the one dealing with our mother’s wrath, but only