Chapter 53 Chapter 53
Lila's POV
The forest was dark and cold as I made my way through the twisted trees.
I'd been walking for hours, following the old paths only witches knew and paths hidden from wolves and humans alike.
My feet ached, my dress was still torn from my escape, but I didn't stop.
I couldn't stop at this moment.
Not until I reached them.
Finally, I saw it. The clearing, the stone circle that marked the entrance to the witch sanctuary.
I stepped through and immediately felt the shift in the air. Magic, it was thick and ancient.
The coven was waiting.
They stood in a semi-circle, their faces shadowed by hoods. But I could feel their anger radiating toward me like heat from a fire.
I stopped in the center of the circle and lifted my chin.
"Sisters," I said.
"Failure." The voice came from the eldest witch, Morgana. She stepped forward, her dark eyes burning with fury. "You were sent to complete a mission. A sacred mission. And you failed."
"The substance you gave me didn't work properly," I shot back. "It was supposed to make me undetectable. Supposed to hide my true nature completely."
"The substance worked fine," another witch snapped. "You got careless, you got exposed."
"I was sabotaged," I argued. "That blue-haired witch, Violet, she brought evidence. She ruined everything."
"You ruined everything," Morgana said coldly. "You were supposed to kill Sophia. Destroy her before she could fulfill the prophecy. Instead, you played games. Got distracted by power and status."
I clenched my fists. "I was getting close. I had Marcus exactly where I wanted him. I was his Luna. I had access to everything."
"And yet Sophia still lives," another witch said. "Still thrives. Still growing stronger."
The prophecy.
That damned prophecy that had started all of this.
A woman from the Darkridge Pack will rise from nothing and destroy all witches.
Sophia.
Her wolf was powerful, more powerful than anyone realized. The kind of power that could bend witches to her will if she ever learned to use it.
The coven had seen it in their visions. Had felt the threat she posed.
So they sent me.
Half-wolf, half-witch, the perfect weapon to infiltrate the wolf packs and eliminate the threat.
But I'd failed.
"She invited Marcus to some jewelry exhibition," I said bitterly. "She's building her empire while I'm hunted like an animal."
"Because you failed," Morgana repeated. "You were supposed to kill her quietly. Make it look like an accident. Instead, you poisoned her father and got yourself exposed as a witch."
"The plan was flawed from the start," I snapped.
"The plan was perfect," Morgana said sharply. "You were the one who got greedy. Who wanted to be Luna more than you wanted to complete the mission."
Silence fell over the clearing, the was right but partially.
I had gotten distracted, I had enjoyed being Luna, I had liked the power that came with it.
But that didn't change the fact that the substance they'd given me hadn't been as strong as they promised.
"What do you want from me?" I asked finally.
"To finish what you started," Morgana said. "Sophia must die. And soon. Before she realizes the full extent of her power."
"And Ethan?" I asked. "He's her mate now. He'll protect her."
"Then kill him too," another witch said coldly. "And that Violet. Anyone who stands in the way of completing this mission."
I looked around at all of them. At their cold, determined faces.
They didn't care about me. Didn't care that I'd nearly died. That I'd lost everything.
All they cared about was the prophecy.
"Fine," I said. "I'll do it. But I need resources. I need a new identity. A new face."
"You'll have what you need," Morgana said. "But this time, Lila, you don't get distracted. You don't play games. You kill Sophia and anyone close to her. Then you take your place as Luna of Shadowmoon Pack. Solidify our position within the wolf territories."
"Understood."
Morgana stepped closer, her eyes boring into mine. "If you fail again, we will not welcome you back. You will be cast out. Left to die alone."
The threat was clear, this was my last chance.
"I won't fail," I said firmly.
"Good." Morgana turned to the other witches. "Prepare the transformation ritual. Give her a new face. A new identity. One that can get close to Sophia without being recognized."
The witches moved immediately, gathering materials from their pouches.
I stood in the center of the circle, waiting.
My mind raced, as I'm planning and calculating.
Sophia thought she was safe, she may have thought she'd won, but she had no idea what was coming.
I would get close to her, earn her trust somehow and when the moment was right, I'd strike.
No more games, no more distractions, just the mission.
Kill Sophia, destroy Ethan And eliminate Violet forever. With that Marcus has no other option than to accept me.
And claim what should have been mine all along.
"The transformation will take time," Morgana said, watching as the other witches drew symbols in the dirt around me. "But when it's complete, even those closest to you won't recognize you."
"How long?" I asked.
"Three days. Maybe four."
I nodded. That was manageable.
By the time I was ready, Sophia's jewelry exhibition would be approaching.
Perfect.
A public event. Lots of people. Easy to blend in.
Easy to get close.
"There's something else you should know," Morgana said, a slight smile crossing her face. "Sophia invited Marcus to her exhibition."
I looked up sharply. "What?"
"She personally invited him. In front of all the other Alphas at the Alliance meeting."
My mind spun. Why would Sophia invite Marcus?
Unless she was planning something.
Or unless Marcus thought he could win her back.
"Fool," I muttered.
"Indeed," Morgana agreed. "But his presence might work in your favor. Create a distraction. Draw attention away from you."
She was right.
If Marcus showed up trying to reconcile with Sophia, everyone would be watching that drama.
No one would notice a stranger in the crowd.
No one would see me coming.
"I have a plan," Morgana said, her voice low and calculating. "And if you follow it exactly, Sophia won't survive the week."
I met her eyes. "Tell me."
Morgana smiled. Cold and cruel.
"First, we give you a new face. Then, we get you inside that exhibition. Close to Sophia. Close enough to strike when no one's looking."
"And if Violet's there? If she senses something?"
"She won't," Morgana assured me. "The transformation will mask your magical signature completely. Even a powerful witch like her won't detect you."
I felt a surge of satisfaction.
Finally, Finally, things were falling into place.
"When do we start?" I asked.
"Now," Morgana said.
The other witches began chanting. Low and rhythmic.
I felt the magic swirl around me. Thick and powerful.
My skin tingled. My bones ached.
But I didn't move. Didn't resist.
This was necessary.
This was my path back to power.
And when it was done, when Sophia was dead and Ethan destroyed, I would stand as Luna
of Shadowmoon Pack.
Just as the coven intended, just as I deserved, the chanting grew louder.
The magic intensified and I smiled to myself.
Sophia had no idea what was coming for her.