Chapter 64 Scheming II

Chapter 64 Scheming II
Odessa's POV

The morning light filtered through my curtains like thin fingers, pulling me from a shallow sleep. My body ached from the late-night planning with Ivy, but my mind was sharp. Today was the day. I had to move before Dawn took Bambi to Calandra himself. Jasper's directions glued in my memory: eastern border, three oaks in a row, follow the stream north. Simple. I could do this alone.

I rose slowly, stretching my arms above my head. The pack house was quiet, most wolves still asleep after last night's patrols. Perfect. I dressed in plain clothes: dark pants, a loose shirt, sturdy boots. Nothing flashy. No Luna gown today. I needed to blend into the woods.

In the mirror, I tied my hair back tightly. My reflection stared at me, green eyes hard, lips set. "You've come too far," I whispered to myself. "No turning back."

I slipped the scent masker vial from my drawer and tucked it into my pocket. One more dose before I left. Then, the hidden panel. Ivy had left it unlatched for me. I paused at the threshold, listening. Nothing. Good.

The tunnels were cool and damp, the air thick with earth. I moved carefully, one hand on the wall to guide me. Memories flashed as I walked, hiding here as a child, after I'd killed the real Odessa. Ivy finding me, covered in blood, and saying, "We'll fix this. Together." She'd been my savior then. My partner now.

Emerging into the forest, I uncorked the vial and dabbed the liquid on my wrists, neck, behind my ears. It tingled slightly, then nothing. No scent. I was a ghost.

The walk to the eastern border took hours. I kept off the main paths, sticking to deer trails and underbrush. The sun climbed higher, warming my back. Birds chirped overhead. A rabbit darted across my path, and I smiled. Nature didn't care about pack politics. It just existed.

Finally, the border markers, old stone pillars half-covered in moss. I crossed without looking back. Neutral woods now. No pack scents to worry about. Just me and the trees.

I found the three oaks easily. They stood in a perfect line, ancient and gnarled, their roots twisting into the ground like fingers. "One, two, three," I counted softly. Then the stream. It babbled gently to my left, clear water over smooth stones. North. I followed it.

The path narrowed, ferns brushing my legs. The air grew tensed here, heavier. Wards, I realized. Magic buzzing faintly, like a distant music in my ears. It prickled my skin, but didn't stop me. Jasper said only family blood could find it easily, but I wasn't family. Still, the masker helped, or maybe the wards were old. I kept going.

Minutes turned into more minutes. My boots squelched in mud near the water. Sweat trickled down my back. "Keep moving," I told myself. "You're close."

Then, the cabin. It appeared suddenly, nestled in a small clearing. Wooden, simple, with smoke curling from a stone chimney. Herbs hung drying under the eaves. A small garden out front, roses, lavender, things I didn't recognize. It looked... peaceful. Not what I expected from a powerful witch.

I stopped at the edge of the clearing, heart thumping. No guards. No traps I could see. Just the buzz of that magic stronger now, pressing against me like a warning. I took a deep breath. "You can do this. Charm her. Lie if you have to."

I stepped forward. The door opened before I knocked.

A woman stood there. Mid-fifties, maybe. Silver-streaked black hair in a loose braid. Dark eyes like Dawn's, but warmer. Wrinkles around her mouth from smiling, I guessed. She wore a simple dress, apron stained with dirt.

"Can I help you?" Her voice was calm, steady.

I forced a smile. "Calandra? My name is Odessa. Odessa Starling. Luna of the Imperial Pack."

She tilted her head, studying me. "I know who you are. What do you want?"

Straight to it. No pleasantries. I liked that. "May I come in? It's... important. About the pack."

She hesitated, then stepped aside. "Wipe your feet."

I did, entering the cabin. It was cozy inside. Wooden floors, a fire crackling in the hearth. Shelves lined with jars, herbs, potions, books. A table in the center with two chairs. It smelled of tea and earth.

"Sit," she said, gesturing to a chair. She moved to the fire, pouring water from a kettle into two cups. "Chamomile?"

"Yes, thank you." I sat, folding my hands in my lap. Keep it calm. Friendly.

She placed a cup in front of me and sat across. Her eyes never left mine. "Speak."

I sipped the tea. Warm, soothing. "The pack is in danger. Dawn's Onyx Power... it's unstable. I fear for everyone."

She nodded slowly. "Go on."

"I've heard you know about it. More than anyone. You warned him years ago."

"I did." Her tone was even. "What is it you want from me, child?"

Child. It irked me, but I smiled. "Help. A way to stabilize it without... without relying on his mate. Bambi. She's new to this. Scared. If the power could be transferred or shared..."

Calandra leaned back, cup in hand. "Transferred. To whom?"

I met her gaze. "To me. I'm Luna. I've been by his side. I could handle it."

She was quiet for a long moment. The fire popped. Outside, a bird called.

"You want the Onyx Power," she said finally. Not a question.

"Yes." No point lying now. "For the pack's good. Dawn is ruthless. Obsessed with that Omega. He'll destroy everything if he loses control."

Calandra set her cup down. "And you think you won't?"

"I know I can." I leaned forward. "I've managed the pack while he... focuses elsewhere. I'm strong. Ambitious, yes, but for the right reasons."

She studied me again. Those dark eyes saw too much. "The Onyx Power isn't a tool, Odessa. It's a curse. Inherited through blood. It needs a true mate to balance it. Not ambition."

"But there must be a way," I pressed. "A spell. A ritual. Something."

"There isn't." Her voice was firm. "I told Dawn the same. The power chose Bambi for a reason. Her soul matches his darkness. Yours does not."

I gripped my cup tighter. "How do you know? Have you met her?"

"No. But the power doesn't lie. It transferred during their bonding. It's stable now because she chooses to stay."

Chooses. The word stung. Bambi, that weak girl, holding everything.

"What if she doesn't choose?" I asked softly. "What if she leaves?"

Calandra's expression softened a fraction. "Then Dawn suffers. Slowly. The power consumes him. But forcing it won't work. Stealing it would kill you both."

I swallowed. "There has to be another way."

"There isn't." She stood, moving to a shelf. She pulled down a small book, old and leather-bound. "This is the family grimoire. The Onyx Power's history. Read it if you want."

She placed it on the table. I opened it carefully. Pages yellowed, ink faded. Symbols I didn't understand. Then, a passage: The power binds to the mate's willing heart. No force can sever or redirect without destruction.

I closed it. "So that's it? Nothing?"

Calandra sat again. "Why do you hate him so much?"

The question caught me off guard. "What?"

"Dawn. My nephew. You speak of the pack, but your eyes say hate."

I hesitated. Then, slowly, "He took everything from me. Used me. Discarded me when the breeders came."

She nodded. "He is ruthless. Like his parents were. But the power changed him. Made him colder. I tried to guide him, but..." She trailed off.

"Guide him?" I echoed. "You're family. Help me stop him."

"I am helping. By telling you the truth." Her voice gentled. "The power can't be stolen, Odessa. It would reject you. Twist you. You'd become a monster worse than him."

I stared at her. "You don't know that."

"I do." She reached across the table, touching my hand lightly. Her skin was warm. "I've seen it. In visions. Ambition without the bond leads to ruin."

I pulled my hand back. "Visions? You're a seer too?"

"Among other things." She smiled faintly. "Go home, Luna. Support your Alpha. Help Bambi understand. The pack needs unity, not division."

Unity. With Bambi? The thought made my stomach turn.

"And if I don't?" I asked.

Calandra's eyes hardened. "Then you walk a dangerous path. Alone."

We sat in silence. The tea cooled in my cup. I wanted to argue, to demand more, but her calm certainty stopped me. She wasn't giving me what I wanted. No spell. No ritual. Nothing.

Finally, I stood. "Thank you for the tea."

She rose too. "Be careful on your way back. The wards will let you leave, but they remember."

I nodded, moving to the door. My hand on the knob, I paused. "Does Dawn know you turned me away?"

"No. And he won't from me."

I looked back. "Why help him?"

"Because he's family. Flawed, but blood." She opened the door. "Goodbye, Odessa."

The fresh air hit me as I stepped out. The clearing felt smaller now. Defeat tasted bitter. I walked back along the stream, slower this time. The oaks passed. The border.

Hours later, back in the tunnels, I leaned against the wall. My plan—gone. No power transfer. Calandra's words echoed: It would reject you. Twist you.

But I wasn't done. Not yet. There had to be another way. Break the bond without stealing the power. Let it consume Dawn. Then the throne would be mine by default.

I slipped into my chambers. Ivy was waiting, as promised.

"Well?" she asked, eyes wide.

I sank into a chair. "She refused. Said it can't be done. The power needs Bambi's willing bond."

Ivy's face fell. "Nothing?"

"Nothing." I rubbed my temples. "But she confirmed one thing that the power will kill him if Bambi leaves. We just need to make her leave."

Ivy sat beside me. "How? Dawn's taking her there tomorrow, probably. To prove himself."

I smiled slowly. "Then we intercept. Or plant doubt. Sable can approach her. She's ambitious. Tell her Bambi's in danger if she stays."

Ivy nodded. "And Jasper?"

"Keep him warm. For later."

We talked more, voices low. New plan. Slower, but surer. Calandra had denied me the power, but she couldn't stop everything. Dawn's obsession would still be his weakness.

By evening, exhaustion hit again, but hope flickered. I wasn't out. Just adapting.

"Rest," Ivy said, standing. "Tomorrow we move."

I nodded, lying back. The ceiling stared down. Calandra's cabin faded in my mind, replaced by visions of the throne. Mine. Soon.

Slow and steady. That's how empires fall.