# Chapter 10: Fiona's POV
"I know that this is completely unexpected, but trust me, it's as surprising to me as it is to you," he said slowly, looking apologetic; all the fiery demands from before seemed to be gone, but that didn't do anything to assuage the rage fueling me from within and threatening to erupt at any moment. If only my strength were back, but it wasn't. I still felt weak from the betrayal, still felt utterly wounded and shattered to pieces inside. I knew that if anybody talked to me about it at that moment, I wouldn't shout or fight, no. Instead, I would simply cry, and that was pathetic. I needed to be strong. He had done this to me, and it was none of my fault. This was completely unexpected like Marcus was saying, but it didn't mean I should be a baby about it. If anything, I should pick myself up and teach him a lesson. He couldn't just mess with me like that. Even as I was still thinking about it, a tear dropped from my eyes, and all my supposed bravado immediately crumbled as I started shuddering and weeping uncontrollably. Just the thought of Jason alone was enough to make my heart bleed. Revenge! Yes, that was what I was supposed to be thinking about, but instead, I found myself feeling depressed. I didn't believe that he could hurt me like this. It wasn't even possible that he could suddenly say such a thing to me. After everything that had happened and all the years I had spent with him, knowing him, being good friends with him and finally loving him, I knew that it was unlike him to act like this. Something was pushing him from inside, or maybe it was even external... I glanced at the crowd. Though my tears made my vision very blurred, I focused as much as I could and stared intentely, trying to locate him in the crowd. I didn't even know when he had left, why he wasn't by my side, now comforting me even though I would probably slap him instead of letting him touch me. I wanted an apology as much as it wouldn't help, but he wasn't even doing anything at all. He didn't care, and that was the biggest wonder of all. He had hurt me so badly, but he wasn't acting as if it was by force, like he had no choice. The Jason I knew would never hurt me unless there was no choice for him. In fact, even when there was no choice, he would still not hurt me at all. I finally found him holding hands with the mortal from before and looking into her eyes with a look I had seen a lot of times now. It was a look that I completely recognized, one that meant true love when it was coming from Jason. I felt like my heart was being stabbed by a million pieces of glass when I saw the way he easily replaced me. That was the look he gave me, but now he was giving it unconditionally to someone else. In fact, if I looked at it closely, I would notice that it was even more passionate than it was when he looked at me. It was like he loved her far more than he ever did me. All of a sudden, without any explanation for it whatsoever, without any sign—how long had they known each other? A couple of weeks? Months? Even if it was like that in contrast to the information I received, which said it was just a couple of days, that couldn't match at all to the amount of time he had spent with me, knowing me, loving me! I couldn't imagine how he could make such a decision so spontaneously, how he could be so reckless, and finally how he could betray me at all and not even care about it. I felt a tap on my shoulder and saw my brother looking at me in concern. It was then I started hearing again what was being said. Jason was the one speaking: "This is the person I'm going to marry today." He spoke, his voice reverberating across the entire room, filled with confidence and determination. Clearly, he was not going to change his mind about this, especially after he had gone to such lengths disrupting the entire wedding and everything just to make this happen. I felt a lump in my throat as he held her hand and brought her forward slowly. I took a look at some of the people watching and saw them staring in awe at him. Honestly, it was insane how he could make such a decision with so many people against it. In fact, nobody was on his side at all. Both his family members and my family members were against him, and if a fight were to ensue now against his cause, nobody would likely support him at all. The amount of pressure on him had to be unfathomable, yet he still chose to make the decision against all odds. I wanted to hate him for it, wanted to scream that he was a fool and also wanted him to tell me exactly why he would do such a thing, but I just couldn't. As much as I hated what he was doing, I knew the reason why. He's Jason... He was just not one to compromise because of a multitude. Even if the whole world were to stand against him, he would continue going about his decision as long as he had at least one person on his side and as long as he loved that person more than anything in this world. I knew personally because I had experienced it when he loved me. He would have done anything for me, but apparently it wasn't me anymore. It was this mortal girl that he was infatuated with, just like he had been with me, he would give up his entire world, disappoint everybody just for her sake. With another lump in my throat, I realized that "everybody" included me. Yes, he would stand me up and completely reject me for her sake now. Tears streamed down my eyes as I watched him stand against everybody in his way. I couldn't accept it but there it was. He wasn't changing his mind about this. Not anymore.Chapter 120: Fiona's POVDespite my determination, something had been eating away at the edges of my confidence. I wasn't scared of Mara. No, I had stared down danger before, had dealt with enemies trying to destroy me and my family, my pack. And I had always won out in the end. But this time… this time was different. This woman was not only powerful — she was primeval. Her magic felt like it infiltrated the soil beneath our feet, so that everything felt heavier, more oppressive.Tightening my fists as fiery rage pulsed in my veins, begging me to do something. I had to defend everything — my house, my family, people I loved. And then, just out of the corner of my eye, I saw him.My father.The patriarch of our family, Lucian Ashford, entered the courtyard. When I first saw him, my breath caught in my throat. He had this calming effect on me in the chaos, his presence an anchor in the storm. He was strong, he was powerful, and yet in that instant I was suddenly inundated with vulnerabi
Chapter 119: Author's POVMara cackled, her voice ricocheting off the cold, the courtyard as Fiona tried to fight through her magic. It was almost too hilarious — the belligerent young wolf, full of fire and fury, attempting to hold her ground. Mara had seen this all before — the resistance, the defiance, the faith that sheer will could do battle against centuries of power. But it was always the same. They never learned.“This is the best you can do little wolf? There was a note of mocking amusement in Mara’s voice. She watched Fiona struggle against the magic, and her age-old eyes sparkled with triumph. “Little flames of yours aren’t going to cut it. There is no fire that can kill me now."Fiona’s hands were still up, the flickering orange of fire dancing around her fingers, but Mara could feel the energy ebbing out of her. She was old—older than most of the men who crossed her path—but not old enough to beat Mara’s decades of practice. Fiona’s flames might roar for attention, but Ma
Chapter 118: Fiona's POV“She’s older than I thought,” I said, my voice steady in spite of the fear snaking up my spine. “Maybe 400 years or more. Her power is not merely about natural talent. It’s honed. Ancient.”Ethan’s gaze flickered to mine, the intensity in his eyes matching the weight of my words. “That’s how she’s been able to manipulate so much so quickly.” She has had time to hone it.”As the crowd began to disperse, the estate buzzing with uncomfortable whispers. My parents were still shaking, their faces looking pale, their eyes flicking to my direction, as if trying to comprehend what had just happened. I wanted to comfort them, but there was no time.But before I took another step, the very atmosphere around me changed. It was subtle at first — a ripple, a hum in the air that raised the hairs on the back of my neck.And then she was back.Mara’s shape coalesced in the center of the courtyard, dark and imposing. This time, she didn’t bother with illusions. The real her wa
Chapter 117: Fiona’s POVI wasn’t surprised.As soon as I arrived at the estate I felt her—dark, intrusive energy that didn’t belong. It made me creast, and boiled my blood that Mara walked through my house pretending to be me.It didn’t surprise me that Maeve, standing next to me, noticed the obvious: “She’s going to tell Ethan she’s the real you.”I grinned grimly, clenching the enchanted stone in my fist. “Let her try. Ethan will see through it.”Maeve arched an eyebrow, her faith in Ethan not as solid as mine. “You have a remarkably steady disposition if you’re being impersonated.”“Calm?” I scoffed. “I’m furious. But this is not the moment to hit the panic button. I have to catch her something that nobody can dispute.”Maeve crossed her arms with a twinkle in her eyes. “What’s the plan?”I raised my hand, allowing a small flame to dance on my palm. Waves come in, back out, suck it all back down for another run. “I will call upon elemental fire and bring her true face to light. Ma
Chapter 116: Mara’s POVI sat in her chambers — no, my chambers now. It was strange how quickly I’d settled into this space, how easily I’d commandeered everything that once belonged to her. My fingers rapped in measured time on the armrest of her chair. Servants moved about the estate, oblivious to the storm I was about to unleash on these walls. They believed I was her. Her parents were convinced, as was she. They had all accepted me, no questions asked, no doubts raised. They didn’t know the truth, nor did they need to.But then there was Ethan.Ethan was the problem.He was in the courtyard, pacing, as I had expected. He was never gone, always looking, always hoping for a slip, for something to tell him the truth. His suspicion had been building for days, ever since I had set foot on the property, and I felt it whenever his eyes landed on me, scrutinizing me, as if I were a problem he was determined to solve. It was maddening, but exhilarating. He was a challenge. And I always lik
Chapter 115: Fiona’s POVThe call with Ethan played in a loop in my brain, like a record that had skipped and wouldn’t stop skipping. The more I thought about it, the louder every word got. Someone was out there, wandering through my life, wearing my name, my face — living as me. It was not only unsettling; it sent a chill deep, deep into my bones. That thought clung to me like a second skin, cold and suffocating.Mara. She’d gone too far this time. Way too far.I sat by the fire, gazing into the dancing flames, but the heat did not comfort me. It was a jumble of hazy thoughts and fears I was afraid to voice. Next to me, Maeve quietly packed our things with an efficiency that was almost reassuring. She always knew what to do when the rest of the world seemed to be spinning out of control. Her calm steadiness kept me grounded when I felt like I was falling apart.“Maeve,” I said suddenly, shattering the leaden silence. My voice sounded odd even to me — hoarse and choppy, like it didn’t