CHAPTER SIX

The full moon began to sink, but instead of feeling relieved, I became even more uneasy. My wolf was restless, driving me insane, and then I started to perceive a wonderful scent. I desperately wanted to find where it was coming from, but before I could move, I saw Devon approaching me with wide eyes. The closer he came, the stronger the scent became.

He stopped in front of me.

“Mate.”

One word caused complete chaos.

I was shocked and couldn't think properly. The old witch wasn't a phony. The spell had actually worked. My heart pounded as everything around me suddenly felt distant, like I was underwater and couldn't breathe.

Then I heard a scream.

I looked toward Emily and saw the anger burning in her eyes. Everyone was talking and staring at me until the Seeker shouted, “Silence!”

The hall immediately went quiet.

He called me toward him, and I followed him into a private hall with my father, Donna, the King, Queen, Devon, and Emily.

Donna was the first to speak. “Devon, why did you call Anna your mate?”

“I don't know,” Devon answered. “My wolf took control of me, and I couldn't stop him.”

The Seeker studied him. “Do you feel any connection between your wolf and Emily's?”

“No.”

Emily began sobbing louder.

The Seeker turned to her. “Emily, do you feel a connection between your wolf and Devon's?”

She shook her head. “No.”

He looked back at Devon. “Do you feel a connection with Anna's wolf?”

Devon looked at me. “Yes. I smelled something that pulled me toward her. My wolf feels a connection with her, and I'm certain about it.”

The Seeker turned to me. “Anna, do you feel the same?”

I hesitated before answering. “Yes. I perceived a beautiful scent from Devon, and my wolf feels a connection toward him.”

Emily suddenly exploded.

“You did this!”

She pointed at me angrily. “You've always been jealous of me! You couldn't stand that Devon was going to be mine. You're a mate stealer!”

“Emily, calm down,” the Seeker warned.

“She must have done something!” Emily shouted.

The Seeker looked at me. “Anna, did you do anything that could have changed the mate bond?”

My heart stopped. If I told the truth, I would be in serious trouble. I remembered the witch's warning that the spell could never be undone.

I shook my head.

“No.”

The King looked at the Seeker. “How is this possible? It was revealed that Emily was Devon's mate from a young age.”

“I don't know,” the Seeker admitted. “The Wolf God can be tricky. I will try to find out what happened.”

I felt relieved that he didn't suspect me.

The Queen then asked, “What happens now?”

The Seeker's expression became serious. “No matter what has happened, Devon must complete the mating bond with his mate.”

“No!” Emily screamed. “I will never allow that!”

Devon stepped forward. “I won't complete the mating bond with Anna, no matter how my wolf feels.”

The Seeker's expression hardened. “You have no choice. You have to do it for the good of the kingdom.”

Emily stormed out, and Devon immediately ran after her. The Seeker said he would contact us when he had more information before leaving with the King and Queen.

That left my father, Donna, and me.

I was still trying to process everything. I felt guilty because my decision to visit the witch had been impulsive. I hadn't thought about the consequences. All I wanted was revenge against Emily, but I had never imagined it would go this far.

My father pulled me into a hug. “Don't feel bad, Anna. This isn't your fault. Everything will be sorted out.”

I wanted to tell him the truth. I wanted to tell him that it was my fault and that nothing would be fine because the witch had warned me the spell could never be undone.

But I couldn't.

Donna gave me a nasty glare. “I'm going to find Emily.”

Then she left, followed by my father.

I stayed behind for a few minutes before returning to the main hall. The celebration had already been disbanded, and people were leaving. The few who remained kept giving me suspicious looks as they whispered among themselves.

I ignored them and went to the parking lot, where one of our drivers was waiting. He drove me home, and when I entered the house, I immediately heard Emily screaming.

She was in the living room with Devon, Donna, and my father. Devon was trying to console her, but she wasn't having it. She screamed at him, then at Donna and my father, until she saw me.

Her face changed.

She ran toward me and tried to attack me, but Devon grabbed her before she could reach me.

“Let me go!” she screamed.

I didn't wait. I ran upstairs to my room and shut the door.

But my wolf was still restless after seeing Devon. A part of me wanted to run back downstairs, throw myself into his arms, and stay there forever. I fought the feeling and reminded myself that I had already made one terrible decision.

I took a shower and saw a missed call from Chloe afterward, but I refused to answer. I wasn't ready to tell anyone what I had done.

I climbed into bed and closed my eyes, hoping that when I woke up, I would realize that everything had been a dream.

But deep down, I knew it wasn't.

Nothing would ever be the same again.