CHAPTER 9: OBSESSION

SELENE

“Aaargh!’

The screams echoes in the air mingling with the thick scents of burning sage and the coppery tang of blood.

It clings to the dark stone walls of my sanctum, a place that has seen countless rituals and punishments over the decades.

The flickering light from the sconces casts eerie, dancing shadows, making the room feel alive with a sinister presence.

My sanctuary, my domain, where no one dares defy me.

Except this bitch.

The woman's screams echoes through the space, each cry sharper, more desperate than the last.

How dare she covet what is mine?

Mine.

The supreme coven mistress.

I sneer down at her limp body, bound to an iron chair at the center of the room, with enchanted chains glowing faintly around her wrists and ankles.

The magic in them seeps into her, draining her strength, making her more pliable to my will.

And I can't help but smile a little as her head falls forward, dark hair matted with sweat sticking to her pallid face.

“Please...” Her voice cracks, hoarse from hours of crying. “I don’t know anything. I… I didn't do anything.”

I take a slow, deliberate step toward her, my heels clicking against the stone floor, each sound echoing with finality. “Liar,” I whisper, my voice cold, devoid of empathy. “You were seen near Travis. What business do you have with him?”

She flinches, raising her tear-streaked face to meet my gaze. Her eyes, wide with fear, dart around the room, as if searching for some way out. There is none.

She knows this, yet hope flickers stubbornly in her expression.

Fool

“I swear,” she stammers, her lips trembling. “I was just delivering a package. I don’t know him, I have never met him before that day!”

The edge of my mouth curls into a sneer. “Do you think me a fool?” I ask, my tone lethal. “Do you think you can lie to me and walk out of here unscathed? I saw you! You got into his car!”

“He was dropping me off-!”

THWACK!

“Let's try this again shall we?” I croon as her head snaps back, blood spilling from her nose

“How long have you been sleeping with Travis?”

Her head shakes vehemently, strands of hair whipping across her face. “No, no, I—”

“You were seen with him,” I cut her off, my eyes narrowing. “And I do not tolerate anyone lurking around what is mine.”

Her mouth opens, perhaps to plead more, but I am already bored of her.

With a flick of my wrist, I send a surge of magic through the chains, making her body convulse, her scream piercing the air once more and I savor the sound, the power it gives me over her, over everyone.

“Mistress.” The voice at the doorway is cautious, fearful.

One of my scouts, brave enough to interrupt me but wise enough to tread lightly.

“What?” I don’t turn to face him, keeping my eyes locked on the pathetic creature before me.

“There has been… strange movement in Travis’s pack.”

Finally, something of interest.

I straighten, turning slowly to face the scout. His posture is rigid, his face pale, but he holds his ground. “What kind of movement?”

He swallows hard, his Adam's apple bobbing. “We are... we are still investigating.”

The room grows colder as my eyes narrow into dangerous slits.

“Still investigating?” I repeat, my voice deadly soft.

The scout shifts uncomfortably, his hands trembling. “We don’t have the details yet, but it is unusual activity.”

The rage builds swiftly, a storm ready to unleash. With a flick of my wrist, I throw the fool against the wall, the force of magic pinning him there as he gasps, the air driven from his lungs.

“You dare come to me with half-truths and speculation?” My voice rises, the walls seeming to absorb and echo the anger lacing my words. “You should know by now that I do not tolerate incompetence.”

He nods frantically, his eyes wide with terror. “I—I will get the information. I swear it.”

“See that you do,” I hiss, releasing him. He crumples to the floor, coughing and gasping for breath. “Or I will find someone else who can.”

He scrambles to his feet, bowing deeply before fleeing the room, leaving the air buzzing with residual tension. I turn back to the woman, who is now slumped in the chair, her body shivering, her sobs barely audible.

“Your lucky day,” I mutter, waving a hand to release her from my magical grip. “But this mercy is fleeting. If I find out you have lied to me...”

She doesn’t wait for me to finish.

With a whimper, she collapses into unconsciousness, her body sagging in the chair while I stare at her for a moment, then dismiss her from my thoughts.

There are bigger concerns now.

“What are you up to my sweet Travis?” I whisper as I amke my way out of the dungeon.

*****

Time passes as I pace the length of my study, the sharp click of my heels the only sound breaking the silence.

Dark velvet drapes hang from the high ceilings, golden embellishments and ancient runes etched into the stonework and at the center, my obsidian throne stands- ait is the very throne where the first supreme coven had sat on and it is now mine.

The door creaks open, and two scouts enter, their faces pale, their hands shaking. They move cautiously, their eyes darting around the room, as if expecting another burst of my wrath.

“Well?” I demand, crossing my arms over my chest. “What have you found?”

One of the scouts steps forward, bowing deeply. “A rogue... a woman... she broke into Travis’s territory.”

My eyes narrow, my interest piqued. “And?”

The scout exchanges a nervous glance with his companion before continuing. “Instead of killing her on sight... he took her to his mansion. His personal mansion.”

The air stills, the tension so thick it feels like a living entity.

My heart is pounding so hard but not with fear, but with a toxic mix of fury and jealousy.

“His mansion?” I repeat, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.

“Yes, Mistress,” the scout replies, his voice trembling.

For a moment, silence is the only thing that can be heard.

Then, with a sharp intake of breath, I unleash a wave of magic that ripples through the room, sending the scouts stumbling back, their faces pale with terror.

“Get out!” I roar, my voice a tempest. “Find out who this woman is and why she is there!”

They don’t need to be told twice, scrambling to their feet and fleeing the room as fast as their legs can carry them. The door slams shut behind them, leaving me alone with my seething rage.

I move to the window, staring out into the night. The moon hangs high, casting its cold, silvery light over the dark landscape while my fingers twitch, my magic sparking at the tips.

A woman.

A rogue.

In his mansion

The fucking audacity.

Just who is it that dares to step into my territory?

Who is it that is so desperate for death?