8. Revelations

Aminda's PoV

The void within me deepens with every heartbeat I spend away from Kian. Is this the same darkness that once consumed you, clawing endlessly to fill the emptiness? If this hollow ache is my future without him, then I fear my mind may shatter.

I stroll through the gardens of my home, the air rich with perfume. Yet even here, the vibrant blooms only remind me of Kian’s gardens—wilder, more alive, as if the earth itself bent to his will. My hand drifts toward a bush of black roses, and I pluck two. Their velvet petals are soft against my skin, their fragrance unexpectedly sweet. I cradle them in the crook of my arm, intending to place them in Mother’s vase. A poor substitute, perhaps, but it anchors me to memory.

Laughter and low male voices spill from the entertainment room. I recognize them instantly: Alister and his hulking nephew, Specter. The moment Alister sees me, his lips twist into a smirk.

“There you are, Rabbit. When will you learn not to ditch your security detail?”

“It’s good to see you, Alister,” I reply coolly. “But now that I’m eighteen and no longer need a guardian, perhaps it’s time you divorce my mother and vacate this house.”

A flicker of annoyance hardens his eyes.

“Tut tut, Bunny. Is this truly how you address your stepfather? What do you think my nephew Specter would say?”

Specter’s beady gaze slides over me like a predator sizing prey. His bulk looms in the background, hungry and unsettling. I roll my eyes and turn away.

“I’m not in the mood for this.”

But Alister rises swiftly, seizing my elbow in a possessive grip. “Actually, Bunny, you’ve arrived at the perfect moment. My nephew and I hoped to speak with you.”

I wrench free. “Whatever it is, Alister, it can wait. I have business with Mother.”

“I insist. In fact, she’ll be here shortly.”

As if summoned, Mother and Aunt Marilla enter, tension thickening the air instantly.

“What’s happening?” I ask, a chill prickling my spine. Mother embraces me warmly, kissing my cheeks—but the dark mark at her neck catches my eye. My gaze narrows, venomous, darting to Alister.

“It’s time we lay down the law, dear niece,” Aunt Marilla drawls as she sinks onto the sofa, her tone almost bored.

“And why is Specter still here? This feels like a family affair. He isn’t family. Your family is not my family, Alister.”

“Sit down, Aminda.” Marilla’s voice sharpens. “Your ascension is next week. My powers are fading. The mantle of Witch Supreme seeks a new bearer.”

A thrill flares in my chest. “Then I’m ready whenever you are, Aunt.”

“Not so fast, Bunny,” Alister interjects, smug. “Your entanglement with the werewolf complicates things. You must ensure he stays away—forever.”

The demand strikes me like ice. “Why should I listen to you?”

Alister’s smile deepens. “We both know you’re mates, Aminda. A wolf doesn’t mark just anyone. But mates make you weak. A Witch Supreme can have no weaknesses. Look at your mother—a shadow of her former self.”

“You talk of mates as if you understand,” I spit. “Tell me, Aunt Marilla—did King Killian mark you too?”

Her face drains of color. Rage flashes, and the lights flicker violently. With a shattering crack, Mother’s vases explode, crystal shards raining like falling stars. The roses slip from my arms, scattering to the floor. Windows rattle as raw energy ripples through the room. Specter dives behind a couch, fear plain in his eyes.

“Never!” Marilla shrieks, storming toward me. For a fleeting instant, regret shadows her gaze before vanishing. Slowly, the chaos subsides.

“Well, Aunt, was it worth it to reject your own mate? You accuse my mother of being a shell, but it is you who has hollowed yourself out by refusing to love.”

Her lips curl bitterly. “Welcome to the club, niece. If you wish for power, you must let him go. You cannot have both.”

“What if I choose him?” My voice is steady, though my heart thunders. I refuse to mirror her emptiness. A life without Kian would be no life at all.

Alister chuckles, pulling out his phone. “If you choose him, Rabbit, there will be consequences.” He scrolls, then thrusts the device toward me.

The world tilts. “Father!” I gasp. The video shows him lying motionless on a table, a crimson sheet draped across his chest—alive, yet trapped in a comatose state.

Fury detonates inside me. I wrench Alister’s mind like a rag, twisting until he collapses, clutching his head in agony. Specter lunges, but with a flick of my wrist, I suspend him in the air, choking.

“Where is he?!” I snarl, the room trembling with my rage. Mother gasps into her hands, horrified. Marilla, though, drinks in the chaos like fine wine.

“Aminda, stop!” Mother seizes my arm. “You’ll kill your father!”

The words slice through me. I release both men, breath ragged.

“Your aunt bound your father’s life to Alister’s,” she whispers, tears streaking her face. “If one dies, so does the other.”

Alister, still on the floor, grins wickedly. “Become the Witch Supreme we need, and your father lives. Fail, and he perishes.”

Betrayal twists my gut. “How could you, Aunt Marilla? How could you give your sister to this monster?”

Mother sobs beside me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What could you have done?” I shout, pain cracking my voice. “You knew, Aunt, and did nothing!”

“I thought he wouldn’t go too far,” Mother admits brokenly.

Monsters. Both of them. They had reduced us to puppets on their stage.

“I despise you, Aunt Marilla,” I whisper, tears burning my eyes.

“Enough!” she snaps. “Your ascension is next week at 3 AM. Reject the wolf—or marry Specter. At least then he can move on.”

Specter bristles. “No, Marilla. You promised her to me. She’s mine!”

“Ridiculous!” Mother cries. “You’ve already forced me to betray my husband day after day—how dare you demand my daughter too?”

I can bear no more. I storm from the room, their voices echoing after me.

“Remember, Rabbit—your father’s life hangs in the balance!” Marilla’s cruel taunt follows me like a curse.

That night, I can’t escape the haunting image of Father lying helpless, a shell of the man who once protected me. My resolve hardens. I will become Witch Supreme to save him. And once my power is mine, Alister and Marilla will pay.

But first… I must do the unthinkable. I must push Kian away.

---

The next day after school, the roar of motorcycles draws every eye. Lance, Tristan, and Cyrus glide in, engines purring like caged beasts. My friends Bessa and Deandra squeal with delight as we’re offered rides. Excitement bubbles as I climb behind Lance. He fastens my helmet—

—and a firm grip yanks me back.

My breath hitches.

Kian.

Leather jacket, dark jeans, eyes burning like wildfire. He is everything I crave and everything I must resist.

“What were you doing on his bike, Aminda?” His growl vibrates through me, heat flooding my veins.

Lance bristles. “What’s your problem, wolf? Aminda and I have been friends for years. You’re the intruder here, acting like you own her.”

Kian’s glare cuts sharp as a blade. “Tough luck. Touch her again, and you’ll lose more than your hands.”

“Enough,” I snap, though my heart pounds. “I need to talk to Kian. Alone.”

Inside, I whisper to the goddess I’ve never prayed to before: Hecate, give me strength. Help me reject him.

Even as every part of me longs to do the opposite.