Fated to the Alpha Widow
The walls were crowded with charms and markings, symbols painted into the grain like warnings etched into skin.
Behind her, the door slammed shut without Maeven touching it.
Sable flinched.
Maeven didn’t apologize. She dragged Sable deeper into the house, past hanging curtains of dried leaves, into a back room lit by a single circle of candles.
At the center of the circle: a shallow bowl filled with dark liquid.
Blood.
Sable’s mouth went dry.
Maeven released her and stepped into the candle circle, bare feet silent on the boards. “Sit,” she ordered, pointing to a low stool at the edge of the circle.