Chapter Twenty Five
Callista’s POVIL
Two moons ago……
It should have worked.
She paced the length of her private chamber like a caged beast, each step a thunderclap of fury. Her fingers trembled–not from regret or remorse, but from the sheer disbelief of failure.
It was perfect. Every detail. The tea, the timing, the selection of those pathetic wolves–each one e greedy, obedient, expendable. She’d picked them for their desperation, their hunger, their willingness to obey without asking why!!
And Selene? Gods, she was so easy. Fragile, tired, noble. Of course she’d accept a warm cup offered by a sweet–faced maid. Of course she wouldn’t question it
Callista smirked bitterly. “You thought yourself invincible. But you’re just a girl who trusts too easily”
She had waited for the scream. Had waited for the chaos to ignite like dry kindling. And it had. For a moment, it had. Her spies had told her–Selene stumbling through the halls, collapsing in the gardens. The wolves closing in X
Callista had even rehearsed her performance. The concem. The urgency. The perfectly timed arrival, flanked by guards “Is she alright?” she’d asked, feigning horror
OR
And for a flicker of a moment, she’d believed she’d won. The Elders had gathered. The whispers of what was done to Selene, what would be needed to cure her… they had fallen like baited hooks.
Until Kade. That cursed, inconvenient Alpha. That beast of loyalty and fire. He’d arrived like a hurricane, tearing through her plan with claw and fang. And then Selene–Selene of all people–had done the one thing Callista hadn’t anticipated.
I had stood in the shadows that night, cloaked in sweet perfume and righteous fury, imagining how it would unfold. I had pictured her stumbling, trembling, whimpering. Not because I envied her–but because she was a threat. A thorn in my side. A storm that refused to be tomed X
She should have broken. That elixir didn’t just weaken the body–it tormented the soul. It exposed every secret want and made it unbearable. It was poetic, really. Cruel, yes, but poetry often is.
And yet–She survived.She stood in the center of that hall, half–drugged, humiliated, trembling–and chose him!
Chose Kade. She said yes She chose him. Publicly. Officially. She bound herself to him not through force or fear, but willingly. And just like that. Callista’s masterpiece crumbled
She whirled toward the fireplace and slammed her fist into the mantle. The fire roared in response, as if feeding on her rage.
“You stupid little wretch,” she hissed, eyes flashing. “I offered you freedom. I offered you an out. You could’ve crawled away quietly, forgotten and broken, But now? Now you’re untouchable.“X
Because as the Alpha’s consort, Selene would have protection Influence. Legitimacy. She would be seen. Heard. Valued
And Callista? Just another noble with a bruised ego and a failed plan. The sting of it was unbearable.
She threw a goblet across the room. It shattered against the stone wall, red wine splashing like blood. She wanted to scream. To rip someone apari. But she couldn’t. Not yet.)
She closed her eyes and forced her breathing to slow. This wasn’t over. One f failure did not mean defeat. Selene had won a battle.But Callista still intended to win the war
There were other poisons. Other shadows to hide in. And Selene, for all her defiance, still had weaknesses. Her past. Her secrets. The
triplets. Her heart S
Callista’s lips curled into a slow, dangerous smile.
“Let them celebrate,” she whispered to the flames. “Let them believe they’re safe. I’ll be there, smiling, clapping, even helping plan the festivities.
She would be at Selene’s side And when the moment was right, when Selene let her guard down just enough–Callista would strike.
This time, there would be no tea. This time, she would bleed. The excitement coiled in her stomach, dark and electric
She turned toward her mirror, smoothing her expression into something serene. Practiced Perfect
Because the next move would require finesse, not fire.But soon.Soon the fire would return.
And next time, it would consume everything.X
11.02 AM d
