The Lycan King's Second Chance Mate: Rise of the Traitor's Daughter

Chapter 287: A Deal Gone Wrong

Jacob~

The hallway of Easter’s hotel room smelled damp and sad, like old socks no one bothered to pick up. The flickering light overhead buzzed softly, creating shaky shadows over the stained carpet. I dragged my boots along the floor, every step away from Easter’s door—room 304—feeling heavier than the last.

Her note kept echoing in my head: Please don’t look for us.

Those four words cut deeper than any wound I’d ever known.

I wanted to knock until my fists bled. I wanted to scream her name through the door, to beg her to let me in, to forgive me for walking away that night. I could still feel her lips on mine, still see the way her body shook when I left, like she was silently begging me to stay.

But she asked for space.

So I gave it to her.

Even though every part of me felt like it was breaking apart, piece by piece, right there in that dim, forgotten hallway.

I was halfway to the stairwell, my breath uneven, when the atmosphere shimmered like heat rising off asphalt. A prickle of unease crawled up my spine, the ancient magic of the moon stirring restlessly within me. Before I could react, she appeared—Mariel, materializing in a swirl of violet mist, her presence as jarring as a thunderclap in the quiet hall. Her long, raven-black hair fell over her shoulders, framing a face that was both ethereal and sharp, like a knife cloaked in silk. Her eyes, a piercing silver, glinted with something dangerous, something I didn’t trust. My muscles tensed, my instincts flaring. It hadn’t even been an hour since Natalie and I had spoken her name, and now here she was, standing in the very hotel where Easter was hiding. Coincidence? I didn’t believe in those.

"What the hell are you doing here, Mariel?" I growled, my voice low, edged with suspicion. I stepped forward, positioning myself between her and Easter’s door, my senses sharpening to a razor’s edge. If she so much as twitched toward that room, I’d tear through her, contract or no contract. noveldrama

Mariel tilted her head, her lips curling into a smile that was all honey and venom. "Is that any way to greet an old friend, Wolf Spirit?" Her voice was smooth, like melted sugar and cream. She took a step closer, her silver eyes flicking over me, assessing, calculating. "Or should I say, Mist, the great Wolf Spirit? Always so... protective."

"Cut the games," I snapped, my hands curling into fists at my sides. The air around me crackled with little to no containment of my powers, a growl rumbled in my chest. "You’re here, at her hotel. Why? If you’re thinking of touching Easter—"

"Oh, please," Mariel interrupted, waving a dismissive hand, her long nails glinting like polished obsidian. "I’m not here for your little human pet, though I must say, she’s caused quite a stir in your heart, hasn’t she?" Her smile widened, predatory, as if she could smell the raw ache in my chest. "No, Mist, I’m here for you. I need your help. And don’t forget—" She leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "We have a contract. Ten years, your service, my call. You owe me."

My jaw tightened so hard I half-expected my teeth to shatter. That damned contract. Back then, I’d been desperate – willing to burn the world to keep Easter and her kids safe. Mariel was the only person I could turn to, her dream-weaving magic felt like the last rope dangling over a pit. And I grabbed it without thinking twice. The price? Ten years bound to her will, to be summoned whenever she wanted. I told myself I could handle it. But seeing her now, it felt less like a deal and more like a noose cinching tight around my soul.

"What do you want, Mariel?" I asked, my voice cold, though my heart pounded with unease. I didn’t trust her, not with Easter so close, so vulnerable. "And make it quick. I’m not in the mood for your theatrics."

Her smile faltered, replaced by a flicker of something darker—anger, maybe, or wounded pride. She straightened, tossing her hair back with a flourish. "I had a... disagreement with the Wolf Claw pack," she began, her voice dripping with disdain. "A nasty little group, led by their precious Alpha Celeb and his Luna, Rene. They came to me, begging for my help. Celeb had lost his mind, you see—couldn’t tell reality from his nightmares. Screaming, clawing at shadows, terrifying his pack. They were desperate, and I, being the gracious soul I am, wove a new reality for him. A dream where he was sane, strong, whole again."

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Sounds like you did your job. So what’s the problem?"

Her eyes flashed, and she stepped closer, her voice dropping to a hiss. "The problem, Jacob, is that they cheated me. We had a deal. I fixed their Alpha, and in return, they promised me one of his daughters. A fair trade, don’t you think? My magic isn’t cheap." She paused, her lips twisting into a bitter sneer. "But when I came to collect, they turned on me. Insulted me. Called me a witch, a thief, a parasite. They chased me out, Jacob. Me! They humiliated me in front of their entire pack, and I had to flee like some common rogue."

I shook my head, a bitter laugh escaping me. "You wanted one of their daughters? For what, Mariel? A servant? A sacrifice? What kind of twisted game are you playing?" My voice was sharp, but my mind was racing. What did she want with a young werewolf? The thought made my stomach churn, but I forced myself to stay focused. "I’m not getting involved in your mess. Just tell me what you want from me, and let’s get this over with."

Her silver eyes narrowed, and for a moment, the air around her seemed to darken, as if her anger was sucking the light from the hallway. "I want justice," she said, her voice low and venomous. "I want the Wolf Claw pack to pay for what they did to me. And you, Jacob, are going to make that happen. I want you to strip every single one of those wolves of their other souls. Turn them human. Permanently."

The words hit me like a physical blow, and I staggered back, my back hitting the wall with a dull thud. My heart roared in my ears, my powers snarling in outrage. "Are you out of your mind?" I roared, my voice echoing down the hall. I didn’t care if I woke the entire hotel. "You’re asking me to rip the souls from my own children? To destroy what makes them werewolves? That’s not justice, Mariel—that’s genocide!"

Her face twisted, a storm of rage and hurt flashing across her features. "Don’t lecture me, Wolf Spirit," she spat, stepping so close I could feel the heat of her breath. "You think you’re so noble, so righteous? You’ve stripped wolves of their souls before. Don’t pretend you haven’t."

"That was different," I growled, my hands shaking with the effort to keep from grabbing her. "I did it to teach lessons, to protect others. And I always went back. At night, when they were asleep, I returned their wolves. Every single one. What you’re asking... it’s murder. It’s tearing away half their existence. I won’t do it."

Mariel’s eyes blazed, and the air around her crackled with her magic, a faint violet glow pulsing around her like a heartbeat. "You will do it, Jacob," she said, her voice low and dangerous. "You owe me. Ten years, remember? And if you refuse me, I swear on every star in the sky, you’ll regret the day you ever crossed me." She leaned in, her lips curling into a cruel smile. "You have two days to make this right. Two days to strip the Wolf Claw pack of their wolves, or I’ll make sure you lose everything you hold dear. Starting with her."

My blood turned to ice as my eyes shot to Easter’s door. "Don’t you even think about it," I hissed, my voice shaking with a fury so deep it felt like the earth itself might crack open. "If you lay a hand on her, Mariel, I swear to you—I’ll make you regret ever knowing my name."

"You won’t do a thing." she taunted, stepping back, her smile widening. "You’re bound to me, Jacob. Two days." With a snap of her fingers, the violet mist swirled around her, and she was gone, leaving nothing but the echo of her threat in the stale air.

I stood there, my chest heaving, my hands clenched so tightly my nails ached. The hallway spun around me, the weight of her words crushing my lungs. Two days. Two days to betray my own children or risk losing Easter, Rose, and everything I’d fought for. My eyes drifted to her door again, and I could see her—curled up with Rose, her emerald eyes haunted, her heart bruised by my mistakes. I wanted to run to her, to hold her, to promise I’d fix this. But Mariel’s threat hung over me like a guillotine, and for the first time in centuries, the Wolf Spirit felt utterly shocked.