Chapter 3 Castle Dome

The night air clung to my skin like a warning as Arthur and I left Pendragon’s mansion. Castle Dome. The name alone sounded like a cage wrapped in luxury, and every instinct screamed that stepping inside would change everything.

This is temporary, I told myself, gripping the steering wheel tighter as I sped along the narrow forest road. Once I marry the wolf, I'll get the alliance names, squeeze Pendragon for every scrap of information about my family, then finish the ritual. In just six months I'll achieve one sacrifice, a promotion and my freedom.

But the words felt unrealistic. That damned pull hummed under my ribs whenever Arthur adjusted in the passenger seat with his broad frame taking up too much space, and his wild scent and raw power filling the car. It wasn’t normal lust. It felt like my magic reaching for something beyond my control which is forbidden. It seems literally like moonlight approaching thick darkness. 

“You’re quiet,” Arthur said, voice low and rough. His eyes watching me with an intensity that made my pulse stutter. “Are you regretting the deal already?”

I forced a sharp laugh. “Regretting? I’m calculating how fast I can walk away once this alliance nonsense is done.”

Liar. The thought whispered darkly in my mind. Part of me already wondered what it would feel like to have those strong hands on me, and I mean not in violence, but in something far more tempting and pleasing. 

He leaned closer, the heat of his body causing the chill to leave. “You say that, but your heart is racing, little witch.”

My breath caught. He called me that again. How much did he know? Pendragon’s sly smile flashed in my memory, but I shoved it down. “Call me that one more time and I’ll show you exactly why witches aren’t to be trifled with.”

Arthur’s lips curved into a slow, predatory smile that sent unwanted heat pooling low in my belly. “Threatening your future husband already? That's bold. I like it.” His fingers brushed the back of my hand on the gear shift. He deliberately touched me this time. His touched sent butterflies in my belly, making my magic flare beneath my skin. I yanked my hand away.

“Future husband in name only,” I snapped, but my voice came out breathier than I intended. Focus, Charlotte. He’s a mark. A powerful one and nothing more. Yet lying to myself tasted bitter. This alpha carried the kind of strength that could either break me or… No. I wouldn’t let myself finish that thought.

The road became narrow, dense forest pressing in on both sides as he directed me on these paths. Castle Dome emerged suddenly. Before me moonlight revealing a massive stone walls, towers reaching toward the sky. Gates swung open at our approach, and armed men, must be pack warriors, so I assumed, nodded to Arthur with clear deference.

As we rolled through the main gates, the weight of dozens of eyes settled on me before I could get out of the car. Whispers through the courtyard. I killed the car engines, then a tall, striking woman with silver-streaked dark hair and sharp features stepped forward, arms crossed. Her gaze scanned over me with clear hostility.

“Alpha,” she said, voice clipped. “You return with… company.”

“My bride, yes Alice.” Arthur replied, stepping out and offering me his hand. I ignored it and climbed out on my own, but he caught my elbow anyway, steadying me with a grip that was firm yet surprisingly gentle. The touch lingered a second too long, sending another ripple of that cursed pull through me.

His bride. The words echoed in my head like a death sentence. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. No. This is a contract. A means to get the information I need and complete the mission. Charlotte, don’t let pretty eyes and broad shoulders derail eighteen years of training.

Alice’s lips thinned. “Human?”

“Yes,” Arthur said, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Show Charlotte to her room. Mine is adjacent. She stays close.”

Alice’s eyes flashed with jealousy, or ambition, or maybe both. “As you wish, Alpha.”

As for Arthur, I was beginning to feel guilty as I started to think he must have called me witch twice without really knowing for certain. 

Inside, the castle stole my breath despite myself. Vaulted ceilings, rich tapestries depicting moonlit hunts, and an underlying scent of wolf. Alice led us up a grand staircase, her posture consistently rigid.

“You’ll find the pack… protective of its own,” she murmured as we reached a heavy oak door. “Especially when outsiders arrive with secrets.”

I met her stare evenly. “Good thing I’m excellent at keeping mine.”

She sighed and opened the door to a lavish suite, four poster bed in deep crimson, a sitting area overlooking the moonlit forest, and an adjoining door that clearly led to Arthur’s quarters. “Dinner will be brought up. The Alpha expects you at the pack council meeting tomorrow.” Her gaze flicked to Arthur. “If she survives the night.”

Arthur’s low growl rumbled through the hallway. “Enough, Alice. She’s under my protection.”

Alice bowed stiffly and left, but the tension she carried lingered like smoke.

The moment the door clicked shut, Arthur turned and walked a little close to me. We stood too close in the dimly lit room. His presence filled my mind  making that pull surged again, stronger in a way that made my skin tingle and my magic whisper lots of possibilities.

“You don’t have to do this,” he said quietly, searching my face. “The contract… Pendragon made it sound like you must say yes. But I can find another way.”

Another way that won’t get me what I need. But looking into those golden eyes, feeling the heat rolling off him, the words stuck. “I made the deal. I keep my word.” I said but in my head? Until I don’t. I added. 

He stepped closer, making me move against the edge of the bed without touching. “There’s something about you, Charlotte Wilberforce. Something that calls to the wolf in me. I don’t believe in coincidences.”

My heart slammed against my ribs. He feels it too. The thought both thrilled and terrified me. I tilted my chin up, refusing to back down. “Careful, Alpha. Some calls should never be answered.”

For a second , the air between us crackled. His gaze dropped to my lips. I could almost taste the kiss that hovered between us. I've never kissed anyone in my life and I wanted it so badly. They say it's inevitable and consuming when you are faced with the temptation. 

Then suddenly a cold whisper came through my mind, shattering the moment.

Charlotte… time is bleeding away.

Lucy’s voice. The coven leader. This is not a full summons yet, but a warning mingled with venom. In the distance of my senses, I felt Ultimo shadows stirring, my mentor, was watching. Fail us, and we will come for you. All the sisters with knives in the dark and we will have no mercy for traitors who forget their blood price.

I flinched, pressing a hand to my temple. Arthur noticed instantly, his expression sharpening with concern. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” I lied, forcing a smile even as dread lingered in my gut. They’re already circling. If they sense weakness or they sense him, they’ll tear through this pack like angry birds. 

Arthur didn’t look convinced. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from my face with surprising tenderness. The contact burned. “You’re safe here. With me.”

Safe. His words sounded like a lie I desperately wanted to believe. I stepped back, breaking the tension before I did something reckless like lean into his touch. “I need rest. Big day tomorrow, husband.”

His low chuckle sent shivers down my spine. “Sleep well, little witch. Dream of me.”

"Please stop calling me a witch." 

"It's not up to you to decide what I call you. I find it rather romantic and more suiting to the beauty you possess." 

As he slipped through the adjoining door, leaving it cracked just enough for me to hear his movements, I sank onto the bed. My body hummed with unresolved tension, the pull still thrumming on my skin. 

This is dangerous, I thought, staring at the moon through the window. He’s supposed to be prey. Not… this.

But deep down, in the darkest part of me where the coven’s training warred with the girl I used to be, I wondered if the real sacrifice wouldn’t be his life.

It might be my heart.

And in the coven, Lucy’s laughter echoed like a promise of pain if I failed.