âHa-ha!â
A cruel laugh erupted from Gale, laced with arrogance and triumph.
Releasing Caleb from her paralyzing hold, her eyes glittered with a seductive menace.
âGo, Caleb.
Go and end the one who prevented you from becoming an alpha, the one who brought this attack on your pack, the one responsible for your fatherâs injury!â
A sinister smile twisted her lips.
âNone of this chaos would have happened if it werenât for her.
Kill her, and it all ends!â
Seemingly enthralled by Galeâs bewitching words, Caleb marched towards me, his face a mask of chilling indifference.
When his gaze met mine, a flicker of red ignited his eyes, burning with a hatred I couldnât fathom.
âCaleb?â My voice trembled.
My heart hammered in my chest.
My motherâs notes had outlined the Limitations of mind control.
Its most frightening aspect was its ability to amplify existing thoughts within the victim, turning them against their will.
Just like with Patrick.
Heâd always harbored a deep-seated hatred for witches, itching to kill them.
It was his hatred that led to him being controlled.
But he knew I was Calebâs wife and the mother of his children, and Iâd never harmed a werewolf.
These factors held him back.
But under mind control, those reasons crumbled.
All that remained was a primal urge.
âDebra is a witch, and witches are evil.
They must die! Even if she hasnât done anything yet, she will.
She has to die!â
No matter how hard Caleb tried to stop him, Patrick was determined to see me dead.
Mind control only worked if the victim had the underlying thoughts; otherwise, it would fail.
But Caleb was controlled by Gale.
Did that mean he secretly blamed me?
Had he always resented me?
The thought slammed into me like a tidal wave, leaving me breathless and numb.
Ivy rushed to my side, concern etched on her face.
âDonât think that, Debra.
Caleb loves you.
â
âIf he does, then why is this happening?â I snapped.
âLove is one thing, holding a grudge is another.
â
My grip on my hand tightened, nails digging into my palm, yet I couldnât feel the pain.
Ivy fell silent.
Caleb walked towards me, hate burning in his eyes, his claws glinting with a deadly promise.