CHAPTER 64 The Darkness in You âOh? Enlighten us then, which method can be used to fake a bond because in all of my life I have never heard of such a way.â Ann answered nonchalantly.
If they were to be convincing in this ploy, then she had to call her bluff. Ann knew she was lying and as much as she tried to avoid it in her everyday life, this was the Packâs well-being that was at stake as well as Adamâs position.
A chosen mate didnât make you a bad Alpha, and with Adamâs unique situation with the curse that consumed his bond with his wolf and his mate, what other choice did he have?
Esmerelda didnât answer and instead scowled at her furiously. Ann was sure that if looks could kill, then she would be dead in a second, but thankfully, that was not a possibility.
So instead Ann smiled serenely, the calm attitude that she exuded infuriating Esmerelda further.
Ann leaned in a little closer towards her and smiled widely as she stared confidently into her eyes, seeing the look of unease that flitted across the womanâs face.
âDonât think that I donât know what you areâ¦â Ann grinned.
Esmerelda blinked in shock and the color seemed to drain from her face.
âWhat!? What are you talking about?!â She protested shrilly, the panic bleeding into her voice.
Ann chuckled before her face set into a cold mask, all humor was gone in a second.
âThe darkness in you⦠I see it⦠I feel it.â Ann almost whispered with a knowing glint in her eyes.
Esmereldaâs eyes widened fearfully as she stammered her weak protests before Ann laid a solitary finger on her lips.
âHush. Thereâs no denying your true nature anymore. I am curious about one thing though.â Ann said with a smirk as she raised her voice just enough to be heard by the rest of the assembled Pack.
âJust what exactly is a dark witch doing consorting with and influencing the Elderâs of a long-
established, and powerful Pack, hmm?â
Esmerelda was silent as she tried her best to gauge whether or not Ann truly knew or if she was merely bluffing in an effort to force her to reveal her identity.
She snorted internally.
This foolish princess had no idea who she was up against.
Esmerelda glanced to the side and watched in seething silence as Tomas and his supporters were gathered up and led away. Every single one of them looked miserable and downcast, all of their earlier bravado now gone.
All of her years of hard work had been destroyed in mere seconds.
She could feel the oppressive stares of the remaining Pack members focused on her as Ann stood before her arrogantly.
One thing was for sure, Narcissa and that half-breed of a daughter of hers had vastly underestimated Annâs capabilities.
There was no possible way that both Ann and Adam were fated mates.
Unless their pitiful little goddess had decided to get involved.
Esmereldaâs stomach twisted painfully at the thought of the possibility but she quickly discounted it.
The werewolfâs pathetic little goddess had abandoned her children long ago. There was no power left in her priestesses, which was exactly why Tomas had believed in her schemes so easily.
It hadnât taken much to win him over at all.
A bitter old man, desperate for affection yet mistrustful of outsiders was an easy victim for her misdirection and seduction.
It hadnât taken her long at all to worm her way into his good graces and become his constant, and faithful bed companion, available whenever he called and whispering her schemes into his impressionable little mind.
It had been a stroke of genius of her own making, once she realized that the covenâs hopes for this operation hinged on her rival Narcissa and her half-wit of a daughter.
A few sly words to the coven mother had been all it took to ensure that she was available as a backup plan, and now, with this one mistake, nearly 20 years of hard work was gone in an instant.
She had been so close to taking controlâ¦
Esmerelda laughed suddenly and grinned, earning a few growls and a mild look of confusion from Ann.
âYou think youâre so clever, donât you?â Esmerelda sneered at Ann, the serene demeanor that she displayed infuriating her further.
âDo you have any idea the plans that are in motion? You pathetic wolves are nothing anymore without your precious goddess. Youâre fit for nothing more than slavery. It is you who should kneel at the feet of your rightful masters like the fucking dogs you are!â She spat angrily to a chorus of furious snarls.
Ann remained in front of her, completely unmoved by her outburst, and smiled warmly. âLet me rip her face off! Just a bite! Iâll still leave enough of her to question laterâ¦â Maeve snarled viciously in her mind as Ann shook her head gently and ignored her pleading.
âNow now, since when did the darkness ever prevail, hmm?â Ann asked Esmerelda with a wry grin.
âHas the history of our kinds not taught you anything?â
âAsk your precious Alpha! He should know! The darkness lives inside him and rots him from the inside out! Heâll never find his true mate! You are an imposter!â Esmerelda shrieked as she pointed a shaking finger at Annâs face.
Ann glanced across in Adamâs direction. His face was as still as a fine marble sculpture, but the set of his shoulders told Ann just how anxious he was.
As nonchalant as he appeared, she could almost feel the waves of panic rolling off him, but none of the assembled wolves seemed to have noticed.
If she didnât act quickly, then they risked his secret being revealed to the entire Pack, and who knows what that would do to them collectively?
Ann swept her eyes across the remaining wolves and smiled warmly at each of them as her eyes drifted over them.
âAn impostor?â Ann chuckled humourlessly. âYou dare to continue to call me an impostor when even now I wear his mark proudly on my body?â