Victoria didn’t appreciate being kept in the dark. So, she detoured back to Alva’s cottage. The image of Zayn’s tender touch on Lily’s face burned in her mind, fueling her rage with each step.
Without hesitation, she flung the door open.
“What exactly are you planning?” Victoria demanded, her voice sharp with fury.
Alva didn’t even flinch at the intrusion. She continued grinding herbs with a mortar and pestle, her back to the door, completely unbothered by Victoria’s dramatic entrance.
Victoria’s patience, already threadbare, snapped. She reached for a ceramic pot on a nearby shelf, ready to smash it to get the healer’s attention.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Alva said calmly, finally turning to face her. “That particular mixture took three months to ferment. Breaking it would be... unfortunate.”
Victoria’s hands froze. “Then answer my question!”
“What question?” Alva asked, wiping her hands on her apron, “What’s troubling you?”
Victoria’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t play games with me. You know something, don’t you?”
Alva shrugged her shoulders, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Angered, Victoria raised the jar again.
“What are you so unhappy about? Alpha Zayn agreed to let you go to the Capital, didn’t he?”
Victoria felt the blood drain from her face as she turned to her. “How did you know about that?”
“Did he agree?” Alva asked instead of answering, her voice infuriatingly calm.
“Yes,” Victoria admitted reluctantly, putting the jar down. “But that doesn’t—”
“Good,” Alva interrupted with a satisfied nod. “Everything is going according to plan.”
Victoria lunged forward, grabbing Alva’s arm with enough force to bruise. “What the hell does that mean? You will tell me what you’re planning right now, or I’ll—”
“You’ll what?” Alva challenged, not attempting to free herself from Victoria’s grip. Her eyes, usually warm and kind around others, had turned cold and calculating. “Beat the information out of me? Kill me, perhaps? Then you’ll never get the answers you’re looking for?”
The two women stared at each other in tense silence, neither willing to back down.
“I will tell you everything,” Alva finally said, her voice low. “But first, close that door you so rudely left open when you barged in.”
Victoria’s grip tightened momentarily before she released Alva’s arm. The healer’s tone grated on her nerves. Who was she to give orders? But curiosity won over pride. She stalked to the door and closed it firmly, then turned back to face Alva with expectant eyes.
“Satisfied?” she snapped.
Alva gestured toward two chairs positioned near the hearth. “Sit.”
Reluctantly, Victoria took a seat, perching on the edge as if ready to spring up at any moment. “The elixir you gave me for Zayn—will it actually help him?”
“Of course it will,” Alva replied, taking the chair opposite her. “I don’t make promises I can’t keep. The elixir will absolutely help control his transformation during the full moon.”
“But?” Victoria prompted, sensing there was more.
“But the side effects might prove... unpleasant.” Alva’s lips curved into a small smile that sent chills down Victoria’s spine.
“What kind of side effects?” Victoria leaned forward, her interest piqued.
“Hallucinations, for one,” Alva said casually, as if discussing the weather. “And a heightened susceptibility to suggestion—to lies, if you will.”
Victoria’s heart began to race. “Hallucinations? What kind?”
“The kind that makes him see someone else as his fated mate. It will trigger feelings from long ago and perhaps reject feelings he has now. Quite forcefully, I imagine,” Alva’s eyes gleamed in the dim light of the cottage.
A slow smile spread across Victoria’s face as understanding dawned. “Are you bluffing?” she asked, hardly daring to believe her luck. “Because if you’re lying to me—”
“I have no reason to lie to you, Victoria,” Alva said, rising to her feet. She moved to a cabinet and pulled out a small leather pouch. “Everything I’ve told you is true. The elixir will work exactly as I’ve described.”
Victoria watched her warily. “Why are you helping me? You’ve been nothing but helpful and nice to Lily since you arrived. I’ve seen how you treat her—like she’s something special.”
Alva paused, weighing the pouch in her palm. “Let’s just say I owe someone a favor, and I must repay it.” She turned to face Victoria fully. “My reasons are my own. What matters is that our goals are aligned right now.”
Victoria stood, crossing the small space between them. “And what happens after?”
“That,” Alva said, pressing the leather pouch into Victoria’s hand, “will depend entirely on how well you play your part.”
Victoria looked down at the pouch. “What’s this?”
“Insurance,” Alva replied cryptically. “Keep it with you at all times while you’re in the Capital. Someone will be meeting you once you are there. You know, just in case more assistance is required.”
Victoria’s fingers closed around the pouch. “Who? How will I recognize them?”
“It’s someone we both know,” Alva assured her. “Just be ready when they appear.”
Victoria studied the healer’s face, searching for any sign of deception. Finding none, she nodded slowly. “And once Zayn rejects Lily, he’ll come back to me? That’s the plan, isn’t it?”
“The plan,” Alva emphasized, “is for you to follow my instructions exactly. What happens after that... well, fate has its own designs.”
Victoria tucked the pouch into her hidden pocket, her mind racing with possibilities. After years of watching from the sidelines, of being relegated to the role of mistress while that mute wolf took her rightful place, victory was finally within reach.
“Won’t Lily suspect anything?” she asked suddenly.
“Perhaps, but who’s going to believe her?” Alva shrugged.
A bitter laugh escaped Victoria’s lips. “Only a fool would.”
“Indeed.” Alva turned back to her workbench. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
Victoria moved toward the door, then paused. “What if something goes wrong? What if the elixir doesn’t work as you’ve promised?”
“It will work,” Alva stated with absolute certainty. “But if you’re concerned, perhaps you should reconsider your involvement. Back out now, if you wish.”
“No,” Victoria said immediately, her resolve hardening. “I’ve waited too long for this opportunity. I won’t back down now.”
“Good,” Alva nodded approvingly. “Then trust that I know what I’m doing, and all will unfold as planned.”
As Victoria reached for the door handle, Alva called out one final warning.
“Remember, Victoria—when you get to the Capital, play your part well. The person who meets you will not tolerate mistakes. They have far more at stake in this game than either of us.”