The Cost of Betrayal

Chapter Thirty-Three

"You have got to be kidding me!" Lachesis snapped in surprise. She pointed down at the scene playing in front of them in their watching pool. Shock and disappointment were evident in her voice.

Atropos just shook her head, she had no words. Her sister was weaving some dangerous futures.

"What?" Clotho asked innocently. She could only do so much. And it wasn't her fault Maura's necklace got lost.

Lachesis glared at Clotho, "She said yes!"

Clotho nodded, "I know, I heard her too. What would you have me do? They are fated to be together after all." She pointed to her sisters, "We all agreed that they were to be together."

Atropos was still angry that they wouldn't let her snip that slimy bastard's thread when he was born. "You could have let me place a little danger for him out there. That area does have its dangers!" She pointed her shears at her sisters. "And what was that all about with the other young couple?" Atropos could feel her sister was up to something, she just couldn't put her finger on it. She knew that Clotho had something planned for that couple, she just didn't know what it could be.

Clotho feigned innocence. "I have no idea what you're talking about. For now, let's figure out how to delay the inevitable." She tapped her fingers thoughtfully against her loom.

Lachesis shook her head, "That won't be easy."

"Then maybe we can bring in the brothers?" Atropos smirked. She knew they would do anything to stir up trouble.

"Will they do it?" Lachesis asked.

Atropos chuckled, "Those four will do anything to make mischief."

**********************

Bella looked at her daughter, and the gold ring on her left hand. "Are you sure this is what you want?" Bella was worried that this would end badly. There was something about this whole thing that seemed off, she just couldn't put her finger on it.

Maura smiled broadly as she nodded, "Yes, he and I belong together, mom." Her doubts were buried beneath the calling of the fates. She knew that she had to join him, she had heard of Fated mates in the werewolf community and had wondered what it would feel like. She smiled as she thought of her friend, Ophelia. She had found her mate was completely enamored by him from the second they felt the pull. And from her description, it was what she and Birsha had. She knew that Birsha was more than ready for them to finish the bond. It was then that the thought dawned on her. How would they complete their bond? They certainly wouldn't bite each other, would they? She subconsciously rubbed her tongue over her canines. Nah, they wouldn't, would they?

She turned to her mother, "Momma."

"Hmm?" Bella asked, her mind trying desperately to think of a way to stop this event from happening.

"If he and I are fated-" Maura started.

"Don't say it, you are a witch, and witches were gifted free will by Hecate," Bella couldn't bear the thought of her daughter being destined to be stuck with him. Something about him didn't sit right with her. "Fated mates are for werewolves and other mythical, not for us."

Maura smiled at her mother, "Mom, he and I are destined to be together. There's no other way around it. I have felt it since I met him." She smiled, "Every time we touch I get that 'electric feeling' that Ophelia always told me about." She knew her mother wouldn't want to hear that she had a fated mate. They were rare for their kind and meant something was coming for that witch.

Bella gave Maura the look all mothers give their daughters when they take the advice of their friends, "And what would Ophelia know about fated mates?"

Maura laughed, "Mom, Ophelia is a member of the Dragonmoon Pack, remember. She was here as an exchange student three years ago. We sent over one of our witches, and Ophelia came to us. She stayed with the Headmistress." Maura reminded her mother.

"Oh, her?" Bella smiled. She remembered Ophelia then because the young werewolf had told her about the Alpha's triplets and that her name was similar to the middle one. "I had almost forgotten about her! How is she doing anyway?" Ophelia was a kind soul and she deserved the best.

"Oh, she found her mate. He ended up being one of the guys from their pack. Nice guy, a warrior, I think she said."

Bella nodded, "Oh, okay." She was happy for Ophelia.

Maura patted her mother's hand, "And now about my ceremony." She drew her mother's attention back to the task at hand.

Bella sighed, this wasn't going to be easy. They began to write out the details of what Maura wanted and what she had to have. Bella would have to fake her way through this. One thing was certain, she knew she couldn't mess with the Fates. The consequences would be far worse than allowing her daughter to wed this awful man. She just wished it wasn't her daughter fated to be with him.

**************

Hecate was furious, she stormed down the cells, waving her hands angrily. The action, moving the guards out of her path, violently hitting the walls. She moved quickly down the hall. She arrived at his cell, "You son of a bitch."

Mavaka got up from his bed and walked cockily to his bars, "Yes, that I am." He scowled. How could they do that to him? Filling his mind with his mother? She treated him poorly! She never let him do what he wanted! She was always trying to keep him on the path of good. His punishment was driving him mad! It was worse than physical torture. His father, on the other hand, made sure to remind him that power was everything. And he did it at every chance he got. "And she most certainly was." He spat at the thought of his mother and self-righteousness.

Hecate scowled at him, "Who did you get to do it?"

Mavaka raised an eyebrow at Hecate. He wasn't about to give up his secrets so easily. Because then he'd lose his upper hand, and slight as it was. He needed Birsha to finish this for everything to go according to plan. He scoffed, "I don't have to tell you."

Hecate's expression twisted in rage, "That's where you're so very wrong. Who did you get to send that book?" She would make that guard pay with their soul. It would never have a chance to reenter the living world again. "You see this is my world, and you have no control here."

"Then how did I get my book to my son?" Mavaka tormented.

Hecate made a disgusted face, "That was a mistake that won't happen again." She lifted her finger, about to say more when her brother showed up.

"Enough, " Hades said, effectively cutting off his sister. He looked at Mavaka, his anger at his last precious days with his wife interrupted by this slimy shell of a man making him want to do nothing more than take his soul. But first, he needed information. And he had a way to make this bastard pay for ruining his time.

*************

Bella sighed, the lists were getting longer and she was still grappling with the fact that her daughter was hand fastening that boy. She looked over the guest list, "Maura, we will have to invite the council."

Maura turned, "The council? Why? It's just me."

Bella smiled at her daughter, "You're fated, remember?"

Maura nodded, "But I'm still nothing special."

Bella hugged her daughter tightly, "That is where you are wrong, my beautiful daughter."

**********

Birsha was reading the black book, his lips twisted into an evil smirk. "She's even more important than I realized." He closed the book and looked up to the clouds, "Thank you."