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Glancing over at Evangeline, Maddox saw that his mate had gone pale. He forced himself to focus. “Colt asked Luciana if it was possible. She said no.”
“Anything is possible with enough diamonds.” Cilla tucked a lock of her long, black hair behind her ear, a serene smile at home on her beautiful face. “Even taking an existing bond and transferring it where it belongs.”
Evangeline gasped. “You… you can’t do that.”
Cilla’s brow furrowed, almost as if she had forgotten about Evangeline and loathed the reminder.
Maddox had to draw her attention back to him. “I won’t let you do that.”
“You can’t stop me.” Cilla pointed at him. “I spent years working to learn how to trigger a mate bond, but this human came along and ruined everything before I had the chance. Cutting your bond when she refused to die in the accident I orchestrated, stealing her memories so she didn’t even remember you… I did it all so that I could work on giving you a second chance, letting you have the mate you deserved… then she ruined everything again! When the magic rips her soul out of her, I’ll snatch it, and I’ll take her side of the bond, too. It’s a perfect solution. No more pesky Ant, and the two of us will be mates like we were always supposed to be.”
Maddox couldn’t believe what he was hearing. That Cilla was the reason behind the crash, and his going three years without his mate. And she actually thought she could replace Evangeline.
He shook his head in disbelief. “You’re out of your fucking mind.”
“No. I’ve just finally figured out how to get what it is that I want.” She smiled again, utter insanity etched into every line of her face. “Isn’t that the beauty of the Claws Clause? Humans wanted to control mate bonds so badly, they left it wide open to interpretation. When it comes to bonded mates, anything goes, right?”
For once, Priscilla was absolutely right.
The dark stench had a bitter note to it that ruffled Maddox’s wolf’s fur. Cilla wasn’t inherently evil, though that bitter note had a hand in making her that way. And, Maddox knew, putting her down was no longer just her punishment. It was inevitable.
And that had been before he knew she was the reason he lost three years with his beloved Evangeline. Or had to stand there while Cilla threatened to try and kill her again.
No fucking way.
Maddox could do whatever he wanted to regain his mate now that they were a licensed bonded pair. And to see Evangeline free from terror, free from fear, free from a fucking cage, there wasn’t a single line he wouldn’t cross.
“I’m sorry, Cilla. I never meant for it to end this way. But if it’s a choice between your life and Evangeline’s, my wolf and I are in agreement on this. You brought this on yourself. When you die, the magic dies with you. The threat to Evangeline dies with you, too. It has to happen like this.”
He moved toward her.
Cilla shook her head royally. “You’d never hurt me.”
He would. He’d regret it for maybe a moment, but for a lifetime with Evangeline, there were precious few things he wouldn’t sacrifice. And he hadn’t been kidding when he said that she brought this on herself.
The Claws Clause was clear. Any threat to his mate deserved to be dealt with in whatever manner he saw fit.
A life for a life.
Maddox flexed his hand, his claws unsheathing without a warning. Though his fangs made his words seem harsh, danger rolling off of him in waves, he tried to gentle his voice as he called out to his mate, “Look away, Angie. You don’t need to see this.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched as Evangeline gulped, then ducked her head into her chest, turning her back on Maddox and the witch.
He took another forceful step toward Cilla.
She stepped back, throwing her hands up. “Mercy.”
“Mercy?” Maddox’s voice was deathly quiet. From the way Cilla gave a full-body tremble, he knew she heard his echo—and the promise in the single word. “Where was your mercy when you tried to kill my mate? Or when you ripped our bond apart and let me think she was dead for three years?”
“I only did it because I love you!”
“Yeah? Well, I’m doing this because I love her.”
“Maddox, no, please—”
He stalked toward her.
Cilla had it coming.
