Chapter 2 The Wolf and the Witch

“Where exactly are you taking me?” His voice was rough, still mixed with pain, but stronger now than when he first asked. Those golden eyes kept sliding to my face, studying me like I was a puzzle.

“Somewhere safe. At least until I figure out why the hell I’m helping you.” I didn’t mention the other witch I’d sensed prowling the corridors. One problem at a time.

He grunted something that might have been a laugh. “You hit me with your car. Most people would’ve driven off.”

“Most people aren’t me.” Rain still poured down heavily, turning the city streets into rivers.

Arthur leaned his head back, eyes half-closed. “What should I call you? You never gave me yours.”

“Charlotte. Charlotte Wilberforce.” The surname slipped out before I could stop it: the one from my lost human life, not the coven alias I usually used. Now I think something about him made secrets feel slippery.

He went very still. “Wilberforce,” he repeated, tasting the word. “That name carries weight in certain circles.”

I sideways glanced at him. “What circles?”

“The kind that get people killed.” He shifted, wincing. “Listen… I’m in deep shit. A syndicate just wiped out my team. They’re hunting the last of us. My pack. I need to reach Blackpool. There’s a man there who can help. He goes by the name Pendragon.”

Pendragon. The name rang a distant bell from coven whispers about human power players who meddle in things they shouldn’t. “And you think I’m your taxi service?”

“You already saved my life once tonight.” His voice dropped low and intense. “Help me get there, and I’ll owe you. Werewolves pay their debts.”

Werewolf. The word landed like a stone in still water. I’d glimpsed the shift of fur on the road. They are said to have fangs and raw power, but hearing him say it out loud made my magic stir uneasily beneath my skin. Wolves and witches had never mixed well according to Lucy due to ancient feuds and blood debts. Yet here I was, driving one through the night while my coven deadline ticked closer.

“Fine,” I said, gripping the wheel tighter. “Blackpool it is. But if this turns into a trap, I’ll finish what the syndicate started.”

A faint smile touched his lips. “Fair enough.”

The drive stretched through the storm. Arthur slept fitfully, his breathing steady but shallow. I kept one eye on the mirrors, the other on the road, while my mind raced. Another husband candidate had just fallen into my lap. He is powerful, connected, and already in my debt. Perfect for the ritual. All it takes is six months, a wedding, and one clean sacrifice. And after that, I’d finally climb the ranks. Lucy would have to acknowledge me. I could break the chains that kept me from my real family, from the human world I barely remembered.

Yet every time I glanced at him, that pull became stronger. His scent filled the car and made my pulse jump. It wasn’t normal attraction. It felt like magic recognizing magic, even if his was all moon and fang while mine was shadow and spell.

Blackpool’s shining skyline eventually was in sight despite the rain. I followed Arthur’s murmured directions into the industrial district until we reached a fortified mansion that looked more fortress than home. Armed guards eyed us warily as we approached the black gates.

The moment we stepped inside the luxurious lobby, a tall man in a tailored suit walked down the stairs. His dark hair had silver strands, and his sharp eyes missed nothing.

“Arthur,” his smooth voice drawled. “You look like hell. And you’re late.”

“Pendragon,” Arthur replied, straightening despite his injuries. “Circumstances changed. This is Charlotte Wilberforce. She… helped me escape.”

Pendragon’s gaze snapped to me. His eyes flickered on me as if he recognised me. “Wilberforce? Well, well. The lost daughter returns at the most inconvenient time.”

My stomach tightened. “You know my family?”

“Enough to know your name opens doors… and closes graves.” He gestured us into a dimly lit study lined with books and weapons. “Sit. Both of you. Arthur, you need that alliance now more than ever. The syndicates are closing in on the New Moon Pack. Your people are the last purebloods left in this region, and they want you extinct.”

Arthur sank into a chair, jaw set. “I know. That’s why I need a human wife but someone with influence, and a name that commands respect. You know. Someone who can help broker the treaty so my pack can move freely and secure protection.”

Pendragon’s smile turned predatory as he looked between us. “Then destiny just handed you a gift, wolf king. Charlotte Wilberforce is exactly the kind of bride the Hyacinth family would respect. The Wilberforce is a respected lineage, visible in the right circles and so will make a perfect cover.”

I laughed, sharp and humorless. “You’re joking. I’m not marrying anyone.”

“You want information about your family?” Pendragon countered smoothly. “About why you were taken as a child and what the Wilberforce name truly means? Play the role in a contract marriage for six months, maybe less. Help Arthur secure the alliance, and I’ll tell you everything I know. Refuse… and you walk out of here with nothing but more questions and more enemies on your tail.”

Arthur watched me silently, those golden eyes intense. I felt the pull between us flaring insistent again.  'I could use him' I thought. Marry him, learn what I needed, then complete the ritual and walk away stronger. The coven would promote me. I’d finally be free.

But something in his steady gaze warned me killing him wouldn’t be simple.

“Fine,” I said, lifting my chin. “But on my terms."

"Which is?" Curious, Arthur asked.

"No one touches me without permission. And after the alliance is secured, we go our separate ways.”

Arthur’s lips curved in a slow, dangerous smile that sent heat racing down my spine. “Deal, little witch.”

I froze. He couldn’t possibly know—

Pendragon chuckled. “Oh, this is going to be entertaining. Welcome to the game, Charlotte. Try not to get either of you killed before the wedding.”

As we left the study to make arrangements, Arthur’s hand touched mine, possibly accidental, or maybe not? The contact sparked like live wire. I pulled away quickly, but the aftereffects stayed.

Outside, the rain had eased to a drizzle. "Now we head to Castle Dome. Charlotte." Arthur said opening the car door. I could feel deep down this is a contract that could either elevate me… or destroy everything I’d been raised to become.

I glanced at the powerful alpha and wondered which outcome terrified me more.