Clover draws up a bath for me and is gracious enough to step out of the room to give me some alone time. A bath is normally my safe haven, the place I go to shed the stresses of the day, to meditate and find peace, but as I slip into the vanilla scented water, I feel anything but peace.

Time's up.

So many thoughts circle through my head. I wonder how exactly Aiden plans to kill me- no doubt after all of his previous theatrics he'll make a spectacle of my death. It hurts to know he'll choose whatever will cause Maddox the most pain.

He'll draw it out, prolong my suffering so that Maddox can feel the bond slowly being ripped away from him and no doubt Aiden will make him watch. All I can hope for is that Maddox won't let my death destroy him and become like his brother.

I hope Aiden and his band of assholes get what they deserve and no more innocent lives are taken at their hands. At the idea that this madness will finally stop, that no more witch lives have to be lost for Aiden's game, the peace finally comes.

My muscles finally relax, my teeth finally unclench themselves, and my stomach stops trying to eat itself. For what feels like the first time in a long time, I feel like I can finally breath. The weight on my chest, though still there, feels a little easier to bear.

I sink down into the water until it touches my chin and close my eyes, taking in a deep breath. Vanilla.

Is that what Aiden's mate smelled like to him? I wouldn't put it past the sick bastard to command his witches to bathe me in the very scent his mate had for tonight's ceremony.

"You better not be trying to drown yourself in there, it'll only make both of our lives harder!" Clover yells from the other room.

I roll my eyes and dunk my head underwater for a moment, resisting the urge to scream out my frustrations before popping back up.

"What, all five hours I have left of mine?" I mutter to myself.

I sit for a few minutes longer, trying to reach desperately for that peace that was just in my grasp, but to no avail. When the water goes cold I step out and take my time drying off, stalling the inevitable.

Sitting on the bathroom counter is a red satin slip lined with black lace and a simple black garter belt paired with stockings. Hanging from the bathroom door was a floor-length robe made from a beautiful dark green velvet. It was the same outfit I wore to Lupercalia.

There was no underwear besides the garter, of course. I'm assuming Clover has already disposed of the ones I came here with, but that's exactly what Aiden wants. He's pushing his limits, and apparently being a perv is all part of the fun of torturing his brother. I let out a heavy sigh and square my shoulders as I stare at my reflection. If Aiden wants a show, I'll give him one.

I slip on each garment slowly, intentionally thinking about the way these straps slid down my shoulders as Maddox's rough hands traced my bare skin. The feel of the silk clinging to my body as the rain soaked us while we laid under the stormy skies in the back yard my first night with his pack. The heat in his stare as his eyes hungrily took in the shape of my curves.

Each piece of clothing was a symbol of the beginning of something greater than myself. They were the start of my new life, a better version of myself- A bond and a love that Aiden will never understand.

And that is my power over him.

I might not have control over my magic or know how to tap into it, but a mated wolf is stronger than an unmated one. Maddox is drawing power from my life force, and that's enough comfort for me to know that no matter what happens to me, Aiden doesn't stand a fucking chance.

I reach for the door handle, ready to face the music, but a group of hushed voices causes my hand to pause against the metal.

"We shouldn't be doing this, it's unnatural. Offering up one of our own for the slaughter, I mean, fuck... it's brutal." A new voice cries in hushed tones.

"It's necessary. One little sacrificial lamb so the rest of us can finally be free from this hell hole. Why the sudden change in heart, Hayley? You were just as pissed as the rest of us when her flower got tattooed where your mark should be."

I recognize that voice as the girl Donovan reprimanded about bringing me to the main cabin. I feel a tinge of guilt to hear that tattoo was involuntary, and by the sounds of it, so is their servitude towards Aiden. It all makes sense now.

I knew an unmated witch would never willingly follow the lead of a wolf they weren't bonded to. Aiden kidnapped these girls, they weren't lost souls like Hecate thought. I pull the bathroom door open without much thought and step into the bedroom where four pairs of eyes snap up to look at me.

"Did... did Aiden kidnap you guys to use your magic? Have you guys been hiding his scent so my pack couldn't track him?"

"Quiet, Lamb. You're not part of this."

The girl glaring daggers at me reminds me so much of Lennon it hurts. She's tall and beautiful in a dark and mysterious way, a stark contrast to Clover's bright beauty.

"You think I'm the only one that has to suffer for the cause?" I cry, keeping my eyes locked on hers. "Do you know how many witches were killed just to fuck with me? Do you know how many of my coven I had to see strung up from rafters and burned at the stake for Aiden's own amusement? Too many innocent people have already suffered!"

The room falls silent and the four witches in front of me look between each other anxiously. I turn my attention to Clover, pleading with her to see sense.

"Clover? You can't tell me you feel nothing. I mean, you've been helping me, I thought-"

"You don't know what you thought, Poppy," she snaps. "We need to get going."

I open and close my mouth a few times, trying to find anything to say that would get to these girls, but nothing comes out. The hope leaves me and with a nod of resignation, I take a step forward.

"Fine. Let's go."