Chapter 703 – who are you to demand vengeance?

Chapter 703: Chapter 703 – who are you to demand vengeance?

Jane’s teeth gritted together so hard her jaw ached, the sound of enamel grinding against enamel echoing in her skull like a death knell. Coco had ruined everything by exposing herself.

Every carefully laid plan, every whispered strategy, every hope of escape had crumbled to dust in a single, reckless moment. Now she was certain Amelia would not dare to show up. The grand witch was many things, but she was not a fool. She would not walk into a trap.

"Sera, if you are as strong as you are, then free me from the power of this stone."

Coco dared Seraphine, her voice cracking with desperation and agony. The words were a challenge, a taunt, a final desperate gamble from a woman who had nothing left to lose.

Seraphine laughed, a cold, hollow sound that echoed through the blood-soaked gallery. "I’m not as stupid as you, and I don’t negotiate with witches."

Her voice was smooth, controlled, the voice of a queen who had learned to wield words like weapons. She tilted her head, studying Coco with the detached curiosity of a predator examining wounded prey.

"I thought your face looked familiar when I saw you but since you were with Ravyn, I thought my eyes were deceiving me."

She said it smoothly, carefully, not wanting to implicate Ravyn. Every word was chosen with precision, each syllable a shield protecting their ally.

"You couldn’t defeat me in Paris, so how did you plan to deal with me here? In my own pack?"

Coco was in tears. The salty streams carved paths down her cheeks, mixing with the blood that splattered her face. Her body trembled with pain and fear and rage, a toxic cocktail that left her weak and shaking.

"This stone has my powers locked. I can’t use them."

"Then you should have done your homework well before trying to steal it." Seraphine informed her, her voice carrying a note of cold satisfaction.

Coco did not want to die. The realization crashed over her like a wave, drowning her in terror. She wanted another chance. Another opportunity to deal with Seraphine.

"Even if you kill me, it won’t end. My mother will get you."

"Alpha Corvine, remove their two legs completely." Seraphine ordered, her gaze cold and unyielding. The words fell from her lips like stones, heavy and final.

Gasps erupted from the crowd, a collective intake of breath that rippled through the gallery like wind through wheat. Ravyn commented, his voice carrying a note of dark amusement.

"The Queen is just as ruthless as the King. If I have to plead on their behalf, what could I be?"

Seraphine smiled, though it didn’t reach her eyes. It was a cold, brittle thing that curved her lips but left her gaze untouched.

"Alpha Ravyn, I thought you’d bring someone better considering our past. Looks to me like you’re only attracted to the Daisies."

The words were a blade, sharp and precise, cutting through the air between them. Ravyn’s expression flickered, something raw and wounded passing through his eyes before he masked it.

Seraphine knew the game but her comeback was still very sharp. "Why don’t you give me your life and your pack for their freedom?"

Ravyn quickly stepped back, his hands raised in surrender. "I’m sorry, but that price is too much."

He turned to Candy, his expression changing into something that looked almost like regret.

"Candy, I’m afraid I can’t help you now. In fact, though you lied to me, I really liked you and wanted to help, but..."

He shrugged helplessly, the gesture heavy with feigned resignation. He sent the video to Battal and withdrew to the back of the crowd, his footsteps echoing against the blood-slicked floor.

Battal finally responded. ’I underestimated them.’

’What about the backup?’

’She’s outside the pack. Can you get her in?’

’You have to give me information about her.’ Ravyn messaged back, his fingers flying across the screen. The response was swift. ’She’s Candy’s mother, a grand witch. If you get her in, she’ll be able to rescue them and take the crown.’

’I’ll try.’ Ravyn texted back as he reached out through the mindlink to his mother.

’Tell Sera that the backup is a witch, Candy’s mother. I need access to go bring her but she must be prepared.’

The moment the message reached Seraphine, she informed Voren through their bond. Voren reached out through the mindlink to Kael.

’Allow Ravyn to bring in another guest.’

After Ravyn left, Voren ordered, his voice cold and absolute. ’Remove their arms and remaining legs.’

The pain was unbearable. Corvine’s sword flashed through the air, a silver arc of death and judgment. The cry of the witches tore through the pack, a sound of pure, primal agony that echoed off the walls and seeped into the bones of every wolf present.

Voren did not want to use Bloodfang because of the energy drained by the pups, but Corvine was doing the job perfectly. His movements were precise, clinical, each stroke of the blade a calculated act of justice.

Only the hands of the two witches remained.

One holding the crown. The other holding the necklace. Their bloody bodies hung over the counter, dripping over other jewelry, the crimson tide staining treasures that had survived centuries.

"Sera, you won. I only wanted to possess your body. I never meant to kill you. Jane is the one here for the crown." Coco’s voice was barely a whisper, broken and desperate. The confession spilled from her lips like blood from a wound, each word a betrayal of her companion.

Jane was helpless and in pain, thrown under the bus by the very person she had come to help. Her voice rose in a shriek of fury and agony.

"I was sent by the Lycans. Are you not afraid they will avenge us? Can you stomach their wrath?"

Voren wanted to respond but he loved seeing his pregnant queen in charge. She was magnificent, terrifying, a force of nature wrapped in silk and steel. As expected, Seraphine responded, her voice calm and cutting.

"If the Lycans had the guts, they would have come themselves but guess what, they sent you as pawns."

She paused, letting the words sink in, letting the fear take root. "The next sword will be to remove your head and this time, I don’t want both your heads to fall together."

"No." Coco cried, her voice cracking with desperation.

"I never wanted any of this. My mother is the one who told me about Voren. Daisy’s mother was the one who contracted her to wipe your memory. I had nothing to do with this."

Their wolves could only subdue their pain but even their bleeding could not be stopped. Life was draining out of them very fast, a crimson tide that could not be stemmed. They hated to be at the mercy of their enemies, hated the helplessness, hated the cold, indifferent eyes that watched them die.

Seraphine suddenly caught sight of the woman she had been looking for.

Her heart stopped, her blood turned to ice. Her breath caught in her throat. She mind linked Voren, her thoughts urgent and sharp. ’She’s here. That’s the witch who wiped my memory.’

Just as Voren turned in the direction of her gaze, every light in the pack went off.

For the first time, there was a complete blackout. The darkness was absolute, consuming, a living thing that swallowed everything in its path. A strange voice rang through the void, ancient and terrible.

"You did this to my daughter. You shall all pay."

The light instantly turned back on, flooding the gallery with harsh, unforgiving brightness. Oriana stepped forward, her voice ringing with a power that matched the intruder’s own.

"You never paid for what you did to my daughter. Who are you to demand vengeance?"