Bram got up early in the morning, able to sleep well with his arms crossed against his chest as he stared out at the pack grounds below He was excited, he was angry, but he didn''t stop strategizing. Even though the morning was quiet, his mind wwe chardic. He knew that now the time hade to strike, but he had to be precise. He couldn''t afford mistakes.


    It had taken everything in his not to kill Maris when he saw her with Josh in apromising position. But had he not controlled his anger and thought of how he could use this to his advantage, he wouldn''t have calmed down. Standing in this toom, he knew exactly what he needed to do


    Maris hadn''t returned to the bedroom, scared of him, which was good. He needed to keep that image. The door opened fly and the walked in. He nced back at her, standing in the center of the room. Her eyes darted nervously and her hands twisted together. He scoffed as to how fragile she looked, like who had gotten too deep into something. He exhaled sharply, and turned his head back to the


    grounds.


    Without looking at her, he said, "You know what happens if I reveal your betrayal, right?” His voice was low, controlled, but it had an edge that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.


    Maris flinched "1-I''m sorry, Bram"


    He chuckled darkly, "Sorry?" He turned to look at her. "My pack members will kill you."


    She lowered her gaze to the floor. "I swear, Bram, I won''t do it again." She was on the verge of crying.


    Je walked toward her slowly, savoring this control. In a cold voice he said, "I can have you killed before you even have the time to blink"


    Her eyes widened in terror. She opened her mouth, but words caught in her throat. She knew that he wasn''t bluffing. She closed her mouth with her hands as tears started rolling down. He continued to watch her, feeling happy for the first time in ages. He didn''t know that he would be so happy to see her miserable.


    "I''ll do anything, Bram. Just please-" Her voice trembled, and a sob escaped her mouth. "Please don''t kill me."


    Bram studied her for a long moment, enjoying her fear. It was intoxicating. He would have continued to make her live in fear, but he had other ns. He needed her to do exactly as he told her.


    He stepped closer and locked his eyes on her. "You''ll do anything?"


    She nodded as she looked at him. "Anything."


    He tilted his head as if to assess her. He narrowed his gaze and said, "Then you will go to your father and convince him to oppose Lucien."


    "What?" Maris was shocked.


    "You have to convince your father to use Lucien of using dark magic. Magic that''s forbidden. The kind only the High Council has the power to wield."


    "But Lucien doesn''t-"


    "I didn''t say he does," Bram interrupted in a stormy voice. "I said that you have to convince your father he does. My spies say that his wife has survived the curse. How is that possible unless he has used dark magic? Auren is an ordinary omega."


    Maris was horrified as she stared at Bram.


    He continued. "If your father believes it, we have the leverage we need to take him down. But your father should have in confidence at least two more alphas who will believe him and are ready to rally against Lucien. Once you do this, I''ll free


    14:28 Sun, 20 Apr 5.


    you. I promise, I wouldn''t say anything to anyone. Your secret will remain a secret. Forever."


    Maris''s mouth went dry. "Bu-but this is dangerous, Bram. What if they don''t believe me?"


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    His lips curled into a cold smile. "Then you have to make them believe. And not only him, you have to get at least two more alphas on our side. If four alphas rally against Lucien, we can shatter him."


    Maris hesitated, her fear gnawing at her. She knew that there was no escape. If she didn''t help Bram, he would reveal her infidelity to everyone. And if she helped him, there was no guarantee that he would keep his promise. She needed time to think about it. To counter his ns to take her down. For that, she nodded slowly. "I''ll do it. I''ll make them believe."


    Bram''s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. "Good," he said. "Go to your father today. I need this done asap!"


    She nodded, her face pale. She had no other choice. If she wanted to survive, she had to do this. “Okay!” she said in a shaky voice. “But I have to tell you one thing, Bram. You''re a bastard! If you think you will get Auren by whatever shenanigans you''re ying, then know this-I won''t let here here."


    Bram shot her a deathly re. He lifted his hand and pped her hard across her cheek. She shrieked and fell on the floor with her hand on her cheek.


    "Fucking bitch!" he growled. "You go around my back and cheat on me, and you have the audacity to tell me not to get my mate?" He leaned in front of her. "Remember, this is your only chance. Fail, and you would lose your life. You''ve already made your bed, Maris. Now lie on it."


    His words were final. She felt suffocated, but she didn''t have a choice.


    "Now get up, and get ready! Your car will be waiting in an hour." Saying that, he left the room, his mind racing with the next steps of his n. Once the seeds of doubt were nted, Lucien would have to face the consequences. But he had to do everything cleverly. He couldn''t afford to rush, now that his n was seeing the silver lining.


    Maris left in less than an hour. Later that day, when she sat with her father, her heart pounded in her chest. She told him everything, just as Bram had instructed. She used Lucien, iming that he used forbidden dark magic. Her father was shocked by the news. "That is horrifying!" he said. "Really, how did that omega survive the curse?"


    After hearing her out, he made the call to reach his allies. Two of his allies were convinced, while the rest of them didn''t want to mess with the Alpha of the North, so they refused outright.


    By the middle of the next week, as Maris stayed at her father''s ce, the alphas came to meet them. They formed a strategy and demanded a meeting with Lucien.


    "I am calling Alpha Lucien," her father said. "If this is proved that Alpha Lucien has used forbidden magic, then we are seeing a heavy case on him. But in my opinion, the case at the High Council is going to take ages to reach a verdict. We should attack him!"


    The Alphas agreed with him.


    When Maris sent this news to Bram, he chuckled. "Ask them to meet me here."


    Tho