Lennox’s POV

Our pack’s Seer entered. Despite being nearly twenty years our senior, she respectfully bowed her head.

“Welcome,” I said, gesturing to the couch. “Please, have a seat.”

She shook her head gently and sat on the floor instead. I didn’t question it—she always performed spells and readings on the ground. It was her way.

I glanced at Levi and Louis, then stood, retrieving the letters from the drawer where we’d kept them. My hand trembled slightly as I pulled them out; just holding them churned my stomach. These letters had been the catalyst for everything.

I walked over and handed them to her. “These letters… we think they were charmed or spelled. They affected our minds.”

She accepted them carefully, her brow furrowed. Without speaking, she reached into her small bag, producing a bowl and some herbs bound with black string.

She crushed the herbs into the bowl, then pricked her finger, letting a drop of blood fall in. Whispering an incantation, she lit the mixture. Pale smoke rose, curling in the air, and her eyes turned a faint silver.

Her voice, low and serious, resonated from somewhere deep within her throat. “Spirits of truth, lift the veil… show us what hides in this ink…”

The letters emitted a faint glow, as if resisting exposure. The fire in her bowl crackled louder.

Then she blinked, her gaze settling on us. Her voice returned to normal.

“You were right,” she stated. “Your guess was correct.”

We sat straighter, listening intently.

“The ink used in these letters was laced with spellcraft,” she explained. “Subtle, dark magic. Not a curse, but an enchantment. Enough to subtly influence thoughts, twist perceptions, and manipulate emotions.”

Levi’s jaw clenched. “To what end?”

She looked at him solemnly. “To deepen your doubts, amplify your anger, and mute your empathy. The more you read the letters, the more they steered you toward choices you wouldn't normally make. The spell fed off your existing weaknesses—jealousy, fear, even guilt—and then redirected them.”

Louis’s face darkened. “So… we were manipulated.”

She nodded slowly. “Not controlled, but influenced. Enough to make your worst choices seem justified. Enough to blind you to her pain.”

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. I couldn’t breathe for a moment.

So we weren’t just cruel. We were weaponized.

Levi looked pale. Louis remained silent, but I saw the anger simmering within us all.

Someone had done this deliberately.

The Seer lowered her gaze to the letters and continued.

“This spell wasn’t meant to simply cloud your minds,” she said. “It was designed to turn you completely against Olivia, to isolate her… and ultimately, to drive you to destroy her.”

My blood ran cold.

“You mean—” Levi began, but she interrupted.

“Yes,” she confirmed. “It was intended to incite you to kill her.”

A heavy silence fell. I could feel my heartbeat pounding in my ears. Louis’s hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white.

“But it didn’t work,” the Seer added quickly, her voice softening. “Because your bond with her—it was too strong. Your love, buried though it was under confusion, resisted the final command.”

She looked at us one by one. “Even with all that darkness clouding you… a part of you still remembered who she was to you. That part saved her.”

I sat back, stunned.

“Then why is the spell gone now?” Levi asked.

The Seer nodded slightly. “She saw the letters… she wasn’t supposed to see them.”

The truth struck forcefully. Olivia had unknowingly broken the spell simply by reading the letters.

I clenched my jaw. “Who did this?” I demanded. “Who wrote these letters? Who would do something so twisted?”

“We suspected Anita,” Louis added grimly. “But it’s impossible. She was just a child—fourteen at the time. She couldn't have done this alone.”

The Seer offered a faint smirk, her eyes remaining serious. “You’re right. This kind of magic requires skill, focus, and intent. Someone powerful wanted Olivia eliminated—and wanted to use you to do it.”

She picked up the bowl, adding something silvery to the ashes. She began another incantation, her voice flowing rapidly in an ancient tongue.

The smoke rose again, coiling strangely, dancing in odd patterns. Her eyes turned silver once more… but after a few seconds, she gasped softly.

“What is it?” Levi asked.

She let the spell dissipate and looked up, a strange smile playing on her lips. “Someone doesn’t want me to see them. I’ve been blocked.”

“Blocked?” Louis asked, his voice low.

She nodded. “There’s a powerful, ancient magical shield around the sender. It’s concealing their identity from me. That alone is telling.”

“That they’re dangerous,” I muttered.

She nodded. “And smart. But not perfect.”

She stood slowly, gathering the letters into a cloth wrap.

“Leave these with me,” she said. “I need time—days, maybe more. I’ll use deeper, older incantations. If there’s a weakness in their spell, I’ll find it.”

I nodded without hesitation. “Thank you.”

The Seer turned to leave, the letters bundled tightly in her arms. But as her hand reached the door, she froze. Her head tilted, as if listening to something inaudible to us.

Then she slowly turned back, her expression worried.

“I just had a vision.”

My heart stopped. “A vision?”

She nodded, her eyes darker than before. “It came swiftly and clearly. A warning.”

“What did you see?” Louis asked, his voice low and tense.

The Seer looked at each of us, her voice barely a whisper. “I saw Luna Olivia… lying in a pool of her own blood.”

Everything within me stilled.

“No,” Levi breathed. “No, that’s not—”

“She wasn’t dead,” the Seer interrupted quickly. “But she was close. Severely injured. And alone.”

Panic surged within me, my wolf restless and angry against my skin. “When? Where?”

“I couldn’t tell,” she said. “The vision was clouded… but the danger is real. Someone still wants her dead.”

A heavy silence fell over the room. I couldn’t sit still—I stood, pacing, trying to think, trying not to panic.

“She’s already been through enough,” Louis said, his voice sharp with guilt. “Why won’t they leave her alone?”

The Seer re-entered the room. “Whoever did this… they’re not finished. And if Olivia breaks the bond with you three and leaves the pack, she’ll be in even greater danger.”

Levi looked at me, his eyes blazing. “We have to protect her.”

I nodded. “We will. No matter what it takes.”

The Seer gave us a warning look. “Keep her close. Keep your eyes open. And whatever you do, don’t let her leave.”

With that, she turned and left. As the door closed, the silence was heavy with fear, anger, and worry.

We had failed Olivia once. We would not fail her again.