VEUX

Forty

March 22

In a world of uncertainty, receiving a sign was a relief for Saoirse. It felt like everything held a place in her life as if it were fate. And so rarely did she find herself believing in fate these days. 

For most of her life, especially in the last six months, Saoirse had been fumbling her way around blindly. Her actions had been based on emotions, being tugged in every direction, trying to decide who to trust. Now, she had the clearest sign from the universe she could have asked for. Every hint of morning fog that clouded her mind vanished, and in its wake left a very defined path. 

Saoirse didn't remember exactly when the bite from her mate left her skin. Honestly, she hadn't even noticed it, not until his hand had reached for her, where his claim once was, and the forgotten touch had stung her. According to Obsidian, the natural removal had started as soon as she rejected him. It was known to be painful, but Saoirse was also grieving the death of Eye, and so no one had thought to mention this to her. 

Undoubtedly, the so-called bond Saoirse shared with Obsidian was still there. It would forever. After all, the Moon Goddess had paired them for eternal life; there was no escaping it. It was why every time that they were alone together, no matter had happened, they fell into each other like there was no reason not to. Yet she could reject him, remove his mark from her, do everything she possibly could, and still feel that eager need to kiss him every time she saw him. The soft space of skin alongside her hipbone had replaced the jagged and rushed bite marks Obsidian had left upon her the first night they met. Saoirse took it as a sign that even if Saoirse played by the handbook and did everything she could to reject Obsidian as her mate, she would always be his. The lasting two bites down her thigh were his, and she was sworn to bear them for life. She had to go through with her plan. Saoirse could still live an independent life, free from these males . . . depending on how fast the clock ticked. 

"Looking for something?" Obsidian asked her from across the room in his office. 

He sat behind his desk, typing away on his computer with the occasional phone call in between. Saoirse had lost herself skimming her fingers down the spines of endless books on the shelves against the wall. Ceiling high bookcases at her fingertips, and yet not a single title that could help her. She had read through a bit of the history texts, the mythology and philosophy. Alongside the Pack and Mate Law she was slowly but surely making her way through, she had also studied the biology of the environment surrounding their pack months ago. Though it had been forced upon her by the twins Osias and Osric, she realized it had been taught to her hands-on because there was simply no texts on botany. 

Turning with a thoughtful gaze, Saoirse tried her best to appear inconspicuous to her Alpha. 

Poison was the easiest way to go along with her plan. It was simple enough to be mixed into food, which Saoirse would have to exchange with Oak during the changing of leaderships. However, Saoirse didn't know how to make such a poison. Her first thought had been in a chemical lab, but she knew she would never find those resources on pack land. So her second thought had been poisonous plants. Surely with Spring beginning, new plants were flourishing outside. Except, she just didn't know what plants. Or how to even mix them into food. 

"Not particularly," Was her nonchalant response. 

Obsidian seemed unbothered as he returned to his work, and Saoirse made her way back to the cushions of the couch. Her copy of the Pack Law lay with a bump between its pages, highlighter sticking out. 

Time ticked on as she sat, and she could do nothing but worry about it. Oak wanted her to leave with him in at least a week. Which meant she had less than that to figure out her plan, play along with the brothers, and execute it perfectly. It was a stressful idea when she barely had the resources and essentials to do so.