Cursed Lycan's Scarred Mate
Chapter 98: A cruel and wicked joke

Chapter 98: A cruel and wicked joke

Unsuccessful in his ploys to poison Vivian’s mind against the Triune Circle binding ritual, Soran thanked her before abruptly taking his departure from her chambers. If not for the she-wolf’s stubbornness, undoubtedly matters would have gone according to his plan.

However, there was still the matter with Orion.

The Starlight Grove Coven Master was the biggest thorn in Soran’s path.

Since his last resort had ended in failure, there was one other route Soran considered taking.

It came with higher-end risks but it would tie up most of the loose ends that could potentially lead back to him.

’Orion already suspects me because he saw me in the ritual chambers.’ Soran muttered internally, subconsciously rubbing his bandaged arm. ’And after all the trouble I went to in order to get that damn cat to bite me...’

There wasn’t much time he could spare. He’d already wasted precious time on his attempts with Vivian, but now he needed to act faster and think more critically.

’I need a scapegoat,’ Soran considered, rubbing his chin with his forefingers as he returned to the mansion’s gardens. He crouched down near one of the lilac flower beds, igniting his index finger with a tiny black flame to burn off the petals. ’Someone who will take the fall if Orion exposes me after the binding ritual backfires...’

He remained idle by the lilac flowerbed, singeing the petals off at a slow pace. No matter how deeply he contemplated the situation, there were limited options in scapegoats. Since he wasn’t particularly close with other Wickans in friendship, there wasn’t anyone he could approach with good reason.

"Soran?" A soft voice drew him from his actions and he glanced up at a woman with long, straight blonde hair. Curtain bangs framed her forehead and she gazed down at him with soft lilac eyes, reminiscent of the very flowers he’d been singeing for entertainment. "Are you burning milady’s flowerbeds again?"

Soran’s eyes widened in utter disbelief. His gaze seemed almost lost, as if he’d been staring upon some spirit or ghost returned from the dead.

Were the fates playing some wicked and cruel joke on him? He looked up and found the most plausible answer to all his dilemmas.

However, the answer was not one he might have expected.

The woman, dressed in a white blouse accentuated with an underbust corset, black leather pants, and a black coat with a wide flare in the back to top it off, looked at him kindly. She crossed her arms with a knowing sigh, shaking her head.

"Liliana..." Soran’s expression softened immediately with a genuine smile this time. "When...did you return?" He extinguished the flame on his fingertip, standing up to approach her. "Is it really you?"

She greeted him with open arms as he embraced her in desperation, almost as if he believed he would never have seen her again. She was perfect in his arms, where she belonged, soft and sweet-scented.

"Soran?" Liliana chuckled, tapping his shoulder to make him release her because his embrace was almost suffocating. "What’s gotten into you, hmm? Did you miss me that much?"

Why now? Why did Liliana have to return now? Why did she have to return after five agonising years spent on a mission Lady Morgana tasked her with in the East? In all those aching years and months, she had slowly begun to fade from Soran’s memory and he thought her dead when she didn’t return from resolving the Wickan War in the East.

"I thought you were dead, Liliana," Soran uttered through clenched teeth. He still could barely believe that she was a reality right before him, in his embrace, touching him and looking at him. "Five painful years... I had nearly lost my mind because the Eastern Covens had cast ancient magical blockades around their regions."

For the first three years of no return, Soran had gone in search of Liliana countless times. He even sparked minor skirmishes with the lesser Covens in the East due to his persistence. Liliana was pronounced dead and her task failed.

And when all hope had faded from his heart, Soran abandoned any attempts to continue seeking her out. It was less burdensome on his heart to simply accept that she was undoubtedly dead and would never return, instead of hounding his heart on the false hopes that she might be alive.

He gave up on her.

What right did he have to welcome Liliana back when he was such a spineless coward who abandoned her and never looked back?

What would she think if she knew just how fickle he was?

What would she say if she found out that he erased her from his mind just to comfort himself because of loss and longing?

"Soran? You’re scaring me." Liliana murmured, her expression filled with concern. "Won’t you please say something?"

When Soran’s embrace eased around her and he pulled back, his icy blue eyes that were popular for their faux sincerity gazed into her lilac eyes with an intense longing.

His eyes wavered, brows knitted together as all the dark and light emotions he buried deep within himself had come crashing down in a single moment.

"Liliana...I am so sorry," Soran apologised fervently. His tone was laced with worry and regrets. For the first time in his life, he faltered so helplessly and his usual cynical facade fell away. "I am so sorry."

"Why are you apologising, Soran?" Liliana asked with a sweet smile. She cupped his face and stood up on the tips of her boots to reach his ear better. "Are you apologising for abandoning me?" Her soft, gentle tone suddenly turned dark. Her lips curled into a menacing smile and Soran’s eyes expanded. "You left me to die, Soran. You never came for me!"

Lilian’s voice raised higher like a deafening screech that grated on the ear and Soran hurriedly shoved her back. Her body crumbled into dust specks gradually, leaving behind the last visages of a bloody appearance. Her body was scarred, clothes tattered, and an arrow sticking out of her chest.

She tilted her head to the side with an eerie smile, her mouth dripping with blood before she completely disappeared. Even so, Soran still reached out for her but the dust specks slipped through his fingers.

She was just an illusion.

Too good to be true.

Soran crouched down, his attention drawn to a miniature black card with a bloodcrest on the underside of it.

It was the symbol of Estwood Coven.

The crest and mark of Alaric Alessandro Crowley.

Gripping the card tightly, Soran gritted his teeth almost painfully as anguished tears stung the corners of his eyes.

Alaric had played a cruel joke on him.

The card was sharp, piercing through the skin on Soran’s palm hard enough to draw blood. Recognising the identity through Soran’s blood, the card activated, and an illusion was magically cast. Red glowing letters forming a message in Wickan runes levitated in the air.

The message read: "Do not forget your duties, Soran. Neglect to report to me or fail in your tasks, and death will be the least of your worries. I trust I don’t need to remind you of the consequences should you fail to awaken Lunaria and pave a path to the Old World. Your end would be a mercy compared to what awaits—a punishment much darker than you can imagine. The clock is ticking, and you are riding on borrowed time. Tread lightly, for the abyss you toy with is eager to consume you."

The message soon dissipated and Soran inhaled a deep breath. Much like Vivian herself, he was collared under Alaric’s control with little choice in the matter. However, he did have his own reasons for wanting to return to his homeland in the Old World and if that meant allowing himself to be enslaved by Alaric, then so be it.

Liliana was dead.

She was gone far beyond his reach and there was nothing more he could have done to get her back.

He was right to erase her from his mind and memories.

Soran might have loved her unconditionally in the past when their days were filled with bliss and a hopeful future of starting a family together, but those dreams were crushed along with her death.

This was no time to dwell on the past and irrelevant things.

And Alaric had cruelly reminded him of that.

Soran needed to band his act together and ensure that, by all means, the Triune Circle Ritual would backfire and he would be the least suspicious person in the whole matter.