Tethered

Katherine's fists balled at her sides as she seethed in front of Max who smiled down at her waiting for Marianne and Adelaide to start the tethering spell. The three remaining High Councilors in the room gathered around her and Max to serve as witnesses. Katherine wanted nothing more than to scream at the werewolf in front of her for being so pleased with the situation they found themselves in. She was just relieved the chain connecting her hands had been removed, clearing the fuzziness from her head.

Adelaide and Marianne stood on either side of Katherine and Max holding hands, creating a circle with their arms.

"Please join hands with Katherine's on top," Marianne instructed as she began the spell. Max held his hand out for Katherine to take, but as she placed her hand in his, she made the mistake of looking up at him. Max's eyes crinkled as a smug smile spread across his face,

"It almost like we're getting married," Max whispered for only her to hear. Katherine wrinkled her nose and tried to yank her hand back but he gripped on to it tightly so she couldn't escape. Was this her punishment? she thought, it was like the wolf was put here specifically to torture her.

As Katherine lamented in her thoughts for the situation she was in, a golden light erupted from Marianne and Adelaide's joined hands. The soft light enveloped Katherine and Max before it condensed around their hands, creating gold dust flakes that fell on to their skin. A thin golden chain materialized from the dust and wrapped itself around Max's wrist, a separate thin gold chain materialized settling just below the metal cuff on Katherine's wrist.

"The tethering spell is complete, you are not to be more than 15 meters apart from each other, unless either of you want to lose your limbs one by one. The spell will take full effect as soon as you both leave the building, so be sure to exit through the main doors at the exact same time," Addressed Marianne to Katherine and Max, who both nodded their heads.

This was Katherine's first time being tethered to someone, she was hoping to just sleep for the next two weeks but she doubted her mother would allow a werewolf on the property let alone inside the manor. She hadn't thought this through properly, not only is she being forced to spend every moment with a man who poisoned and lied to her, now she had no idea where she was going to stay for the next two weeks.

As everyone started to make their way from the council room, Marianne and Adelaide stayed behind to gather their belongings. Katherine, noticing her sisters were not leaving, lingered behind as well to speak to them in private.

"Aren't we supposed to leave together?" Max called out to her with a raised brow from the foot of the stairs leading to the outside corridor. Katherine rolled her eyes and turned to him twisting her lips in distaste.

"That applies to the building," She said motioning around her with her hands, "Not necessarily the room. Just wait for me by the building exit, I'll be there soon."

As soon as Max ascended the stairs and out the door, Katherine turned to Marianne and Adelaide, who spoke quietly by the tables in the center of the room.

"Is there any way you can change the spell around to make it only seem like we're tethered," Katherine pleaded with puffed cheeks.

Marianne stopped whispering to Adelaide and slowly turned her head toward Katherine.

"Are you joking? I've already changed the spell so much, any more tweaks to it and it could blow up, literally," Marianne scolded in disbelief. Adelaide picked her stack of papers from the table and pushed passed Katherine, bumping into her shoulder, to not be in the middle of their fight.

Katherine's mouth hung slightly at Adelaide's actions, but refocused on Marianne whom she was still mad at from earlier. She crossed her arms, Marianne was the only one who was powerful enough to rewrite the spell in her favor.

"You owe me," Katherine declared with raised brows, her chest started to tighten with anxiety but she stood her ground. Marianne's eye twitched at Katherine's words, she took two long strides to where Katherine stood, towering over her.

"I owe you?" Marianne enunciated with a fire in her eyes, "I think you are gravely mistaken Katherine. You have done this to yourself, and I am so tired of this 'beaten puppy' act you put on for everyone to pity you."

Katherine scowled at Marianne, a thin vein raised her skin on the side of her neck.

"You sent me away from Dorian when I was trying to protect him!" Katherine screamed out at her sister.

"He is not your child!" Marianne yelled back in Katherine's face, "Do those two children a favor and stay away from them, they were fine for these last two years when you abandoned them to mourn their asshole father!"

Awe crossed Katherine's face at Marianne's outburst, she hadn't abandoned them, she had truly believed Dante's death was her fault and it was Marianne who fueled that belief. She had never claimed to be their mother, she was their teacher. Alice and Dorian are solid witches because of the time and care Katherine has given them. She loved them dearly, so why was there a pit forming in Katherine's stomach at Marianne's words.

"I hate you," Katherine murmured, she hung her head in defeat, her eyes started to sting as tears pooled in the corners.

Marianne ignored Katherine's words as she picked up her stack of papers from the table and made her way to the wooden stairs. She took one last look behind her at Katherine who hadn't budged from the place she stood in the middle of the room. Marianne climbed a few steps up the stairs but stopped in her tracks.

"Dorian and Alice's magic had already been rendered undetectable, Father did it as a favor to you," Marianne explained then proceeded up the stairs leaving Katherine alone in the council room.