One

/-Melucia-/

Blood, fire, Iron. Arrows.

Screams disturbed the silent night as people ran helter-skelter, throwing balls of magic, in hopes of buying time.

I saw wolves rip my people apart with their canines and tear open their stomachs with their claws.

What would have been a peaceful night was adulterated with chaos.

I didn't even have the time to reason how the wolves had been able to find our coven. All I knew was the air was polluted with poison and we needed to get out as soon as possible.

“Enough!” I screamed, triggering a dune. The violent wave swept everyone within a ten-mile radius, and my body weakened momentarily.

I took a look around. There was no attacker or victim. Everyone was on the floor now, some wounded and a few dead.

I created a portal and hurried over to help a few of our people. I was hoping to buy us enough time for the remaining living witches to get out of there but then something struck me in the shoulder.

It was an arrow, made of pure iron and it sent crumbling weakly to the floor. The portal closed and my people gathered fiercely around me, ready to protect me.

“Stand down,” I ordered as they prepared balls of magic. “They are going to kill us all!”

“They will kill us anyway. We would rather die free than be enslaved to these mutts!”

“He is right, we have to fight!”

“No! No! Surrender now, all of you! I command you!” I yelled, and they exchanged glances before slowly seizing their magic. They dropped to their knees around me.

My breathing became heavy as blood trickled down my arm. I pulled the arrow out, knowing fully well I could bleed to death.

The wolves gradually surrounded us and he stepped out of the shadows. Those cruel crimson eyes rested on me.

“Wise choice,” his tone was devoid of emotions. “Chain them and set those miserable tents ablaze.”

Just like that, our home burned in flames, and we were bound. We were a whole lot more than I anticipated. About a hundred people while I assumed we were less than fifty left.

They were all bleeding, severely wounded but it didn't stop the wolves from whipping anyone who slacked.

It gave me some form of relief that they were also severely injured and limping.

They were a lot smaller than us, and it made me want to launch an attack on them, but I realised that magic didn't work in these chains.

The bastards had infused iron in it.

The journey to the BlackClaw pack was longer than expected, and it was getting increasingly harder for me to stay conscious, but the constant whipping didn't let me dare fall asleep.

On arrival at the pack, the people hurled stones, food items, sticks and everything they could reach on us.

“Burn the witches! Burn them all!” They chanted over and over again.

I felt deeply ashamed that this calamity had to befall us during my reign. I was going to watch my people suffer humiliation of all sorts.

Tears burned the sides of my eyes but I didn't dare let it fall. They needed me to be strong for them. Now wasn't the time for weakness.

We were thrown in an underground cell but our chains remained.

“We could have easily taken them down, Priestess. They have nothing but their fangs and claws. We can take them down!” Eli, my right hand said.

I smiled weakly at him.

“We didn't stand a chance against them back at home, what makes you think we can fight them in their homeland?”

“Do not let your faith in us waver, Priestess. We are stronger than you give us credit for,” he insisted. “You are too lenient on these people, that is why they think they can break into our home and take us captives!”

“If we prepared for them, of course. We were ambushed. It was impossible to beat them,” I said to him. “These chains are made of iron and unless we get out of it, we will remain vulnerable.”

His shoulders slouched.

“So what now? We await death?” He asked.

“I hope not. If only there is a chance for me to speak with their Alpha. I'm sure we can work something out. It doesn't always have to be war,” I said and all eyes snapped to me.

Eli shook his head, “You are just too naive, Priestess.”

The conversation died down and I shut my eyes to sleep.

Soon enough, the cell was opened.

“You!” The guard pointed at me. “The Alpha wishes to speak with you.”

Those words rekindled hope within me. I threw Eli a look but he looked away. I got off the floor and he unlinked my chains.

I followed him to see the crimson-eyed man. He pushed open a set of double doors.

“She’s here, Alpha,” he announced.

The tall, muscular man faced us, and my breath caught my throat. Those scary crimson eyes were gone now, and his appearance was entirely different from the blood-covered demon.

Those steel grey eyes were complimented by long curly brown hair. His features were so sharp and polished. Not to mention that jawline.

I blinked, willing myself to focus on the task at hand. I couldn't let myself drown in the masculine beauty while my people were on the verge of dying.

“You're the High Priestess?” The honey-like baritone was nothing like the cold, ruthless tone I heard back on the battlefield.

“Yes…” I answered. “Melucia is my name.”

“I really don't care what your name is. My Elders are deciding whether to burn or behead you lots. Personally, I'm not bothered by whichever they chose but I have cause to believe you would want them alive,” he said plainly.

“Yes, I want them alive please,” my tone was almost desperate. “I'll do anything, please spare them.”

He eyed me suspiciously. On a normal day, I would have glared at him or thrown fists even, but the lives of innocent people were on the line and if I had my way, I would just portal us out of here, but I couldn't. Not with these chains.

“There is no need for war, please. Our people have stayed out of your path for years…”

“So you call us trouble-makers then?” He raised one of those thick bushy brows.

“No, no… I mean we are after peace. Let's sort things out in a diplomatic way, please,” I pleaded, even though they were indeed troublemakers.

Our people have always stayed out of their way, yet they never stopped hunting us down. Because of them, thousands of covens were destroyed and we couldn't have a stable home anywhere.

He gave me a once-over.

“I have a proposition for you, Melucia. If you agree to it, you can earn your people freedom,” he said and my interest piqued on hearing that.

“What could that be?” I asked eagerly. I couldn't wait to see Eli's reaction when I informed them we were freed.

“A child,” he said. “Bear a child for me and you are free to leave with your people as soon as you give birth.”

Huh?

I couldn't be hearing right. He wanted a child with a witch? There were so many things wrong with that request. Wolves and witches didn't see eye to eye, not talk of interbreeding.

“Why? Why not your were-women?” I asked, suspiciously.

“Because only a pure white witch can carry my seed,” he stepped closer, eyes piercing deep into mine. “You have no idea how long I have been tracking you, little Priestess.”

I gulped hard.

I didn't want to believe he actually wanted to do this. If this got out, it could utterly destroy his people's confidence in him and turn my people against him.

It was a forbidden relationship that would doom us both.

“What do you say, little witch?” He asked and I moved away from him. His woody scent was starting to mess with my senses.

“I… I need to think about this… Why do you even need a witch to carry your child?” I trailed.

“I suppose you would know since it was a witch like you who put the curse on my father, desperate to save your kind from complete elimination. You don’t have time. In less than an hour, those elders are going to make their decision, and by then, it will be too late,” he stated. My eyes snapped to him.

“And the child?” I asked.

“You are not my only option, witch. There are hundreds of covens out there. I will just find another priestess who is willing to give into my offer without second thoughts,” he shrugged. His indifference was possibly his bait to pressure me into accepting his offer.

It would take him months or even years to track another coven, but my people and I would be long dead by then, so calling his bluff wasn’t even an option right now.

“Fine, I will do it.”

“The maids will prepare you. You will be taken to a room where you will stay until you conceive and deliver. Two of my most trusted maids will attend to your every need so don’t look forward to seeing anyone else for the next couple of months,” he said.

“What about my people? I need to see them at least. I can’t have them thinking I'm dead,” I said, and his expression hardened.

“It wouldn’t really matter anyway because they will be dead if you don’t conceive within a year. I don’t care how you do it but be well aware that for every month you fail to conceive, three witches will be beheaded. Don’t worry about me bluffing, you will get their heads as your monthly reward,” he said coldly.

Tears brewed in my eyes. How could someone be cruel enough to slaughter three people every month simply because I couldn't conceive?

“That is so cruel. I am not the goddess of fertility to produce children whenever you need it. If we continue this way, you would have slaughtered more than half of my people by the end of the year. I don’t see any reason why I should agree to such a condition," I said.

His lips twitched slightly.

“Quite rich of you to think you have any options left. You either have them killed in bits to give others the chance to survive or you have everyone, including you, killed at once. Choose wisely, witch!” He said.

I was caught between the devil and the blue sea. My eyes watered.

I didn't know if my people would ever forgive me for this but it was the only way I could save them.

“Fine, I'll do it, but please make it one or two. Three is a little overboard,” I pleaded.

“You don't get to make bargains, witch.”