“What the fuck is that thing?”“A demon,” Tina weakly replied Reed. I think he meant to rhetoric with the question but I made no move to correct her. “Phoebe, take Tina with you and run.”“No.”Connor did not have time to repeat his order when that ‘thing’ charged for them. The brothers worked together, fighting the thing off with a strength that surprised me. I pulled Tina to safety as the three destroyed the living room, furniture flying. As I hurried Tina up the stairs, I saw Connor rip a disgusting looking arm off the demon. The dislocated arm burned off but the demon regenerated another arm. I screamed a chorus of 'fuck' in my head while I heard Reed recite a colourful anthem of curses. I hid us in the bedroom and tried to turn on the heater. Tina and I yelped when the floorboard broke and the demon's hand reached up and tried to grab something. There was nothing to use to defend ourselves so I grabbed Tina and ran to the study. I pulled the window open and urged Tina to use
Bewitching?!A deep anger settled in my chest. I wanted to burst and yell words inappropriate for Tina's precious ears. I managed to control my temper and let out a scoff. “And here I thought I was pretty attractive,” I sneered. “Yes. All the right curves in all the right places. Perhaps you could warm my bed tonight. I wonder how your Daddy would feel. Oh, the thought of his precious daughter tainted and filled with the sperm of his enemies!”The crowd burst into another chorus of roaring laughter that shook the place. The color drained from my face. He could not be entertaining that thought at all, could he? The idea of his hand pining my bound body down and forcing himself into me horrified me. I would rather be beaten to the brink of death by my father than go through that. “But she’s pregnant!”Everyone including I froze in place. I whirled my head at the girl beside me. I don’t know what she’s getting at and I don’t want to. If any of them had an heart, they could not possibl
“What?”“I said I am pregnant.”“I heard what you said the first time.”“Then why did you…”“You mean to tell me that while I’ve been sacrificing a lot and searching for you for the past weeks, you were playing sticks and bees?!”“It kind of happened.”“Are you out of your mind? You’re in danger. If you’re going to be carefree about your survival, that is not the way to go.”“Thanks for the lecture, Mom.”“Is the dad aware?”Dads. But I did not correct her and shook my head instead. Did Fake Dumbledore break the news to them or not? I wondered what they’re reactions were; shock or jubilation. They kept talking about a baby for so long, it actually came true. “Well, I hope it was a hot normal guy.”“Oh, he checks the box.” Except he isn’t normal. 'They' were not normal. I chuckled, feeling Tina began to relax by my side. “The baby is going to be cute,” Tina said. “Can I play with the baby?”“Let’s first think of escaping from here first.” I want to be mentally stable to think about t
“Since you’re tiny, we give you a headstart. Hurry on, run.” I tried to fight the fear and lost. Jeremy’s taunting was not much help. “If you win, we let you three go home.”“And if I don’t?” I tried to look for courage but came out sounding like a kid. “Trust me, you don’t want to know.”And I really didn’t. It made me feel worse. The idea of Tina experiencing torture was enough to get me moving. I took one careful step back and then another when the wolf did not move. Then I broke into a run, shaking uncontrollably and sweating, trying to focs on my survival. I was arely halfway across when I heard a stomp, the ground shaking under me. Biting back a sream as tears rolled down my cheeks, I put all my strength into running. It was hard to think when I could feel that monster running and the cheering chorus and sardonic laughter. I lost my footing under the quaking floor and fell. Breathing hard, I got to my feet and continued running again. My lungs burned, so did my limbs. When w
“I can’t believe you saved him,” Ace said, shaking her head in disappointment.“We are not monsters,” I argued, finishing the cup of water Tina had kept behind for me.“So we save every last of those beasts? Even after what they did to you? Even after you barely lived?”I leaned back against the wall, looking at the ceiling. Though the searing pain continued to hit on every part of my body that I felt the need to die, I felt numb inside. The sight of Orion dying continued to haunt me and brought back memories of every massacre I ever had the grace to witness. Tears threatened to pour out of my eyes but i did everything i could to hold back. It was hard. Even trying not to think was hard. The smell and the feel of drying blood between my legs and on the cloth i wore was hard not to think about. I lost my baby. I lost my baby while trying to survive, while trying to save a monster that wanted me dead. I was too tired to be angry or sad. So i sat there, listlessly, feelin the watmth of T
Reed led us into a proper room with a bathroom and brought change of clothes then left in contained rage. The three of us filed into the bathroom but let Tina bathe first. Ace bent over to wash the murk from Tina’s hair as she said, “I can't believe you mated with a werewolf.”“The gods must hate me or something.”“The same gods that abandoned us? But still, a werewolf. I’ve never heard of a witch and werewolf being mates.”“What if they eloped the moment they found out?”“Was that what you were planning with him?” She massaged the younger girl's scalp frowning at the dirt that came out. I thought to when we were younger and nodded. “At first.”“At first?”“Did Morgan ever tell you the reason why he was stripped of his powers?” Her working hands slowed as she rinsed Tina’s hair. “No.”“It was my fault. Back then, I was younger and stupid.”“You’re still stupid.”“Agreed. But I was new to this magic stuff and I liked him before anyone of the magic happened. I found out he was a were
I woke with a start. Pulling off the covers, I began my day, cleaning myself up and the room. Despite the happy grins I shared with Tina and Ace, there was one thing that lingered in my mind. The horrifying dream I had the night before. I needed to see Connor. Each time I thought of him, of them, the image of them dying at my feet took control of my mind. I grasped at reason that they were alive and well and did not have throats slit. Each of my vision became true and this was a vision I could not let come to pass, no matter what. It was too clear and felt too real. Even till the end of that horrible vision, they were protecting me. Curling my hands into tiny fists, I decided I was going to protect them this time. First things first, I needed a plan. One that would actually work. I tried to remember who was the one who killed them and got a painful headache in return. Gloved hands were all I could see and remember. How is that supposed to be a clue? It could be anyone. Father, a w
“The council has learned that Connor and Reed Hastings claim to be mates with the witch, Phoebe Woods. Do you admit this?”“Yes,” they said in unison. The council murmured in hushed voices among themselves. They immediately fell silent when the lady at the head of the table raised her hand. “Are you aware of the consequences of mating with a witch?”“Yes.”“Then why did you?” A man sitting next to the lady in charge asked. His eyes flitted to me and with slow deliberation looked me up and down. His inspection seemed to last for hours, though it must take only seconds. I stood my ground and stared right back, matching his demeanour. “Werewolf or not,” Connor answered. “Human or not.” “She has our back,” Reed finished . “And we have hers.”“She is the daughter of the Chief Priest!” Another voiced. “This is a problem.”“Witches are evil.”“Ahem!” I cleared my throatto remind them witches are in their midst.“It’s not like they are saints themselves,” Ace whispered harshly. “Now li
When Morgan left, it felt like life pushed me back into my reality. Wiccan terminologies and slangs I thought I had forgotten came out of me as Morgan and I chatted, and reminisced about the good old days and the things that happened in my absence. The house buzzed with everyone talking about their day, well except Claire. She stalked Morgan out of here. A mail arrived an hour later, requesting all Alphas to be present for a meeting that evening. The sudden call turned the atmosphere tense as everyone realized the cause and could only imagine the outcome. I catered to the potions and charms Morgan made, keeping them in a safe drawer in my room. The strong colors showed the potency and strength the potions held. It would be possible to protect the house and everyone in it with these alone. “Are you hiding in here to cry now that your friend is gone?” I laughed at Jess words as she walked in into the bedroom. “Reed and Connor said to check in on you. They would have done so themselves
I pulled Morgan into a hug once more. It felt as though he might disappear if I take my eyes off him or let him go. He laughed and held me steady, reassuring me. I drew back and took another look at him. He dressed in casual clothing and boots but his exhaustion was clear as day on his face. “If I knew I would be missed this much, I will stay away longer,” He joked, his gaze shifting to the giggling babies. “Aw, babies. Any of these happen to be yours by any chance?”“No.” I picked up Pete from the hastily made bed of soft towels and pillows. “This little guy is Pete and the other is Theo.”He shook his head and refrained from carrying the baby. “Babies are cute to look at but I don’t know how to care for them. That is Ace’s job.”“Try it! He’s soft and cuddly.” “And easy to drop.” He rejected the offer once more. “When will you start popping out yours?”Turning Pete to rest on my chest, I threw Morgan a scowl. “Why are you here anyway?” “Wiccan envoys from Arth decided to drop by
The construction of the safe house came along faster than we expected. Rhys and Liam worked as contract construction workers in a private company. Their knowledge was useful in gathering materials and putting in the work to build the shelter. I tried to help by lifting tools and joining materials together. When my usefulness was outdone by the werewolves’ strength and speed, I resigned to working with Orion to get more provisions. As we began to offload the groceries into the car, the shadows suddenly spread across the ground. The wind picked up, bringing with it a storm of dust. As I shielded my face, my clothes pulled against me. I helped Orion get into the backseats of the car to hide out. “I don’t believe this change in weather was included in the weather forecast this morning,” he said, coughing. My nose itched as I looked at the dark sky. The clouds covered the sun, blocking away rays that attempted to escape. The sand storm might have been overlooked by the forecast team,
“Where have you been?” I grabbed the demon by the collar of his shirt, demanding. “I asked you a question, you damn demon!”“Go easy on the shirt. It cost me a lot.” He grabbed my wrists, loosening my grip on him. “I ventured a little farther and got captured.”“What? Who did it?” I noticed the dark blood prints on his shoes and knees of his white trousers. “Why is there blood on you?”“Calm down, Princess. Some of it isn’t mine.” He sighed heavily, running his hands through his hair. “I took a small vacation back to hell to regain some of my awesomeness.”“Quit saying shit and tell me what happened.” I offered him a glass of water then wondered if demons needed to drink water at all. Lucas drank greedily, and wiped his mouth when he finished. “Some crazy witches caught me, the ones serving the ‘Lord’ and tried to use me to do their dirty work.”“Tried?”“They used me to do their dirty work, okay? Murder, extortion, anything you can think of. It was awful not having a free will.”
I felt awful. A person being happy about someone else’s misfortune has a price. Having a conscience does little good and gives little benefits but it pays. It pays to have people be indebted to you. Okay, that’s enough with this terrible monologue. But I was right. Those two blondes are twins. The cab stopped in my familiar, middle class town. I stepped into Jess’ clinic and found it empty. There was no sign of struggle or blood. Taking a deep breath, I pushed myself into thinking she stepped for a moment. Making use of the private bathroom, I showered and changed into some dress I found in a lost and found box. The bell at the door jingled as the door creaked inwards. I stopped mid-twirl and stepped towards the entrance. “Doc is out at the moment,” I said, sweeping my hair into a messy ponytail. “Oh, it’s you guys.” “You sound disappointed to see us.” Connor carried in a gift basket while Jess held a bouquet of fresh flowers. “Where did you go earlier?” “Out and about.” I look
"Is that a limo?" The nail file fell to the clean tiled ground with a sharp clang. I gawked at the sleek black, long vehicle parked in front of the clinic. I scurried to the door, gawking at the extravagance. When Alpha Simon said he would send transport, I did not think he would send a flashy one. This was highly unnecessary. What if my mates were present? How did they even find me? “Jess? I’ll be back in a few.”“That,” she pointed at the limousine. “…is for you?”“Surprisingly so.” I turned to grab my purse. “Could you not tell Connor and Reed about this? Ill let them know myself when I get back.”“But what if they drop by?” she asked, darting another look at the vehicle outside. The suited driver stepped out of the car, and came around to wait at the passenger’s door. “Make up an excuse. I am sorry about this and thank you, Jess.”“But where are you going?” she yelled as I dashed out of the clinic. “Be careful.”Climbing into the vehicle, I waved her bye. Settling in, I came f
The day to intrude on Alpha Simon came sooner than expected. I took a cab, growing unsettled by the minute as the vehicle entered the next town. I had the cab pull up in front of the town's hall. When I got off, my plans suddenly seemed childish. What was I thinking? How am I supposed to find an Alpha in a town of many people? What was I going to do, walk in and ask for a Simon? There could be a thousand Simons in this town for all I knew.I watched people come and go, unable to tell the difference between them. They could all be normal people, wondering if I was the weird one. I brushed my hair out of my face, irritated by the afternoon breeze. I really should not be here. Pulling out my phone, I looked for a cab to get me back home. A shadow cast over my figure as someone fell in step beside me. "The Alpha bet you would be here but I did not believe him."Startled, I flinched at the low voice and looked at the bearer. It was the Mohawk dude from the other day. His piercing gaze sh
"Reed explained the situation to me. I do agree it's important to calm everyone down." She peered at me with a firm gaze. "I believe you have been explained to how the process goes." "Yes," I replied. "This might be a source of discomfort to you, baring yourself to wolves at a time like this. Don't worry though. The test will take place before the council and some by this time next week." I nodded in understanding. "I can't wait to get this over with." "If you don't mind me asking, have you come in contact with any witch since your banishment from Arth?" "No, none." "Strange," she mused. "Pardon me but when Arth is this quiet, its people are up to no good." "I like to think they are just healing from the mess. Besides, they have a serial killer bound. They are probably preoccupied with investigating than planning another attack." "Let's hope so." Her grave tone tugged at my nerves. Connor grabbed my hand and gently squeezed. I might have been banned from Arth but my friends h
In bed, I curled up in Reed's arms, browsing celebrity gossip on his phone. The evening found the Pack House quiet after the departure of Simon and his men. Connor, Jeremy and Rhys went to make sure they were truly good from our lands and scurried around for signs of another invader. Simon have no other information other than what he wanted from us: me. From his manner of speech, it seemed to be something of grand scale. If it was, Alpha Simon should know that I do not bear powers that made a witch a master of the elements. Before I retired, I sent Lucas on a spying mission. He had been keeping an eye on the imprisoned witches who continued to work in secret. I paused in my reading, feeling Reed's hands venture under my night gown and massage my breast. It reminded me of how long it has been since we last made love. With everything that has been going on, it seemed like the last thing on anyone's mind. Besides, the kids are right next door. I could hear them reading a book with Lia