***“Ryan and Deloris, you’re up,” Philip said out loud for Deloris’ sake. Warlocks didn’t have the ability to communicate with werewolves telepathically.“On it, Alpha,” Deloris muttered as she reached for Ryan’s hand.The two didn’t even have to open their mouths. The dark clouds instantly cleared. What happened next was both funny and strange. The witches stopped chanting and looked at one another as though they didn’t know where they were or what they were doing there. The look on their faces soon turned from confusion to apprehension. Some started crying, saying they didn’t feel the same, whilst others stated angrily that their powers had been stolen.“You’re no longer witches, ladies,” Deloris announced with a smug smile. “You’ve been stripped of your…gift…” She shrugged.“How dare you…” One former witch began to speak angrily but the high priested waved her wand again, instantly sealing the lady’s lips.“You should be grateful, ladies.” Deloris’ eyes narrowed. “We could have ki
***“Del-the-fucking-Spell.” Mary muttered as she stared at Deloris with recognition. Almost every upper-level warlock knew about the warlock whose expertise, when it came to spells, was legendary. Over a century ago, she’d fallen in love with a wolf and caused a massive uproar between her clan and the werewolves. There had been a fierce battle that had resulted in the death of the wolf that Del-the-Spell was in love with. Del had disappeared, never to be heard of again. “I see you’re still running with fleabags.”“Sorry, I didn’t get that.” Deloris shrugged. “I don’t speak bullshit. Your arse must be pretty jealous of all the shit that comes out of your mouth. You’re trespassing, woman.”“I thought you said the warlock was pregnant.” Mary addressed Sally.“The warlock who came to take the boy was pregnant.” Sally insisted. “If Mario wasn’t a…toad, he would have…”“About that…” Mary sighed. She waved a hand in the direction of the high priestess, instantly sweeping the elderly woman o
***“This is your mate?” Mary’s eyes ran over Ryan. “Clearly a man but also clearly pregnant. What is freakier than that?” She drawled. “A pack full of freaks.” Mary began to laugh.“If I stay here for long, I might become a donkey or something.“Mary?” Sally gasped just as everyone began to chuckle. A donkey stood where Mary stood a second earlier.“What?” The donkey rolled its eyes at Sally. “Even they think it’s funny. “That sounds like a title of a book actually.” The donkey laughed as Ryan turned to look at the high priestess and Deloris with questioning eyes. “Like that book…A Quiver Full of Arrows. This one will be, A Pack Full of Freaks… get it?” The donkey grinned at a horrified-looking Sally.The amused chuckles soon turned into laughter as both the high priestess and Deloris shook their heads at Ryan, indicating that neither of them had turned Mary into the talking donkey.“Oh, my god…” Ryan gasped when it dawned on him who the culprit was. He gave a laughing Jeremy an icy
***Gloria gulped for air and started to choke. A number of people started to run towards Gloria but a ring of blue flames suddenly flared up to surround her, stopping everyone. Mary stood up and allowed a smile to widen her bleeding lips. Her fist was clenched.“Anyone who crosses that, dies,” Mary announced. “I’m sure your warlock here knows the kind of flame this is.” She gave Deloris a triumphant smile.“You won’t leave here alive if anything happens to her so you better stop this.” Deloris looked terrified for the first time since the face-off began. “She spared your life when she could have killed you moments ago. I suggest to show her the same respect.”“Show her the same respect, huh?” Mary’s short laughter was without humour. “At least her death is not going to be instant.” She shrugged. “It’s just going to be slow and painful as you can tell.”“Deloris?” Ryan breathed, totally confused as to what was going on.“This is bad, Ryan.” Deloris groaned. “She’s linked them in some
***“You.” Mary whirled around to look at Paige with blind fury.“Yes, me.” Paige sneered. “The double-crossing prick. Ripped his throat right out.”Mary let out a bloodcurdling scream and opened both hands to fire a couple of fireballs at Paige, dropping the hair which was her link to Gloria in the process. Even as the fireballs flew out of her palms and bounced off Paige, the wind blew the hair into the flame, burning it instantly and severing the link. Unfortunately for an oblivious Mary, abruptly severing the link that fed the flame had its consequences. The energy of the blue flame had to go back to its conjurer in the same abrupt manner. And that was exactly what happened. To the shock of everyone, the blue flames…which seemed to have suddenly come alive, shifted to where Mary stood screaming frenziedly at Paige and engulfed her.“Oh god…” Gloria gasped as she covered Troy’s head so that he wouldn’t see Mary being burnt alive by the flames.But though he couldn’t see the woman w
***“If you’re too tired, we can decide not to go.”“I’m going,” Troy growled low in his throat, his head on Philip’s shoulder. “It’s like asking me to miss my best friend’s wedding.”“Got it.” Philip chuckled as he pressed a kiss against Troy’s hair. “Eat your food.”“You know it’s too much.” Troy groaned as he picked up a slice of cake.Philip had surprised his mate with breakfast in bed that morning. After what Troy had gone through the day before, the alpha thought some pampering was in order. But the gesture had overwhelmed Troy so much that he’d virtually not touched any of the assorted goodies on the rather wide bed tray.“I’ve got to meet the council this morning,” Philip muttered as he brought a glass of apple juice to Troy’s lips.“For what?” Troy gave his mate a curious look when the glass came away from his lips.“Well, my mate doesn’t want to go through the mating ceremony so…”“I didn’t say I don’t want to go through the ceremony.” Troy groaned. “I just don’t want to hav
***“Oh, wow!” Stan gasped as he watched Philip stand and move to his mate’s side. “He’s gonna do it…” All three men watched with amused excitement as Philip lifted his mate’s chin and kissed him with so much passion.“Do you have any idea how I felt when you shifted and charged at Mary?” Philip whispered against Troy’s mouth when the kiss ended. “You were ready to kill her for me, baby. That was just…” The alpha looked lost for words.“I’ll kill for you without a thought,” Troy murmured. “You’re mine.“Aw, how sweet.” Stan drawled as he stretched out beside Jeremy on the bed. “But you might want to leave the rescuing and fighting to your mate next time. He’s supposed to protect you, not the other way round.”“That’s bullshit.” Ryan snorted. “I vote you whoop this asshole’s arse one of these days, Troy.”“That would be great actually.” Stan grinned. “How about picking me for your combat during the ceremony?”“He’s not picking your bullying arse, Stanislav,” Philip growled. As part of
***“Are you alright?” Jeremy asked his brother for the third time. And just as the first two times, Troy’s answer was the same.“Fine,” Troy muttered.They were seated in the area reserved for alphas and their mates, in the huge arena of Agyemang’s pack-house. The arena was filled with the adults from Agyemang’s pack and invited guests. The ceremony was supposed to be a celebration therefore drinks and scrumptious finger food were in abundance. The after-party was usually even bigger. The atmosphere was charged with excited anticipation. The crowd obviously couldn’t wait for their alpha to become officially mated. But unlike the excited crowd, the alpha of all alphas was clearly worried about his brother.“Troy…” Jeremy groaned.“Listen, that’s the second time I’ve heard your brother say a very false, fine.” Jake T, a seven-foot-tall alpha who was known for his crazy nature drawled. “First of all, young man,” the alpha addressed Troy, “It’s very clear that you’re not fine so can you