5. THREE DAYS

MELIA POV

Maisie and I were making our way to the coven house when we saw Nana coming down the steps.

Right before we reached her, mom walked right past us towards her. 

“I’m sorry my girls, but your mom and I need a private moment. But everything is alright, go enjoy your party.” Nana grabbed hold of our mom’s arm and they disappeared.

“What was that all about, Mia? Have you seen dad this evening? Shouldn’t he be here?” Maisie rambled more to herself than to me. 

“You’re the calm older sister Mace, I need you to stay that way before shit has a chance to hit the fan,” I grabbed both of her shoulders to steady her.

“Did someone request to see their father?” My dad’s voice came booming from behind us.

“Daddy!” He pulled us all into a bear hug.

“Sorry, I’m late to your party girls but I had a mandatory last-minute meeting with the elders and the other coven leaders.” He released us.

“Is everything okay?” Maisie asked with worry in her voice.

“Yes, baby girl. But I do need to talk to your mother. Have you seen her? Her mind-link is closed off to me.”

Maisie and I just looked at one another, not sure what to say.

“Melia.” My dad warned me.

I let out a breath, cocked my head to the side, and looked up at our father.

 “An Alpha was here and mom shimmered him away, and then when she came back Nana shimmered her away there, so I’m not exactly sure where they are at, at this point.”

“An Alpha?” My dad almost growled.

His eyes fluttered back and we knew he was trying to mind-link our mother.

When he opened his eyes, he tried to smile “it’s okay girls. I found her. Go enjoy your party.”

We could sense his tension as he made his way toward the coven house. 

ATHENA POV

“Why was he here, Athena? What have you done?” Esme snapped at me.

“Mother, I haven’t done anything! He was at the border. What was I supposed to do?”

“I have already bent too many rules for you little girl. Far more than I ever wanted to,” Esme warned.

“I have split myself in two for you and this coven, mother! What more do you want from me?” I snapped back.

“Watch your tone, Athena! Remember who you’re speaking to. I may be your mother, but I’m also your elder.”

“We both know you should have had more control when you first met that man!”

Before I could say anything else, Baine came booming through the door of my office.

“Athena, is everything okay? The girls said something about an Alpha?”

I didn’t have the heart to look up into my husband’s eyes. 

He wrapped me up in a hug and pulled me close. 

Esme shimmered away without another word.

“Is there anything we haven’t tried, Athena? Anything we haven’t thought of yet?” my husband pleaded.

“No! I have tried everything, I have asked anyone who would listen and there is no way we can stop it.” I cried out as tears ran down my face.

“What have I done, Baine? I can’t believe I have cursed us and our girls in this way.”

“Don’t cry honey, we will figure it out. Just wait and see, it will all work out.” He rocked me in his arms.

But we both knew that there was nothing either one of us could do to stop what was coming. 

We had three days. 

ESME POV

What was I going to do with that girl?

Even after all this time, she was still in love with that mutt.

I wish I could have killed him years ago, but after the peace treaty, it wasn’t an option.

Baine has been such an amazing man and he has taken such good care of all my girls, why can’t Athena just be satisfied?

I just didn’t understand.

I shook my head trying to get rid of my thoughts as I looked at my daughter cradled in her husband’s arms.

I sighed to myself.

I knew she loved Baine and she had just made a mistake when she was still a young girl when it came to the Alpha. But now her whole family will have to shoulder not only the burden and shame but the betrayal of the coven that we have kept hidden for so many years.

I knew we shouldn't have hidden the truth, but if I'm being honest, humiliation is the least of our worries.

MELIA POV

How could I enjoy our party with so many unanswered questions swirling around in my head?

 Then there's Maisie.

Maisie had this crazy worried face on and she kept touching my face and forehead.

And who is Alpha August and why was he here? Today of all days.

And his eyes, why did his eyes look so . .

Before I could finish my thought, Margot and Roxy intertwined their arms into mine and Maisie's arms.

Roxy looked at me and smiled “Where the heck have you two been? You’re missing all the fun at your own damn party.”

"Shit, Mia, are you okay? You're burning up." Roxy looked up at me with the same worried face that Maisie had.

"Maybe you should go see the . ."

“Let’s dance.” Margot chirped, cutting Roxy off mid-sentence as she twirled around like a ballerina.

When Margot looked up at me, my jaw dropped and I could feel my eyes pop out of my head.

“What is it? Is there something on my dress or something in my teeth?” Margot scanned herself with her hands.

The same eyes! 

She had the same eyes as the Alpha. We all three have the same icy silver-green in our eyes. How could I not see that before now?

“Sorry Margot, you just caught me off guard,” I assured her.

She slapped me on my arm before crossing her arms over her chest and pouting.

I need to talk to my mom. Was he a relative? Witches didn’t have wolf relatives.

Did they? 

I knew we had alliances and treaties in place with some of the neighboring wolf packs that our ancestors put in place generations ago after the Scarlet Blood War. 

We even went to elementary school with wolves and not just wolves but many species that were able to blend in with the human race.

In school, we all called ourselves the hidden race, as an inside joke of sorts. 

I knew that none of the wolves at school had talked about having different species join their pack and something like that is never heard of in a coven. 

It’s honestly not heard of in any wolf packs, witches, or vampire covens. The elders that rule over the witch covens won’t even hear about the integration of species and no one wants to be in a vampire coven if they get to have a choice. 

Wolf packs, on the other hand, are very strong and ridiculously loyal, so I could see the appeal of joining one of them. Not to mention that wolves are some of the best fighters amongst the hidden race. They don’t have magic to fall back on, so they are not only physically massive, but they are extremely skilled assassins. Most of the world’s most notorious assassins are wolves, vampires, or some type of hybrid. 

I was pretty close to a she-wolf in elementary school named Nikita. My Lolita didn’t approve, but something drew me to her. I considered her my best friend, well before I met Roxy, of course. Nikki, my sisters, and I were all thick as thieves in school. We met at our school’s tee-ball tryouts and we played on the team for five years together. I hadn’t seen her since we moved back to the coven, almost six years ago. Occasionally, we still texted and posted on one another’s socials, but it was nothing like when we were in school together. 

Now that I think about it, she was also from the Mangata Wolf pack. 

Before I could lose myself in any more worry, Nana appeared next to us.

“Come on, my porcelain princesses, it’s time for your initiation.”

The initiation, how could I have forgotten about the goddess forsaking initiation!!