TESSAWe returned to the Ashwood Pack yesterday. I was so worn out that I must have fallen asleep along the ride back cause I couldn’t remember when we arrived at my house or even if I stepped through the front door. The next thing I knew, my eyes were opening to the pale light of morning.I pushed myself upright from the bed then stepped outside my room. I followed the faint clatter and the delicious scent drifting from the kitchen. Daria was at the stove, stirring something that smelled so warm and inviting.Being back here, in my own space, seeing her there made something inside me loosen. “Oh, hey. Good morning.” She crossed the room toward me.“Told you you could do it. You’re stronger than him,” She said, taking my hand in hers.I remember just a few weeks ago I had been trembling in her arms when I first heard Zade’s voice in my head. That day she soothed me, steadying my heart until I could breathe again. “I still can’t believe I can sever the bond on my own,” I murmured, my
FREDERICKToday was the time for Tessa and me to leave this place and I couldn’t be happier. The longer we lingered in this witch’s lair, my impatience to return to my pack gnawed at me. When Velmara had walked away from the ritual, abandoning Tessa to face Zade alone, I had already lost my trust in her. And then immediately afterward, I overheard her speaking to Zade. The way she deliberately concealed it told me everything I needed to know, this woman was not to be trusted.This morning just before we left, I tried to stay calm as Tessa bid her farewell.“Are you sure you’re going to stay here forever? Have you ever thought about moving?” Tessa asked.Velmara blinked, then replied, “This is my home. Even if there’s a far better place out there, I could never leave it. Besides, I’m not comfortable living among you wolves.”I bit back the urge to interject. Tessa had offered her nothing but a better option and that was the answer she gave? As if we were the threat. “Alright Velmara
TESSAConfusion washed over me as my gaze moved between Velmara and Frederick. They looked moments away from tearing into each other. Had I missed something? Why did they feel like rivals when we were supposed to be allies?I cleared my throat and tried to ease the tension. We’d already intruded on Velmara enough and the last thing I wanted was to turn her home into a battleground.“Hey,” I said softly, glancing at her. “Please don’t mind his words. He can be a bit moody sometimes.”Velmara blinked. Finally, she stepped aside, positioning herself beside me.“Frederick, shouldn’t we at least make a good impression before we leave?” I asked.He didn’t answer. I can tell that he was hiding something. But I decided not to push him now, I'll get the truth later.The hard line of his mouth softened and a polite mask began to slide back into place.I allowed myself a faint smile.It was still night and from where I stood, I noticed we were high on a hill with the forest sprawling endlessly i
VELMARAI swallowed hard, forcing myself not to show a flicker of fear. Though his threat sent goosebumps racing over my skin, the last thing I wanted was for him to sense it. This wasn’t the first time I’d faced a death threat. Being a witch meant living with a target on your back, we were hunted openly after all. I would not be afraid.'You afraid, pretty one?' His voice slid into my mind again. 'Because I can feel it deep in my bones how you’re trembling right now.'I forced my breathing to be steady. “You have no power over me, crippled.”Silence.The moment the words left my mouth, I knew I had made a mistake. I just struck at his greatest wound and some instinct told me he was the sort of man who would never forgive anyone who dared to mock it.'You’re so sure? Should we prove that, then? I can hardly wait to hear that sweet voice of yours begging this crippled man for mercy.'“We witches don’t beg mercy from anyone, Zade.” I managed to lie. But inside, my chest was tightening
VELMARA“Goddess please, have mercy. Save me.” I wiped away the thin trail of blood trickling from my lips and nostrils. My chest rose and fell sharply as I uncorked a small vial and tipped its contents down my throat. The bitter liquid burned as it slid down, but I welcomed it. This is the potion I always took after a ritual, the one that helps me recover more quickly.Cold sweat ran down my temple. My legs trembled so badly that I had to press my shoulder against the nearest tree. I tilted my head back to stare at the silver moon hanging high above. We witches worship the same deity the werewolves do but unlike them, my kind had long abandoned spiritual practices. Centuries had passed since most witches had prayed and some of the most powerful among us had even dared to proclaim themselves as goddesses in their own right.But tonight for the first time in my life, I pray. Not for myself but for someone else’s safety.“This isn’t like me at all. Usually, when someone comes to me, I
TESSAI blinked slowly, my vision adjusting to the soft flicker of light. Hearing a man's voice made my body tense. I was still on edge after everything that had just happened. But then I realize it wasn’t Zade's voice.But Frederick.“Where are we?” I asked, my voice hoarse.He helped me push myself up into a sitting position. I was no longer in that nightmarish world but a warm, dimly lit hut and steeped in the rich scent of herbs. “Velmara’s place,” He said softly.His gaze fixed on me like he was afraid I’d vanish if he looked away. His hand hadn’t left mine. And to be honest, I was grateful. I needed someone's real presence right now. A part of me still feared Zade would appear again.I glanced around once more, “Vel- who?”“The witch my grandmother sent us to,” Frederick answered, “She isn't dangerous, you don't have to worry."If we were in her home now, that meant Awe had met her. But I couldn’t remember it. When had that happened?“She tried performing the ritual to erase t