Witch

**THE MATING ROOM**

I stared at him in utter shock, struggling to find words. My lips parted, but nothing came out. How could he say that so easily—so shamelessly? Who even does that?

I gave one last glance around the grand, dimly lit room, trying to hold onto a shred of dignity. Dozens of eyes burned into my back—judging, curious, hungry.

Then my gaze landed on the second most evil werewolf I had ever encountered. His smirk stretched wider than before, almost triumphant. The cruelty behind it chilled me to my bones.

“Are you seriously kidding me right now?” I asked, voice shaking but defiant.

Noxi didn’t flinch. His presence radiated a new, raw dominance that sucked the air out of the room. The atmosphere shifted. That dark aura of his always had a way of swallowing light.

“You gonna strip,” he said, his voice sharp and unbothered, “or am I gonna have to do it myself?”

His tone was venomously casual, as if we weren’t surrounded by people, as if this wasn’t an ambush disguised as a ceremony.

“What?” I blinked, stunned, not entirely sure I’d heard him right.

He finally raised his head, eyes locking with mine. Then, without warning, his hand moved to my throat. The contact was sudden—rough fingers curling with possessive force.

His grip was tight, pulling me toward him until I could barely breathe.

“Oh my God…” I gasped, my voice barely a whisper.

His eyes—those burning, green eyes—glared down at me. They were fierce and wild, but somewhere in them, I saw something else. Not anger. Not lust. Was it… pity?

Before he could make another move, a voice rang out, loud and cutting through the tension like a blade.

“Do you really want to do this, Noxi?” the voice called from above.

He stopped mid-motion, his jaw tensing. “Why wouldn’t I, Tracy?” he growled without turning.

I followed his gaze and saw her—Tracy—descending the stairs with a firestorm in her eyes. The woman who tried to kill me looked even more dangerous now, her eyes blazing.

Noxi casually slid his hands into his pockets, clearly annoyed. “If you’re trying to start a scene, might I suggest you redirect that energy into finding your lost mate?”

Tracy scoffed, stopping a few feet from us. “When are you going to realize that I’m trying to protect you? Or do you think I enjoy watching you destroy yourself?”

“Are you done?” he snapped, cutting her off before she could spiral.

What surprised me most wasn’t their argument—it was the silence around us. No one in the room dared to speak. Not a single word, not even a breath out of place. Everyone stood frozen, like statues bearing witness to a crumbling throne.

Tracy's gaze shifted to me, a slow, knowing smile spreading across her face. Her eyes held a warning, almost gleeful.

“I hope he’s told you about the consequences of mating with a false mate,” she said coldly.

My heart skipped. Consequences? What the hell was she talking about? My voice came out low, barely audible.

“What...?”

She caught the fear in my voice instantly. “Oh, that struck a nerve. Is that going to be a problem?” she taunted, stepping closer.

She suddenly lunged toward me, and I instinctively flinched—but Noxi grabbed her by the arm and yanked her back with force.

“Hey!” she barked. Then added with feigned innocence, “I’m looking out for her.”

“Oh, please,” Noxi said, rolling his eyes. “If you really cared, maybe teach her the dangers of carrying a North Pack child.”

“A baby?” I blurted, stunned. “He’s insane…”

Tracy stepped back with a mocking laugh, raised her hands dramatically, and snapped her fingers.

From the crowd emerged a man—tall, silver-haired, and dressed like a scholar of magic and bloodlines.

“I brought someone who can verify her lineage,” Tracy said proudly. “Let’s see if she’s truly from the Golden Moon Pack.”

The man approached cautiously, but Noxi stepped forward, eyes blazing.

“Take one more step,” he said quietly, “and you’ll never feel your head again.”

The man froze, trembling under Noxi’s gaze.

But even as Noxi tried to protect the lie, something inside me pulled me forward. My feet moved on their own. I was done hiding. I walked toward the man, who looked at me in wonder, then gently placed his hands on my cheeks.

In that instant, Noxi ripped me backward, seething. He grabbed the man by the collar and snarled, “I FUCKING TOLD YOU NOT TO TOUCH HER!”

The man struggled to breathe. “I… I…!”

“Noxi!” someone called. “Put him down—he’s one of us!”

“What?” Noxi growled.

The man gasped, struggling for air. “She’s… part… of… us!”

Noxi finally dropped him. The man fell to his knees, gasping, then slowly looked up at me with a triumphant smile.

“She’s a Gordon descendant… from the Blood Moon Pack! She belongs with us!” he declared.

Tracy’s expression morphed into rage. “WHAT? I didn’t bring you here to be brainwashed! Give me a real reading!”

The man’s smile didn’t fade. “She is one of us… but… there’s a complication.”

“What complication?” I asked.

He glanced between us, hesitating. “I think… I should whisper it to the Alpha…”

“No need,” I cut in, stepping forward with a sly smile. “I’ll tell him myself.”

I walked up to Noxi, leaned in, and whispered in his mind: “He wanted to say I’m on my period. You can mate me while I’m bleeding if you dare.”

His brows shot up. He turned back to the man, who simply offered a serene, knowing smile.

“What?” Noxi barked, his voice cracking a little.

“Everyone OUT! The show’s OVER!” he shouted, eyes wide in disbelief.

People scrambled like roaches when the lights come on. And then he grabbed me by the wrist and dragged me out of the room.

***"

We stormed into a private chamber. He pushed me inside, and I landed hard on a velvet bed. I burst out laughing, unable to help myself.

“Who the HELL are you?” he demanded. Worry flickered in his eyes, barely hidden behind the anger.

I bit my lip and walked toward him, running my fingers across his cheek. “I thought you wanted to mate, Alpha. Let’s not waste the moment.”

He pushed me back—firmly but not cruelly. I landed on the bed again, laughing harder this time. His expression shifted, caught between confusion, admiration, and something else… something fragile.

“You’re not on your period,” he said slowly. “How did you pull that off?”

I sat up, adjusting my dress with a smirk. “Let’s just say… secrets keep relationships spicy. You wanted to ambush me into a mating ritual without warning. Why should I tell you anything?”

He lunged over me, pinning my wrists to the bed. His eyes glowed with an untamed fire.

“I’m going to ask you one last time,” he growled, voice low and deadly. “Who are you?”

I pouted mockingly. “Why don’t you find out, Alpha Noxi? You wanted a useless omega. You just might have picked a witch instead.”

He slammed his fist into the mattress beside me—but I didn’t flinch. I only laughed harder.

“If you ruin my plans,” he hissed, “I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your life.”

“And if you keep underestimating me…” I whispered, leaning closer, “you’ll be the one with regrets.”

He stared at me, searching my face like he was trying to decode a spell—and failing.

But we both froze when the door opened.

I shoved him off me just as a someone stepped inside.

And the moment I saw who it was, my heart stopped.

Both of us spoke at once.

“You…?”