My Beta Charming

Golden beams spilled through the silken clouds, wrapping Aeloria in their divine glow. Aeloria was renowned for three things— its vibrant sky, the magic in its air, and her.  

Her pale skin shimmered like the sun-kissed snow peak as she glided through the meadow, enchanting even the sky with her beauty. A white gown flowed around her like morning mist, and her long braid swayed like a silken ribbon behind her. The soft hum that escaped her lips drew butterflies and bewitched flowers. Oblivious to her charm, the woman with red hair and violet eyes continued to pluck flowers.     

“Drip by drip, your blood will stain. I'll wear your pain like silk and chain,” Violet finished the last verse of the song as she plucked the last poison flower and dropped it into her basket with a pleased smile. 

With the task complete, she pivoted on her heels, the hem of her gown sweeping against the grass as she made her way back to the hut. The teasing sway of her delicate curves and the graceful arch of her spine held a temptation that not even a monk could resist.

A beauty so fascinating that any man would want to be her prince charming. But she was no damsel in distress. She was a witch. A crafty one at that.

She snapped her fingers and the door opened. The enchantress strolled in, carrying the basket on her hips. 

Snoopy let out a startled squeak and hurriedly shoved the chocolate behind him. The little white bunny scurried forward and offered her a sheepish smile. Violet sniffed. 

“Did you eat my chocolate?” Violet questioned, squinting suspiciously. 

“What?” Snoopy exclaimed. “ I wouldn’t even think about it," He grinned while batting his long lashes. His grin was sweet, if only his teeth weren't smudged with chocolate. Violet rolled her eyes and walked past him to set the basket down on the table.

Snoopy hopped over the chair and bounded onto the table.

“What have you brought?” Snoopy asked, eyeing the basket with excitement. 

“Your death if you try eating any of it,” Violet replied dryly. Snoopy’s face fell. 

"Oh, come on! You make it sound like all I ever do is eat!" Snoopy whined. 

“No. Of course, not. You also think about what to eat next,” Violet deadpanned. Snoopy scowled. 

“I won’t anymore. From this very moment, I’m officially on a diet,” Snoopy declared, determined. Violet didn’t take him seriously.   

“Get me the bowl,” Violet instructed while taking a seat in the chair. Snoopy scurried off and returned shortly, carrying the bowl carefully between his teeth.

Violet picked a purple flower and squeezed its stem, letting the milky sap drip into the bowl.  

Very soon, the bowl was filled to the brim. After finishing the task, she stretched with an unladylike yawn. The girl had woken up at 4 to collect freshest flowers. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her she was still a human and needed to eat. 

“What would you have, Snoopy?” Violet asked. 

“Carrot pie,” Snoopy replied excitedly. 

Violet raised a brow and questioned, “Weren’t you on a diet just a moment ago?”  

“I am. But today is my cheat day,” Snoopy answered. 

Violet wasn’t surprised. She knew he couldn’t say no to food even if his guts were close to bursting with another morsel. 

She murmured a spell under her breath and snapped her fingers. In an instant, a bowl of carrot pie and steaming noodle soup appeared. 

She only cooked when she felt like it. For the most part, she relied on magic to conjure up ready-made food.

After having her breakfast, she headed out for the magic store that was two cities away. 

She instructed the little bunny to watch over the house, then hopped into her car and drove off.

There were a lot of things she hated about cities, but the noise was by far the worst. At least ten cars had zoomed past, blasting music so loud it could have woken the dead. Typical mutts, loud, obnoxious, and convinced the world revolved around them.

She pulled over in front of the store. Climbing out of her car, she put on her shades as her violet eyes had a habit of attracting the kind of attention she didn’t care for. She strode towards the building. 

She stepped in through the door and looked around.

“May I help you?” a man asked, approaching her with a smile that was just a bit too sweet to be sincere.

Violet ignored him and continued browsing through the products on the shelves. The man came to stand beside her, his eyes dripping with curiosity and interest. 

“Let me know what you’re looking for. I’ll get it for you,” the man urged, grinning. 

“I am Martin. It's my uncle's shop,” the man introduced himself upon noticing her reluctance. Violet sized him up. 

“Bloodsage,” Violet replied. 

“Bloosage?” Martin frowned, trying to recall where it was kept. The crease on his forehead smoothened as he finally remembered, “It’s over there.”

She followed him to the other side of the room. And rightly so, the last shelf was filled with Blood Sage.

The man stubbornly lingered beside her as she picked one from the shelf. 

“Got some kind of eye infection? You’re wearing shades,” Martin pried.

“Keep asking useless questions,” Violet murmured, eyes skimming the ingredients list, “and you’ll be needing your own pair soon.” She turned over the packet to examine. Martin chuckled. 

“Sassy. I like it,” Martin admired. 

“Just so you know, I am also a warrior,” he added before leaning closer and whispering, “both in and outside the bedroom.” She paused mid-motion, then glanced up. The look in his eyes was suggestive.  

“In the bedroom too?” she asked, to which he nodded. Now he had her full attention. 

“Wow. You sound like the guy of my dream,” she smiled flirtatiously and asked, “What else can you do?” 

“What else do you want?” Martin asked, smirking. 

She reached out and her fingers found the button of his shirt, toying with it shyly. “I’ve always wanted to try it... in a store,” she whispered, her lip caught temptingly between her teeth.      

“In the store?” the man frowned, clearly hesitant. Violet nodded. 

“What if someone walked in?” Martin asked. She pouted. 

“I knew you were not man enough,” Violet spat, disappointed. The man swallowed before scanning the empty store. 

“I am leaving,” Violet said and moved to leave, but the man caught her wrist in time and agreed to the wild ride. 

Violet asked him to strip first. After he was butt naked, she asked him to close his eyes. Martin closed his eyes, bursting with excitement. 

Violet took all his clothes, grabbed the powder, and walked away. 

“Hey… hey… wait! Where are you going?” Martin called out frantically, his voice laced with panic as he caught sight of her heading for the door with his clothes. 

Violet didn’t stop.

The moment her heels touched the pavement, the bell above the door jingled, and a woman strolled in.

The scream echoed behind her a moment later. Unbothered, she tossed the clothes into the nearby dustbin and sanitized her hands.