Chapter 1

"You are our secret weapon," said the dark witch Sybl to a girl standing in the shadows. "When I give the signal you are to then and ONLY then come out of hiding. They cannot know about you... or my plan will be spoiled."

"Yes my mistress," said a very attractive slim girl about the age of 18 with long red hair that was pulled into a bun. She had emerald eyes and crimson red lips. She was wearing black jeans, a tight black tank top and black boots.

"Good, good. You are to train one more time tonight and then you leave and rest. Be ready tomorrow," Sybl commanded, her own crimson lips compressing together into an evil smirk. 

It was eleven o clock at night and the young woman named Azalea was glad that she would be leaving. The dark witch had been training her personally for this battle. The battle where they would try and take over the nearby wolf pack. It was a test run.

 They would dominate them all, make the wolves submit. If successful, Sybl would begin taking over other packs all across England. One by one each would be defeated, until they all fell under her and her dark coven of witches. 

Suddenly, unbidden, thoughts came into her head. What would Sean and Remi say when they saw her? What would her old school friends think? What would her teachers from Alton Academy think of her when they heard what she’d done? What about her parents, if they'd still been alive? What about Terrence...

Azalea quickly dismissed these thoughts from her head. It was just her conscious speaking. Her mistress was the only one she needed approval from now. They had all betrayed her. This was not the time to think of her memories from grade 9-12 in the elite boarding school that catered to werewolves and witches from all across the United Kingdom and Europe. Most hate thought her a freak anyway because of her unusual parentage. Some had made fun of her for having a human father and an omege wolf mother who was also a witch. Well now she’d show them all…

Sybl snapped his fingers and a warlock came in.

"Your turn," Sybl hissed maliciously, a steely glint in her eye.

The warlock looked at Azalea in fear. "N-no mistress…..please. W-what have I done? Do not make me fight her!"

The older middle-aged man cowered in fear before the 18-year old girl. 

"Silence! If your training has been done properly you will be able to defeat her. If not, then you die of your own folly. Now start!" Sybl barked angrily. 

Azalea made the first move without even blinking. His defeat was quick and seamless, Azalea injuring him to the point of needing Intensive Care. Sybl was so pleased that she didn’t even lament the loss of one fighter for tomorrow’s battle. 

“Tomorrow, we will be invincible!” Sybl cackled. 

***

Meanwhile in the Aberdeen Pack...

"Terrence,  get some rest. My spies inform me that Sybl will be attacking tomorrow early morning. Just train one more time and then we'll call it a night," said Terrence’s father, Duncan, the alpha of the Aberdeen pack. "You're our secret weapon. The best fighter and warrior among us. Though there are rumors going around that Sybl has been training an assassin. A strong witch-wolf hybrid apparently.”

"Yes father. I have heard those same rumors. He or she is rumored to be hybrid werewolf-witch. But that dark-coven will not conquer us," said Terrence. "Sybl is a very powerful Earth Witch gone rogue. She left her coven in the States and has decided to concentrate on this side of the pond for now when it comes to her evil schemes. We can only imagine what this rumored assassin is capable of."

Beside Terrence, Silas , his future beta and best friend, was nodding off to sleep.

"Come on boys one more time. Go through the obstacle course I had set up for you," commanded the Alpha of Aberdeen.

All the warriors stood up with a groan and Remi, Terrence’s future gamma, elbowed Silas to wake him up. Sean, their other best friend and long-time companion since their days at Alton Academy was already awake and geared up for the next round. 

****

Azalea was fighting another warrior. ‘This man is a coward’ she thought to herself. The warrior was running around the training room hiding behind pillars and rocks. Azalea's eyes followed him and she quickly shifted into her wolf, trying to attack him. However, he was too quick. He kept trying to hide. Her wolf eyes eyes intently followed him through the shadows of the training room but she lost him and didn't know where he went. Then she felt someone jump on her back. Caught off guard, Azalea's wolf fell to the ground in surprise and shifted into her human form. 

 Sybl clapped and more warriors came and surrounded Azalea.

The warrior behind her was choking her. She quickly jerked her head backward, hitting him in the nose. A sickening crunch filled her ears as the man let her go. Azalea swiftly turned and flung her arm around, a punch aimed straight at his throat. The man fell back convulsing from lack of air. And then she rolled away as the oncoming warriors tried to hit her. She crouched low in the shadows, realizing that now it was her turn to hide. 

But no sooner had she began to act on this tactic then did multiple fighters emerge from behind her, previously hidden behind a pillar nearby. They approached her with vicious speed, turning into wolves mid-jump. Surprised that Sybl had managed to enlist other werewolves to her cause as well, Azalea punched and kicked and at them while ducking attacks coming from the other side. Azalea scrambled for something...anything to use as a weapon. Her hand landed on a long steel pole which she triumphantly closed her fingers around. 

The wolves descended on her, baring their teeth but Azalea used a series of kicks and well-aimed hits with her metal truncheon to ward the werewolves away. Sybl had taught her how to be completely aware of her surroundings. She could even feel it if any magic spells were coming at her. She could duck and shield herself from about a hundred different attacks, magical and physical, at one time. Yes Sybl was very proud of her precious student. There was also one more thing Azalea could do but she had difficulty doing it. Sybl had taught her the technique personally. 

 Little by little, multiplying in numbers after every two minutes ….5 more fighters would come and start attacking her joining their fellow warriors. Some were warlocks, some were wolves. 

Azalea concentrated hard, closing her eyes and feeling the energy of the earth around her. She breathed in just as five wolves jumped straight at her. A bright white light erupted from around her, cocooning her in it’s protection before pulsing and then radiating energy. 

All the warriors were on the floor in two seconds flat. Azalea was kneeling on the floor gasping for air. Sweat dropping from her face. Yes, Azalea could perform a spell that brought all her opponents around her to their knees and when she did, it affected everyone around her within a 6 feet distance.

"Did you..." Sybl said hopefully.

"No they have been stunned," she gasped, still trying to regain her energy from such an intense bit of magic. 

Sybl was VERY proud of her but there was just one problem. No matter what, Azalea never killed. Sybl had been hoping that eventually, Azalea would become the ruthless killer she had perpetuated rumors to make Azalea out to be. But not such luck.  A servant came in with a towel and water bottle for Azalea in her hands.

Sybl sighed and said in frustration, "You have got to learn to kill. You are supposed to be an assassin! My assassin!"

"I can't," Azalea replied simply and left for her house that had been given to her by Sybl. Azalea was easily her favorite. 

She was always given a certain amount of respect by Sybl. She was her right hand and second in command. She was envied by most. Everyone knew that she’d been handpicked by Sybl. That Sybl had been following her. Azalea was not just any hybrid wolf-witch. She had traces of Earth Witch magic inside her as well. People had thought her weak because she was part-human. Well Azalea had showed them all. She was immensely powerful now. Born in America and orphaned a year ago, Azalea had been taken in by Sybl who had groomed her to be the best and strongest. Azalea had previously been enrolled in one of the most elite boarding schools in England for werewolves. That’s where she’d met him….Azalea shook her head to rid her mind of thoughts of her past. Her parents were gone and the only person who truly made her feel special now was Sybl. 

Azalea was the only one allowed to stand tall and proud by Sybl's side in the middle of the circle and the elite warriors would gather around them for meeting. This was partly done because Sybl knew that Azalea's loyalty was unwavering. But if Azalea didn't get the respect needed, she would either revolt against or she would quite. 

Azalea was to precious to their plans to lose now. Azalea was Sybl's prodigy. From day one she was a fast learner during training and that was how they found out her special power. Azalea drove to her three story mansion which she lived in alone. She ran up to her room changed her clothes and laid down on her bed. Her thoughts wondered to her life. Her life had been perfect. Her parents were the best and she had been in love. In love with Terrence Evans the popularist, cutest, football captain, straight A student and all around nice guy in their school. They had gone out for about 2 and a half years. They hadn't even cared that they weren't mates. Everyone was sure that Terrence would propose to her as soon as they were out of school. A tear fell down Azaleas cheek. She remembered it all quite well.

Flashback...

"Hey Azalea could I talk to you for a minute?" Terrence asked.

"Sure," she replied. She got up from the table where she had been sitting with her friends.

"Azalea listen...please don't stay mad at me but I think we should break up," Terrence said quickly. “We’re about to graduate soon and…and-“ Terrence shifted uncomfortably. “We already know that both of us aren’t fated mates. Maybe it’s time to explore other options and find our true mates?”

Azalea was stunned. She felt an ice-brick build up inside her stomach and then the tears came.

"Why? I thought you-you loved me. You said so yourself earlier this year!" she shouted at him angrily. 

"Well...people make mistakes I thought it was love but it wasn't." he replied not looking into her eyes.

"Is there someone else?" she asked angrily. “Have you found your mate? Is this why you’re rejecting me as your chosen mate?”

Terrence was silent and then said "Yea there is someone else." And with that he left without further ado. 

"Stop right there Terrence Evans!" Azalea shrieked tears coming out of her eyes. "You are a self-centered and arrogant bastard! Everyone told me you were playing me but I never believed them but I guess I was wrong! I hate you and never want to see you again!" 

With those final words, she pulled off the golden heart shaped locket that held a picture of her and Terrence in it and threw it at him. Terrence had given it to her for her 17th birthday. When he’d promised to take her as his chosen mate. “They all told me,” Azalea seethed. “They told me that you’d never want to take me as a chosen mate because I’m the daughter of a lowly ranked omega wolf. It doesn't matter if my mother is part-witch. And my father is a human so no man in their mind would ever want to be with someone like me. I thought they were mean but…..I should have believed them!” Azalea yelled angrily. 

Then she ran upstairs to her room. The next day, the principal called her to his office. She still hadn't gotten over Terrence’s break up and her eyes were red and puffy. Her face was marked with tear streaks. Graduation day was tomorrow when they would all finally be free of this place and Azalea couldn’t wait to get away. She wanted to go home and cry into her mother’s arms. 

"Ms. Klass I'm sorry to say this but your parents have died in a car crash," The principal said sadly. Azalea felt tears spring to her eyes once more.

"I know how hard this is. Especially after yesterdays break up...yes I know about it. The whole teaching staff does."

"Leave me alone! You don't know how I feel! Please don't pretend too. The people I love most in this world have abandoned me!" she sobbed and ran out of the office. 

She was crying silently in a corner when a young boy named Devon suddenly appeared from the shadows. He was a strong warlock and part of a rumored dark coven being headed by the dark witch Sybl. He was bad news and Azalea had mostly stayed away from him. They'd gone a date when she was fourteen and even back then she'd felt uncomfortable near him.  

"What happened to you?" he asked in a mocking voice. 

Azalea and Devon hadn't hated each other but they weren't on good terms either. They both had classes together but had barely spoken a word since 9th grade.

"I'm left alone in this world," Azalea proclaimed through her sobs. "No one is left to take care of me. Where will I live until I have a job? The people I love most are gone. Why?! Why?!" Azalea started wailing. She was vulnerable and in her sadness was spilling her heart out to someone she did not even like. 

"Azalea I know someone that could take care of you. That could give you a job and even a second family,” Devon said quietly, his tone hushed as he looked around furtively. 

"Who?" asked Azalea sniffling

"I'll show you tomorrow after graduation," he replied.

Azalea never saw the smirk on his face as he walked away or the text he sent to an unknown number that said ‘mission accomplished’. 

End of flashback.

At first Azalea had been reluctant to join Sybl. Azalea knew in her heart of hearts that Sybl was evil. But at the time, she had been vulnerable and promises of protection had gotten to her. Sybl was the only one who had been there to comfort her in her darkest of times and fill the void that had filled Azalea's heart after the passing of her parents. Azalea nodded off to sleep with that comforting thought. Sybl was her family now.