Diana The room goes quiet. I blink in confusion, taken aback and not understanding why he’s so angry. My brows furrow as I watch him in confusion. He seems to be getting more furious by the second. It’s a fury I don’t think I have ever seen on him before. My mind races a second more and it clicks. My heart stutters before dropping to the pit of my stomach. I hadn’t thought of that. Not fully. Shit! Blood drains from my face and I suddenly feel sick. Billy asks again, slower this time, the words like steel. “Who the fuck did you say was gonna fight him?” Eleanor’s expression crumples into something close to guilt. She looks down. I bite my lower lip. Dom’s brows draw together. Billy’s voice is calm but dark. “Three people, right? That’s what you said?” He points at Dominicus. “One is the Amadeus Alpha. He’ll fight the physical battle.” Then he points at me. I flinch. “Second is the Castellanos Alpha and Priestess. That’s you.” I can’t meet his eyes. “And the third…
DianaI don’t say anything. I can’t—because part of me agrees with him.He searches my face, voice cracking.“I already lost your mate. And for 13 years, I believed I lost my child too. I won’t lose you.”The silence between us stretches again. The grief in his words coils around my ribs like a vice.After a long moment, I exhale.“I promise,” I say softly, reaching for his hand, “we’ll talk about this. We’ll figure it out. But right now… let’s go back inside. There’s still more Eleanor has to tell us.”He looks at me for a long moment. Then, finally, he nods.We walk back together, quiet and heavy with unspoken thoughts. Inside, the room is just as we left it—Dominicus and Eleanor still seated, their faces somber.Billy crosses his arms as he steps in, his tone dry but edged in steel.“Might as well just leave her with the humans. She was safe there. Let her stay hidden.”Eleanor tilts her head slightly.“Yes, she’s safe,” she says calmly. “But for how long?”He frowns but doesn’t an
DianaSeconds later, it’s clear that just because he understands doesn’t mean he’s convinced.“Fine,” Billy says at last, but his tone is sharp. “If the Primarch is so amazing, then why are you in this condition now?”Eleanor flinches.“You said it yourself,” he presses. “You were forced to use dark magic. It left you magically crippled for decades. Doesn’t that prove the Primarch isn’t so infallible after all?”Eleanor opens her mouth, but Billy cuts her off before a single word escapes.“And what about the dark witches?”She freezes, confused.“You told us all about the light witches,” Billy says. “What about the other side? How strong are they, compared to you?”Eleanor looks away, visibly reluctant. But after a long pause, she sighs and answers truthfully.“Dark witches… progress faster light witches. But their pace is accelerated. What a light witch might accomplish in twenty years, a dark witch can reach in just nine.”Silence falls like a hammer.Every face in the room darkens.
Diana It takes me a second. “Thomas’ arm?” I ask, uncertain. Dom answers before I can. “In the car.” “Bring it,” Eleanor says. I look at her, confused, but Dom doesn’t waste time. He stands and heads out the front door. Moments later, he’s back. He carries something wrapped in cloth—long, heavy, stiff. He places it on the table in front of Eleanor with a dull thud. “Unwrap it,” Eleanor says, nodding at the bundle on the table. Dominicus looks at Eleanor, then at the cloth-wrapped bundle on the table. He hesitates a moment before pulling the cloth away. The stench hits us immediately—a sickly, rotting smell that curls in my nose and makes my stomach turn. I press my hand to my mouth. Even Dom grimaces. The withered, blackened arm of Elder Thomas looks even worse in the open air. It’s stiff and slightly curled, like it’s still trying to claw its way toward something. Eleanor makes a face of pure disgust. Her upper lip curls in a sneer as she leans forward and examines
Diana Eleanor stands. The room seems to shift around her, as if the very air recognizes her authority. She holds out a hand above the severed arm, palm facing down, fingers splayed. A low murmur of ancient words slips from her lips—Latin, old and fluid, the language of the first witches. “Sanguis contractum, ligamen inviolabile, revoca ad dominum suum. Per manus, per cor, per voluntatem: redde nobis errantem.” Power gathers in the air. It prickles along my skin like static electricity. The candle flames in the room flicker wildly, casting huge, dancing shadows along the walls. The severed arm twitches. My heart lurches into my throat. Eleanor doesn’t waver. She murmurs another string of words, her voice deepening, threading with magic so potent it feels like it’s vibrating in my very bones. “Revertatur. Revertatur. Revertatur ad nos.” There’s a violent thud- like air being sucked violently out of the room—and then a loud thud. A crumpled figure materializes in th
Elder Thomas Rothgar — that old fool — is the same age as Dominicus, and yet he looks every year of it. A wrinkled wreck. By all logic, Dominicus should look the same. And yet he doesn’t. It burns me. Maybe… maybe the curse had something to do with it? Being feral for eighty-three years — could it have preserved him somehow? Could madness have frozen time? The thought is absurd — yet, here we are. Nothing about that wretched Alpha has ever followed natural laws. I sneer at my own reflection. Should I have gone feral too? The idea is laughable. But what isn’t funny is the sheer hypocrisy of the others. Those smug, judgmental Elders — pretending they’re better than me. As if their own greed hadn’t brought them to ruin. As if they hadn’t willingly tried to sacrifice Dominicus’s mate for power, without me needing to so much as lift a finger. They played right into my hands — their avarice as deep as my own. Yet now they look down on me? Hypocrites. Every last one
Elder Thomas They’ll see who has the last laugh. I smirk faintly at my reflection, adjusting the cuffs of my fine jacket one last time before heading for the door. I’m only doing what none of them have the courage to do — Grabbing destiny by the throat and forcing it to bow. When I open the door, the rogue servant is waiting. Still standing there like a lowly mutt. He bows slightly, voice low. “The Mistresses are waiting for you, sir.” I nod regally. “Lead the way.” As he turns, I catch the glimmer of hatred in his eyes — dark, seething. He thinks I do not see. But I do. I see everything. And then — the little worm dares to mouth something. ‘Fucking traitor’. My blood ignites, rage flooding my veins like wildfire. The events of today — the humiliation, the pain, the scorn of the witches — all converge into a singular, blinding point of fury. Before the rogue even realizes it, I am upon him. I seize him by the throat with my good hand, lifting him ea
Elder Thomas I force myself to glance up, keeping my eyes low, submissive, as I take stock of the gathering. Of the seven witches- three of them I know well: The one clad in flowing black, the one adorned in emerald green, and the one robed in a silver-gray. They are the ones who usually deal with me — the ones who negotiated the terms of my… arrangement. The others are new to me, but no less terrifying. Each of them exudes an aura that prickles against my skin like nettles. And then—her. My breath stutters in my chest as my gaze lands on the seventh figure. The Coven Matriarch. She sits enthroned among them, black lace and crimson velvet pooling around her like blood, her eyes bottomless voids. I feel myself shrink inward, my shoulders curling instinctively as cold fear coils around my heart. I force myself to swallow against the sudden dryness in my throat. I lower my head in a deep, respectful bow. “Mistresses,” I say, voice deferential and strained, “Than
Diana A low growl rumbles from Alpha Darius of the Plena Luna pack. His eyes glint with raw grief. “No. I will avenge my son. I’ll hunt down those bastards myself!” Dom’s sharp edge softens for the grieving father, though just slightly. His voice lowers, gentler, though still firm. “That won’t work, Darius. The best thing you can do — for your mate, for your pack — is live. The best thing you can do for your son is protect what’s left. If you rush out looking for a fight, you’ll only throw your life away. And that helps no one.” Alpha Darius’ eyes are red with rage and frustration. His trembling lips open and close for a moment before a strangled and pained sound is wrenched from him. Alpha Stefan however, is obviously not so easily convinced. He gives a sharp, sarcastic laugh. “You must be kidding me.” His eyes glitter with derision. “I’m not the kind of man who lets someone else decide his fate.” He sneers, gaze sweeping from me, to Dom, to Eleanor. “Especially not peopl
Diana Alpha Livia clears her throat delicately, her fingers tapping once against the table before she speaks. “So… as the Priest…” I lift my chin, my voice cutting clean through the room. “Priestess.” She pauses, a flicker of acknowledgment in her eyes, then corrects herself with a small nod. “Priestess. As the Priestess, how exactly would you seal the Dark Mage? Alpha Dominicus mentioned the Priest played a crucial role before — but he didn’t explain how.” And there it is. My stomach knots faintly. That’s the problem, isn’t it? I’m not entirely sure myself — not yet. But Dom and I plan to find out as soon as this meeting ends. Still, we had agreed beforehand: no hint of uncertainty, no gaps, no loose threads. We couldn’t risk sparking panic among the packs — or worse, letting anything slip that the dark witches might catch wind of. I part my lips, preparing to smooth over the gap, but Dom beats me to it. “Even if she explained it, you wouldn’t understand.” His voice is
Diana Her voice cuts crisply through the air. “The first time the Dark Mage was sealed… you said it took the Amadeus Alpha, the Primarch Arcana, and the Moon Goddess’s Priest.” Her eyes sweep the room, assessing. “Are you saying we’re going to repeat that now?” Dom nods once, calmly. “That’s right.” Alpha Livia’s brow furrows slightly. “And you, you’ll stand in for your ancestor?” Dom’s mouth curves in the faintest of smiles. “I will.” Her gaze sharpens. “That leaves the Primarch Arcana… and the Priest.” She casts a slow look around the table, then back at Dom again. “Until today, none of us even knew there was a Priest. Do you know where this Priest is?” Dom’s eyes flick briefly to me, and parts his lips to answer, “Yes. It’s-“ I finish for him. My voice quiet but clear. “-Me.” The room freezes. Every head turns. I keep my face composed, letting my voice carry evenly across the silent table. “Allow me to properly reintroduce myself. I am Diana Castellanos—Alpha
Diana Suddenly, a voice slices sharply through the heavy silence. “We have to stop the ritual!” An Alpha halfway down the table shoots to his feet, his face flushed with urgency. His Beta, seated beside him, tugs lightly at his arm as if to steady him, but the Alpha shakes his head sharply, his eyes locking onto Dominicus. Dom doesn’t even flinch. His voice remains calm, almost weary. “Naturally.” He lets the word hang in the air for a beat, then tilts his head slightly. “How do you propose we do that?” The Alpha’s response is instant, raw with emotion. “Easy. We find them. We go to their coven and wipe them out—all of them.” Dom blinks once, slowly. Then gives a faint, almost pitying shake of his head. “Easy?” He leans in just slightly, his tone still smooth but edged with a dangerous undercurrent. “How exactly do you plan to find them? Don’t forget—these aren’t wolves we’re dealing with. They’re witches. You think you can find a witch who doesn’t want to be found?”
DianaThe next Alpha my eyes land on pulls my attention instantly.He’s middle-aged, broad-shouldered, hulking—even among all these Alphas, he stands out as particularly powerful. His short-cropped hair and sharply cut features give him a severe, almost intimidating air.But what surprises me is the look on his face.Unlike the others, there’s no flicker of wariness, no veiled animosity in his gaze.Instead, he’s smiling. Calm. Almost amused, like he’s simply waiting for the meeting to begin, perfectly at ease.Intrigued, I shift my gaze to the third Alpha who stands out.And this time, I have to look twice.The Alpha, her Beta, and the two Gamma warriors flanking her… they’re all women.The Alpha meets my eyes directly—her expression steady, cool, unreadable. Then, with a small, polite nod, she acknowledges me before turning her attention back to Dom.All of this unfolds in seconds: quick assessments, sharp glances, the silent tension of predators sizing each other up.By the time my
Diana I spot Dom waiting just down the hall, his arms crossed, his sharp eyes flick up as soon as come out me. His face softens—just slightly—and he reaches out. I walk up to him and slip my hand into his. Eleanor falls into step behind us, quiet and peaceful, her presence a steady pulse at my back. Together, the three of us move toward the wide double doors at the end of the hall—the conference room where today’s meeting is about to hold. The air feels thicker here, heavy with the scent of too many wolves, sharp anticipation, and something almost metallic — the bracing edge of challenge, perhaps, or simply the weight of so many packs gathered under one roof. As we near, an Amadeus warrior steps forward. Clyde. He bows smoothly. “Alpha. Luna.” He gives Eleanor a polite nod. “Ma’am.” Dom gives him a curt nod in return, but I offer Clyde a small smile. Eleanor answers warmly, “Hello dear.” Clyde straightens and says, “The packs have brought a fair number of warriors w
DianaI blink, brow arching. Magnus almost mated to someone? That’s news to me.Can’t find it in me to care.The first girl nods eagerly. “Exactly! And it was super suspicious. It was supposed to be this huge deal — even our Alpha was invited — but just a week before the ceremony, it was called off.” She waves her hands for emphasis; the others nod vigorously.She leans in, voice dropping. “I heard Natasha left Zervos and went back to the Silvanus pack, then mated with an Omega from Plena Luna.”Another round of wide eyes and startled gasps.“It’s obvious why the ceremony was canceled,” she smirks. “Natasha met her real mate. Everyone thought Magnus set the match because he hadn’t found his mate yet… but he had. And he rejected her!”The gasps turn into soft curses. I catch words like scum and bastard tossed out under their breath, and I have to bite my lip to keep from laughing.The third girl eagerly nudges the first. “And? And?! What else?”The first girl glances around, then leans
DianaWhat were they thinking?A low voice, warm and smug, ghosts by my ear.“See?” Dominicus says. “I won.”I don’t turn. I can feel the smirk behind his voice and the presence of him just a breath away.I shake my head slowly, incredulous. “They actually came…”“And with a whole damn parade,” he says with a huff of amusement.“Pompousness and posturing,” I mutter.He chuckles. “That’s what you bet against, dulcis.”I scowl, still watching the arrivals, still baffled by the absurdity of it all.“And now,” he says, voice low as he leans down slightly, “you owe me.”I start to ask what the terms were again, but then I feel his lips brush the shell of my ear, and his whispered words burn hotter than sunlight across my skin.My breath catches. My entire body flushes.Damn him.Dom steps back and with a sweeping motion of his arm, the corners of his mouth quirking upward, he says, “Ladies, shall we?”I pull my gaze away from the window, and roll my eyes at him. “Lets.”Behind me, Eleanor
Diana “You’re on speaker, Alpha. They can all hear you now.” Dominicus doesn’t waste a breath. “Good,” he says, his tone flat, cold. “Then listen closely because this-“ he pauses, just long enough to make the weight of his next words settle into their bones, “—is the key to a ‘peaceful retirement’ for all of you.” There’s no trace of politeness. No deference. Only the weight of his authority, sharp as steel. The line is silent. No one dares interrupt. “Of the thirty-seven packs–,” he continues, “you each used to run one of the major nine.” Ten now - The Amadeus pack is back, I muse. “The rest of the smaller — scattered, less resourced packs are no less important. Therefore you are not only to go back to your own packs. You will each take responsibility for informing the Alphas of the minor packs in your regions. I don’t care how you do. Just get it done.” He paces a little, jaw tight. “You will tell them witches exist. You will tell them that dark witches have returned — tha