Sorry for the late update. Happy Reading!!
Willow POV In an instant, I am standing outside of the little cottage in the middle of the forest. Petra is on the front porch sweeping; she must have seen me coming. I wait until the world stops shaking under my feet before I stomp toward the cottage. Petra doesn't raise her head to look at me as I climb the few stairs onto her front porch. "I know why you are here," she says as she continues to sweep the porch. I stand in her way, refusing to let her sweep around me to the left or the right. "If you know why I am here, then why don't we get started?" I ask, not knowing what the process of removing runes is. "I cannot help you," Petra says, still not looking at me. "I know who you are?" I say, hoping to sway her decision. "I know everything about my past." "Then you know the reason why I cannot remove the runes from your back," Petra says as she sets the broom against the doorway and tries to disappear into the cottage. I grab her by the hand and pull her back. I
Osiris POV It has been a long afternoon. Hunting down all of the parents of the children who saw Willow's meltdown was a chore. Many of the children were still crying as I spoke with their parents, and they are claiming to be scared of their Luna. There is one family left to visit, and that is of the little girl who has looked up to Willow from the moment she stepped into this pack. I knock on their door, and a frail older woman opens it. I had forgotten that Liz was adopted. Her parents were killed in one of the raids by the Lycan King. They had fought and died bravely by my side, leaving Liz on her own at just two years old. An older couple who had not been able to have children of their own took Liz in immediately and treated her as their own. But now, as I look at the woman standing in front of me, I worry that Liz will be left to fend for herself again. "Alpha," the older woman says. "What do I owe the pleasure?" "Hello, Gretchen," I say softly. "I need to discus
Osiris POV Ella and I pull up to Petra's cottage. Much to my surprise, Petra is not on the front porch sweeping like she usually is when someone comes to visit. Walking to the car's passenger side, I help Ella from her seat and walk arm and arm with her to the cottage. Ella pauses just beyond the first step of the porch. She cocks her head to the side curiously and snickers to herself. "I am not welcome here," Ella smirks. "What do you mean?" I ask in confusion. "Wards," Ella says as she lifts her hands up to the air and pulls them back quickly as if she has been electrocuted. "What does Ward have to do with you not being welcome?" I am beyond confused. "Not Ward," Ella busts out in laughter. "Wards, magical barriers to keep those out that are not welcome." I stand on the top step and study Ella closely. She cannot come any closer to the cottage than what she is right now. It is like there is an invisible wall keeping her off the porch. Ella holds up her hands, b
Unknown POV The sound of arguing brings me to my senses. I don't know how long I have been in the void between this world of the living and the realm of the dead, but it feels like an eternity. I stretch my arms lazily to my sides and yawn loudly. The dark tendrils of the void lap at my skin. They are like slimy tentacles determined to suck what is left of my mortality from my fading body. They tease me with their hushed voices. "Do you think we should tell her?" The tendrils laugh. "Tell me what," I groan. I am growing tired of the constant bickering of the tendrils. "There is an opening," a tendril hisses. "An opening between this realm and the living." My eyes fly open, and I sit up. I pace the cabin floor that mirrors one in the earthly domain. I try to understand what the tendrils mean. Reaching out with my magic, I look for any holes that might lead me back to the world, but after spending decades in the void, my magic is not what it used to be. I lower my
Osiris POV "We have to find Cordelia," I spit out as Ella and Petra comfort one another. "Without her, we cannot help Willow, even if we do find her." Ella and Petra wipe the tears from their cheeks and stare at one another. It is as if they are having a silent conversation with one another. Petra nods, and Ella sighs. "We can't risk Willow being with the coven for any amount of time," Petra says. "Even with her light magic bound, she is too strong. If they manage to get her to join the coven, they will become too powerful. We have to find Willow first." "No one wants to find Willow more than I do," I tell them. "But we need Cordelia. You said that yourself." "Perhaps we should call on Celeste for help," Ella says. "No!" I growl. "She cannot be trusted." "Willow is her niece. She has to care for her at least a little bit," Ella tries to convince me, but I am not falling for it. "She hasn't cared about Willow so far," I grind out. "What makes you think that sh
Ella POV Standing outside the Wolf's Den, it is like I have been transported back in time. I cannot believe this building is still standing after all these years. It looks just as sketchy as it did several decades ago. The same crudely painted wolf howling at the moon is hung above the doorway, only it seems like it has been touched up a little over the years. The neon letters of the sign have been replaced, and they all burn brightly. Instead of different colored siding covering the sides of the building, it has all been painted black. As we walk through the doorway, the smell of stale cigarettes and marijuana hits my senses. I wrinkle my nose in disgust. Osiris looks over at me and begins to laugh. "This place even smells the same," I say as I pretend to gag. "What do you know about the Wolf's Den?" Osiris raises an eyebrow at me curiously. "I used to work here," I laugh. "Back when I was nothing more than a rogue werewolf hiding from my life." Osiris's eyes widen as
Willow POV I find myself face down on the slab of marble once again. The voices of the high witches that surround me sound like the hissing of snakes. With all of them talking at once, I cannot understand what any of them are saying. I have recognized the seven witches who inspect my body daily as the seven witches that doomed my birth mother to the void. They have been poking and prodding at me for what feels like hours. I can only assume they will give up soon, just as they have every day before this one. “We need to hurry,” the witch I have come to know as Sister Fiona says with panic in her voice. “They are coming for her.” Endora scoffs loudly, “They will never make it past our wards.” “I would not be so sure,” Fiona responds. “Four witches. The rogue will bring four witches with him.” My heart leaps at the thought of Osiris coming to rescue me. But how did he round up four witches to come with him? Sister Allegra is sitting in the corner, picking at the edges o
Osiris POV The cold stare of the witch's blue eyes stops me in my tracks, and I realize what a mistake I have made. Willow is on her knees at the witch's feet. Tears are streaming down her face. I have seen Willow shed a tear here and there, but I have never seen her actually cry. The blonde witch is holding Willow by her hair. She is wearing nothing but a potato sack for clothing. I can see every inch of her body through the thin material. Willow's arms and shoulders are covered in the same strange symbols that line her spine. But that is not the only thing that is different about her. The blonde witch tilts Willow's head to the side, exposing her neck. At first, I don't know what I am looking at, and then it dawns on me. Her mate mark is missing. Heavy sobs wreck Willow's chest. She refuses to look up at me. "I am sorry," she stutters. "I couldn't..." Willow is sobbing so hard she isn't able to finish her sentence. A guttural growl erupts from my chest as I look