Chapter 3

Dom’s POV

It’s been three days and my mate was still unconscious. Hannah said she was malnourished and lost a lot of blood, so rest was what she needed. I couldn’t stand seeing her in the infirmary, so I moved her to my chambers. My mind played over and over again a variety of scenarios that could have landed her in this state.

Amos grew anxious over time, and his anxiety didn’t help me maintain my own. I temporarily left the kingdom in the hands of Cyrus. He was my beta, so he already knew how I ran things. It was only temporary. I needed to focus all of my attention on my mate.

My life was now tangled with hers and yet, I didn’t know her name or even the color of her eyes. I craved to hear her voice. Would it be sweet as honey? Or warm as tea.

‘Perhaps both.’ Amos answered my thoughts.

He stared at her longingly. I could feel his desire to mate with her, hell, I could feel the desire in myself as well, but that would have to wait. For now, all I needed was for her to open her eyes.

“ Your majesty!” Brianne, one of my strongest warriors, burst through my chamber door, her heart was beating so loudly, I could hear it from across the room.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Sorry, it’s.. the prisoner. She’s.. she’s killed herself.” Jumping to my feet I asked,

“What?” I quickly moved from the room, and mind linked Hannah to stay with My mate.

I followed Brianne to the dungeons and stared in disbelief. The witch looked as if she was sucked dry of all her bodily fluids. The once youthful woman who inhabited the cell was now crumbled on the ground like a shriveled raisin.

Looking over at Max, Cyrus’s sentinel, I asked,

“Tell me everything.”

“She was fine until three days ago. She jumped up out of nowhere and kept repeating the same phrase. ‘All will end in a gaze of emerald,’ she just kept saying it over and over again.” He looked at her corpse in confusion.

“It was like she became possessed or stuck in a loop. She just kept repeating it up until just a few minutes ago. She stopped and began to chant something and just.. well, I don’t know how to explain it, your majesty. I’ve never seen anything like it.” I looked on for a few more minutes before I ordered the guards to open the cell’s door.

Stepping inside, I was able to get a better look at her. Her fingers were curled unnaturally and her mouth was still open with her eyes empty of any color she once had. On her forehead was a sigil that looked to be burned into her. That wasn’t there before.

“You’re saying she did this to herself?” I asked.

“Yes, your majesty. She just started chanting and then crumbled.” I believed what he said, I was just having a hard time believing she was the one who did this.

“This cell was designed to prevent any magical use. As well as the shackles that was placed on her wrist. There’s no way she could have done this.”

“Are you saying it was another witch? But how?”

“Link Cyrus and inform him of what’s happened and bring anyone who entered the dungeons three days ago to my office.” I turned and made my way out of the dungeon.

‘We shouldn’t have left the castle! If we were here, another witch wouldn’t have been able to slip through the cracks!’ Amos growled and I understood his frustrations.

‘You know why we had to leave, and if we didn’t, we wouldn’t have found our mate.’ Amos huffed but he remained silent.

He knew what I said was true. If we had stayed home, she would have surely parishes in that very spot we found her.

I was now sitting at my desk in my office with two omegas sitting in front of me with clear signs of fear coating their faces. I could tell almost immediately that they didn’t have anything to do with what happened with the prisoner but I still needed answers.

“You two were on watch for the dungeons three days ago correct?” I asked, resting my hands on my desk.

“Yes, your majesty!” They replied in unison.

“Did either of you see anyone or anything out of the usual that day? Even if it was small, it’s important you tell me.” I allowed my alpha aura to wrap around them.

The younger looking one eyes began to dart around the room. He was clearly hiding something. Using my alpha voice, I commanded him to speak.

“Reign was ssupposed to be guarding that day but asked me to insstead. SShe said she needed to hhelp a friend.” He stuttered.

That was something that could be useful.

“Anything else you’re leaving out?” I asked never lifting my aura.

“NNo. I don’t know anything elsse, your majesty.” He cowarded in his seat.

I stared at them both for a few more minutes before I dismissed them. I was getting ready to mind link Reign and summon her to me when one of the house maids came barging in.

“Sorry, my king, for the intrusion, but the woman you brought home, is awake!” I quickly jumped to my feet and ran to my chambers.

When I stepped inside, I was amazed. Standing in the corner was the most beautiful woman I had ever laid eyes on. Hannah was trying to talk her down as she held onto a lamp preparing to throw it.

‘She’s scared! She needs us!’ Amos roared.

This I already knew. Moving into the room, her eyes shifted to me. They were the most beautiful shade of green. She stared at me with a look of both fear and confusion.

“Who are you! Why am I here?” She demanded and my heart fluttered at the sound of her voice.

It was exactly the way I imagined it. Moving closer to her, I reached my hand out to her, hoping she would calm down. I put all of my faith in our mate bond, hopeful it would give her some ease and to my satisfaction, it did.

The fear in her eyes began to clear and a look of recognition took its place. She slowly began to lower the lamp as I moved closer. Her scent filled my lungs and it scent Amos in a frenzy.

“You are safe, my love, I won’t hurt you.” I was now a foot away from her.

She was really looking at me now. I expected her to close the distance given the mate bond should be irresistible, but instead she began to step back until she hit the wall.

“No! Moon goddess, no!” She spoke as fear consumed her face once again.

I took a step closer to her, wanting to help her but this movement made her freak out even more.

“Stay away from me you monster!” She yelled.

‘Monster?’ Amos spoke what I thought. I was confused. I didn’t understand where this was coming from.

“My love, what’s wrong?” I asked and before I knew it, I was on my ass.

‘She’s a..’

“Witch!” Hannah’s voice rang in the air.