Chapter 7

NATALIE.

"I am bored," I whine to my wolf.

"Why? You are in our mate's pack, we are safe, and you are seeing different people for the first time. Why would you be bored?"

"The only thing we have been seeing for the past four hours is just these walls. It is boring," I snap.

Just then the door swings open and in comes the first female I have seen apart from the witch.

She is beautiful.

"And strong," my wolf adds.

"How do you know that?" I ask.

"I can sense it. She has a powerful wolf."

The woman in question just stands there, staring at me. Her face is blank and emotionless and if it was not for the blood adding color to her skin and the clothes she is wearing, I would think she was a statue.

"So, you are Natalie," she says.

She speaks ladies and gentlemen.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?"

"Maya."

Maya. Maya?! The one everyone thinks is Damien's mate? That Maya?

"You have heard of me," she says, cocking her head.

"Hm. You could say that. What do you want?" I ask.

"What do you know of me?" she asks instead, ignoring my question.

"That you are one of the respected warriors," I say in a quizzical tone.

Like hell, I am going to mention that I know about her being a chosen mate.

"Is that all?"

"Was there more?" I retort.

"Hmm," she says with a smirk. "I have questions, you will answer them."

"She is very rude," a remark from my wolf.

"Oh, you are just noticing that now, huh?"

"I don't know why I should," I say to her, for all I know, you might be working for the witch, trying to get me back or kill me.

"I don't work for anyone," she snarls. "And if I wanted to kill you, darling, you would be dead."

"You could certainly try," I growl out.

At the corner of my eyes, I see strands of light beginning to pull from the walls. They only happen when I am enraged or feeling a particular high tension, or emotion.

"You need to calm down," my wolf cautions. "We don't want to start making enemies now, do we?"

She is right. I close my eyes and pull in a deep breath, entering and calming myself.

By the time I open my eyes, the lights have faded.

"What was that?" Maya demands, looking spooked.

"What was what?" I ask confused.

Did she see the lights?

Impossible.

Not even the witch could see it, even when I did lose my temper.

"Your eyes. They glowed."

"Did they?"

That is strange.

"Yes, they did.'

" I wouldn't know. You are the one looking at them. What did you want to ask?'

She stares at me intently for a few seconds before resuming that blank sure of hers.

"The witch who kidnapped you, she was the same one who cursed Damien, right?"

"Yes."

"What does she look like? Can you draw her?"

"Yes, I suppose I can."

"Good. Since you escaped from her, that means you know where she is. You can lead us there."

"Ehn, no."

"No?"

"No."

"Why the hell not?"

"She is a witch. A witch who has enemies. She is not stupid, she has spent upon spells weaved together to hide her location."

"But you escaped from her."

"Yes, I did. But understand, I have been let in that cottage all my life, I had never seen anything past the woods. When I escaped, I didn't recognize anything, no landmarks, no trees, no signs. I wouldn't know how to lead you back there.'

"Dammit," she curses.

"And besides, I doubt she will still be there," I add.

"What do you mean? Why wouldn't she be there?"

"Again, she is not stupid. All my life, she has been taunting me about my mate, about what she did to him, the curse she placed on him. She must figure that now that I have escaped, it would be to him I would head for. She knows that the Varin pack has been searching for her. With my arrival, don't you think she knows what your next plan of action would be?"

"To search for her," she answers.

"Correct. She will not wait for you there," I tell her.

"What do you suggest then? Ask other witches?"

"No. From what I remember of her rantings, most witches hate her. Mainly because of the fact that her actions caused a widespread hunt for them. No, I don't think she has any witches as friends. But…"

"But what?!"

"Didn't snap at me! I don't like it," I growl.

"But. What."

I stare at her in defiance to which she responds with an equally defiant stare.

She is good, but I am not giving in.

If I am going to become the Lyna of this pack, I can't afford to give in. I have come too far now to falter at a stare.

She must have recognized my stubbornness because she likes her eyes in a sigh.

"Fine. My apologies. Now, but what?"

"I remember her talking to someone on the phone. A powerful person with resources."

"Resources? What kind?"

"Strange archaic plants. Rare kinds. Ones you will need a lot of money to get."

"So she has a contact on the outside."

"A wolf contact."

"What?!"

"Her contact is a wolf. An Alpha, to be exact.'

"How do you know this?"

"I heard her calling him that on the phone. It's my turn now," I say.

"Your turn? For what?"

"To ask my questions."

She scoffs before nodding.

"Go ahead.*

"Why are you curious about the witch?"

"What do you mean why am I curious? I am going to kill her."

"But why? Damien and I have already found each other. Her curse has failed."

"Oh, you don't know," she says, her tone going soft, which instantly sets me on alert.

"Know what?" I demand.

"The curse didn't fail. In fact, she has a fail-safe for this exact scenario."

"Which is?"

"Damien has until all the petals have faced to find and kill her, if not, both of you die."