Chapter 44

My mother never knew much about witchcraft. As a child, she showed me some of her spells which bought a few plants and flowers to life, blooming trees with fruits and grounds with vegetables, but that was all she knew about witchcraft. A few years later, she stopped practicing magic entirely and submitted to my father who was a werewolf.

She lived on his terms and made me live on his terms as well.

Growing up, I knew nothing about magic. Whatever came to me, came to me through voices in my head, visions, or sometimes even nightmares. Magic was an instinct for me and I never knew what it meant, or how I even began doing it.

A lump formed in my throat as I remembered her.

"I want protection for my mother as well," I turned to Elijah, and confessed. "If I'm unable to give the names to Alexandria, she'll go after my mother."

"And that should be my concern, how?" His voice deepened as he gave me a response I didn't expect.

My thoughts ran wild. "Because I told you everything I know about this curse and unless you don't want me to give your mother, your name, you're going to promise me protection for my mother."

"Did you threaten me?" He asked, standing up.

I reached his shoulders. My back straightened as I met his eyes. My stomach was tied into knots as I thought of all the terrible possibilities once Alexandria was going to learn that I wouldn't provide her with names anymore.

"Yes," I crossed my arms as defiance rang through my voice. "Promise me protection for my mother."

"No."

My mouth lined straight. Blood rushed through my veins, but before I could say anything else, Callan stepped between us.

"Just send a man there or something. It's not too far, she lives in Woodpine." Callan told him, taking my side.

I moved a few steps back while my face lightened. Elijah took another glance at me, unwilling to accept it. His jaw clenched and sharpened before his hand made a small movement. He pulled out his phone and dialed a number before giving the details about my mother.

I blew out a breath of relief, knowing she wasn't going to be harmed in all of this. I didn't care much about myself. I already knew I was doomed the moment I went to the winter ball.

"What do we do now is the question remaining?" Dion rose up and asked. "We know the queen wants us dead to break the curse and I'm sure nothing's going to stop her from getting to us. She's quite powerful."

My chest swelled as I heard his voice, but I moved away, and listened to them from afar while knowing well they didn't want to hear anything leaving from my lying mouth.

"I'm aware," Elijah nodded. "But she isn't going to come for either of you until she doesn't know about the rest two names and with the useless witch, she can't." They stood against each other, talking.

I rolled my eyes and sighed.

"The werewolf at the court," Dion paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts before he continued. "The gray one. Is he the fourth one?"

Elijah and Callan glanced at each other, knowing something. My curiosity peaked. They knew who the fourth one was, the last man who held the mark of the pentacle. I quickly turned my head away before they caught me listening to them.

"It's better if nobody knows who's he," Callan whispered, keeping his voice low. Something mysterious swelled in the air. "Or where he is right now. The farther away he is, the fewer deaths we have to deal with."

The gray wolf—the fourth man who carried the mark of the pentacle.

Who was he?

"I haven't seen him in court since that day..." Dion trailed off, his own eyes filled with confusion.

"Good."

The ringtone of my phone began echoing in the silence which was filled with dread. My head snapped, turning to my phone which was buried inside Callan's pockets. Eyes widened in surprise. When did he even manage to take my phone? I rushed closer to him, wanting to know if it was my mother or someone else I knew.

Callan pulled the phone out and looked at the caller ID.

"It's Alexandria's number." He silenced the call but didn't cut it off yet.

"She's not talking to my mother." Elijah stepped forward, taking the phone away from him and cutting the call.

"It better if she does," Callan turned to him. "If she won't hear from Vivian, she's going to know something's up and we have no plan for what to do yet. Nothing at all. We can't have the fucking queen on our asses."

"I don't trust her."

"She won't say anything."

I interrupted them and shook my head, "I won't say anything. I promised."

There were only two sides to all of this. This side was the only option I had left now. I couldn't turn away and tell Alexandria what I knew. She'd kill four innocent—somewhat innocent men for nothing but to break a curse her father put on her.

"I don't believe you." Elijah neared me, lining his eyes with mine, threatening my femininity again and again.

"I won't say anything," I repeated as the phone began to ring again.

The second call from Alexandria. Her wrath was something neither of us wanted to see, and it was truly better if she didn't know where I was or what was happening. This all was supposed to remain a secret.

If it weren't for Elijah's magic and his powers, no one could've found out.

"And if you do, just know there are plenty of things I can do with you and your mother and none of them include sparing lives." As he finished, he accepted the call and placed it on speaker before bringing my phone closer to my mouth.

"Hello," I choked out after taking in his threatening words.

"This is the fourth call I have placed. Where have you been?" Alexandria asked, sounding a bit infuriated. "And why haven't you returned any of my calls?"

"I was sleeping."

"And where are you now? I haven't received any report of you spending the night at the court. Where did you leave after the mating ball?"

I looked up, at the men, hoping to gather some answer. Dion pointed a finger at him and then whispered 'at the pack house'. It took me a moment to understand, but as soon as I did, I replied to her.

"It was the mating ball. I found a suitor and spent the night with him."

"Who?" Curiosity rang in the back of her voice as she began to question me and my answers. It was a lie, but I couldn't let her know that.

"Dion—I am with him at his pack house." My eyes darted as panic filled me up. What if she didn't believe me? What if she went behind my mother?

"Return to court immediately."

With that, she cut off the call. My lips parted as I remained surprised by her demand. Why did she want me to return to court? Elijah pulled away the phone and switched it off before handing it back to Callan.

"Don't even think you're going anywhere near the court."

"But, what if—"

"No if's. With the knowledge you have now, you're completely untrusting of anything." He snapped at me, his voice growing deeper.

I thought we had something going on with him protecting me and I keeping my mouth shut in any matters.

A moment of silence later, I said, "What if I can break the curse? Set all of you free?"

"You wouldn't know how to do that." He scoffed, shaking his head before rolling his eyes and turning away from me as if I was joking.

"What if I can?" My question stopped him on his tracks. "I never learned witchcraft, it came to me. What if I can find a way to break the curse before Alexandria can know I've changed sides?"

They stared at me with disbelief.

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