WITCHE'S BEAST *(needs editing )

chapter 6

Evelina

Everyone remained seated at the long table as we waited for my coven to be brought forward. I prayed silently that nothing would go wrong. If this was my fate, then I would face it... as it should.

The three witches entered: Lyra, Sia, and Clara-my paired witches in the coven. Lyra could manipulate the wind, summon storms, and flood lands with her powers. Sia controlled minds, capable of pushing someone to harm themselves or others. Clara wielded the element of water, deadly even in a single drop. And me? I didn't know what I truly wielded. Spells and curses were my specialty, but here, in this sealed space, their raw powers meant little.

Even so, I felt... different. A subtle hum coursed through my veins, barely perceptible. It made my skin tingle and my pulse quicken as I glanced at Aaron. I didn't understand it, but every time I sensed his wolf, my magic seemed to stir, restless and alive.

Alpha Gideon's voice cut through my thoughts. "I want to know what business you have in my lands, witches." His tone tested them-he wanted to see if they knew me. Something didn't feel right.

Lyra straightened, tall and imposing, midnight black hair cascading over her shoulders. "That's rhetorical. You have one of ours sitting beside that beast," she said, pointing at me. My chest tightened with pain.

"That is Evelina," Gideon continued, his lips curving with subtle amusement, "and that beast you refer to is my son, Aaron-her mate."

Whispers filled the room. The tension was thick. Everyone's eyes flicked between me and Aaron, curiosity, fear, and judgment evident in every gaze. I felt a faint warmth in my chest-like my blood remembered something I had long forgotten.

Clara's green eyes locked on mine, fear flashing across her face. "It is true, then? The rumors... they're true?"

"We are the only ones who know," Gale said, glaring at his brother. "How could anyone else know?"

Aaron scanned the room, eyes sharp. "We have a spy," he said, low and commanding. "And I intend to find out who cannot be trusted."

Panic clawed at my chest. If anyone discovered the truth, if anyone dared move against us... we'd be destroyed. And yet, I felt something deeper stirring, something in me that wanted to rise, as if the Goddess herself whispered strength through my veins.

Lyra's voice cut through, steady but loud. "Leave Evelina to us. As her coven, we will protect her while you prepare for the war. Already, four different packs are moving to challenge the Alpha King. Pandora is insane-every warlock and wizard wants your head, Evelina."

I froze. My mind raced. My hands tingled faintly, though I didn't know why, as if my body itself remembered power I hadn't yet learned to claim.

"My mate stays by my side," Aaron said, stepping closer, his hand brushing against mine. "She is safest where she belongs-with me." His words were possessive, fierce. A warning, a promise, and a threat all at once. Fear and desire warred within me. I would not be controlled again, not by any man.

Then I heard it: voices in my head, faint at first, indistinct. And then a word: "Lunerah." The voices grew clearer: "Our fight is your fight, Lunerah." I shivered. I wasn't sure what it meant, but something inside me recognized it. A memory I hadn't lived yet.

Chaos erupted in the room as the council argued, debating strategy and whether to face the coming war.

"SILENCE!" Alpha Gideon's voice boomed, silencing the room instantly. "My people, accept Evelina as my son's mate. She did not choose this fate. Our duty now is to protect her as we protect our own. War is coming. We must be ready."

Aaron slammed his fist to his chest, his wolf blazing through his silver eyes. "If it's war they want, it's war they shall get! If they thirst for blood, we will drench them in it. We will not fall without a fight!"

Cheers and roars erupted, the pack answering his call.

"Our fight is your fight. We are one!" I raised Aaron's hand alongside mine, my pulse hammering. The voices in my head repeated the words, echoing in my very bones. My magic stirred, faint but undeniable, as if my destiny was calling it forward.

Yet even in this moment of unity, unease gnawed at me. Something wasn't being told. I could feel it deep in my bones. Still, I would give him a chance to prove himself. Whatever punishment I faced, I would endure.

The Oracle caught my eye, and for a moment, I saw it-guilt, regret. I had never trusted her, and now I questioned why she was here. Could she be the spy they were searching for? And if so... what could she possibly gain?