Little witch

Tragedy

Titus POV

The stench of damp concrete and blood filled the underground prison as Titus stormed down the dark hallway, his heart pounding in his chest. The raid had gone as planned. Aspen had been caught, along with the witches aiding him. The element of surprise had worked in their favor, allowing them to capture the traitor without much resistance. But the victory felt hollow.

He had thought that taking Aspen down would give him some peace—some closure. Instead, it had only opened more wounds.

Aspen sat in the interrogation room, bound to a metal chair, his face battered and bruised from the fight. His eyes, cold and full of rage, locked onto Titus as he entered. Two of Titus's warriors stood guard, silent and still, waiting for orders.

Titus clenched his fists as he stepped forward, his voice low and dangerous. "You're going to tell me everything."

Aspen grinned, blood staining his teeth. "Everything? You sure you want to hear it, Alpha?"

Blaze snarled beneath the surface, pushing against Titus's control, but Titus held firm. He wouldn't let Aspen get under his skin. Not yet.

"Talk," Titus demanded, his voice like a growl.

Aspen chuckled darkly, the sound echoing in the small, cold room. "Fine. You want the truth about your father? About what really happened that night?"

Titus didn't respond, his jaw clenched so tightly he thought his teeth might crack. He didn't trust himself to speak. He needed answers, and he wasn't going to get them if he lost control.

Aspen leaned forward, the chains rattling as he moved. "Your father and I... we hunted witches. You didn't know, did you? River played the perfect role, pretending to see them as equals, but he hated them. We both did. Witches are a plague, Titus. They're dangerous."

Titus's blood ran cold. His father? The man who had always preached peace between the species?

Aspen continued, his voice full of twisted satisfaction. "We burned down over five covens together. Wiped them out. We were unstoppable. Your father was ruthless when it came to witches, and he didn't hesitate. We hunted them down like animals."

Titus felt his stomach churn, but he kept his face emotionless. Aspen was trying to get a reaction out of him, to rile him up. But nothing could prepare him for what came next.

"Adeline's coven was the last one," Aspen said, his tone shifting to something darker. "We weren't supposed to find her there that night. The plan was simple: burn the place to the ground and leave no survivors. But when River realized that the girl—the witch—was there, he hesitated. He went back for her. He got her out. And it cost him his life."

Titus staggered back as if Aspen had punched him. His father had saved Adeline?

"Why?" Titus demanded, his voice hoarse. "Why would he save her?"

Aspen's expression twisted with fury. "Because he was weak. She should have died with the rest of them. That was the plan. But River—he saw something in her. Maybe it was pity. Maybe he thought he could atone for the hell we unleashed. Who knows? He was willing to die for that witch, and he did."

Titus's mind spun with the weight of what he was hearing. His father—the man he had idolized—had been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of witches. But he had saved Adeline, sacrificing his life in the process. The truth crushed Titus's chest, suffocating him. There had been no perfect outcome that night. No version of that night where he didn't lose something precious.

Aspen's voice cut through his thoughts, sharp and venomous. "Adeline needs to pay for what she did to my brother. Your father died because of her. She is the reason River is dead. She's a witch, Titus. A danger to you, to your pack. She doesn't belong—"

Titus had heard enough.

With a single command, he turned to his warriors. "Take him and the witches to the cells. Finish it."

Aspen's grin faltered, replaced by a look of shock as he realized what was happening. "Wait—Titus, you can't—"

Titus didn't even spare him another glance. As the guards dragged Aspen out of the room, his pleas echoing down the hallway, Titus stood rooted to the spot, the weight of the truth pressing down on him like an avalanche.

Blaze stirred, restless, angry, wanting vengeance. But it wasn't vengeance Titus wanted now. It was clarity. It was understanding. He had hoped that confronting Aspen would bring closure, but instead, it only left him with more questions—questions that tore at his soul.

His father had hated witches, had burned down entire covens with Aspen at his side. But he had saved Adeline. Why? Had he seen something in her that was worth saving? Or had it been guilt? Regret for the lives he had taken? Either way, Titus's life had been irrevocably changed that night.

And now, the truth felt like another blow, another tragedy added to the long list of losses in his life. His father had died a hero, but also a villain. Adeline had been spared, but at a cost Titus couldn't even begin to comprehend.

Titus left the interrogation room, his mind spinning. He needed time to process everything, but he knew he wouldn't have that luxury. Aspen was gone now, a chapter closed, but Adeline...

She was still out there. And now, more than ever, Titus needed her back.

But after everything he had learned, he wasn't sure she would ever want to return.