The Alpha and The Enforcer [TATE]

Chapter 5

Ellie's P.O.V

The moon had just begun to dip below the horizon as I ran through the woods, the rhythmic pounding of my feet against the earth grounding me, but my mind? My mind was a mess.

Lizzy.

What kind of deal could I possibly offer to save her?

I could feel her weakening, the subtle pull in my chest as her pain intensified. The wolf that had always been there, strong and steady, was fading. But I wasn't even sure what I could offer in exchange to save her.

I glanced up at the trees, the canopy thick above me, blocking out the sky. It was almost as if the forest was pressing in, suffocating me, reflecting how trapped I felt in my own situation.

The house was still a long way off. Miranda's house. She lived on the other side of the pack's borders, and I had no idea what to expect when I got there. The rumors swirled around her like the fog that sometimes rolled through the pack lands. An old witch, deep in the woods, without a single neighbor for miles. The kind of woman you'd expect to see in fairy tales: old, bent with age, and always knowing things she shouldn't.

And she was my last hope.

I'd been running for over an hour, my breath steady and controlled despite the distance. The pack was big, enormous, really, and if I'd shifted into my wolf form, it would've taken less than half the time to reach Miranda's cottage. But I couldn't risk it. Lizzy needed all her strength to keep herself together.

Finally, the small, crooked cottage came into view, nestled against the edge of the woods, shrouded in shadows from the thick trees. It looked... inviting. Cozy, even. But I knew better than to let the exterior fool me. This wasn't just an old lady's house; this was a witch's domain.

I stopped just short of the door, studying it. The rumors about her were always vague, but the one thing everyone agreed on was this: witches didn't play fair. Every interaction with them was a negotiation, and every negotiation was dangerous.

A creaking sound broke the silence. The door opened on its own.

My heartbeat quickened.

I stepped inside, cautious, and the door swung closed behind me with a soft thud. The lights flickered on, casting a warm golden hue across the room. It was an odd contrast to the chill of the forest I'd just run through, almost like stepping into another world.

The old woman sat on a couch near the fireplace, her face illuminated by the soft glow of the fire. She looked exactly how I'd imagined her, wrinkled skin, silver hair pulled back in a loose bun, but her eyes? Her eyes were sharp, too sharp for someone who lived so isolated from the world. They seemed to see right through me.

"Hello, Ellie," she said with a smile that could be described as... unsettling. It was warm, but it didn't reach her eyes.

I wasn't afraid of her. But I couldn't deny the unease settling in my chest.

"I'm guessing you're Miranda?" I asked, stepping further into the room, but not too close.

She nodded, her smile never fading. "Please, have a seat." Her voice was calm, soothing, but there was something about it that made my skin crawl. Still, I complied, lowering myself onto a chair by the fire.

"Would you like some tea?" she asked, and before I could respond, a steaming cup appeared in front of me on the table.

I stared at it for a moment before taking it in my hands. I didn't trust witches, but I wasn't in a position to refuse hospitality, especially not from someone who could help Lizzy.