"Chloe, behind you!"

I do a sharp 180 degree turn and pummel the warrior that was sneaking up on me.

Thankfully, we haven't gone to the extreme of having dead bodies, but many warriors lay unconscious on the ground.

It really hurts me as an Alpha to see my pack members like this. Brainwashed and paying for a cruel witch's sins.

"Don't stop until they're captured or dead!" Kaceline's amplified voice booms over the castel grounds.

"Know what? RUN!!" Mia links us.

We don't need to be told twice. Lorenzo and I start sprinting away while Mia fades.

Lorenzo and I got a few seconds headstart. When the other wolves started chasing us, we were ahead by a few yards.

"Go east! The waterfall is our rendezvous point."

"Got it!" I link Mia back. She's probably waiting for us there.

That means we have to lose the wolves on our tail. Curse us for having some of the best trackers! I start pushing myself to go faster since it seems that the wolves are gaining on us.

I mind-link Lorenzo to split up with me so we can lose our chasers. This feels like a game of tag, except whoever is 'it' is a goner.

I run in to the left while my mate runs in the opposite direction. Just like we expected, the wolves split too. Some chasing Lorenzo, but the majority is after me.

Dang, whatever lies she fed them are huge. Maybe treason?

I don't have time to ponder on that, because one wolf nips at my tail. Idea!

I increase my speed,making sure that the wolves after me aren't that far behind and are picking up speed.

Now a tree. A tree, a tree, a tree, ah ha! I run straight at a very wide pine tree with sharp looking pine cones hanging from it.

I have to time this just right. A moment too soon, I'll be caught and killed. A moment too late I'll hurt myself badly then get killed.

Approaching near compact! Kasey, over.

Three

Ears pressed against my head.

Two

Breath hitches.

One!

I sharply turn my head and leap to the right. The bark of the tree grazes my hind legs and tail, but that's it. No injuries.

I run into a wild berry bush and duck into it. I roll around in the sticky muddy mess in order to hide my scent. I peek from the brambles and see that most of the wolves crashed headfirst into the tree, the few that hadn't crashed are sniffing the ground for my scent.

A black and brown wolf starts sniffing uncomfortably close to the bush. He's getting dangerously closer to me.

No no no! Please don't!

I came so far, only to be caught now!

His gaze zeroes in on my bush.

I have the worst luck.

He sticks his head into the bush and sniffs it. A growl emits from him, causing the other wolves to perk up and stalk to my bush.

Let's fight them! It's either kill or be killed.

No, Kasey! These are my pack members, we can't hurt them. They don't know what they're doing, they're not in their right minds.

I stand up tall, accepting my fate. If I happen to go down in the least, I will put up a gentle fight.

Snarls erupt from the twenty or so wolves and I let out one of my own. I don't know how much of this I can take without snapping.

It's frustrating for an Alpha to not be in control of their pack. Especially since I'm a royal.

"Stand down now, warriors." I make sure that my voice is loud and menacing in their heads.

"We will do no such, you traitor!"

"We bow down to no backstabbing filth!"

"How dare you try to command us knowing what you did?!"

There's no point in me even asking what they think I did. The black and brown wolf strikes first. I sidestep, then pin him down and knock him out.

More wolves pounce on me. I dodge, strike and pounce where and when I can while making sure that none of them are getting seriously injured.

Suddenly, someone's paw plunges into my back and blood pours out instantly. I yelp in pain and try to free myself from the wolf's obviously sharpened nails.

One of the wolves drop to the floor and shifts back to his human form. He clutches his thigh and screams in pain.

More wolves fall to the ground and shift back into their human form.

"Step away from the princess, mutts. Otherwise I'll just use the silver bullets instead of wolfsbane ones."

A familiar strong voice rings out in the air, carrying unknown power.

Storm! With two 24 carat silver guns in each gloved hand, anybody can tell that she isn't playing.

The wolves still stand their ground. Storm just smirks at them.

"Okay, didn't want it to be this way."

She starts shooting repeatedly at every wolf attacking me.

The gunshots are so loud to my sensitive ears, I whimper and cover them with my paws.

"Princess! Get outta here! Go to the rendezvous point!" Storm shouts.

I could barely hear her, but I knew that escaping should be the first thing in my mind.

I give her a grateful nod before dashing off to where Mia told us to meet. If Lorenzo didn't have any hiccups along the way, he should be with Mia by now, waiting for me.

I pick up speed, not taking any chances of being caught by one of my brainwashed werewolves.

~

"So where are we going to stay? Obviously not in the werewolf kingdom. The scepter affected all wolves. Except you, your mate and his sister." Mia says thoughtfully.

I told her that Storm is on our side, therefore she wasn't affected by the scepter. The only explanation that made sense is that she is the guardian of Delphinea. And the guardian is the future ruler's sister. She isn't my sister, so it made sense that she's Lorenzo's long lost sister, Ignis (but she'd rather go by Storm). The resemblance between the two was almost uncanny, I wonder why I didn't figure it out immediately.

I wasn't affected for obvious reasons, Lorenzo wasn't affected because he is my mate and Mia isn't even a werewolf.

Who else couldn't be affected?

The light bulb goes off.

"Kella! Anastasia's mate. She's a tiger shifter. She can't be affected by this." I exclaim.

"Don't you think she would've been blackmailed or brainwashed by Kaceline herself?" Mia deadpans.

I sigh and take my feet out of the clear pinkish water. Mia summons for me, an oversized sweater with leggings and for Lorenzo, a pair of dark washed jeans.

I take the clothes and shrug them on. Lorenzo climbs out of the pinkish river and puts on the jeans.

My gaze wanders from his broad chest to his sculpted abdomen. The water trickling down his torso makes him almost glisten in the sunlight. I bite my lower lip to stop myself from saying anything I shouldn't say in front of a mom.

Speaking of, she clears her throat."Okay, Chloe. You can stop eye raping him now. We need to go."

I blush beet red and try to cover it up with the sweater. Lorenzo's ears become a lobster red, letting me know that he is blushing too.

"I'm going to take us to my home in my old coven. I just hope Stella Adrianna isn't letting old age turn her into a snappy old hag." She chuckles lightly at the end.

Stella Adrianna is only a few hundred years older than Mia, but she's a woman that sure does act her age.

I take Mia's left hand and Lorenzo takes her right. "Close your eyes."

We do as she instructs.

"Open."

That was quick, and there was no rapid spinning like when I teleported with Darcy.

I open my eyes and I am met with the homey village. Little thatched cottages with golden hay roofs and white cobblestone walls are in their neat rows along the dark brown lanes.

Little children squeal about, playing with charms and a group of teenage witches loiter about near a bench, teaching each other spells and little hexes.

Witches are out and about, collecting scrolls, buying colorful potions in vials of all sizes and shapes, carrying couldrons and just sitting gossiping or catching up with friends.

A tabby cat decides to rub it's head against my leg. I pet behind her ears, earning a modest purr before it walks away and joins the other cats in the cat pen.

It's been so long since I've seen the witch kingdom. To think that I was once one of the children in the playground, admiring charms casted by my peers. And Mia taught me some simple potions on that little table away from the townsfolk, known as the training table. It's away from the people because of the mayhem caused by young potion makers-in- training.

I love how there are different fields of witchcraft. Charm casting, potions making, divination, apprenticeship programs, enchanting, elemental magic etc.

My wave of nostalgia dies down and is replaced by butterflies in my tummy when I realize that I am holding Lorenzo's hand.

The butterflies morph into a whole flipping zoo when he gives me a genuine smile.

Mia walks ahead of us, leading the way to her cottage. Though I remember the way, I don't want to break skin contact with my mate.

After a few twists and turns, we make it to the familiar two storey building with a hay roof yellower than a ripe banana and walls as white as an eggshell.

The rosewood door bursts open and a figure with a big smile steps out.

I growl at her, startling Mia and my mate. I growl out one word before I am at her neck.

"Kaceline."