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My eyes burned in the sunlight.

Shielding them with my hands was not enough. Kneeling, I practically buried my face into the ground and remained in that fetal position.

" I see seven." An authoritative voice said. The sound of it sent a shiver spiraling down my spine.

" Yes Alpha Rhyd. She was alone in her cell. I thought maybe..." Inigo trailed off.

" It is fine. One more doesn't affect our plans." The voice said.

Alpha Rhyd? No wonder his voice sounded so imposing.

I wondered what he meant by 'plans'. I shivered to think of what they would do to me. Werewolves were well known to be heartless, merciless ...and cruel.

" Look up." He said and the authority in his voice sent a jolt coursing through me. I found myself unwillingly straightning up but the sunlight was still too much for me to bear and I hid again.

My head was yanked up from behind and I screamed, closing my eyes tightly.

" That is enough, Brutus." The Alpha said and I felt the hold on my hair loosen.

I wished with all my might that I had a crystal... or a knife. I'd love very much to show Brutus just how brutal I could be.

" The seven of you are criminals." The Alpha spoke his voice, confident. The pride it carried was evident. All Alphas sounded like that. Domineering and completely overbearing.

Inwardly, I scoffed at what he'd said. Criminals? The only criminals here were the ones walking free.

He continued, " For the past three years, you have been serving the punishment for your crimes. But by my command, the seven of you are on probation.

You will be fed, clothed and housed. After a month, you will be allowed back into the community still on probation with hopes that you will become a valuable asset to Aradia. If not," he paused " your cells are there, waiting."

He spoke too quickly for me to have heard anything. All I was able to get was 'fed' and 'released'. What did that even mean? I dared not hope. If I was wrong, it would only cause more pain. I'd had enough of pain.

But I couldn't go into my trance like state. Something bubbled in my chest. It was hope... I dared not feel it, yet it was there.

〰️〰️〰️

It took the omegas hours to clean us up. I knew they were omegas because no other members of a pack would do this kind of work.

We were covered in three years worth of sweat, grime and excreta. Our teeth were decaying. Our hairs overgrown. My hair went down all the way to my ankle!

By the time they were done with me, it had been cut and now stopped at my waist. My teeth and skin had been helped by several magical daubs.

I had thought that magic would never be allowed in Aradia anymore but it seemed I was wrong. If that was the case why were witches still called criminals?

"What's going on?" I whispered to the omega attending to me. She was gently drawing my hair into a braid. "Why were we released?"

"The Alpha king is giving the throne to his son." She whispered back. "Alpha prince Rhyd." There was so much awe in her voice as she said his name. "Now he wants to integrate witches into Aradia."

Witches had never been a part of anything. We had lived in small covens scattered across our land in the West. That had been our downfall. Not standing together.

Aradia was also known as the kingdom of wolves. Last I knew it had more than seventy huge packs. One of its packs had decimated my coven. I longed to know which one.

Now that it seemed that I wouldn't be killed, there was a strange hunger growing in me. What was it called?

Ah yes, vengeance. I tried to push it to the back of my mind.

Don't rush into anything. Scope out the situation first.

No witch had ever lived in Aradia before. What was this Alpha prince up to?

The omega continued to speak, "Now that the humans are settled in -"

I sat up.

"Humans? In Aradia?" I queried. No human clan had ever lived close to a wolf pack before not to talk of in a werewolf kingdom. Werewolves couldn't help themselves, especially those that had tasted human flesh before.

The omega nodded.

"Faes too. And the Aradian sea has Merefolk habiting it. Everyone is coming to Aradia because it's safe. You know about the increase in the Ogre attacks right?" Then she caught herself. "Oh you don't!".

I've been in a shit filled cell for the last three years darling, try to keep up.

"Well the ogres are causing a nuisance in the western kingdoms but they never come here. The Alpha prince is already well known to be a man not to be messed with."

There was so much admiration in her voice when she spoke about the Alpha prince. It was sickening. If he was anything like his father, Alpha king Eryk which I was certain he was, then he was no better than a rabid dog.

"Anyway the attacks are helping Aradia. It's getting so much more bigger and more powerful." The omega said.

I listened open mouthed.

A kingdom filled with Werewolves, faes... and humans?

What had the world turned into?

Thanks for reading.

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