Journey to the coven

...BELLE...

...Breaking glass....

...Flames engulfing the throne....

...The glowing red eyes of the...

...Demon Lord....

...I awoke with such a start it...

...felt like I was levitating....

...But my reality was much too...

...sobering....

...There was no Demon Lord....

...The throne wasn't burning....

...And I was still in the dungeon...

...of the Werewolf King with...

...nothing but a lantern and...

...some blankets....

...That about summed up my...

...luck....

...Not to mention the horribly...

...putrid smell that penetrated...

...my nostrils. I almost retched...

...on the ground but managed to...

...hold it in....

...Maybe it was a good thing I...

...hadn't eaten....

...Shapes continued to shift...

...from the lantern's glow....

...Sweat dripped from my brow....

...But something felt off. Then...

...again, everything did at this...

...point....

..."That didn't feel like a...

...dream,...

...» I said to the empty...

...chamber....

...I stood and stretched, feeling...

...my muscles ache with a...

...wonderful burn. The blankets...

...from Xavier gave me extra...

...cushion. It helped give me a...

...boost of energy but not much...

...else. A few vertebrae popped...

...as I rose from touching my...

...palms to the ground....

...CLICK....

...CREAK....

...The door swung open with a...

...grunt, and I heard heavy...

...footfall on the stone steps....

..."Good. You're up. We have...

...much to do and far to go,...

...Keith said....

...Keith looked at me with his...

...dark eyes, making my head...

...swim and my stomach...

...somersault into knots....

...If he was not my mate, how...

...did he have such a pull on...

...me? I wanted to wrap my...

...arms around his broad...

...shoulders and feel his tongue...

...tangled with mine....

...I bit my lip to try and stop...

...whatever power he held over...

...me....

..."And where do you think...

...you're taking me?" I asked....

...I could see the invisible fire...

...burn behind his eyes. He...

...stepped forward with a deep...

...growl and pounded a fist on...

...the stone wall....

..."Why do you defy me? I have...

...never in my life__...

..."Never, what? Met a woman...

...that didn't do your every...

...bidding like Zena? It'll be a...

...challenge. But as long as I'm...

...here, you'll have to get used...

...to it."...

...He looked at me hard,...

...savoring the insubordination...

...even though it angered him....

...I turned away, feeling another...

...tinge of lust I didn't want....

...That I didn't think I could...

...control....

...You are not my mate." His...

...words pierced me with pain...

...as sharp as his claws....

..."Yet...

...you unlock something...

...uncontrollable inside me....

...Something I've never felt."...

..."Then, tell me why you are so...

...terrible to one of your own...

...kind?'...

...His laugh bellowed, hurting...

...worse than his claws ever...

...could....

...Such a gentleman!...

..."The werewolves' blood...

...lineage goes back centuries....

...And I am one of the most...

...ancient of my kind."...

..."Our kind." I said with a hiss....

...Why couldn't he get that...

...through his thick skull? I was...

...one of him!...

..."You are no werewolf."...

...I couldn't stop my fist from...

...hitting his chest....

...The king laughed and...

...grabbed my wrist. Pain shot...

...through my arm and into my...

...brain....

...He leaned forward. I inhaled...

...his musk, and the pain began...

...to subside....

..."You have powerful magic, I...

...will give you that. When you...

...shift, it may fool the others,...

...but I know."...

...He leaned forward and...

...inhaled. His perfect smile was...

...both wicked and alluring,...

...captivating me even in my...

...moment of peril....

..."I can smell the others. They...

...are like me. But on you.....

...there is no scent that tells me...

...you are one of us."...

...He tossed away my hand, and...

...I cradled it....

...I was warned what defiance...

...would bring. The pain was...

...excruciating, but I refused to...

...let him see me like this....

...With a pained smile, I...

...showed my strength as he...

...started his way up the steps....

...Two guards moved to usher...

...me forward. I elbowed them...

...away and took the steps of...

...my own accord, feeling their...

...presence the entire way....

...Xavier was outside the castle...

...with a group of men. He saw...

...me exit and nodded....

...My heart filled with warmth...

...and the ache in my muscles...

...felt better. Who would have...

...guessed the healing powers of...

...his kindness?...

...The feeling didn't last long as...

...Keith barked more orders....

..."We will visit the Wiccan...

...Priestess. It will be a long...

...journey, but we must be fast....

...No stopping. For anyone....

...His eyes shot in my direction....

...I opened my mouth but saw...

...Xavier standing behind Keith,...

...shaking his head, no....

...Thanks to the Moon Goddess...

...if I make it out of this without...

...losing my tongue.....

...I thought...

...again of Zena sucking on his,...

...and it sent shivers up my...

...spine....

...But I had more pressing...

...issues to worry about at the...

...moment....

..."Who is this Wiccan...

...Priestess, and why should I...

...even care?"' I asked....

...Some of the men laughed but...

...Keith's clenched jaw shut...

...them up....

..."The Priestess is one of the...

...oldest beings on earth. She is...

...a witch, and her knowledge is...

...vast. We are going for...

...answers."...

..."So, you want to see if she...

...can notice my scent? Since...

...you can't seem to place it?"...

...My tongue had extra bite...

...today....

..."We are already late. Can this...

...quarrel not wait until we...

...know why the Demon Lord is...

...even after her?" Xavier said....

...stopping the monster in his...

...tracks....

...He was right. There were...

...more pressing issues. And...

...what seemed like a long...

...journey....

...Made longer by being around...

...the monster....

...I couldn't help but think of...

...my family. I missed the...

...stubborn guardianship of...

...Sean. The gentle, knowing...

...guidance of my mom and...

...dad. What would they say in...

...this moment? I could almost...

...hear them talking to me....

...Soothing me....

...But those thoughts were...

...suddenly ripped away as...

...Keith stepped in front of me....

..."It's time. Do your magic,...

...witch. But don't think you...

...can escape. Shift and try to...

...keep up."...

...I ground my teeth in anger as...

...I watched the King shift into...

...a massive werewolf. twice the...

...size of anything I would have...

...hoped to become....

...This realization only angered...

...me more....

...I focused, and in moments,...

...red hair covered my body. I...

...roared into the sky....

...It was time to show them who...

...I really was....

...BOOM!...

...Our group roared across the...

...vast plains. Each step...

...pounded the ground like...

...thunder in the sky....

...My claws tore at the ground,...

...sending chunks of grass...

...flying in my wake....

...I wasn't as fast as them, but I...

...had managed to keep within...

...view....

...At first, it was fun, almost...

...relaxing. My muscles were...

...still sore from the dungeon,...

...but each step offered more...

...and more relief....

...Until we kept running......

...My breathing became choked...

...I could feel every heave of...

...my lungs for oxygen coming...

...up with less and less....

...Eyesight that had never failed...

...me began to give way,...

...leaving dark spots that...

...blurred my vision....

...I stumbled but caught myself....

...The humiliation of being left...

...behind was too strong to...

...overcome. I wouldn't lose. I...

...couldn't!...

...That was when I lost the...

...feeling in my legs....

...Stumbling one last time, I...

...caught a glimpse of the pack...

...in the distance before I felt...

...my body hit the ground....

...Annabelle. Come back to me....

...His red, glowing eyes burned...

...in the darkness as the flames...

...rose....

...Annabelle. It's me. Your mate....

...I wouldn't go to him. I...

...couldn't!...

...And then I opened my eyes to...

...see another....

...The one who had never...

...shown kindness to me....

...The Werewolf king himself,...

...lips only inches from...

...touching mine....

...He noticed my open eyes and...

...a smile moved over his face....

..."I thought I had lost you. And...

...I can't let that happen,...

...9 he...

...cooed...

...That was all I had ever...

...wanted to hear. But not...

...coming from the king...

...himself....

...I smiled. It was the only thing...

...I could do....

...In that moment. I could...

...almost feel his lips pressed...

...against mine with a...

...tenderness I had never felt....

...It would be exactly as I had...

...always imagined. With one...

...kiss, he could make whole...

...what had once been missing....

...I was the only werewolf that...

...could shift without losing...

...clothes and becoming...

...completely *****. It was a...

...special talent no one could...

...dismiss....

...But even with my clothes on,...

...I could feel his ***** skin....

...His shaft, uninhibited,...

...pressed against my thigh....

...He held me in his arms, and I...

...yearned for him to explore...

...my body, to cup gentle...

...fingers over my breasts....

...Within moments, I was on my...

...back, lying in the grass. My...

...*** hurt from the fall, so I...

...rubbed it, grimacing....

...Keith roared into the sky....

...His ***** body was taut, with...

...muscles flexed to full...

...capacity. It showed how truly...

...handsome a specimen he was....

...And it made me yearn to feel...

...his body pressed against mine...

...once more....

...But our moment was over....

...He quickly pulled on his...

...clothes and turned to me with...

...anger on his face....

..."No being has possessed such...

...powers over me. None. It is...

...impossible."...

..."Hey, you were the one...

...hovering over me," I...

...reminded him....

...He punched at a nearby tree...

...with all his strength. His fist...

...left a hole clear through....

...He turned again to me.'...

...cof...

...thought you were hurt. But...

...now I see, it was only...

...weakness....

...99...

...He sure did know how to hurt...

...me. The good thing was, I...

...knew how to hurt, too....

..."Next time you hold me like...

...that, tell me who is weak,I...

...said with a smile....

...Keith's eyes grew wide with...

...frustration. Before he could...

...retaliate, Xavier saved me...

...once again....

..."Keith, we have found the...

...scent of the Wiccan coven,...

...but we will need your nose to...

...find the entrance," Xavier...

...exclaimed with a tired voice....

...*Prepare yourself. Once we...

...have gained entrance, there...

...will be many challenges in...

...our path," Keith said while...

...looking at me....

..."I'm ready for anything."...

...This was a lie, but I said it...

...with full conviction....

...He didn't know my strength,...

...but I would show him how...

...powerful I could become....

..."Good. Then prove it," he...

...retorted....

...Keith followed his men...

...toward a wide ravine....

...Suddenly, I could feel the hair...

...on the back of my neck stand...

...on end....

...I shook my head and cleared...

...my belligerent thoughts. I had...

...not sensed this type of anger...

...before....

...But it wasn't only anger. It...

...was something much more...

...powerful...

...And it burned most when I...

...saw him....

...I had to admit, I kind of liked...

...it. This type of power was...

...something I could get used to....

...But as I walked in the...

...direction of the ravine, a...

...sense of dread filled me up,...

...slowly replacing the power I...

...had just begun to feel....

...Keith stood in the middle of...

...an open meadow. His men...

...were alert, ready for anything....

...Keith looked at me once more...

...with a cold stare....

...«We've...

...arrived. Prepare yourself. The...

...challenges that lay ahead may...

...be deadly."...

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