Chapter 38: Choices

Once the alpha pair had reined in their wolves enough to have semi-understandable speech, they stepped inside the trailer.

Their steps were light, barely rattling the floor beneath them.

Alexandra's eyes settled on the witch, her lips set in a firm, sharp line across her face. A muscle feathered in her jaw, showing how tightly she was clenching her teeth. The Luna's eyes were glowing, but that wasn't the most terrifying part.

As the she-wolf advanced forward, her lip curling in a sneer, long, onyx black claws took the place of her human nails, the razor-sharp tips glinting in the light.

Lydia gulped, her face visibly paling.

Alexandra knew that she needed to regain control of her beast, especially if she wanted the witch to continue talking-- but she... enjoyed the reaction that she was getting from the witch. She loved the look of fear that had frozen Lydia's face in place, she loved the bitter scent emitting from the woman's pores.

'Good. She should be afraid.′ Her wolf snarled, its lips curling back in a wicked sneer.

Alexandra couldn't agree more.

When Lydia set her cup of tea down on the small table next to her, her frail, pathetic body practically shrinking in size, Alexandra fisted her hands.

With a strong, unrelenting shove, the she-wolf pushed back her wolf, forcing it into the back of her mind.

Surprisingly, her wolf didn't fight back; instead, it lurked in the darkness of her mind, reminding her that, if the need should arise, that it would fight... eagerly.

Alexandra felt her claws morph back into her human nails, the faint tingling sensation allowing her to focus on dimming her eyes.

When the Luna reopened her eyes, the human was in full control.

Lydia shuddered in relief, as did a few of the surrounding wolves.

"It was my daughter," Alexandra said, hoping that her voice wasn't as harsh as it had been to her own ears.

Lydia's dark eyes filled with sorrow. "Is she alright?"

Color was beginning to return to the witch's face, but she still cowered, slightly.

She had to resist the urge to snap at the damned female. "I do not think that I need to answer that question for you, Lydia."

Dillon put a steady hand on her shoulder, silently reminding her that she needed to stay in control.

She hated how he rarely struggled with his wolf; his wolf was so much more tamed... more obedient than her own.

But, then again, he was her rock; her lifevest; her everything.

Alexandra had an extremely dominant, volatile wolf; but, with his love and support, she was able to control it better than when she had been unmated.

She wouldn't be the woman that she was today, the leader that she was today, without him.

When Lydia rose up to her feet, the she-wolf cocked her head. The pathetic witch lifted her chin, her dark eyes staring into her own with a calculating, observing look.

"Do you know where Belladonna is?" Lydia mused, the gold of her necklace sparkling as it caught a ray of light.

This time, Dillon answered her with a shake of his head. "The last we heard, the coven was still residing in Alaska."

Not a single emotion came across the witch's face; her eyes didn't darken, a muscle didn't twitch in her jaw, her skin didn't pale.

But, for some reason, the witch's lips lifted into the faintest of smiles... a smug one.

She didn't like witches, not one bit, but she had to give the little witch some credit. Belladonna was the most powerful witch in recent years, and her coven reflected that. She had heard of stories where the matron killed a witch for less than looking at her wrong; Lydia's life was on the lines. Having relations with an ancient enemy was one thing, but giving up the location of the secretive coven, to an Alpha pair, was another.

If, once everything was done, the coven decided to go after Lydia, the mundane witch wouldn't stand a chance.

The Luna narrowed her eyes.

Lydia turned her attention towards the alpha male, her face turning somber. "They have recently moved their entire coven, about two months ago, to Alabama."

Every single eye in the trailer widened as gasps and growls sounded.

Alexandra took a step back. "How the Hell are they that close to us?" She then turned to her stunned mate, her mane of dark hair whipping around her head. "We have warriors that watch the witch covens for this very reason!"

"They have concealing spells cast over every single member. It's quite simple, to be honest," Lydia shrugged,"If you don't want to be noticed, a spell that alters the scent of your magic, and your physical appearance, is the way to go."

Stepping away from the witch, as if the very proximity was putting her in severe pain, the Luna stood at her mate's side, her eyes glowing.

Dillon scowled. "How are we to find the coven, if they have spells cast over them? Is there a potion that we could take, to find them?"

Lydia chewed on her bottom lip, her eyebrows bunching together. "Yes... But I'd advice against it. The second that anyone steps on Belladonna's grounds, she knows. And she doesn't take unannounced visits very well... she has killed creatures for such offenses."

This time, the Oracle spoke up. "So, even if I do brew them a potion that would repeal the concealing spell, they would be left practically defenseless?"

Lydia nodded.

"What if they take the repealing potion, and a concealing potion of some sorts?" Finnian asked, his voice deep and rough.

Deadly.

"No." Lydia said. "Potions are like alcohol. If you take too much, then you will be nothing more than a drunk. Potions are extremely powerful, and they should always be taken with care and caution. And they should never be mixed, not if you want to wake up in the morning."

Sasha nodded her head. "I have never worked much with potions, but, from what I remember, she's telling the truth."

Lydia looked at the Oracle, a gentle smile tugging on her mouth. "I'd hope so, especially with these lumbering giants around me, poised to rip out my throat in a heartbeat."

Sasha grinned back at her.

The Oracle's mate growled at her before tugging her back against his chest, keeping an arm of steel wrapped around her mid-section.

"So, it's one or the other?" Finnian asked.

Alexandra rolled the options through her head, focusing on the pros and cons of each of the potions.

But, if they chose the Concealing Potion, they'd be able to sneak onto Belladonna's grounds unseen, but the witches would still be under their own Concealing Spells-- leaving the wolves defenseless and hesitant to engage in any form of retribution. Wolves were forbidden from killing humans, it was the first thing they were taught in pack lessons, but, should the witches have humans on their coven grounds, it'd be impossible to tell them apart from a passing human.

Either way, the wolves would be at a disadvantage, no matter what potion they chose to drink.

And either way could get messy, very quickly.

"Its nearly impossible," she muttered, her throat burning with tears that she refused to shed.

She felt Dillon slip his hand into her own, squeezing gently in reassurance. 'For Adeline.' he reminded her.

Alexandra nodded, shoving down all of the fear, anger, and utter hopelessness down deep into her soul-- she would allow them to escape once she was alone, surrounded by endless forest, but right now, they would have to wait. She had to be strong, not only for Adeline and the pack, but for herself.

"Is there any other way?" Dillon asked, his shoulders pulled back, and head held high. His jaw was set. "Is there anything else that we can do, anything that may work to our advantage?"

Alexandra's wolf nearly howled with rage when the witch began to slowly shake her head, but much to her relief, and utter shock, Lydia's eyes widened as her head stopped moving.

"Next week, on the fourteenth, the full-blooded Brujas have a traditional holiday known as-"

"Spiritus Mortem Dies." Alexandra breathed. Deep within her dark and battered soul, a flower of hope began to sprout, it's thin limbs reaching up towards the light reappearing in her eyes.

She had completely forgotten about the ancient holiday known as Spirit Death Day. To be honest, she had forgotten all about the witches' customs and ways... other than the part they played in the ancient Magic Wars that had nearly wiped out all life on Earth, and the incidents that had nearly killed her many decades ago.

It was perfect.

The ancient holiday was a time when all the witches in a coven would gather in a chosen location, usually in the heart of their territory, and celebrate their ancestors and the magics that had been blessed upon them; they would celebrate with booze, champagne, and potions that would put them on a high that usually lasted hours and hours. Many potions that they took, believing that they allowed them to see and communicate with long-dead relatives, were, in fact, disorientating and gave them dangerous hallucinations.

It was almost too perfect, but they had to take the chance.

With Adeline's birthday now a week away, they were running out of time quickly.

Turning her head towards Sasha and the rest of the wolves in the trailer, she said, "All of you, get back into the van, we're leaving and heading back to the mansion."

A few of them looked like they were going to protest, their eyes flashing back to the witch, but with a stern look from Dillon, they all trailed out of the trailer, heading towards the large van.

"One more thing," Lydia said, "When you go see Belladonna, for whatever reason that you are, you all need to stay close together. The closer that you are, the more powerful the potion that you choose, becomes. Trust me... once Belladonna knows that you are there, you'll need it."

Nodding her head once, Alexandra turned with her mate in tow, and pushed open the squeaky door. The sunlight nearly blinded her, and the endless humidity seemed to steal the air from her lungs.

High, high above, a red-tailed hawk circled lazily. It's beautiful plumage standing stark against the clear blue sky.

"And, one more thing, Lydia," Dillon growled, turning back towards the witch. His blue eyes glowing fiercely... hauntingly.

"If we find out that you weren't being truthful, even about the tiniest of details, our next visit won't be as pleasant, especially for you."

As they turned away, heading straight for the van that would return them to their dying daughter, the witch reached up to the locket resting on her chest, and twisted it between her finger-tips, over and over and over again.

The inscribed 'V' sparkled in the autumn light.

"You don't have to worry," She smiled. "Lying is useless to me."

With that, the trailer door slammed shut.

As the van sped off, a cloud of dust billowing in its shadow, Alexandra let out a heavy breath, letting her head fall to the side. Her eyes gazed out into the field of trailers and vehicles.

A small human child squealed with excitement, it's little legs carrying him away from his trailer. A middle-aged woman raced after him, her hands stretched out, aiming to scoop him up in her arms. Laughter left the woman's lungs as she picked up the giggling toddler, showering his round face with gentle kisses.

Alexandra's heart squeezed painfully as she watched the little boy until she could see him no longer.

He looked just like He did... before the incident that had taken him from the people that loved him the most.

It had been nearly a hundred years since his death, but she still thought about him, every single day.

'Hold on a little longer, Adeline.' She told herself, her wolf growling with anxiety. 'Just a little longer. We're coming home.'

She had lost one child, and she sure as hell wasn't going to lose another.