The Twin Witches

Chapter 23

A conniving Alpha

After breakfast Ariana, Anthony, Alex and Freya were on their way to the dungeon. Outside King Maxwell and Beta Chris were standing while a guard was rummaging through the keys he had in his hand to open the dungeon door. King Maxwell greeted them, his eyes had an unspoken longing mix with guilt. Ariana noticed it and so did Freya but they brushed it away. They need to focus on one problem at a time. They followed the King inside. Ariana's heart rate increases as they walk farther and farther into the dungeon corridor. Anthony squeezes her sweaty hand.

“What's wrong?" He stopped walking and turned to look at her.

“Are you sick, you're pale?” he asked, his voice panicking.

“I…I… hard to breathe” she uttered between breaths.

The King heard them and he took a long stride into Ariana and scooped her in his arm and ran back to the dungeon entrance as the rest of them followed in confusion. He put her on the cool tile floor and mumbled but Ariana couldn't hear a thing. It was like she was drowning. She wanted to come back to the surface but she didn't know how, then she felt sparks sensation spreading all over her body. She heard Anthony's voice calling her name, she focused on her mate's calming voice.

Her breathing came to normal after the longest five minutes of her life. She wasn't aware that being in the dungeon would trigger a panic attack, it was many years ago, still she remembered, it was like it just happened yesterday. The night she had in that dark,cold and dirty little space in Bluewater water’s dungeon. The ten lashes she had got had left many scarce on her back. She lifted her head and met many pairs of eyes staring at her with questions in their faces.

“What happened there?” the King asked, “Only one thing can trigger a panic attack like that.” he continued and looked at Anthony with fury in his eyes.

“What happened with Ariana in your pack?” he roared and Anthony winced and bowed his head in shame. Ariana tried to stand up to protect Anthony from the King's wrath. But Beta Chris stands in front of them.

“Your majesty, we can talk about this elsewhere.” Beta Chris said calmly.

“I'm sorry, I feel better now, we can go back to talk to Britney.” She tried to change their attention into something else. But the King's rough voice answered her.

“You will not go back there!”

“But.., your majesty,” she tried and stood up along with Anthony. She stared at King's Maxwell eyes. His eyes were watery but he blinked it out.

“I already mindlink two guards to bring Britney to the conference room upstairs.” He said and turned away from them.

Ariana was sitting beside Anthony. She could feel his guilt on their bond. She squeezes his hand.

“You don't need to feel guilty.” she said in their link. “ You didn't do anything wrong,” she continued.

“Yeah, that's the problem, Aria, I didn't do anything to stop it! He replied with pain in his voice.

“Stop it! …Just stop it.” she said pleadingly.

The door opened and two guards came in with Britney. She had handcuffs on her wrist. They pushed her on a chair in front of us.

“You!” exclaimed Freya. “You were the one who was going to bump into Alex yesterday evening?” Alex looked at Freya. “ We were dancing and I saw her dancing and was about to bump into you but I swapped our position and she bumped into me instead.” Freya explained.

“You can show to everyone her memory with Freya’s help.” Hecate advised

“How?”

“Hold Freya's hand, put yours and Freya’s other hand on her head.” instructed Hecate. She stood up and made her way to Freya, she repeated what Hecate told her. Freya stood up and both made their way to Britney.

“What are you doing? I…I.. didn't do anything…” Britney stammered, her eyes were round and wide. They could see that she was scared.

“He…he..” Britney tried to say but Ariana and Freya were touching her head. She searched for the right memory related to what she suspected, when she found the right memory she pushed it to Freya and the memory projected out of their head. Everyone who was inside the room saw the memory played like a video clip. They saw Alpha Eddie Black handing a tiny spray bottle to Britney, instructing her to spray it to Brianna and Alex. Then they saw Freya and Alex dancing and Britney bumping to Freya with a spray bottle in her hand. The memory faded away as Freya and Ariana stumbled. Alex and Anthony, who were standing behind them, quickly took them into their arms. The King was furious.

“What was on that bottle?” King Maxwell demanded.

“I….I..”

"Answer me!” he commanded

“It's a potion,” Britney cried. He.. he.. wanted Brianna to be Queen. The potion is made specifically for Prince Alex.” Britney faltered. Alex moved quickly to Britney and held her throat, he and Luca were enraged.

“Ple…ple…please” Britney tried to plead but with Alex's hand in her throat it was getting harder for her to utter any word. Freya put her hand over Alex's hand and shook her head. Alex released Britney's throat.

“Tell us how would a potion make Brianna a Queen?” King Maxwell asked

“The potion will be sprayed on either Brianna or Alex, it can be both. Brianna would be in heat when Alex and her touch each other.”Britney explained and Freya gasped.

“You were supposed to spray it on Alex but I got it by mistake, didn't you? Freya fumed and Britney nodded.

“I'm sorry, I..” Britney trembled. Freya walks away from Britney, she's afraid that she would rip her heart out if she didn't walk away. Her father Chris stops her and holds her in his arms. Alex on the other hand looks at Freya with guilt. It was the potion that made them mates and marks each other, they were forced to do it. Yeah… he wanted to mate and mark her but with their own terms not by someone else.

“I think we heard enough today, I shall mindlink the guard to put her back in the dungeon.” King Maxwell suggested.

“No… please..” pleaded Britney.

Same two guards came and whisked Britney away back to the dungeon. No one spoke, all eyes were on the King waiting for him to say something.

“We need to be smart with this” King Maxwell said

“I agree,” agreed Ariana. “ Alpha Black is conniving and manipulative.”

“And he had an accomplice,” Anthony added.

“And how do you feel about this, afterall he is your father?” King Maxwell asked Anthony with suspicions.

“My loyalty is always yours, Your majesty. My father is nothing to me, all I ask is to give Brianna a second chance. Our father had manipulated her. Give her a chance to repent and mold herself to be a better pack member.” Anthony said.

“So does anyone have any suggestion how we handle this problem of Bluewater's alpha? Chris asked everyone.

“I suggest we put some surveillance at the packhouse, we need to know what exactly his planning and his accomplices are.” Suggested Alex.

“I can help to put some hidden cameras where the Alpha used to be around.” Anthony added.

“Ok then, Chris, one of our suppliers, ordered some surveillance cameras.” King Maxwell instructed and Chris nodded.

“Ariana, Freya I need to talk to both of you after lunch if you kindly meet me and the Queen at the palace entrance.” he asked softly. Ariana and Freya looked at each other and nodded their head. They left the conference room exhausted. Freya went out with Alex while Anthony and Ariana went to the kitchen to get something to drink.