YOU WERE MINE FIRST

Witches Kneel

CHAPTER 16: Witches Kneel

Moonrise came with witches. They don't fly. They just appear, like frost.

I woke because the knot was gone. Hollow ache left. White dress up to my waist, furs tangled, his chest under my cheek. His hand over my belly even in sleep.

Too quiet. No guards. No Cain. Wind stopped. Lyra woke cold.

_They came. They used Old King's invitation. He invited Moon Coven 20 years ago. Wards remember if not revoked. Three in courtyard. Hecate and two daughters. They bring iron._

Iron. My eyes flared white. The room lit. Rhazien snapped awake, gold-white eyes wide, claws tearing furs. He sniffed my hair. Heat sealed, honey milk snow and his. Under it, iron and witch blood.

"They dared," he whispered. That soft voice before he ends someone. "They dared come while my Queen was sore."

He lifted me, wrapped us both in black cloak, kicked the broken doors so hard the dresser flew. Hall empty. Armor empty. Helms on floor.

"Little debt, listen," he carried me down fast but not running so he didn't jostle where sealing ached. "You are mine. Inside, outside. They cannot put iron again. They will try to make you say yes. Don't. Let me handle them."

_Queens don't dirty claws. Kings do,_ Lyra said.

Courtyard doors opened. Snow blowing but no wind. Torches black fire. Three females middle of courtyard. One old, two young. Grey robes, bare feet blue. Faces melting because wards burned glamour.

Old one Hecate. Left cheek glowing white handprint, mirror of my brand. One gold eye, one black pit, mouth sewn with silver thread torn bleeding. Daughters holding black iron chains. Same iron they put around my soul at three days old.

At their feet, lying, Cain and twenty guards and three Alphas. Breathing, eyes closed. Cain's hand reaching to stairs like he tried to warn us.

Rhazien went still. Too still.

"My Beta," he said soft, while claws fully came out, blood dripping from palms. "You put my Beta to sleep. On my mountain."

Hecate smiled black teeth. "Beast King, we came by invitation. Old King Morvath invited us 20 years ago to put protection around white pup born to Mara Finch. He paid yearly to keep her caged. You broke cage by sealing early. Contract says white womb belongs to Coven to trade. Vampire queen paid 300 years ago. We came to collect."

Lyra surged. White light flared. Black torches flared white then black. Snow melted then froze.

"You put iron around me at three days old," I said, voice layered mine and Lyra's. Chains glowed white hot, burning daughters' hands, they dropped them. "You told mother protect me. You took yearly payment, left me scrub floors, called it protection."

"You don't understand," Hecate said. "White fire burns human body. Iron kept you alive. Now font blood wakes, pups will need more blood than you can give. Come to tower, we have stones."

"She is not your sister," Rhazien snarled, loud enough castle heard. "She is my wife, my Luna, my debt that will never be repaid. And you used invitation that died when I ended his reign at 14."

He flicked black stone. A crack raced from his boot, splitting courtyard half.

"Step over line and you face me. Stay behind, speak, I might let you leave breathing. Touch my Queen and I show you why walls have warnings. You have no invitation. You have ten seconds."

Hecate reached into robe, pulled yellow scroll, smelling like honey iron blood, same as ledger I burned.

"Blood contract. Signed by Mara Finch in blood 20 years ago. 'I Mara Finch give my female pup if white to Moon Coven for protection until first heat for yearly payment. If pup lives to 18 Coven may trade womb to highest bidder.' She signed in pup's blood. Your wife's blood before birth belongs to us. By Goddess law mother may give female pup if omega. Blood contract outranks debt claim. Give us white queen and we leave. Keep her and we wake iron still sleeping in her blood and put wolf to sleep forever."

I stared. Mother handwriting I knew from kitchen lists. Brown blood black with age. Below, tiny handprint, white glowing faint. My handprint at three days old when they pressed my hand into ink after putting iron.

Three times traded. Lyra went ice cold.

_I remember. Three days old. They pressed pup's hand while I screamed inside iron. Contract valid by Goddess law. Even I cannot break Goddess law._

My knees buckled but Rhazien held.

"Elara, look at me only," he whispered, forehead to mine. "Goddess law says mother may give female pup if omega, yes, but Goddess law also says—"

He stopped, eyes snapping to Hecate, smile feral proud showing fangs, remembering what Old King told him before his reign ended at 14.

"Goddess law also says White Queen may not be given. White Queen may only choose. Only by King who claims debt with soul not gold. Your contract says 'if white give for protection.' Protection failed, Hecate. You caged. Collected payment, left her called defect, pushed into ice river at 14. Protection failed. By witch law if protector fails contract null. By Goddess law if protector fails white pup reverts to Goddess and Goddess gives her to King who claims debt. I claimed debt on broken altar. She is mine by Goddess law which outranks blood contract. Next line says 'unless pup is white.' White pups belong to Goddess."

Hecate's gold eye widened. She hoped pup King wouldn't remember old tongue.

Lyra surged, white light brighter than ever. Black torches went out. Snow turned to steam. Iron chains melted to black water. Witches screamed.

_Goddess law,_ she roared through my mouth, two voices one throat, echoing off walls, cracking stone, mountain rumbling. _White pups belong to Goddess. Not mothers. Not covens. Goddess gives white pups to Kings who claim debts and pay with soul. He claimed. He paid. We choose King. We choose Blackthorn._

Light exploded from my chest, throat mark, shoulder bite glowing white-gold, three lights shooting up sky, lighting Black Mountain fifty miles away.

Hecate stared at melted iron, at handprint burning hotter on cheek, knew contract broken. She dropped scroll. White light touched yellow parchment, burned, no ash.

"Tell vampire queen white queen power is mine. I sealed it," Rhazien said soft while guards woke, Cain gasped sat up. "And tell coven if any witch steps on my mountain without invitation from my Queen, I brand every one and hunt one by one."

He stepped over line, crushing melted iron, hand reaching for Hecate throat. She flinched.

"Stop," I whispered, layered. Rhazien stopped inch from throat, claws hovering.

"Go," I said soft but worse than cold, gold-white mark flashing. "Go back to tower. Tell them White Queen lives. Caged for small payment 18 years. Traded for debt contract. Bitten by vampire sister at three days old. Marked by Beast King who paid with soul. Sealed early and bears King promise. If anyone thinks white queen power can be bought, I will brand you and send my King."

Hecate pressed forehead to stone. "Yes My Queen. We kneel." Daughters slammed foreheads too, "We kneel My Queen! Moon Coven kneels!"

Behind them Cain woke, fist to chest, forehead to snow, hoarse, "HAIL WHITE QUEEN! HAIL LUNA WHO BREAKS CONTRACTS!" Guards howled, "HAIL WHITE QUEEN!" Alphas howled, "HAIL WHITE QUEEN WHO CHOOSES KING!"

Rhazien carried me up, bare feet leaving glowing footprints, into ruined bedroom, kicked doors shut, knelt before bed, huge, scarred, thumb stroking scar on my knee from river rock where Tanya pushed me at 14.

"Do you know you made Moon Coven kneel? Oldest coven 300 years old who put iron around you at three days old kneel to kitchen girl?"

"I chose," I whispered. "I chose you. I chose debt that will never be repaid."

"Then I will face the world before I let anyone say you chose wrong," he vowed soft.

"Don't face them today. Just hold me. I'm sore and cold."

He pulled me onto his chest, ear over heart hammering, hand stroking white ears, tail.

Outside Cain's voice, choked, "Send word. White Queen lives. She broke blood contract with Goddess law. She made Moon Coven kneel. Blackthorn has Luna again. Tell them Beast King claimed debt with soul and will face world before he lets her be taken while she bears his pups."

Rhazien purred broken ragged. "Sleep little debt. No iron. No poison. No sister. No contract. Just you and me."

And first time since three days old, I fell asleep not traded. Chosen.