The Beta Witch Princess

Chapter Seven

**Trigger Warning (Violence)**

As I stood there with royal warriors ready to attack the horde before us on our King's command, I could not help but notice Alpha Hersh's appearance. It had only been a few months since he was supposed to be executed, and he already looked nothing like his former self. He was a tall and very muscular man who had been clean-shaven when I last saw him. I could even say he looked like one of those handsome movie stars from the human realm. But now, the monster, once hidden within, stood before us all as his disgusting stench radiated from him.

He had insulted not only I but our Luna Queen. He had betrayed those that the Moon Goddess had entrusted to him.  

My anger knew no bounds at the chuckles of rouges that must have had no idea what forces they were up against.

"My Coven, we will protect our Alpha King and Luna Queen. Esmeralda, take half of our witch warriors and have them secure the castle no one is to enter.  Those that stand with me now prepare to defend—Unsheathe your swords and magic.

As they followed my command, I watched as the night begin to glow with green, blue, purple, and magenta as the witches of my coven allowed the magical energy to flow through their swords as if engulfing them in magical fire. As the light lit up the castle grounds, I could see some rouge trembling with fear. Usually, fights with the Royal pack rarely included coven. Werewolves were proud and settled disputes paw to paw. For many of these rouges, this will be their first and last time experiencing the wrath of my coven.

I could feel Ellina and My brothers' presence behind me. He was now in wolf form. I could feel Hunter's eyes boring into the back of my head. UHHH.

"Get over it!" I mind-linked him as I rolled my eyes as he growled at me.

The stench was irritating my senses, so I began to mutter incantations under my breath as I willed wind and black clouds to fill the night sky as thunder clapped loudly and lightning lit up the night sky.

"Hypatia, are you doing this? You can control the weather," he said over mind-link.  

"I have many talents, my King. I will strike them down on your command," I told him.

"Bring them to their knees, Princess," Pixie said menacingly with a grin. I love my wolf; she is so awesome!

Everything happened quickly. Alpha Hersh shifted, and my King let out a howl that shattered the night silence. I watched as rouges came out of nowhere and began to swarm the castle grounds. They have a witch or warlock helping them. Well, they will be in for a revelation.

"Hypatia, NOW," my King shouted through the mind-link.

In that instant, my eyes and body began to let off a turquoise glow. I grinned at Alpha Hersh's wolf as I willed lightning to rain down on the rouges attempting to join him.

We watched as rouges and debris flew through the air as lightning cut through the sky and struck the ground below. The rouges stopped entering the grounds and began retreating. Whoever had summoned them was still cloaking themselves.

As lightning rained down, a barrier of impenetrable fire engulfed the main gate and castle walls. No one would enter, and no one would leave until every last one of these traitors was sent back to the Moon Goddess.

Cornered with no way out, the Alpha ordered his men to charge forward. My King let out another howl commanding us to move against the present enemy.

"Royal Pack shows them no mercy," my King commanded through the link.

My speed was unlike anything I had experienced before, and the coven and I moved against the Alpha and his rouge army; Pixie really did enhance my abilities. As the enemy encountered our swords, they were lit ablaze. We sliced through rouge after rouge, splitting their bodies in half and alleviating their shoulders from the weight of their heads. The sound of snarls and the snapping of jaws were defining as the Royal pack dismantle the disgraced Alpha's army.

I had a clear view of the Alpha Hersh's wolf, and as I charged forward. But two awfully familiar oversized wolves decided to block my path. I grew up knowing them, Devin and Max. They shifted back amid the chaos.

"Well, well, Princess, full of surprises, aren't we," spoke Devin?

"The Alpha has assigned us the task of taking capturing you. He feels you could be of use to him," Max, let me know with a grin plastered across his face.

Wow, they and the Alpha are deranged. They really believe they are going to win. I stared at them impassively as I let down the shield surrounding my armor. If they dared to even fathom taking me captive, I was going to make them suffer as much as possible before they died.

I could feel Pixie shift her stance in my mind as I felt a rush of power flow through me. It was like I was in wolf form, but I was not. My nails and teeth elongated slightly as a growl left my lips. Devin and Max looked at one another and then lunged at me. Flashes of memories went through my mind; they had been like my older brothers at one time, and now they were my enemy.

I instinctively brought up my sword in my right hand and, in one swift motion to my left, sliced through them both, setting them ablaze in purple flames. They writhed in pain as they lay dying before me, their eyes wide with shock. Their weak souls had made them so susceptible to the darkest of perversions. I prayed to the Moon Goddess that she would cleanse their souls and free them from the darkness that consumed them.

Before I even had time for another thought, rouges swarmed me. Getting close to my armor, many let out yelps and wines succumbing to the silver that lined my armor before I cut them down. I was drenched in their blood as each stroke of my sword took them out, leaving their bodies scatted before me.

At that moment, I felt unimaginable pain; something or someone was trying to break the protective barriers around my King and Queen. This had to have been the reason Pixie wanted me to use a protection spell on them. It would let the castor know if an enemy was attempting to penetrate or break through it somehow.

I kept fighting as I made my way to them.

I could sense them both.

They were in the center of the chaos. My King stood in front of my Queen. She was unconscious, but I could hear her heart beating. The other that would have matched her in strength and skill was one warlock name Dominicus. He had been under surveillance by the high court for potential involvement in activities against the crown. The Witch Queen had wanted us to take a wait-and-see approach as a means of capturing his coconspirators.   

"My Queen," I mind-linked the Witch Queen, Sapphire.

"My child, why are you …," she spoke before I interrupted. "My Queen, I have very little time. Alpha Hersh and an army of rouges have moved against the Alpha King. They are being aided by Dominicus, your Highness. I do not know what the Alpha promised in exchange for his involvement," I told her quickly. "Do you want him alive or dead, my Queen? He has injured the Luna Queen, Ellina, and is attempting to take their lives," I asked her.

I was only the Beta Witch in training; I was not permitted to take such action without the Queen or my mothers' approval.

"You have my approval, child. We can extract information from him from a fresh blood sample. As soon as you kill him, I need you to send him to me," she commanded.

"Yes, my Queen," I said as I closed the mind-link. I was cutting down rouge after rouge as I made my way towards them. Keeping my eyes on Dominicus, I materialized iron bands and willed them to wrap around him, bringing him to his knees as I reached them.