The Ash Witch and the Alpha

The Aftermath

When Tristan woke, Diana’s scent was beginning to fade. His wolf howled in agony as he clutched her pillow. Part of him wanted to track her down, pull her by the hair and reseal her in their room, or simply mark her on sight, but the more realistic part of him knew that his mate would only resent him more. Did she not feel it? The pull in his soul to claim her, to make her his. It was overwhelming at times.

He d**g himself out of bed before too long, however, because he knew his pack needed him. The attack from River Rock had startled them out of the peaceful rhythm of the last ten years. Not even rogues had dared test them, yet here they were, their once good allies now their enemies. As he made his way to the dining hall, Marc, his Beta, stopped him in the hall. “The pack is divided.” He stated the obvious, “Some believe the mate bond is sacred, others think she cast a spell on you.”

Tristan wished she had, then it would mean she wanted him too. But the moon goddess enjoyed playing with hearts. “Would she have left me if it were a spell?” Tristan deadpanned, causing Marc to stare with wide eyes.

“You let her go?” Marc demanded, “After everything, all the money and the resources to get her here, you just let her go?!” His eyes flashed as his wolf came forward.

“If you love someone, let them go.” Tristan mused with a stoic smile, wondering if the mate bond would pull her back to him. His heart aches and he keeps picturing Diana, how peaceful she looked in her sleep, how miserable she looked awake.

The second he enters the dining hall, the room falls silent. It was not as loud as normal even before though, as some are whispering of the events of the night before. Before he gets a chance to speak, one of his strongest warriors calls out, “Thank the Luna for me, Alpha. Doc said I’d be on bedrest for a week and not be able to shift for a month if it weren’t for her.” He’s confused for a moment before he realizes that this was the man who had been pinned down by a wolf before he had the chance to shift himself, the claw and bite marks were severe, disfiguring his entire face and torso. Yet there he said, only faint pink lines on his whole body. No wolf healed that fast.

In response to the warrior’s words, the pack was divided. Some nodded, showing off clean flesh where wounds had been as proof of Diana’s healing ability, others grumbled that had she not been here, there would have been no need for it in the first place. Tristan simply nodded in response and moved to where the food was laid out, buffet style. He was piling his plate when a young man approached him, Tristan recognised him as a newest member of patrol. “I’m sorry Alpha, I….” He paused, uncertainty flickering in his eyes, “When she left, I went to stop her but…she commanded me to let her go and I–” The man is barely past being a pup, maybe twenty years old and he’s shaking before his Alpha.

“You listened to your Luna, son, there’s no shame in that.” Tristan replied. Although, if he were being honest, it was him who felt shame. He tried to cage her and she had every right to leave, though his wolf howled that he should have marked her right away.

“No, I didn’t!” The boy’s voice is a squawk, drawing attention to them. He lowers his voice, “I meant to escort her back to the pack house but…”

“But?” Tristan asks, more curious than anything. He looked frightened, was it because of the power Diana displayed?

“She…she alpha commanded me, sir.” The young warrior whispered, glancing around to make sure no one else heard. “I couldn’t stop her.”

Tristan stared blankly at him, his plate almost falling from his grasp. Did witches have the ability to impose their will on others, the way alphas did to their pack? He made a mental note to research it. “It’s alright, you’re not in trouble. Patrols are increasing though, so be vigilant.” His voice is grimmer than he means it to be, based on how the man nods vigorously and bares his neck slightly before walking away.

He moves to sit down next to Marc, who is angrily munching on a strip of bacon. Slowly, the whispers turn to chatter and the pack is almost back to normal. Tristan takes his time eating when the senior warrior walks forward again. “Vic.” He greets with a slight nod, which is returned by the man.

“Your mate…she is something.” Vic greets with a small smile, “I never thought I’d say this, but I pray to the Moon Goddess that she blesses me with a witch with half the strength as yours. My cousin mated with a witch but she could barely glow, the Luna is blinding.” There is clear praise in his voice and although well intended, it makes Tristan growl softly.

“Yes, my mate is something.” He agrees, the thinly veiled threat made clear. She was his, not Vic’s. “When did she heal you?” He asked, the night before was a blur of blood and light.

“This morning, I assume.” Vic said with a hint of surprise that he didn’t know, “I fell asleep in pain and woke up to a bright light and my wounds healed, it’s the same for the entire infirmary. Doc even said his arthritis isn’t bothering him anymore.”

Tristan turned to look out at his pack and noticed how they all looked so refreshed, like the battle the day before had never occurred, except for the two lives lost. He had to plan the funerals, think of something to say. He hadn’t been to a funeral since….no, he wouldn’t think about her right now, he needed to be strong.

“That’s good.” Was all he said and Vic, taking the hint, nodded and walked away.

Tristan finished eating and took his plate to the dish rack and walked outside, surveying the outer parts of the pack house and the buildings around it, the daffodils bloomed largely at the foot of the steps, making him frown. Should he put an in memoriam plaque? No, that wolf was shameless, he deserved nothing.

Still, he knew what he needed to do regarding the two packs. He quickly clicked through his contacts and found the Alpha, what was his name, Brian? Brayden?

The man answered on the second ring, “This is Bradley.” At least that question was answered.

“Alpha Bradley, it’s Alpha Tristan.” He kept it formal, gauging the situation, the slight growl through the phone told him all he needed to know. “I believe we should meet, discuss the…situation that occurred last night.”

“We can discuss your crimes at the Alpha Summit, bring your witch too.” He spat the word witch, making Tristan frown. River Rock was not known to be welcoming of all species, that much was clear.

Would Diana even come? In all honesty, the annual Alpha Summit had slipped his mind. It was every five years and a big deal but finding Diana had preoccupied him to say the least. He grit his teeth, “I don’t believe it would be possible to bring my mate just yet, she has not had her Luna ceremony.” The Alpha Summit could be traced back to the end of a hundred year war between the packs. It was how most smaller packs combined into larger ones, such as Opal Moon, River Rock and Silvermoon. They were all once smaller, weaker packs who had joined together in the war, usually due to the death of the Alpha. A hundred and twenty years ago, the war came to a halt when the largest pack Alphas found themselves with destined mates, all from the packs they were fighting against. Some were skilled warriors, others sisters or cousins of the Alpha of their original pack. It was a sign from the Moon Goddess, make alliances not war.

The Alpha Summit was created with this in mind, that the Alphas remain neutral with one another, though some packs were more loyal to each other than others. The audience of such an event was limited only to Alphas and their official Lunas, the leaders of the packs. Diana, while his mate, had not been marked nor taken her oath to protect and cherish the pack, and thus was technically not invited to the Summit.

“Then I consider her attack an act of war from your pack, as she is your mate.” Bradley replied gruffly, “Unless you reject her, in which case my pack can take personal revenge.”

Tristan saw red, he had known Bradley since he himself was a boy, Tristan’s father had guided the young Alpha when he first took over the pack after Bradley’s father had a sudden heart attack. Yet there was the man, telling him to give up his mate simply for the sake of Bradley’s personal prejudice. “You know I can’t do that. I would never disrespect the Goddess, or Diana in that way.”

Bradley chuckled, although there was no humor in his voice, “Diana, is it? I thought it was the Ash Witch of Blackmoon.” Tristan flinched, where had he heard that name? She was to be Diana Silver, as was the Alpha tradition. The leaders of the pack took on the name of it, it was a revered honor in their world. “Either way, she will pay for what she did to my Beta. Witches have no place in this world, especially one without others to protect her. She’ll be an easy flower to pluck.”

Despite his years of diplomatic training, Tristan barked back, “The same way your Beta was? He makes for wonderful curb appeal. I wonder what flower you’ll be.” He clicked the phone off before he could dig his grave deeper and huffed out a sigh. The Alpha Summit was in a week, would Diana even be willing to talk to him to get her to go?