THE ALPHA'S DESTINY (THE PROPHECY)

CHAPTER 9: DARK WITCH

ALPHA'S POV

"Alpha! Alpha!" Carson woke us up from our nap as he shouted through our pack link.

We were still in the woods near the stream, and it was the early hours of the morning.

I didn't need to ask if something was wrong. I could feel it.

"Carson, where are you?"

"We're at the Northeastern border."

"I'm on my way."

We arrived in record time. The stench of death permeated the air.

There were dead wolves scattered all over.

ROGUES!

Two charred bodies caught my eyes.

Were those witches?

Declan, my Gamma and third in charge, was the first to realise that I've arrived. "Alpha!" He bowed in respect.

The heads of the other warriors were now focused on me.

I was still in my wolf form, but with the snapping of bones, hands and feet replaced my paws.

"Somebody get me some clothes!" I used my Alpha tone.

I heard shuffling of feet and within no time someone handed me a shirt and trousers.

I slipped into the trousers and then slid the shirt on my torso.

In war, there were always casualties.

The first thing I wanted to know was how many we've lost.

"How many?" I sought.

Declan held his head down before he answered. "Seventeen, including James and Scotty."

Shit those were two of our best trackers.

"Declan, grab a few men and gather our dead and take them to our morgue. Get their bodies cleaned and dressed. We'll have their funeral at dawn - Oh and don't forget to notify their families."

"Yes Alpha, right away Alpha."

"Carson, what's the status?"

"There were seventy-one rogues. We killed sixty-two of them, seven got away and - " His eyes trailed over to two naked bodies kneeling on the ground, they had their hands behind their heads. "We captured those two over there."

I growled. All rogues must die. That's a rule I never plan on breaking.

After rogues killed my parents when I was sixteen. I went on a killing spree. I went feral for six months and I single-handedly took out nine thousand seven hundred and twenty-two rogues. That's how I became known as the Demon Wolf.

"Why are they not dead?"

I stormed over to where they were kneeling. My eyes were jet black and my claws sharpened.

I planned on clawing their throats out.

"They're only kids!" Carson howled.

I stopped in my tracks studying the teenage boys.

Carson hurried to my side. "That's the reason we didn't kill them, they look to be around fourteen or fifteen."

"Allen," I called one of my warriors. "Put them in one of our cells, but make sure they have something to eat, I'll figure out what to do with them later."

"Yes, my Alpha."

"Carson, tell me about the ones who escaped?"

"I sent a dozen of our soldiers to hunt them, I told them not to return, unless it's with all seven of their heads."

I gave Carson an impressive nod.

"And the charred bodies? - I can tell by the smell that they were witches."

"I was going to get to that," he moved his eyes to the bodies, then back to me. "There were three of them."

"Three?" I questioned. "But I only see two bodies!"

"We captured the other one and took her to the dungeons."

"Who's guarding her?"

"Talon and Topher."

"Oh good. The nightmare twins are two of the best torturers in our pack."

"Alpha, she says she wishes to talk to the Demon wolf."

"Ok, if that's what she wishes. I'll grant her the request," I smiled wickedly.

"Alpha - be careful, she's the one who slaughtered the other two."

"Why did she do that?" This revelation shocked me.

"I don't know man, but she killed them just by looking at them."

Could she be a dark witch?

"Take me to her."

Both of us went down to the deepest, darkest part of the dungeons. The smell of old rotten corpses stained the air.

When I became Alpha at sixteen, I ordered for the dungeons never to be cleaned again.

I figured the sight of rotting corpses will be of motivation for prisoners to give us information when we torture them.

Not even the toughest of the tough would want to be locked in a dark place surrounded by dead bodies and the smell of death.

We walked until we saw Topher. We greeted him and went into the cell.

Talon was keeping a close eye on her.

These witches are tricky.

My eyes landed on a twisted figure chained to the wall. I trudged up a little closer, so I could get a better look at her - but not too close.

She was one ugly b***h!

Her face looked like it was dipped in hot oil. She had white and red boils covering her face.

I could smell the evil surrounding her.

Her hands looked like they were made of tree bark. Her skin looked like dried wood.

Her fingers resembled tiny branches that were twisted unnaturally.

How dark is her magic?

"I take it you're the Demon Wolf?" I heard a sinister voice ask.

I studied her for a long while. How dare she address me without permission?

"Well, are you?" She flashed me her dirty rotten teeth.

"So what's it to you?" I questioned.

"No need to tell me, I know you are the one I seek."

"Ok, then no need to play around. What the f**k do you want with me?" I got a few feet closer.

I felt a hand grab my shoulder, I peered at the hand and then glanced up to the person it belongs to.

"Be careful," Carson said through the mind-link before he released his grip on my shoulder.

Her face snapped up a little, giving me a better view of her gruesome features. Her eyes shone dangerously.

"You've found your MATE," she yelled. For a second I thought I saw fear in her swamp yellow eyes.

"What does my mate have to do with this?" I was now on the defence.

She closed her eyes and spun her head slowly in a circular motion.

"I don't like this," Gidian said.

"Me either."

Her eyes snapped open. "I can tell you got a whiff of your mate, but you haven't met her as yet. Am I right?"

She's good - or in this case bad.

I didn't want to give anything away, so I held my ground. Gidian was also holding his own.

"I think we should kill her," Gidian asserted.

"I will, but not yet. There's a reason she's here. Alpha Kane said rogues and witches are teaming up to look for the chosen one. I want to see if she'd tell us anything."

For the first time in a long time, Gidian agreed with me.

"Tell me, witch, why have you come here?"

She looked bored as she spoke. "I told you, I came to talk to the Demon Wolf."

Gidian was getting mad.

"What do you want with my wolf?" I spat.

"Tell you what," she responded with an evil smirk. "I'll answer your question if you promise to let me meet your wolf - deal?"

"Alpha! No!" Carson shouted.

I turned my head and growl at him. But he didn't back down. Instead, he walked up to me and said. "Brother don't do this. We don't make deals with witches."

I assured him I knew what I was doing. He then sighed and went back to his position.

"If I say yes, you have to answer two questions instead of one and you'd do so BEFORE I let you meet Gidian."

Her eyes lit up like she already got what she wanted. But I shrugged it off when she yelled, DEAL!

"So Alpha, what's the first thing you would like me to answer?"

"Why did you kill the other two witches?"

She wasted no time to explain. "I needed the blood of two witches to break through the barrier that's surrounding your lands," she explained dryly.

It was true, my parents got a white witch to cast a protection spell around our borders eighteen years ago.

The white witch who cast the spell is known as Isis. She still lives on our land. We didn't bother her, and she does the same for us.

"But you needed the blood of two white witches to do so."

She looked at me and laughed. I immediately understood what that sinister laugh meant. She sacrificed two innocent witches.

I couldn't wait to behead her, then burn her remains.

"Let's move on, I don't have all day. I have spells to cast and lives to take."

She was there grinning, waiting for me to ask my last question. But that smile was soon to be gone from her twisted face.

"So tell me all you know about this Chosen One you're looking for?" Her smile immediately fell to a scowl. My mouth was now doing the grinning.

She knew she had to answer. It didn't matter if a witch is white or dark, they can't withdraw from a deal once they've made it.

She scowled in anger. She didn't perceive I knew about the chosen one.

"So what are you waiting for - witch?" I taunted.

She looked like she was thinking over something. Maybe she was trying to find some type of loophole. I mean they couldn't back out of a deal, but they sure can always find loopholes - that's why you should never trust a witch.

This f*****g ugly b***h just kept staring at me. I was getting impatient.

"I said, what are you waiting for?"

"Hold your horses, let an old crone catch her breath."

I rolled my eyes at her. Gidian was pounding around in my head. He wanted to bite her f*****g, ugly b***h face off.

She made an exaggerated sigh before she began.

"The prophecy states that the chosen one is the Alpha born with the gift of telekinesis. He shall be mated to the seventh daughter of the Sun God, Helios. Together they shall be the most powerful rulers of the supernatural world. They shall bring forth a child who will possess all the powers of the Sun God."

She looked at me with an expression I couldn't read.

"That's it?" I questioned. I felt like there's more to the story than she lets on.

"Yes, that's all I know?"

"And you think that I am the Alpha from this - this prophecy nonsense of yours?"

"Yes," she stated dryly.

"I don't believe you! Tell me what you and the rogues want with the chosen one?"

"No Alpha! A deal is a deal. You only get two questions and now it's time for you to hold up your end of the bargain."

There was no way I was going to let her near my wolf.

I turned my back to her and began to make my way to the exit.

"But Alpha," she called. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

I heard shackles tearing from the walls. I spun around quickly. The ugly b***h was ripping the shackles like they were made of paper.

Carson was crouched. He was ready to attack.

"Talon! Mind-link Declan and the others. Tell them to get here now!"

"Yes, Alpha," Talon let out through our link.

"You think I'm playing with you young wolf," she hissed out.

She walked towards us. Carson leapt at her, but she did something that caused him to get frozen in midair.

"Carson!" I shouted.

"Don't worry, I won't hurt him if you give me what I demand."

"D-don't do it," Carson struggled to say.

"I WANT TO TALK TO THE DEMON WOLF!" She was getting impatient. Her eyes were filled with rage.

Gidian was fighting for control. I didn't know how much longer I could hold him.

"Let me go, I can take her," Gidian growled. But I was not so sure about that. "If I don't show myself she's going to kill Carson. If anything happens to him-" Gidian trailed off.

"I know Gidian. We won't let anything happen to him."

"I'm waiting wolf." Saliva trickled out her mouth, down her chin and sizzled like acid to the ground.

"Let him go first and I'll show you Gidian."

"I would be a fool to make a deal with you again. Show me your wolf or I'll burn your beta!"

Talon was growling behind me. I didn't want her to have another person to use against me. "Talon get out of here!"

"No Alpha, I'm not going, I'm staying and fighting."

"THAT IS AN ORDER!" And with that, he submitted and left.

I slid out of my shorts and went on all fours. My bones started snapping out of place. They sounded like twigs breaking.

The witch's eyes fell on me as my wolf emerged.

"Marvelous! But I need him in complete control" She explained. She walked closer to me.

Carson was still frozen in the air.

"It's ok, I'll be fine," Gidian assured me as I gave all control over to him.

She stood directly in front of us. Her body inches away. She had to look up in the face of my wolf as he stood eight feet tall.

She looked like she was in a trance. Admiring his beauty.

"This is your chance!" I told Gidian.

He used his eyes and focused them on Carson while she was busy admiring our wolf form.

He held his gaze on Carson.

I could feel Gidian imagining Carson on the ground. Carson began descending to the floor gradually.

I could feel the witch's hold slowly fading from around Carson.

That's it - almost there. I could feel the strain in my mind.

"Gidian, you can do it," I coached him.

The witch's head snapped over to look at Carson. She was in complete shock.

"Your power is strong Chosen one, but I can tell you need practice"

She tried to get back full control of the hold she had on Carson, but I could feel her power battling against ours. She was becoming weak.

I felt her hold slip.

Gidian used that moment to wield his mind and flung Carson to the door behind us.

Gidian was in pain. Our vision blurred for a moment.

Exhaustion took over as I felt Gidian collapse on the floor. I tried to use my strength to pull us up from the floor, but it was no use.

Gidian's weakness affected me too, as we are connected.

The witch stood over us, wailing in triumph.

"It's a pity I can not kill you. At least not right now," she added. Gidian growled at her. "Be nice Gidian, this will only take a second," she flashed him a wicked smile.

Before Mom and Dad died, they told me I should hide my abilities from everyone.

Do not use it, they said. But if only I had been practising, I would be powerful enough to kill this b***h.

She pulled a necklace from around her neck. The pendant looked like some sort of vial.

She mumbled some words I didn't understand.

What's taking Declan and the other's so long?

I wanted to look over to where Carson was thrown, but since Gidian was still in control, I couldn't get my wolf's head to move.

"Gidian you have to give me back control."

"I'm trying, but I'm too weak."

The witch was still mumbling incoherent phrases.

My brain ached. What was she doing to us?

She opened the vial and poured a powdery substance into her palm.

I heard her call my wolf's name and then mumbled a few more unclear words.

"Gidian - oh Gidian - apulla, pulla, lakka kakka, ka - apulla, pulla, lakka, kakka, ka," she chanted for what felt like hours, then with one swift movement she blew the powdery substance up our nose.

"Sleep now, young wolf, we'll meet again soon."

Darkness took over as I fell into a deep slumber.