Two Different Worlds

Chapter One: Fated Meeting *Sage Avis’s POV* Sage stares out of the window in her bedroom, her mind repeating the same phrase that she has uttered every day for the past 15 years. I will have my revenge for what I’ve lost. I will take back my kingdom. Her determination blazes in her violet eyes. The Moonstone Pack Alpha ceremony is in two weeks’ time, and it’s time for her to begin. She feels a gentle presence enter her room. Norae. She turns and smiles at the petit, blonde woman with blue eyes. Norse smiles as well, but it’s a forced smile, never reaching her eyes. She’s raised Sage as her own ever since the attack and now her daughter is leaving. She can only hope that her training will be enough to keep her safe. “It’s time, Mama. I can’t say anything to stop you from worrying, but I promise you this: I will win back our kingdom and bring you home. It is my duty to my people. I will come back alive,” Sage assures her. “Remember Sage, you are much more powerful than even your parents were at your age, but you still need to be careful.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I have loved raising you as my own. I love you, my daughter. I cannot bear to lose you, so please keep your promise.” “Norae produces an emerald anklet seemingly out of nowhere and presents it to her daughter. Sage’s eyes widen as she looks at the anklet, her memories pulling her to the last time she saw her mother alive. She tells her it is enchanted to protect her scent as a witch, just like the spell she and Norae perfected while living in hiding. Rosalie Avis, Witch-Queen of Mystic Cove, was sitting outside in her garden with Sage the morning of the attack. Her legs crossed as she breathed in the fresh air. She was so peaceful, and as Sage studied her graceful mother, she saw the anklet peaking out from behind her dress, the emeralds catching the light in a breathtaking way. She hoped that one day, she would wear that anklet. Little did Sage know that it would be the last time she’d ever see her mother alive. The attack began moments later, and the world around the young Witch-Queen-to-be was shattered. Sage shudders, and accepts the gift. Norae can see the painful memories in her daughter’s eyes. She wants to comfort Sage, but her daughter changes the subject. “I should leave soon. I appreciate the anklet. I never thought I would see it again…” Sage trails off and is almost pushed back into her mind, but quickly remembers the racing clock on finding the Alpha heir. She gives her kind mother a kiss on the cheek. After what feels like a million goodbyes, but also not nearly enough, Sage looks back at the door of the small cottage she shares with her mother, studying her face . I love you Norae. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but I will bring you home. Just you wait. Sage shifts into her raven form, anxious to start searching for the Alpha heir, and begin her quest to find those who killed her family, and took her kingdom. A single feather floats down into Norae’s hands. Her nightmares come back to her in full force once she is in the air. She cannot forget the smell of death, the screams of her kingdom. She cannot forget seeing her mother die right in front of her. She flies towards the Moonstone Pack, using as little magic as possible so as to not be detected. She would make the Moonstone Pack regret ever f*cking with a witch’s territory. *Mason Mortem’s POV* King Anthony’s words echo in Mason’s ears as he paces, deep in thought. His wolf, Jay, snarls at his human. Quit your pacing. That’s not going to help us find the witch any faster. Mason ignores Jay, knowing he’s just restless and needs a run. He walks to his desk, studying the map on his desk for a moment, his eyebrows furrowed. She had to be close. She wouldn’t be too far away from a place she must want to destroy. So why couldn’t anyone find her? Why couldn’t anyone detect her scent or her magic, which was bound to be strong. He lets himself fall into his thoughts, remembering his King’s words. “Mason Mortem, Alpha heir of the Moonstone Pack, I have a task for you. I have left the witch brat alive for the past 15 years, but she is still standing in my way. The Kingdom of Mystic Cove will never truly be mine until all the heirs to the throne are dead. The true heir to the throne I now sit upon is alive. You must find the witch at all costs, and kill her. I fought long and hard for this throne. I will not let her take it away from me,” King Anthony growls. His thirst for power had only grown since the end of the war. Witches were forced into hiding, or becoming the servants of their new Wolf-King. Mason and Jay alike never agreed with the king’s actions, but the war started before he could walk, and it ended long before he could begin to hope to stop the bloodshed on both sides. Plush, he knows his duty is with his pack, and he can’t disobey an order from his king. And with his Alpha ceremony just two weeks away, this new mission was too important to run from. He had to prove that he was worthy of his title. Mason looks in the full-size mirror in between the large ornate windows that look out over the pack at his tattoo-covered arms and dark features. He hopes he could become half the Alpha the king was. When the war ended, Alpha Anthony made it clear that his intention was to reign over Mystic Cove, and no longer serve as an Alpha for Moonstone alone. He appointed his beta, and Mason’s father, Derrick, as the next Alpha, bonding the Mortem bloodline to the Alpha rank. Nevertheless, it didn’t stop the pack from demanding that Derrik and Mason both prove themselves worthy. For Mason, he was tasked with finding the witch. He was given this mission 3 months ago, and with his 21st birthday and Alpha ceremony just around the corner, Mason knew he wanted to find her as soon as possible. He wanted to make it clear to the pack that he is their Alpha. Mason hears another low growl in his mind, Jay becoming restless again, needing to stretch his legs. So he leaves his office and heads into the night. Letting the night air soothe his mind, he walks toward the woods surrounding his pack, getting excited for his run. Shifting, he transforms from a handsome man with chiseled features, dark hair, and green eyes, to a large black wolf with silver eyes. He runs through the trees by himself for awhile before letting Jay take control and coasts in the back of his mind. Moments later, though, Mason feels Jay stop suddenly. They get hit with a sweet smelling aroma of honey and roses. “Mate,” Jay growls happily, their heartbeat quickens. Are they really about to meet their fated mate? Jay breaks into a run, following the source of the scent until he stops dead at a tree. Seeing no one around, Mason takes over control and transforms back into his human form, investigating the area, and becoming very confused.The sweet scent is strongest where he is standing, but he doesn’t sense another presence except the animals of the forest. Suddenly, a raven swoops down from the trees, landing on the grown in front of him. A stunning young woman materializes in front of him. He feels his breath quicken as he breathes in her scent, overcome with the smell of honey and roses. She has beautiful violet eyes, and raven black hair that’s braided behind her. Her eyes are wide, and her irises swim with a million emotions. He can sense her emotions, their mate bond strong. She’s feeling the bond, but she is also disgusted and angry, looking at her mate with deadly determination. Sensing those emotions jolts him back into focus, because they don’t make sense to him. How could his mate hate him so much already? Beyond the mate bond, he finds two new scents coming off of her. She’d turned from a bird to a human before his eyes, and her scent is the unmistakable one of a witch. Not only that, but she is powerful, the most powerful witch he had met in years. However, there is something else, another scent he cannot quite place, being too faint for even his incredible sense of smell to identify. “Mate?” Mason questions, becoming suffocated again by her lovely scent. “You’re my mate?”