Are you my mate?

Chapter 5 The Witch Oracle

It kind of feels like we've been walking for hours and getting nowhere. I need to get there fast.

"The witch’s scent is getting closer" Ana says.

"Oh, there's a cottage up ahead. That must be hers. No one sets up a cottage this far out in the forest"

"Yeah, no kidding, hay" I, told her.

We started walking towards the cottage. Ana looked back while nearing the cottage, and it seemed that the forest was shrinking back like a blur. "That's weird," Ana says.

We came to a stop in front of the cottage.

"Let me take over Ana," I told her. I will need to be in my human form to knock or something. And I can't exactly talk to the witch in my wolf form.

I didn't hear any protest as she knows why we need to shift back.

My bones started snapping one by one in every single inch of my body. This never gets old and hurts like hell.

Next thing I knew, I was standing on my 2 legs, butt naked.

"Perks of shifting without having clothes. You didn't even think of doing that, Rose? Really now?" Ana says in my head while I roll my eyes.

'Yeah yeah whatever. We'll find a way to get clothes on our way back Ana’.

'yeah sure. Let's see how that will happen in the middle of nowhere in the forest!'

'Just shush it. This is my form now. I have control', I told her while lifting my hand up to knock twice on the door.

"Come in already, child," someone said on the other side of the door. This just gave me Goosebumps in the scariest way possible.

"Just go in, Rose," Ana says. Forgot that I can hear her now while in my human form since our connection is back.

I didn't reply to her and just opened the cottage. As I opened and walked in, the foot behind me clamped shut on its own.

I jumped a few feet from where I was standing.

"Way to go scary cat. You are a wolf for god's sake," Ana scolds me.

"Whatever, just shush. My form, remember?"

"And you will never let me forget it as long as you are in this form. Just wait till I'm back in my form then you'll..." Ana did not finish her sentence as we saw the place before us.

'But this is a mansion inside' Ana says.

'Yeah, how is this possible?'

The space looked elegant and big. The ceiling was high up with a chandelier dangling from the top. Massage couches with a TV. A staircase going to god knows wear. There was a cottage outside, so where in the heavens would that lead to?

"It's possible, because I am a witch" says a lady dressed in an elegant dress that sparkled as she neared me. She had on a long tight-fitting dress that matched her fair complexion. Red looks beautiful to her. She was beautiful. I thought witches looked, well, not like this. She looks like she's in her 30's or something.

"Yeah no kidding. I was thinking the same thing" says Ana in my head.

"I may look like this, but I never show my true form" says the witch. Can I even call her a witch? She's so beautiful.

"Oh yes, sorry for starring. You are just so beautiful" I said with a smile that I could not fake, and fiddled with my fingers again.

"Yes I know. So, back to business. What brings you here?"

"Well...I don't know how I can just come out and say or ask this. I'm not really sure how”.

"Just spit it out already girl. I don't have all day, you know. I have dinner to attend in 20 minutes" she says, while standing in her spot and waiting for my answer.

"Right sorry." I said, while I stopped fiddling with my fingers.

"I was asked here by the beta's daughter in my pack to ask you for a potion to make an Alpha think that he is her mate, if it turns out that she is not. Meaning, if it does not naturally happen so" I have no idea where that confidence came from. I haven't spoken a full sentence so clearly to anyone before. Will except my parents. I don't talk much to anyone.

'That was me dumbass. I just pushed you a little' says Ana in my head.

'Oh well, thanks. At least you have my back.'

'Don't I always? I'll always be here for your Rose. Just don't block me out again.' She says, and I can feel the hurt that I've caused her before.

"Well, get straight to it then" the witch said. Well, isn't that what she wanted? Oh my.

"I actually do have such a potion. There is a price to pay though. I only come to collect when the time is right" she says so elegantly.

"And don't worry about your pretty little head about it. I will collect my price from that little Olivia myself" she says, while nearing me more. I step a bit back. I am not sure why, because she doesn't look scary, but it's just a reflex I guess. Oh, and wait! How does she know who is asking for it in the first place?

"How do you know who I was referring to and how do you know Olivia?" I asked her with a questionable look on my face. It is really weird that she knows this.

"I take on many forms. I've been to every pack on this continent", she trails off and does not look like she's done explaining.

"I've lived for many years. There is a reason why I'm close to your pack's territory. There is a reason why I know everyone in your pack. I am looking for someone. Someone the moon goddess herself has blessed with the best gift of all. A wolf that has the power of an Alpha and Luna in one. I need to take her away from here. Together we can rule all packs. I will make her immortal like me. You see, I love power. She will give me the power that I need. I've been taken for granted and tossed in the garbage like nothing. Everyone just saw me as a filthy witch with dark magic. They wanted to burn me alive for the spells that I could do. I promised that day that I would make everyone pay for what they did to me. But don't worry that I'm telling you this. You won't remember a thing when you leave here." She says with a wicked smile on her face.

'Rose. This is not good. We need to go’.

'Yes, right back at you. Shift!"

"Not so fast, little Wolf. You came here for a potion, and I'm giving it to you. I know Olivia because it's not the first time she has asked me for a favor. Did you ever wonder why she looked so beautiful? It's not just growing up for her that she has blossomed into a flower. I did that", the witch says. Making me back away. I moved, but I knocked on the door with my back. Trying to turn around and open it.

"She still owes me for that, you know. Now she will owe me for this as well", the witch says, while keeping a small bottle in the air with her right hand, with a blue liquid inside.

"I never accepted this" I told her, trying to open the door.

"Oh, but dear, you did. The moment you walked into my cottage, the deal was already set. You know...you cannot walk out of here without accepting the deal. I already knew what you wanted" she says with an even more wicked smile while she nears me.

"You won't pay the price, so why are you scared?"

Why am I scared again now since I won't be paying the price?

'We don't want to ruin an Alpha's life' says Ana.

'Oh yes.... what are we going to do, Ana?'

'I think I've heard of this but didn't actually think so to be true. We have to accept the deal rose. We have no other way. We can just tell Olivia that we never found the witch’.

' Then I'll be kicked out and lose my house and!' I told her while still looking at the witch.

"Don't think you cannot go through with the deal. This potion must go into the hands of Olivia for the price to be paid by her. If you keep the potion or if you do the deed, you will have to pay my price", she says. She could see the shock on my face because she just gave a wicked laugh.

I'm not sure what is wrong with me, but I feel that the room is starting to black out a bit. I see starts in my eyes all around and everything blurring out.

I can hear the witch chanting something. And her words were faint. I could make out a few, but these words had my full attention.

"You will be clothed and wake up in front of the pack borders. Good luck with the potion. You have a choice to make, dear."

She says before darkness took over just after I fell down.