Hunted by the Alpha King

Seventeen

Willow stared out of the double-paned window. The ground beneath her tower was vast and never-ending. The forest that surrounded the fortress was filled with pines, aspens, firs, and the occasional willow. It was much more plentiful than the forest back home. But the most breathtaking part of her view was the large lake that cut through the mountains. She watched the sun and moon reflect off the water, a perfect mirror for the planets.

“Enjoying the view?” Vaxon asked behind her.

She looked over her shoulder and smiled. “I miss the trees. I’ve never been so removed from them.”

She was in the High Coven’s keep. A castle levitated into the air by magic. The castle was an old abandoned castle that the supernatural community took over. Newborn witches across the land were sent here to start their training. They worked with the eldest and strongest in their community to train the new generations. Vaxon had told her stories about his childhood in the stone walls. The mischief and punishments, but also the magic. It seemed like a wonderful place to grow up in. The High Coven was gathering today to decide if she could stay here with her child.

Willow placed her hand on her stomach. There was no bump yet, but her stomach felt harder than it had before. Maybe it was a placebo effect, but she couldn’t help think she could feel the life growing in her. “Have you heard any news?”

Vaxon stepped into her room further but kept a distance. He had learned very quickly that she suffered when a male touched her. A side effect of the mating curse. And she was just starting to learn how much of a curse it was.

“They’ve asked me to bring you in thirty minutes. They are still discussing.”

“As long as I can cover my wolf, I can live with my pup anywhere.” Willow wasn’t quite sure what she would do in a month. Ronan had threatened her with her parents' lives; it had been her recurring nightmare since. She had no doubt her mate would follow through with his threat. Daily, he called to her. He begged her to come back and listen to him. There was no doubt in her mind that he would try to bind her to him further if she were to go to him in a month.

“He wouldn’t be able to sense his pup?” Vaxon asked.

The sad truth was Willow didn’t know. She had grown as an outcast in her pack. She rarely talked to the pack doctor and knew nothing about wolf pregnancies. Her parents had only trained her how to escape. The last thing they wanted her to do was to have a child. But she couldn’t help but think they should have taught her biology. Weapon and endurance training would only go so far in motherhood.

“A question for the High Council then,” Vaxon said, sitting on the chair next to the window.

“Will I be able to run at the next full moon?” She asked, thinking of Ronan’s threat again. She wasn’t sure which forest she was in or how to get home. Her stomach dropped with hopelessness. Even if she could run at the next full moon, there was no guarantee the witches would let her out of their sight. She was a convenient guest at the moment. But Willow was aware they could make her a hostage at any moment. She had a sinking feeling in her stomach. If she told the High Coven that Ronan threatened her parents and demanded to see her, she would become a hostage.

Unintentionally, she had given the witches nearly full power over the Black Alpha. They have his mate and pup. A deadly combo. It might’ve been easier if she had just stayed with Ronan after their mating.

He was not worthy, Rana whispered. She had become more subdued since they came to the fortress.

He would take better care of us over everyone else, Willow reasoned. Deep down to her bones, she knew this. Ronan would’ve destroyed anyone who tried to take her.

“Come, you can ask the Coven yourself. They are ready for us.”

Willow stood and followed her friend out of the room. He lead her down a large stone hallway, tapestries of different covens and spells resting on the walls. Candles that never lessened were aflame down the hallway, kept alive by magic. Willow’s footsteps were silent behind Vaxon, and he kept looking over his shoulder, smiling at her. She couldn’t return the smile no matter how hard she tried. Her nerves were getting the better of her.

She would rather deal with the beast she knew than the one she didn’t.

Vaxon opened a door for her to reveal a large astrology tower. The roof was domed glass, which would be perfect for stargazing. A circular table sat in the middle of the room, with about twenty witches and wizards sitting in large wooden chairs that almost looked like thrones. Twenty different gazes turned to look at her as she walked in the door. Assessing and judging.

“This is Willow Richards.” Vaxon stood beside her and held a hand out, but he was careful not to touch her.

“The mate of the black wolf,” an old man said, his brows furrowed heavily over his deep-set eyes.

“And the mother of his pup,” an elegant woman said. She was the wolf that met her at the portal when Willow initially came to the fortress. Belladonna Tremynne. The High Covern’s maternal leader. She had been the leader for nearly sixty years but didn’t look a day over twenty. Her magic kept her young and unattainably beautiful. But she couldn’t hide the hard glint in her eye. Willow noticed it right as she got here. This would be the woman to turn Willow into a hostage if necessary.

“The white wolf,” another witch supplied.

All of these titles meant nothing to Willow. She was anxious to get the judgment over with, whereas these witches acted as if they had all the time in the world. Without Willow’s ability to suppress her wolf, they were in danger of having her near. Ronan could find her if he tried hard enough. And when she didn’t turn up for their meeting in a month, he would undoubtedly come.

“What are we to do with a pregnant Alpha’s mate?” A grumpy old man asked. He echoed Willow’s thoughts perfectly. What did they want with her?

“She is the wolf foretold.”

All eyes turned to look at her again.

“She is too young,” the grumpy old man replied.

“Not her wolf.”

Willow snapped to Belladonna. How did she know about her wolf? No one was supposed to know the details of her wolf except her mate. Leif revered her and treated her with greater respect than his host. But Rana commanded respect from him.

“A wolf foretold?” Vaxon asked. Willow was grateful. She had the same question pounding through her brain but lacked the courage to ask. The witches had it wrong. Her wolf was white and considered weak by her pack’s standards. She was an outcast. A reject. A stain on a perfect record. What could be foretold about her?

“There is a prophecy,” Belladonna started. “Nearly a thousand years ago, the supernatural community was gathered under the royal family. The Royal family were Lycans, the first supernatural beasts to roam these lands. Every species united under them. The witches, the wolves, the ghouls, the demons, and even the vampires. The Royal family was respected and loved. But as each generation passed, the different species began to hate the family. They held too much power. They were judges, juries, and executioners. So the supernatural community sought to slaughter them. Every species but the wolves and witches fought in the war. Wolves and witches helped the Royal family. But as time went on, the enemies grew more and more savage. The humans started to take notice of the supernatural war.”

Willow’s gut clenched uncomfortably at Belladonna’s story.

“Then, one night, the Royal family was murdered during a birthday celebration. A vicious group of vampires and rogue wolves ripped every family member to shreds. The only one who was not found was the family's youngest member. A young princess, not even one-year-old. It was rumored that one of the Royal family's protectors took her and hid her from the world. That he protected her and raised her as his own.”

Willow started shaking her head before Belladonna said, “A white wolf.”