The Witch's Alpha

River

“Micha! Could you be any more of an absolute FUCK UP!” Kai demanded. We were sitting in my office, looking exactly as it had before that fiery little witch came and turned my world on its head. Even now I was struggling to focus, thinking of her. The beast inside me demanded I claim her, that I go to her and mark her as mine. My wolf roared that I should not be in here with these petty squabbles, that I should be up in that room with Lyra. It did not matter that all she felt for me was hate and fear, I needed just to be near her. It is why I had foolishly placed her room next to mine. I had given her the Luna’s suite of the pack house. I could not tamper down this beast inside me if she were too far away.

“ELVA IS DYING!” Micha growled back “What am I supposed to do? Watch my mate and my child wither away while you two unmated  do Nothing?” There was a rage in Micha’s eyes I recognized now. Maybe this had not all been about usurping my authority. I could see it, Micha was losing the fight to the beast, and it was harder for him because his mate was dying. In the best of circumstances, the loss of a mate can drive a wolf mad. But when you were already half gone, what chance did you have? 

“Silence,” I said at last, placing my hands on the large oak desk, feeling the rough crack from where I had broken it under my palm. Micha took a step back as the power of my voice filled the room,  but he did not back down. “Micha you should have told us Elva’s condition was getting worse. The Heal-” I began.

“We both know if the healers could do shit for this they would have” Micha’s voice was low and desperate.

“But Micha you kidnapped a MORRIGAN! Dude, do you understand that family could wipe us off the map, Elva included!” Kai shot back emphatically. Micha put his head in his hands and pulled at his hair.

“I DIDN'T KNOW” His cry was almost a howl. He looked up and his eyes were swollen and red as tears fell down his face. “I just smelled the power on her. I couldn't think straight I just…I figured if we got a witch maybe we could make her undo it!” I felt pity and compassion for Micha. I sighed.

“Very well, we can not undo what has been done.” I said slowly “Maybe…maybe she can. The Morragans are the most powerful. I think Lyra is the youngest one, the one they said left the family. Maybe we will get a streak of luck we desperately need and she will have at least found the cure before they find her” I sighed.

 I was resting the entire fate of my pack on luck. The pack I had given my very blood to protect? Who was I kidding? The smart thing to do was to haul Micha and Lyra to the council and explain the situation and hope the Morragans took Micha as appropriate payment. The rest of the othersiders would know our pack was weak but perhaps fear of contracting this would keep them away. But I wouldn’t, and not just because I found the idea of leaving one of my pack brothers at the mercy of witches repugnant. If this girl was so far from me, in the maddened state I was in, I would tear the world apart to get back to her side, whether she wanted me there or not. 

So this was all I could do, hand my pack over to luck and pray I found the strength to let her go if she was able to cure us. I sighed.

“For now Kai move any wolves who are even close to going feral out of the pack house. Micha Elva should come to stay here, you are too far out if she needs a healer. Anyway, it would probably be easier for Lyra to handle us if Elva and Lily were the ones to interact with her, they are the gentlest and the sainest among us” Kai nodded and Micha looked relieved.

“Micha you are not off the hook. I recognize that you acted out of desperation not malice, but you still put this entire pack at even more risk. As punishment I will bind your wolf for a fortnight” He winced but nodded. That was a light punishment, he would be in pain and uncomfortable not being able to connect with his wolf, but nothing more. I could not bring myself to fully hate his actions when the beast inside me growled with satisfaction at having found Lyra. “Now go, have Lily help you ready Elva to move.” Micha nodded again and left. 

“Riv, that was too easy on him,” Kai protested. I slumped in my chair and ran my fingers through my hair.

“I know.” was all I could say. Kai sat in the chair opposite my desk. What was I thinking? Micha had put the entire pack at extreme risk, but I was struggling to even be mad because he had inadvertently brought me my mate.

“Are we going to talk about why you put her in the Luna suite?” Kai asked, arching an eyebrow.

“Her safety is our utmost concern, If some wolf loses his battle I need to be near her to protect her” I gave my flimsy rationalization, in reality, my breath caught in my throat at the idea of harm coming to her. After a few minutes with her, my entire world shifted to rotate with her at its center.

“There are plenty of rooms on the floor that are close and not the Luna suite,” Kai said, watching me with steady eyes. I looked up at him and grasped for an explanation to give for my actions. I realized none but the truth made sense. I sighed.

“Fine Kai, she's my mate. Is that what you want to hear!” My voice was soft but full of pain. His eyes bulged.

“No! No, she can't be! She's -.”The shock was clear on Kai’s face. 

“A witch. I know”  the reality of my predicament crashed around me, nearly suffocating me under its weight.

“Are you sure? I mean how do you know she didn’t spell you” Kai said skeptically.

“Why WOULD she? And anyway, if it were possible for a witch to spell a wolf like this don't you think that bitch Seraphina would have?” I quipped back. Seraphina had been my ex before I became alpha, she was a wild witch with a temper and a list of toxic traits a mile long. We had a brief volatile relationship that I ended when I realized the extent of her insanity. She had stalked and threatened me for over a year before moving on. Kai nodded.

“Do you think Seraphina-” he let the question hang in the air, I shook my head.

“I don't see how. From what I know of magic, whatever this is, it’s a complicated spell and Seraphina was barely a witch. She struggled with the simplest of spells” When we first identified that it was a witch's magic my mind turned to Seraphina, but the elders had conveyed this was one of the most complex and unknown magic they had ever seen. That had been when we had elders. The madness had gotten to them first, causing them to rip each other apart in a violent rage. I found a blood bath when I went to seek guidance. 

“But how can Lyra Morrigan be your MATE? Witches and wolves can't mate!” Kai continued.

“I do not know” I sighed “but I am absolutely sure that she is” Doom settled in the air between us. 

“Well, are you going to tell the witch?” Kai asked, a brow raised. Another sigh escaped my lips and I leaned forward, placing my head in my hands.

“I can't Kai. She hates me, and rightly so. It would be wrong to put this on her” I had thought about it, after the shock wore off, if I should tell Lyra. The monster in me wanted me to, with a violent desperation. But it would be wrong. 

“Well if you mated her wouldn't she feel the same?” Kai asked.

“Witches don't mate! As far as I know, they aren’t even big fans of monogamy. No, all she feels for me is hate. And even if somehow she doesn't, I can't put that obligation on her.” already I could tell Lyra was the sort of person to do the right thing. The way she looked at Elva in the cabin, compassion was plain across her face. What if she didn't hate me and I told her I had this unbreakable connection to her, What if she felt compelled to do the right thing by me too? 

There was a beat of silence as Kai watched me with his deep brown eyes, trying to scan to the core of my being. 

“Need a run?” Kai asked. This is why he was my brother in all but blood. He KNEW me. I smiled and nodded. 

I lost myself in the feel of the wind and the ground as I ran, giving into my animal senses. I found myself outside Micha and Elva’s darkened cottage hours later, inhaling the fading scent of Lyra deeply, it lit up my insides. Kai’s wolf sat patiently beside me. Eventually, with dawn threatening the horizon, we ran back to the house and I threw myself exhausted into bed, trying hard not to think about the fact that just on the other side of the wall was my mate. My dreams were full of brilliant silver eyes and flashes of silver-streaked black hair.

As the sun warmed my skin only a few hours later I woke and inhaled deeply. FUUCKK Her scent accosted me. It was not as strong as it would have been if she were in the room, but it was strong enough to make my body stiffen and my head feel woozy with thoughts of her. I remembered how soft her skin had been the night before and a new vicious longing to see her overtook me so suddenly I was halfway to the door that joined our two rooms before I came to my senses and stopped. 

I was going to need to get a handle on this, and quickly. I leaned against the door and listened. I could hear a soft sweet humming from her room. I smiled. GO TO HER! The wolf inside me thrashed and I locked my muscles. Fine, I needed to check on her anyway.

I changed quickly and walked into the hall and knocked on her door and I was utterly unprepared for how she answered it. My tongue seemed to swell in my throat and my heart sputtered in my chest. 

Her black hair was loose and mussed as it fell past her shoulders, ignited by the sun as it streamed in making the silver streaks glow. She was wearing a light pink satin tank top and shorts that exposed miles more of that beautiful silky skin than her sweater had last night. My heart stopped and my hand twitched, desperate to touch her. She looked at me with a half-raised eyebrow.

“Oh if it isn't my jailer,” She said, attitude thick in her voice. Still, I was unable to respond. Concern filled her face. “River?” she asked quietly. My entire body shuddered at the sound of my name on her lips. Lips I wanted so bad to press mine against. fuck! This was bad.

“What are you wearing!” my voice came out like a growl. She took a step back, her soft hands fluttering over her body self-consciously.

“Sorry It was the only sleep clothes that were not made of lace in that thing,” she said pointing to a dresser. “I didn’t mean to…. if it belonged to someone-” She seemed so caught off guard. I clenched my fists. She looked me over and slowly her silver eyes became angry. “You know what ACTUALLY no I am not sorry, you kidnapped me! You dumped me in this ROOM! So yeah I didn't want to sleep in my sweater and jeans, sue me!” She came forward at me, punctuating each word with a glare and a jab at my chest. I caught her wrist and felt the warm electric feeling of her skin travel up my arm as I breathed in her scent and closed my eyes. I looked down where my hand wrapped around her skin, she had a small crescent mark on her inner wrist. Against my will, my thumb stroked the mark and she let out a soft sound. I looked back at her, there was something wild and hungry deep in her eyes.

“Please Lyra, get dressed,” I said quietly. Those soft pink lips of hers parted in a little o as she looked at where I held her wrist. Neither of us moved for another heartbeat. When I was certain I was about to lose the battle raging inside me Footsteps sounded behind me and broke the spell. I dropped her wrist and she retreated a step. I turned to see Kai coming up the stairs with Lily and Elva behind him. Lily held a bundle of soft fabrics in her hand. 

“I thought Lyra might prefer this to what would be in that room,” Lily said softly. I nodded and stepped out of the way silently as Kai watched me. Lily took my place and handed Lyra the clothes. She smiled tentatively at the she-wolf. 

“Thank you, yes” Her voice was softer, less biting than the tone she had used with me. 

“Lily, wait for her here, and then when she is ready meet us in the library. Elva can wait too” I said, not looking back. I walked briskly away and Kai followed. Once we were down the stairs he chuckled.

“You all right Riv?” he asked. I grunted in response, and that earned me another chuckle. Kai was getting to be really quite annoying. 

“She was basically naked, Kai!” I exclaimed. More chuckles.

“No she wasn’t you just wanted her to be,” I grumbled to myself as we entered the large library. It took up two floors and had a balcony around the second floor so the books could be reached. 

“Shut up and get the research we already have ready for her” I could feel my mood turning sour.