Page 47 of The Fearless Witch

“I’m leaving half of my warriors as we agreed, and I’ll return with the rest when my people are safe with Kai. He’ll likely want to come too. We are not giving up on our home.” Then, as if as an afterthought, he added. “Good luck with the witches.”

A nod was all I had time for before he was gone, his Beta and the rest of his escort hurrying after him. I hadn’t expected him to show his support so openly, but I was grateful all the same. It was not easy hiding my surprise when the others started to file out, though.

“That went well.” I rubbed my face when everyone left except Allison and my sister.

“It could have been worse.” My Beta shrugged, leaning on the table with a heavy sigh. Only Alice seemed ready to leap from her chair, but to her credit, she didn’t.

“I understand their hate of witches, especially after what happened, but what you said, Isaac, it’s true,” Alice sighed. “They will see that eventually.” Allison and I exchanged a brief look, but neither of us said anything. “Goddess, everything would have been so much easier if Celeste was here.” My heart clenched, but I pushed away the feeling before it consumed me. “If they could watch her, talk with her, and get to know her, they would see with their own eyes that what you were saying is true. Believing is much easier when there is proof in front of your eyes.”

I let my head fall, hand instinctively going to the back of my neck. Not feeling the bond was maddening, but it was high time it stopped affecting my actions. My people had chosen me to be their Alpha because they trusted me to lead and protect. There was nothing I could do for my mate now, but there was plenty I could do for my pack.

Allison cleared her throat.

“Any word from that demon? Or the Fae prince’s contacts?”

“No.” I shook my head. “For now, we do what we can with the people we have.” Peter’s voice rose outside, and I glanced over the shoulder before looking back at the two women beside me. “We should probably get ready to leave. It’s a long ride and the faster we get there, the faster you can come back.”

Allison raised an eyebrow, so I followed her gaze to Alice, who was just scratching her temple.

“About that…” She licked her lips, plucking something from her pocket and handing it to me. I studied the letter in my hand before giving her a questioning look. “I’m not coming.”

“What? You have to!” I exclaimed. “They know you, Alice! I’m nobody to them! Do you know how much is at stake here? Our pack—”

“My mate is sick, Isaac,” Alice said quietly, meeting my eyes with a soft, but unyielding, gaze. “She almost died just a few days ago. I can’t leave her.”

“But you aren’t even…” I stopped myself before I said something I’d regret, but the look in her eyes told me she knew exactly what I was thinking. The hurt on her face made me want to punch myself. “I’m sorry, Alice. I know it’s difficult, but this is important.” I shot Allison a pleading glance, but she just stared at my sister. I turned back to Alice, softening my voice and trying to smile. “Her parents are with her and so is Roman. She’ll be in good care.”

Alice grimaced, opening her mouth to say something, but it was Allison who spoke.

“Leave her be.” When we both looked at her, she gave Alice a warm smile before pinning me with a hard gaze. “Convincing the witches is your responsibility. She is not our Alpha and her mate needs her.” Pushing against the table, she rose to her feet. “There is nothing more to be said.”

My frustration melted, replaced by shame so deep, I dropped my gaze. Clearing my throat, I got up and took a second to compose myself. When I turned to face Alice, my smile was entirely genuine.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” Leaning toward her, I pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Take good care of her and yourself. I’ll see you when I get back.”

My sister nodded and got up, wrapping her arms around me.

“You too. The Head Witch has grown soft of heart, so she wouldn’t be hard to convince. You need to win the Second over. Don’t waver,” she said with a pat on my back. When she released me, Allison was waiting for us by the tent’s exit.

We walked out together, glancing up at the gray sky when Alice waved us goodbye.

“Don’t go out after sunset and be careful!” I called after her. She threw me a knowing look over her shoulder, muttering just loud enough for me to hear.

“I know how dangerous Elders are. Besides, that asshole of a vampire will be here, and the nice Fae prince, too.” Her voice softened, and I could feel the hint of a smile. “I’ll be fine, little brother.”

Allison scoffed before her face turned serious again and she nodded toward something behind me. Peter and a few other warriors were watching us from the vehicles, their impatience palpable, but the air around them felt hopeful. I patted my Beta’s shoulder, murmuring a quick “Later!” before jumping into the passenger seat in Peter’s car.

‘Please, Goddess, let this go well for us. We can use a little luck right now,’ I thought as I fastened my seatbelt and sank into the cool leather. Allison waved while the car switched gears and we drove past her. ‘And if that is too much to ask, Goddess, at least return Celeste to me. I’d never ask for anything else again.’

Chapter 21

Samara

“...was extremely dangerous and not to mention stupid! Do you know what the repercussions would be for the witches, for the whole supernatural world?” Edna Whitmore, the Head Witch of the freaking Coven of the Guiding Hand, spoke in her calm yet somehow furious voice, glaring at me from across the table. She and several of her witches had shown up without warning, demanding to speak to Regina, only to be served with the bitter truth—Regina was no more and I was in charge. And they were most certainly not happy about that. “There is a reason why we keep our existence a secret, why my entire Coven is devoted to making sure the humans never find out the truth, a reason—”

“I know,” I interrupted, no longer bothering to hide my frustration. It took great effort not to start massaging my throbbing temples and even though I had rehearsed several times what I planned to say to them, things were somehow not going well. “We all know, Edna.” I tried to sound confident, like Paula suggested before we started the meeting, but that woman was freaking intimidating. She looked around fifty, which by witch’s standards meant she was at least as old as Regina, and she seemed so put together that I felt like a child dressed as an adult and brought on a stage to play a part.

Her every word cut like a knife and her eyes were so cold, they made Regina look warm in comparison. But what Edna didn’t know—and didn’t have—was a male witch on a leash. A male witch who was trying to break my mental defenses even at this moment, distracting me from the conversation. I was already at my limit with pain, exhaustion, and overall patience that any sense of decorum had jumped out of the window when she called me a little girl.

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