Page 53 of The Powerless Witch

Without waiting for my reply, he locked his jaw around the body, the sound of bones cracking and flesh tearing filling my ears. In a blink of an eye, he was gone, leaving me to follow with the frail woman in my hands. I looked down at her face, her limp, blood-stained hair falling in front of it and hiding the unfamiliar features.

‘It’s not her,’I told myself. Yet, as I followed Nym to the spot where I usually burned the bodies of any unwanted guests, I couldn’t get rid of the heavy feeling that settled in my chest. Like I was going to bury my mother forever. Again.

Chapter 23

Isaac

The night was finally quiet.

The crying of my people and the groans of the wounded had simmered to a low rumble as the moon dipped further down the sky. Most were asleep, knocked out by the calming elixir Alice had prepared, while others were patrolling the tight perimeter we had established around the neighborhood.

No police had come to find out what the ruckus was all about. The hunters were all but gone, so none of them showed up either. The witches had not returned, thank the Goddess. All that remained was taking care of my people and assuring them I had it all in hand.

But I didn’t. I never had, it seemed. Not when I was a small, helpless child. Not now when I had defeated so many strong men and women to earn the right to lead this pack. The despair was squeezing my throat so hard that I couldn’t breathe.

It had always been the witches. In all of my darkest hours, in all of my moments of loss and pain, there had always been a witch. Yet now…even after watching my people fight, after seeing them die, my mind kept going back to Celeste, wondering if she was safe, if she was alright, if she…if she…

Pinching the bridge of my nose, I climbed the steps toward the Goddess’ sanctum. It was the biggest building in our neighborhood, made to look like a place of worship for outsiders. We hadn’t put any symbols; we didn’t want to broadcast whose altar lay inside, but every werewolf would have recognized the white walls, the crescents on the windows, the silver sphere on the top of the roof that reflected the moonlight.

I glanced at the makeshift beds that were spread throughout the temple. Most of them were still occupied—only a few were cleared to go home, while the rest were confined for observation. Thanks to Alice’s immediate actions, we hadn’t lost a single person yet. There were three in critical condition, secured in another house, but they were still drawing breath, at least for now.

I found her kneeling by one of the beds, rubbing a reddish cream over the chest of a man who stared at her like she was the Moon Goddess herself. She worked tirelessly, with clear purpose, but her eyes were hollow and unfocused. I knew exactly how agonizing it was to be separated from your mate, to not be able to see them, touch them, feel them. And I was sure it was worse for her because Celeste had already accepted me. I already had her in my arms; I had studied and marked every part of her. She was mine. And Alice’s mate…

I needed to talk to Roman again. I needed to get them to meet, to talk. I owed her that much.

“She really is a blessing,” a voice spoke from behind me and I whipped around. Leaning on a cane, the woman smiled warmly at me, the wrinkles around her eyes and mouth deepening. I must have been really out of it if I didn’t hear her approach. With her frail body and bad legs, she was anything but quiet.

“Margaret,” I said, offering her a hand to lean on. She accepted it with a smile, but instead of allowing me to help her sit on one of the beds, she nudged me toward the door. Keeping back my frown, I walked her out, descending the five steps as she stomped and groaned.

My eyes flickered to the sentinels who glanced at us curiously, but they quickly returned to their watch. Margaret continued down the street, her serenity seeping into my skin even while we passed the charred asphalt that still smelled of fire and blood.

“Are you alright?” I asked, studying her from head to toe. She seemed well enough, but she had always been frail, even when I first met her eighty years ago.Sweet, gentle, and kind, the only thing she lacked as the previous Luna was the strength to match her mate. Many had disapproved of her back then, but I had always found it fitting. The previous Alpha had been strong for both of them, and she had been kind and caring for a whole pack. I wouldn’t have been the man I was today if it wasn’t for them both.

“Oh, yes.” She nodded, looking up at me with murky blue eyes. She was already over two hundred, and while most werewolves could live up to three, she looked like she was ready to crumble. But she never did, not even after the death of her mate and her daughter, not even after the attacks we had over the years and the difficulties we endured as a new pack claiming new land. “With my legs, by the time I got out of bed, the battle was over. If you, children, weren’t so loud, I would have finished my nap.”

I scoffed without meaning to. I very much doubted she stayed in bed, waiting it out.

Her hand tightened on mine, but she said nothing. She was preparing to, I could see it on her face, but she seemed to be having a hard time voicing it. I knew the feeling all too well.

“We got lucky,” I said, giving her the chance to figure it out while I filled the silence. “If I wasn’t on the outside of their barrier, we would have had more casualties. They didn’t expect an attack on two fronts. Still, I should have been here when it happened. I should have—”

“Do you know what the role of the Alpha is, Isaac?” she asked quietly, eyes locked on the dark pavements stretching before us. I frowned, giving her a bemused look. I had been the Alpha of this pack for quite some time. I was sure I knew what my role was. Yet, when she raised those pale blue eyes to mine, I couldn’t help but hesitate.

“To lead and protect his people?” I said, cursing myself as my voice rose at the end.

She smiled at me like she always did. Like a proud mother.

“Yes, of course. But that’s not all. Anyone can do that.” Tipping her chin up, she looked at the moon just when it peeked behind the thick clouds that had been hiding the sky for the past few days. “The Alpha’s job, Isaac, is to lead by example. They need to be strong, yes, because they need to protect their people. In battle, the Alpha’s role is easy. They lead the fight, they go for the biggest danger, they direct the warriors. But luckily, this pack has not seen that many battles. At least not until recently.” I stared at her, waiting for her to finally make her point. “But in peace, the Alpha needsto be the rock. Your pack is a reflection of you, Isaac, so whatever your values are, they will affect how you lead, how you act—and in turn, how your people react.”

“I have no idea what you’re saying,” I sighed, turning to face her. She did the same, moving the cane in front of her and leaning on it with both hands. Her expression was still soft, if a little sad, but what beamed from her eyes was warmth and love.

“You have changed, Isaac. You are still changing,” she said, her knuckles turning white as she squeezed her cane. “The boy I watched grow, the man that left for revenge and returned with even more hatred in his heart…I don’t see him anymore. You are softer, calmer, you question and you hold back. The Isaac from before would have gone after those witches without a second thought, no matter the consequences. You wouldn’t have stopped until they were all dead.”

Her words stole the breath from my lungs. I studied her face in panic, waiting for the disappointment, for the judgment, for the rejection. I didn’t find it.

“I…I couldn’t,” I said, licking my lips. I grappled with the words, searching for the right ones to explain. “If we had, many would have been hurt. More witches would have come and then we would have been the ones…I had no choice, I…”

“You misunderstand me, dear boy.” Her smile widened even as tears glistened in her eyes. “This is not a bad thing. You are changing for the better, you are starting to understand. Protecting the pack comes first. And sometimes, taking care of it is the only way to protect it. Being present, being alive, is the best you can do for these people. Hate only begets hate. Ending the cycle is the only way to achieve real peace.”

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