Chapter 35 Romancing the Witch
1791 Words
Chapter 35
Romancing The Witch
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Jada
The morning sun was bright white and stinging hot against my back as I stood across from Kyra, watching her battle Duane in human form. This had been the routine for the past few days. If it wasn’t Krya and Duane battling, then other warriors battled, trying to teach me moves. It had been over a week, and watching all the warriors was at least distracting me from worrying about Anna’s coma.
The witch Agatha sat on the bench beside me, twiddling her fingers on her lap… It was clear–entertaining herself with her body extremities was far more exciting than the training session.
Even in this heat, Agatha wore her usual black ankle skirt and long-sleeved black top. At least she had kicked off her chunky boots and gone barefoot.
How is she not sweating like the rest of us? I’m so ready to call it a day! My fair skin was burning even under a thick layer of sunscreen. Sweat had stained the back of my shirt… And all I had done was run laps and practice my stretches. It was apparent that I was very unprepared for any form of battle. My false father and the entire Celestial Moon pack had seen to that–they had made me soft for a reason. After everything that had happened, I promised myself I would push through it and be the Alpha blood wolf I was born to be.
You’ve got this, Jada! Exhaling, I ignored the heat and continued to stretch, trying to warm all the muscles Duane had told me about.
There was a loud crack. From the corner of my eye, I watched a large branch drop onto the battlefield behind Duane. Dust and debris danced through the air. Duane and Kyra ignored it, too focused on what they were doing.
With a feral snarl, Kyra launched at Duane, who evaded her attack with finesse. He continued to grin as he pounced against a tree, making it creak in protest, and launched back at her. They may have been in human form, but I could tell their wolves were never far away.
“Well, I must admit, boiling toads in a leaky cauldron would be far more exciting than this.” Agatha groaned as she flicked her long nails against her fingertips. “At least there is more fight in the toad…”
Blinking in surprise, I peered over my shoulder at her. “A toad…? I’m guessing you’ve tried it…”
She half smiled at me, hinting at me with something mischievous. “I’m old enough to have tried things your young mind would never comprehend…” She crossed one leg over the other, then leaned back against her hands. “Are you bored enough to know how my mother caused all this? Or did you want to continue to watch these two puppies show off?”
I laughed through my nose. “You do say how it is, don’t you.”
She nodded in a ‘well derr’ way. “I’ve been around the block enough times to know that honesty, even laden with sarcasm, has its perks.”
“Jada,” Duane ran up to me, panting, his bare shoulders dripping with iridescent sweat. He wiped his forehead with his shirt. “Did you see the manoeuvre Kyra did to deflect my attack?”
“I saw…” I half-lied. “I mean, I saw the last part.”
Shaking his head, he gestured back at Kyra. “Your turn...”
“What?” I stared back at him wide-eyed.
Laughing, he patted my arm. “I’m joking... We’ll continue to get your fitness up first… that way, we can learn your strengths and weaknesses before we start training you...”
“Thank goodness,” I propped myself against my legs. “I was worried.”
“That’s to be expected...” Agatha said as she stood, “Since you were purely raised to be a meek little pawn in the Celestial Moon Alpha’s evil plan.”
“How did you know?” I gaped at her. The statement hurt, but it was true.
“I know a lot...” She peered up at the sun and glanced around. We need to talk… But right now, we should head inside.”
“Why? Are you afraid the sun will melt you or something?” Kyra snorted. She shook the sweat from her face. “Isn’t that what your kind does?”
With a tooth-bearing grin, Agatha stood and took my arm. “It’s typical that you find my ageless beauty so intimidating.”
“Pft,” Kyra snorted. “You are far too old for my liking...”
“More like... too experienced for your liking...”
“Why are we heading inside?” I asked, interrupting the intense stare-off between Agatha and Kyra.
Agatha broke the glare and then pulled me towards the bunker. “Anna and Jackson are awake...”
“Anna’s awake!” I broke free from her hold and ran back into the bunker, leaving everyone behind.
Now that Anna was awake, I needed to ensure she was okay. I hurried down the corridor and turned left, not stopping until I reached a room on my right–the medical room. The door was open, revealing a room no bigger than where I had attempted to sleep last night. Inside, four white-sheeted hospital beds lay side by side. An IV drip stood tall at the top end of each bedhead.
On the first one, Anna groggily turned her head towards me. Her eyes sparkled with tears when they met mine. Behind her, her dad Jackson was still asleep and breathing heavily–his chest rising and falling in rhythm.
“Jada...” Anna croaked hoarsely as she reached out her hand. The IV cord in the drip moved with her.
“Oh, Anna, you were in a coma for so long…” I cried as I ran to her side. The injuries on her face were slowly fading, but she was still weak and wore the scars of battle. “I should never have left you…”
“Don’t be silly,” she laughed sleepily, reaching out and taking my hand. She coughed, and I could see the pain on her face. “Dad and I were on our way here, but Desmond, Pauls and Julius ambushed us just outside the packhouse.”
“Desmond,” I hissed between clenched teeth. “I knew he was no good… But I was never strong enough to deal with it.”
“Dad protected me and fought them off, but I’m still months off from my wolf… if it wasn’t for outside help…” Anna’s filled rain trails down her face.
“You’re safe now,” I soothed, wiping the tears away. “You and your dad are safe here.”
“Jada,” she reached for me and pulled me closer. “It’s safe here… For now, but you need to warn the Mist Clan ASAP… Your father – I mean Edwin… is planning to attack them tonight at midnight…” She coughed again and laid back against the bad. Her body was fighting to heal, and it was draining her. “They are planning on killing their Luna!”
“I can’t do anything about that, Anna.” I protested, hugging myself. “I can’t fight or protect anyone… I’ve had no training. What good could I be?”
“Warn them,” Anna’s dad interrupted weakly from the bed behind Anna. Jackson turned his head slowly, and his bloodshot eyes met mine. He was in worse shape than Anna. Most of his body was bandaged, and the visible skin was swollen and purple, his red hair hidden beneath a bandage. But his eyes were determined and vivid. “Jada, warn them…”
“But how?” I asked, fiddling nervously with my fingers. “This is the first time I’ve been away from the packhouse. They even home-schooled me … I never learned how to do anything.” A lightning bolt or realisation went off in my brain. I was their prisoner!
“With my help,” Agatha interrupted. All the playfulness had left her tone.
“How?” I held her hand. “We can’t just walk up to them and expect them to welcome us with open arms.”
“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Duane added as he appeared behind the witch. “We are going to tell them everything…”
“Jada,” Anna squeezed my hand. She pulled herself to a sitting position, then tossed her legs over the bed. “I’m going with you.”
“But you’re hurt,” I reminded her, grabbing her arm and stopping her from standing. “You need your rest.”
“Were werewolves, remember…?” She smiled at me warmly. “Give me a few hours. I’ll be right as rain.”
“But…” I attempted to argue. “You’ve been in a coma…”
“Trust me,” Agatha said, grasping my shoulder and Anna’s arm. A warmth spread through me, calming my insides. “She’ll be fine to join us, but you need sleep… You both do.”
“Yes,” Anna yawned as she laid back on the bed and closed her eyes. “Sleep sounds good.”
It wasn’t until that moment that the exhaustion grew heavy on my shoulders. It was as though Agatha had put a sleep touch on me, pulling me into sleep. “Sleep does sound good…” I yawned.
“Lillianna’s resting too…” Jackson called out groggily. “She’ll stay with you until you leave.”
“We’ll be back in a few hours,” Agatha insisted as she pulled me to my feet. That drowsy sensation intensified. I wobbled. The witch steadied me. “You can rest a few hours, and we will leave before dark.”
“Okay,” I kissed Anna’s forehead, nodded at Jackson, and left the room with Agatha and Duane.
Outside of my sleeping bunk, Agatha turned to me. “I’ll wake you before we leave.”
“Okay,” I nodded at her, then turned for the room. I was desperate for a shower, or at least a way to wash the sweat off from the day, but the tiredness was becoming overbearing. I stepped clumsily inside the dark and inviting room. I could make the shape of Lillianna asleep in the other bed. The second I laid my head on the pillow, I closed my eyes and let exhaustion take me.
- Writer
