THE WITCH AND HER ALPHA

Chapter 11

Drake Hart was behind the wheel of his car, driving to the location Esme was directing. He knew something was definitely wrong because it felt like he was a prisoner in his own mind.

He didn't exactly know what the deal was with Esme but she was definitely trouble. He could see and hear what was going on around him but yet he couldn't act on it. It felt like he wasn't in control of his body anymore.

He tried to fight off the sensation to do what Esme wanted but he was trapped. Whatever she did to him had his wolf trapped too because he couldn't transform.

Every sense in his body was telling him that he was in danger and yet there was nothing he could do about it. He hated this feeling. He hated feeling helpless and defenseless.

He remembered the look in Raquelle's eyes when she saw him. She could tell immediately that he was under a spell. He remembered wanting to hug her and just never let her go yet the only thing he could do was scream at her and hurt her.

He didn't think he'd be able to forgive himself for being the reason behind her hurt. He just hoped he'd be able to get out of whatever he was in so he'd be able to spend however long it took to make it up to her, although with the way things looked at the moment, he wasn't sure how that would be possible.

Raquelle and Joanne were still in the car on their way to Drake. She still had no idea how it was possible but somehow, she knew exactly where they were going.

“Turn there", Raquelle directed, pointing out the way to Joanne.

“This is still completely weird to me, how you know exactly where to go", Joanne said.

“If it's weird for you, think about how it is for me. It feels like I'm seeing through Drake's eyes. It sounds crazy but that's the best way I can explain it", Raquelle explained.

“If you're right though and if it is Esmeralda who took Drake then he could be in real trouble. Why would she want Drake?"

“Well I have a hunch. If she's trying to take down werewolves, she needs to start from the top. Drake is a future alpha and taking him out would be one less leader on the way. Drake told me about how werewolves cannot stay without an alpha because they'd get too volatile".

Joanne nodded in realization. “You might be right. We have to get there and save Drake quickly. I already lost two family members to that old witch. I am not about to lose another, much less my best friend".

The car ride eventually lead them to the edge of the woods. When they spotted Drake's car there. They knew Raquelle was right.

Both girls got down from the car to inspect Drake's car. Everything looked in order but Drake and Esme were nowhere to be found.

“Okay now what?" Joanne asked.

“Why are you asking me?" Raquelle asked.

“Um hello, you brought us this far. Clearly you're the one taking us farther", Joanne said.

Raquelle nodded. “Okay okay. Just let me think", she said closing her eyes, using her fingers to massage her temples.

“Be fast about it. We don't know how much time we have left".

Raquelle tuned out Joanne's voice and tried to focus on establishing the connection she had been having all day.

Taking deep breaths, the vision came to her again but clearer than before and she could see the face of the floating woman. She also recognized the necklace she was wearing.

It was the same purple stone that Esme had on. Then the vision shifted into something else and she was being shown a path that lead to a clearing in the woods. The same clearing from her earlier visions.

Raquelle opened her eyes. “This way", she said in an ominous voice walking down a path.

Joanne gasped. Raquelle's eyes were a bright gold color. She didn't have time to think about that though. First she had to save her cousin, then they'd figure out what was going on with Raquelle.

She followed Raquelle until they arrived at a clearing in the woods and Raquelle seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in.

They were well hidden behind a tree so Esme and Drake hadn't spotted them yet.

“What's our plan?" Raquelle asked, whispering.

“Well first we need to see what's going on. We can't just barge in without a clear understanding", Joanne whispered back, “so our first order of business is to wait and watch quietly".

Esmeralda stretched her hand forth and the young alpha halted. She knew it would be easy but she didn't expect it to be this easy. If she had known she wouldn't have bothered coming, she would have just sent one of her subordinates.

She had been planning this for a while now and the excitement was eating her up at seeing it come to life. She was one step closer to taking down the largest werewolf packs in the world.

She would have gone right at the top at the alpha but she was a strategic person and had always been one. That was how she got this far.

Esmeralda's plan was simple, take out the legs of the chair and watch the chair fall. Her first plan was to take down the alpha prince. He wasn't alpha yet so he wouldn't be as strong as his grandfather and once he was out, there would be no one to protect his little brother so picking that one off would pose no threat at all. Once his grandsons and heirs were gone, the old alpha would be weak and ripe for the picking.

And once the head is gone, the body cannot stand. The entire wolf pack will be easy picking and once the largest wolf pack is gone, the others won't be a problem at all.

She laughed to herself. She loved it when a plan came together. It had taken her a while to figure out how to get close to the young alpha though but when it finally hit her, she laughed out loud at the simplicity of it all.

When you want to catch a mouse, you use cheese, when you want to catch a cat, use a mouse and when you want to catch a hormonal teenage boy, you use a beautiful teenage girl.

Lucky for her, that wasn't a very difficult spell to do. She had to create a potion that would turn her into a teenager and she used a magazine to turn herself into what teenage boys would consider beautiful.

That would enable her to blend in his high school. After that, the rest was a piece of cake. The spell she put on him

worked like a charm and he was basically putty in her hands.

A part of her felt a little disappointed at everything. She was expecting some sort of a challenge but maybe she'd just savor his pain instead.

First off, she needed to get out of the ridiculous disguise she had to put herself in. Willing the magic to flow around her, there was a flash as the facade faded away and her true self was revealed.

Joanne and Raquelle watched in awe. Raquelle was in more awe. She had never seen magic in effect before and even more surprising was that Esme had transformed exactly into the woman in her vision.

The bright red curly hair was still there but she was taller, older looking and her clothes had changed. The person standing there was dressed in black pants and a black shirt. She also had on boots and a long trench coat.

Multiple rings adorned her finger and if she didn't have the stench of evil coming off her, one night describe her as pretty.

If there was any doubt in either of their minds before, it had definitely been cleared up now. That was definitely Esmeralda.

“And now young prince, to take care of you", Esmeralda said, zapping Drake with magic. She wanted him to know and feel what would happen to him so she broke the spell he was under.

Drake seemed confused for a bit. “What am I doing here?" he asked, a bit disoriented.

“You'll figure it out soon enough", she replied.

“Who are you?" he asked.

“You may know me as Esmeralda".

Drake's eyes widened in realization and then in fear.

“What do you want with me?"

“It's nothing personal Drake. You're just a small piece in the way of my goals and I must have you removed".

She took off then, flying high into the sky.

Drake shifted into his wolf form so he wouldn't at least be defenseless.

Esmeralda laughed. “It's pathetic that you think that can stop me". As if to demonstrate the extent of her power, she hit Drake with a ball of energy strong enough to push him back. Then she floated on top of him blowing off imaginary dust from her long nails.

“Didn't even break a sweat", she said to herself. Drake wouldn't be pushed down so easily though. He got up, growling at Esmeralda.

She aimed another shot at him but he was quick enough to dodge it. He ran to a tree and used his teeth to tear it off it's roots and threw it at her. Esmeralda was quick though as she dodged it.

“I can't watch this anymore. I have to go help", Joanne said. “Stay here".

Then she also shifted into her wolf form and ran out into the clearing.

Drake recognized his cousin and it looked like they had a quick conversation and Esmeralda used that opportunity to hit them both with a blast.

They got up quickly though and threw trees at her. She dodged most of them, laughing. She let herself get distracted and she wasn't able to dodge the next tree they threw at her.

Raquelle watched the altercation with her hand over her face and her heart in her mouth. She had never been more terrified about anything in her life.

That wiped every trace of a smile off her face. “That does it. I'm done playing games. This ends now", she said, sounding incredibly angry.

She was floating a few feet off the ground and Raquelle was sure the wolves would be able to reach her if they jumped.

Joanne must have had the same idea because she jumped but Esmeralda must have anticipated that because she hit her with a blast.

Raquelle watched and waited for Joanne to get up but she didn't.

“That should keep her out of our way for now. Now, where were we?" she asked, turning her full attention to Drake.

Drake ran over to Joanne, looking so concerned for her. The whimpers he made broke her heart.

“Now to make sure you don't move and ruin my spell...", Esmeralda hit Drake with some spell that made him unable to move.

“Now, any last words?"

Just then, Raquelle was hit with a vision, the same vision she'd been having all day except the complete picture this time.

She, standing in the woods crying, Esmeralda floating above the ground, laughing and Drake, lying on the floor, a lot walking corpse.

She was not about to let that happen.

“Even if you do, I don't speak wolf".

Just as she was about to hit him with her spell, Raquelle ran out and covered Drake with her body.

“NO!!" she yelled.

At that, a powerful wave of magic emanated from her creating some sort of protective force field over she, Drake and Joanne and pushing Esmeralda far far away.

The wave of magic also seemed to break the immobility spell on Drake and it woke Joanne up.

A few minutes later, Raquelle's knees gave out and she fell, passed out. Luckily, Joanne had shifted back and she caught her before she could hit the ground.

Drake had shifted too and they were both standing there naked but nobody seemed to notice. They were more concerned with how Raquelle had just pulled that off.

Joanne shared a look with her cousin.

“What just happened?"