The Gamma's Dark Witch

*This is a spin-off book- There will be spoilers from A Secret Alpha Mate, The Omega's Revenge, and The Beta's Cursed Mate. It can be read alone* I know the beginning will be a bit confusing but bear with me, everything will make sense. If you've read the others before, this book's timeline starts near the end of The Omega's Revenge and continues on during The Beta's Cursed mate and will span after that. (Cam) I had to find my mate so that I could reject her. I put too much trust in my Goddess but no one was infallible, apparently. I spent most of my life trying to be one step ahead; these past few months showed me that no one was perfect. I even started to admit it to myself, even though I still strived for perfection - craved it. I saw how our Alpha Jackson changed when he met our Luna, Isla. He was still himself, but somehow better. Less prone to rationality and poor decisions. He always said Isla softened him, but it was more than that. She balanced him, bringing her own new softer, form of leadership we desperately needed. Our Beta Lucas met his mate, Isabella, after them. When she finally accepted him and decided to take up our lifestyle, she was a huge asset to the pack. She was smart, tech-savvy, and she and I got along really well. Isabelle not only took naturally to being a Beta, even though she hadn’t taken on full responsibilities yet. She was the perfect match for Lucas and our friend group. Why didn't I get someone like that? Was this penance for something? It had to be.. I saw how they grew when they met their mates. Instead of giving up anything, they compromised and created a new life together. I was so happy for both of them; they were practically my brothers; we all grew up together and rarely spent a day without seeing each other. I was waiting for my mate. I knew that when I found her she would complete our group. I couldn’t hide feeling left out after Jackson and Lucas found their mates. We all spent time together, but I wanted someone to go back to bed with, to share my life with. I finally found her, and I should have rejected her right then if it weren’t for the situation we were in. My Luna was in danger and my pack mattered. Her safety mattered above all. I wasn’t going to reject her when I first saw her. I was curious. She peered out at me in my wolf form, looking at my wolf, Axel, from behind a tree. I was caught off guard, rooted to my spot. The wind was wild that night, and I only got a faint whiff of her scent. It was fresh and crisp, like a calm evening, with an undercurrent of something soft and flora. Her hair flowed around her like moonlight incarnate. Her eyes glowed, matching her unearthly hair. If I weren’t so transfixed, I would have noticed it then. That nothing about her was natural, nothing was right. I couldn’t have been mated to her. It had to be a fluke. She was a dark witch; I watched her move through shadows, through darkness itself, with a fluidity that didn't belong on this earth. I was doing what was best for my pack, not to bring a dark witch into our pack. That was inviting trouble. I had to reject her. I just had to find her first. (Nisha) Walking away from that mountain, the tug didn’t stop. Something awoke in me; something changed. I felt a different sort of magic running through me, vastly different than the darkness that thrummed through my body, as natural and foreign as my blood. This was different, it was something outside of me, something that wasn’t an intrinsic part of my being, and it scared me. I flexed my hand, but the magic that felt like sparkles didn’t cease. It mixed and settled with my power, not disrupting it but lying next to it, dormant until I decided to let it out. “Nisha? Are you coming?” Soleil called to me, her arms open, beckoning me. I took one last look at the mountain behind us, shaking my head as if that insignificant movement could eradicate what was already changed inside of me, and settled there. I tugged at my arm for comfort, as if those lingering sparks could take hold as an ember and comfort me. I gasped as they seemed to answer, coming up to the surface at my touch. “Nisha?” Soleil chided, but I knew she was getting close to actually being annoyed. “Coming,” I called, but my voice was far away. I trudged forward, closing the small space between us. My mentor, my sister, a formal term more than anything, wrapped her pale arms around me. It felt hollow in comparison to what I had just witnessed, what found family could be. “Something has gotten into you.” She laid her head on my shoulder as we started walking towards the others. Kevari looked back, her hair swished around her, never fully settling, as if she were constantly underwater. She offered me a smile that I knew was genuine. Zephyr huffed about me keeping up; the wind circled around her even though the night was calm. I knew she was genuine, as well. Just in a more self-serving, tough-love way. “Tonight has been,” I struggled to find the words, “A lot.” Was all I could manage. I couldn’t figure out exactly what I was feeling, and it threw me off. I felt off, lonely, confused, and torn. I felt as if there was something that I was on the precipice of figuring out, but I couldn't clutch at it. Something that would tug at me forever, but I would never be able to understand it. The sensation was grating and created a dull yet throbbing ache. “We need to find a place for the night,” Kevari’s wind died a little so we could hear her. “Yes, and soon,” Soleil said, “But we need to get further from this place; it reeks of bloodshed and evil. I will rest far better when we pass these mountains.” I looked up at the night sky; the stars were starting to fade, making me sad for a reason I couldn’t name. The dawn was coming sooner than I would have liked, and I was worried it would somehow wash away everything that had transpired the night before with the sun's rays. We finally made it to where Soleil deemed fitting. Kevari offered me a place on the softest moss. “You did well tonight,” She said, giving me a soft smile. “Thanks,” I curled up. I was too tired to unpack what I did tonight, and how letting my powers out felt satisfying in a way that scared me. I couldn't decide if I was actually proud of accepting my power, even for what we thought was good. I fell asleep instantly and dreamed of deep green eyes and a wolven queen carrying ancient and undiluted power in her womb.