The Lost Witch

Chapter Four

A nameless Witch, is a half-complete Witch.
Choose a name, little Witch.
The voice spoke like branches rubbing together, sending shivers down my spine.
A bright light sat in the centre of a cloud of thunder, streaks of lightening crackling with each word.
Their name formed in my head the closer it hovered.
Yaaga.
The Watchers of Covens and Witches. I had heard its call inside the castle, a wave of magic filtering into the room.
I opened my eyes, seeing the haze of magic. Everything was awash with a dull grey, all the furnishings inside the room were gone, leaving only the stone structure.
The Dream Realm.
I moved through the house, staying quiet and straining to hear the voices, leading me into the forest that surrounded the castle.
The land of Imperius, Mother's untouched paradise for her Beasts, spread out before me.
Instead of the thick, lush trees that usually filled to the waterfall and mountains, the Dream Realm stripped it all to bare branches and the ground was dark.
I followed the voices, finding an open clearing that housed a mound of stone in the middle.
Mother's script was etched into the stone, a orb of opal sitting in the centre.
It was a Witches Alter.
Used for our Ceremony and a gathering place for my kind.
They were only built in Coven courtyards.
The Yaaga floated above it, hovering like a dark storm cloud, the heart of it, emanating streaks through the darkness like lightening, was a blue light that shone and ebbed with magic.
Do you have a name? It asked me, the voice made the hairs on the back of my neck and arms raise.
The Ceremony.
I stumbled back, hitting a hard body. Hands fell onto my shoulders, the spark calming me as I looked back to see Adam.
His eyes were pure silver, claws and teeth bared and he towered over me as the Dream Realm tore back his human mask.
Still on his hind legs, he held me, gently and carefully.
He gave a small whine, nudging me on the cheek in a kiss.
I pressed against him, turning my face to his and nuzzling him, receiving a loving whine and a gentle squeeze.
My sweet Miranda. His voice whispered in my head, setting my heart racing and the air in my lungs to rush out.
I pulled back, staring at him.
"Miranda?" I narrowed my eyes at him.
His brows softened, like he thought he'd made a mistake.
I gave him a smile, reaching up to touching his temple.
I felt the rush of a mind-link connecting us.
Have you named me, Alpha? I asked gently, letting a flow of magic and love fill our connection.
It is the name I hear when I touch you. He admitted, his voice tight. I will call you whatever you choose.
I like it. I pulled out of the connection, turning to the Yaaga.
It flashed, lightening licking out of the darkness towards me, encouraging me to approach.
You have chosen? Yaaga asked, its cloud expanding and the light growing brighter.
"I have chosen a name." I called to it, feeling magic and wind around me start to rage.
It made the trees groan and scream, the ground trembled and the opal orb on the stone began to glow.
I stepped forward, pressing my right palm into the centre of the opal. It was warm and soothing, flowing with contained magic.
Mother's Magic.
It overtook my hand, the glow moving up, asking for permission.
Asking for a name.
"I am the Partos Witch of Argis, Miranda Wolf." The glow exploded up my arm and encased me, gripping me tightly and I was engulfed in a blinding white light.
It burned away my clothes, the magic seeping into my skin.
I screamed at the heat, the power and flow of magic was nothing I could have ever imagined.
It was like every muscle, every vein, every atom of of my body shook with magic as it forced itself to bond with my soul.
I don't know how long I was there.
At some point, I was overcome with anguish, the knowledge in my DNA being unlocked.
Yaaga's only moved Alters to follow Covens.
If it had sought me out, instead of joining another Covens Alter or finding their original, it meant there were no Witches for it to find.
Flashes of empty courtyards.
Rubble of an Alter in the heart of it, destroyed.
The houses around were all scorched and ruined, like they'd been had a great fire rain down on them.
Dead. Every Witch was dead.
But me.
I was the last Witch.
I found myself on the cold ground.
Snow covered me, dirt and mud clung to my hair.
I was so cold, so numb.
"Miranda!" The voice that yelled was so familiar.
The name caused my heart to burst with magic, warming me suddenly and the ice around me melted.
"Baby! Where are you?" Baby. Adam.
I sat up, gasping and looking around as Adam fell on me, wrapping his arms around my naked body and breathing heavily.
"I thought I'd lost you!" He huffed. He grabbed me, pulling me into his jacket and running through the forest.
We were in front of his bedrooms fire before I could look around.
He placed me gently on my feet, checking me for a moment for any injures.
I just shivered, the fire starting to make its way through my frozen limbs.
He vanished, the sound of draws opening roughly before he was back.
He scooped me back up and took me into the bathroom.
The large clawed bottom bath was filled with steaming swirls and the faint scent of jasmine.
Adam placed me gently in the tub, the water was perfectly warm, the smell of jasmine healing for Witches.
It coated me in a serene feeling.
Adam's large hands started to pour water through my hair, brown dirt and leaves staining the water.
"You named me." I whispered, smiling as I stared at the water.
Adam's hands kept going, massaging my head with shampoo, letting me continue.
I told him of Yaaga, its meaning.
The Ceremony unlike any I've ever heard of.
"What does this Alter look like?" He asked, cleaning out the conditioner and grabbing a towel.
I described it as best I could, stepping out of the bath as he wrapped the towel around me.
I dried myself, thinking for a moment.
He held out a sweater.
"Arms up." I giggled and rose my arms.
He pulled the thick black sweater over my head, tugging it down before he helped me slip into a more fitting pair of pants, I rested my arms on his shoulders.
"These aren't yours." I frowned.
Adam chuckled.
"I don't wish my Luna to lose her pants when she walks." He kissed my forehead and led me back to the fire.
Sitting down cross-legged, he pulled me down into his lap.
The fire on his skin, flickering and warm, it showed a near healed scar on his chin.
I ran a finger across it, frowning again.
"You didn't have this last night." I met his eye, seeing the flash of angry silver before he regained control, the gold in his flashing.
"There was Rogue attack." Panic made me try to stand.
"When?" He pulled me back to him, holding me close and nuzzling into my neck.
"Please," he whispered and I froze, my heart sinking.
I turned in his lap, wrapping my legs and arms around him and pulled him into me.
His arms hugged me so tightly and I heard the rumble of the Alpha.
We stayed like that, holding each other. Our unspoken words of care and safety.
He sighed heavily.
"They are getting more aggressive. They tried to burn down the Moree house with explosives and petrol bombs." We both felt my heart rate rise. "No one was hurt. The Yaaga saved us."
"What?" I pulled back, looking at him confused.
"It came to me, warning me. I left you in bed, finding the fire already raging. If it hadn't been for the Yaaga's magic, we wouldn't have been able to control it. It move everyone inside the Moree House and to the city centre before the attack even started." My mind was racing.
Yaaga's were powerful beings, but they only reacted when a Coven was under attack. They never went out of their way to protect other Clans, there was no point.
"Wait," I put my hand on his chest. "What did you call me?" He gave a confused look.
"Luna?" He titled his head.
I nodded. "What does that mean?"
Another confused look, he was trying to work out my train of thought.
"It's the title given to an Alpha mate, you're the mother of our pack."
"Like the Head Priestess." I muttered, connecting it.
I climbed out of Adam's lap, pacing in front of the fireplace.
He leaned back onto his hands and watched me.
"Miranda," he inquired, a smile formed on my lips at the name.
"The Yaaga only move Alters or perform the Ceremony themselves if there are no other Covens to do it. If I really am the last Witch, that means the new Coven is where ever I am. They don't go out of their way to protect other Clan."
"Do I need to be worried?" He raised a thick brow.
I shook my head, giggling. "I think, it means the city I live in, the lands are protected space. This is my Coven." I raised my hands to the castle and then lowered them to Argis.
"Since I am also your mate, making me the Luna, or Priestess, of this Pack it means the Wolves and those that live under your protection-"
"Gain the protection of Yaaga." Adam realised.
"And a Witch." I said proudly, beaming at him.
He chuckled, raising to his feet to stand over me as stroked my cheek.
"My sweet Miranda." He purred, his lips dipping above mine.
The deep rumble in his chest as he pressed me again him, the way his hands held me, they were possessive and wonderful.
I hummed, leaning up and pressing my lips gently to his.
I pulled away after a moment, breathless.
He growled, pulling me tighter against him and crashed his lips back down onto mine, biting my lip to make me gasp and allow him tongue access to claim me further.
His hands roamed my body, my skin warmed and flushed at the feeling of him.
A knock sounded at the door, pulling is apart.
Adam's head whipped sideways, his teeth bared at being interrupted.
"What?" He snarled.
The door opened and Maggie stepped in, curtseying quickly, fear in her eyes as she kept them pinned to the floor.
"Your Betas are in the dining hall."
Adam snarled again, Maggie's shoulder rose in fear and she gave a quiet squealed, trembling.
I spun on him, slapping his arm.
Just like when I'd poked him, his noises stopped and he was looked at me blinking.
"Be nice to Maggie, she was just doing her job." I snapped at him, frowning for a moment before I turned to Maggie, smiling apologetically.
"Thank you, Maggie." She raised her eyes, seeing me smile at her and Adam staring down at me, still perplexed.
"See if they want anything to eat or drink, and we'll be down in a moment." I gave her a small thankful nod and she replied with a quick curtsey and disappeared.
I put my head on my hips, stepping away and looking at Adam.
His expression relaxed until he was laughing.
"I think you'll make the perfect Luna," he said through his hearty laugh that rocked his chest.
I blushed, shuffling uncomfortably at the compliment.
He kissed my forehead before stepping to the door, holding it open for me.
"Come on, Miranda. Our Betas are waiting." I partly ran to grab his hand he held out, smiling when he interlaced our fingers and kissed the back my hand.
"Perfect." He smiled again, leading me downstairs to the dining room.

Valik and Jonathan looked like hell.
They had been tracking the Rogues across Northlands, I hadn't seen them since the other day.
They had pushed far, losing the scent in the human city that had expanded to the very edge of the border.
They had returned, a scrap of fabric and no other leads.
Adam was furious, only due to the threat the Rouges posed, but my presence and the knowledge of a powerful beings that now roamed in protection, seemed to keep him calm enough he hadn't yelled at anyone.
I'd been listening quietly from Adam lap, Jonathan and Valik seeming to relax at the sight, like they understood what I was to them now.
Valik tossed the scrap of fabric they had been using for tracking, sealed in an air tight box to preserve the scent.
There was nothing special about it, it was a mere scrap of fabric from a tshirt, lost during a Shift.
But I could see the essence, so familiar, horrifying and scarred with a line of my magic.
"Oh fuck." I whispered, horrified.
"Miranda?" Adam growled, sensing my fear.
Jonathan and Valik watched me carefully.
"I know who this belongs to." I felt the tears falling at the thought of the Wolf who harmed me for so many years.
Made it his personal mission, to try break me down and submit me to his wants, encouraging the clients to brutalise me when I rejected him.
My back ached.
I yelled, Adam grabbed me, holding me tight as I felt angry magic flood me.
So much rage.
So much power.
So much hate.
It blinded me. Stole my breathe. Made my skin cold.
The only thing that broke it was the call of Adam, yelling my name and asking me to come back.
Come back? I fell out of my rage.
I was in the middle of the town.
Standing next to the Witches Alter that was embedded into the centre like it had formed there naturally.
I blinked, spinning.
I teleported. I went to the closest source of magical power.
I looked down at the Alter.
The centre was a mix of three stones.
The three Covens colours Jade, Onyx and Opal. Swirls and slashes, like they had use pieces of the original destroyed Altars stones to reforge this one.
I touched it, feeling the flow of magic welcome me.
"Show me." I begged it, feeling the pain and agony captured in the glossed surface.
Kane's image flashed in my mind.
Leading the groups to destroy the Covens.
Beheading the Priestesses with silver tipped axes on the Alter stones.
Shattering the magic, destroying the rest of the Coven and then slaughtering them.
His laughter was sharp in my ear.
He enjoyed it.
He'd even fed from them.
Tearing their flesh and devouring their hearts.
I sank to my knees, my arms hugged around the stone as I wept.
I felt a warm hand on my shoulder, before Tahlia kneeled beside me, sitting with me in understanding.
Hank and Quinn joined us, bowing their heads.
The whole square was filled with the townspeople, Wolves, Fae and the essence of beings lingering around me.
Comforting me.
Reminding me I wasn't alone.
Adam's arms wrapped around me and he pressed his head into my neck.
He held me until my crying settled, my well of sadness and pain empty of tears.
I rose gingerly to my feet, meeting the eyes of so many.
I took a deep steadying breath. Calling to the winds, the earth, the sea and Mother.
"From this day forth, these lands are under the protection of the Argisian Coven. I, Miranda Wolf, swear my oath to Adam, the Alpha King of Northlands." I turned to Adam, a gleam of surprise and delight in his eyes.
His lips curled into a smile. Accepting my oath.
The beings and all those I had called to answered.
Trembling the ground and the stone on the Alter was struck by lightening.
Adam stepped in front of me, shielding my eyes and my body from the deafening clap.
Gasps and screams sounded.
Adam released me and we both turned to the Alter.
It was no longer a mere stone with etching.
It was a statue of a wolf, perfectly carved from shimmering black marble.
Adam in his Wolf form.
The crystals in his eyes shone brightly, the sight of them exciting me.
"Witches Stones." I breathed.
We had tales of such a wonder. The Covens of Mother deemed most worthy and true to her love, would possess a Witches Stones.
No Coven had ever received one.
I smiled at Adam.