Celestia: The Cursed Witch

xxvii

“What do you think about her?” Adelaide asked while they were sitting in the living room, waiting for Flint and Freya to finish their talk.

“She’s strong. I can feel it—just like I felt your strength,” Celestia said.

“Are you sure about this, Adelaide?” Kieran asked. The number of people in their group was growing, and Kieran didn’t want to put Celestia in more danger than she already was.

“Yes. Freya is a great witch. And besides, we need all the help we can get. We’re not just dealing with troublemakers—this is the Nightmare Wolf and the Abyss Brotherhood,” Adelaide said firmly.

Celestia saw the worry in Kieran’s eyes. She gently placed her hand on top of his and gave him a warm smile.

“Alright,” he said at last, giving in with a small nod.

Meanwhile, a group cloaked in black finally arrived in the Northern Region. They moved quietly, blending into the shadows.

“Are you sure she’s here?” one of them asked in a low voice.

“No... but I can feel it,” another replied. They stayed in the dark corners of the North, waiting for the right time to meet the marked one.

“Are we going to finally meet her, Leon?” a woman asked as she walked up behind him. Leon turned and gave her a sharp look.

“I told you not to say my name out loud, Esther,” he whispered.

Esther only gave him a cheeky smile and quickly hid behind another man, making Leon sigh in frustration.

“We need to find her as soon as we can,” Leon said. “The faster we do, the sooner she can join our cause,” he added.

They spent the day walking around the North, watching and listening. By nightfall, they found a quiet inn to stay in. Leon placed his bag down and sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his tired eyes.

They had been traveling for weeks now. Along the way, they faced enemies, dangerous paths, and more than a few close calls. One of their friends didn’t make it—he died from a bad wound, and they had to bury him beside the road.

Even with all the pain and loss, they didn’t stop. They couldn’t. Not until they found the marked one. Not until she heard their side of the story.

Back at Jeremiah’s house, when everything had finally calmed down, Kieran went out with Dwayne. They had a plan—to lure out the person who had been secretly following Kieran since they arrived in the North.

“Are you sure this will work?” Kieran asked as they walked along the busy street. People were everywhere, buying, selling, laughing, and shouting.

“Yes, Alpha,” Dwayne said, his eyes scanning the crowd as he pretended to look at the merchant stalls. “I can already see him,” he added in a low voice.

“Alright. I’ll go into the alley like we planned,” Kieran replied and quietly slipped away.

Dwayne watched his Alpha head toward a narrow alleyway on the right. He kept his distance, just as they had discussed.

The alley was filled with shadows. A few humans stood around, some drinking and laughing loudly, others lost in their own world, even kissing in corners. Kieran ignored them all and walked deeper into the alley. He could feel it now—someone was definitely behind him.

Kieran grinned. This must be the person Dwayne had spotted and the one presence Kieran felt following them when they arrived in the North.

Kieran suddenly stopped. He looked over his shoulder. The laughter had faded. The alley had gone quiet.

No one was in sight.

But Kieran knew better.

“What do you want?” he asked, his voice calm but firm, eyes locked on the shadows behind him.

“Your head.”

Kieran quickly dodged the knife that came flying toward him. It scraped the wall behind him, and he spun around to face the attacker. The moonlight broke through the narrow alley, finally lighting up the stranger’s face.

“I know you,” Kieran said, his voice sharp. “You’re Henry of Blood Rose—the one I defeated during my first year at the annual meeting. What the hell are you doing?!” he shouted.

“It’s because of you that my life turned miserable!” Henry growled, his eyes filled with rage.

Kieran’s expression darkened. His jaw clenched.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. “That fight was fair. All the leaders were there. I didn’t ruin your life—your own weakness did,” he added. Henry’s fists shook in anger.

“You humiliated me!” he barked. “I was cast out of my pack. They called me a disgrace! You took everything from me!” he yelled.

“I only fought you because I was told to,” Kieran replied firmly. “You lost. That’s not my fault,” he added.

But Henry wouldn’t listen. His eyes burned with hatred, and without another word, he lunged at Kieran. The two clashed in the alley, their fists moving fast.

Then, suddenly, Henry stepped back, growled low in his throat, and shifted into his wolf form.

Kieran’s eyes widened.

“What are you doing?!” he shouted.

Henry growled loudly, his sharp teeth showing as he stood in his large, dark wolf form. People nearby screamed and ran when they saw the creature in the alley. Kieran looked around. He didn’t want to transform. The North had strict rules—no shifting in public—but Henry had already broken that.

Kieran didn’t want to cause more trouble, but he had no choice. Henry was out for blood, and if Kieran didn’t defend himself, he would get hurt—or worse. With a deep breath, Kieran let his control go and shifted into his own wolf form.

Henry didn’t wait. He pounced at Kieran with full force, claws out. Kieran met him head-on, their bodies crashing together. They rolled across the alley, biting and clawing at each other. Kieran fought with focus and control, but Henry was wild, attacking with all his rage.

Minutes passed like hours. Kieran was starting to push Henry back when help finally arrived.

“Alpha Kieran!” Dwayne shouted, running into the alley with several Northern guards behind him.

The guards pointed their weapons. Some of the humans nearby gasped at the sight. Dwayne stepped between them and the fight, making sure no one else got hurt.

Kieran, seeing the guards, backed off and growled low, standing protectively between them and the crowd. Henry, still full of anger, tried to lunge again, but the guards moved quickly, surrounding him.

Kieran shifted back into his human form, chest rising and falling with heavy breaths. Dwayne looked at him, eyes wide with concern.

“Are you alright, Alpha?” he asked. Kieran gave a small nod, then looked at Henry.

“Take him. He broke the law.”

The guards moved in to grab Henry, who struggled but was finally pinned down.