Celestia: The Cursed Witch

xiii

Renee gasped and leaned against the tree. She had been separated from her team—a group composed of wolves, humans, and witches pursuing their enemies, the Abyss Brotherhood.

Three of their members had already been killed, but they had managed to cut the enemy’s numbers in half. Renee were being chase by three members of the Abyss Brotherhood. She had already taken down two, leaving her with one remaining pursuer. But she was too exhausted. Her energy was drained, and she could no longer use her powers.

“Come out, witch!” the enemy yelled.

Renee covered her mouth and breathed deeply. She couldn’t get caught—she knew she’d end up dead if she did.

The sound of rustling leaves grew louder as it approached her hiding place, then suddenly stopped.

“She’s not here,” the man muttered.

Renee stayed perfectly still for a few moments longer, her heart pounding in her chest. When she felt it was safe, she dropped to the ground to catch her breath. She had to move—she needed to find her team.

“Found you,” a voice said behind her.

Renee’s eyes widened. Two men stood on either side of her, grinning devilishly.

“You really thought you could escape from us?” one of them sneered.

Without hesitation, Renee pushed herself to her feet and bolted throwing them off guard.

“What the—catch her, moron!” the other one shouted.

She ran through the thick forest, not daring to stop or look back. Branches scraped her arms and legs, but she didn’t care. She had to survive until she can use her powers again.

One of her pursuers caught up and lunged at her, pinning her to the ground. Renee gritted her teeth, struggling beneath him.

"Stop it, witch!" he yelled while suppressing her. She summoned every last ounce of her strength and landed a blow to his jaw, then another to his temple. The man groaned and collapsed, unconscious.

Panting, Renee crawled away and forced herself to stand with her body aching. She body was trembling from exhaustion, but she pressed forward through the forest.

“Renee!” a familiar voice called out.

She looked up and saw a group of wolves and witches—her team—rushing toward her. Relief washed over her like a wave.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you,” said a wolf shifter in human form, helping her stay on her feet.

“I was being chased,” Renee replied breathlessly. “One’s down… but there might be more,” she added.

“Don’t worry,” another witch said. “We’ve got your back,” she added. Renee nodded her head. Together, they made their way deeper into the forest.

“What?! You lost her, Miguel?! That was our only chance to catch the marked one—how the f*ck did you lose her?!” the man yelled, slamming his fist against the stone wall in frustration.

“Dom, her team arrived before we could catch her,” said the man with a long scar running down the side of his face.

“Shut up, Scarface,” Dom snapped, turning away with clenched fists. His boots crunched against the gravel as he stormed off.

Scarface glanced sideways at Miguel and crossed his arms.

“I just saved your ass, Miguel. You better treat me to some good booze later,” he muttered. Then, with a smirk, he added, “Who fell unconscious from a single punch again?” he added.

“Oh, f*ck off!” Miguel said. His jaw tightened as Scarface turned and walked away. He glared at the retreating figures, rage simmering behind his eyes.

Back at a small, quiet inn near the edge of the forest, Renee and her team finally had time to rest.

They sat around a wooden table in the tavern. A fire crackled nearby, and the room smelled like herbs and old wood. Everyone looked tired, but they were safe—for now.

“Is everyone here?” Mara asked. She was a tall witch with silver in her hair and was putting medicine on a cut on her arm.

“Yes. We've also collected the bodies of our fallen comrades. I had Morgan hide them until we come back home,” Renee said. “They were after me. I heard one of them say ‘the marked one,’” she added, fearing for her daughter's life.

“The Abyss Brotherhood is getting braver,” Elias said. He was a wolf shifter. “They’re not hiding anymore that they wanted to revive the Nightmare Wolf,” he added.

“They’re looking for Celestia. They have information,” Renee said.

“We need to tell the Grand Witch,” Mara said. “And the Alpha too,” she added.

“Let's offer a silent prayer for our comrades who have passed first,” Lily, the smallest and quietest one, spoke. A witch from a nearby coven called Shaders. All of them agreed. Holding each other's hands, they closed their eyes and offered prayers to the dead.

“We’ll rest here tonight,” Renee said after the prayer. “Then we go back to the pack early in the morning. Celestia must be protected,” she added.

Everyone nodded. They were tired, but they knew this wasn’t over yet.

Morning came in the Shadowclaw Pack and Roxy was helping Celestia build her stamina again after the pack doctor gave his permission. The sun was high, and sweat dripped down her face as she ran across the training grounds.

“Come on, Celestia! Just two more rounds!” Roxy called out, keeping pace beside her. Celestia panted but nodded.

“I’m trying here not to die!” she said, pushing herself forward. Just then, Kieran appeared near the edge of the field.

“Celestia, darling!” he called out, waving her over. Roxy slowed down and gave her a small nod.

“Go ahead. We can continue later. Seems like it's important,” she said. Celestia jogged toward Kieran.

“What is it?” she asked, wiping her forehead.

“Your aunt—she’s here. She just arrived at the packhouse,” he said with a small smile. Her eyes widened.

“Aunt Renee?” she asked. Kieran nodded.

“Come on, I’ll take you to her,” he said.

Without another word, Celestia followed him. They walked quickly to the packhouse, her heart pounding—not from the training, but from the rush of emotions.

As soon as they entered, Celestia saw Renee standing in the hallway, seemingly tired.

“Aunt Renee!” Celestia called. Renee turned around, and without a second thought, pulled her into a tight hug.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Renee whispered, holding her close. Celestia closed her eyes and hugged her back just as tightly.

“What happened?” she asked. Renee smiled at her.

“I’ll tell you later, okay? I have to talk to Alpha Solomon and Alpha Kieran first,” she said. Celestia nodded and stepped back.

“We’ll be back,” Kieran whispered in her ear. Celestia watched as they entered the office, feeling anxious about what the talk was all about.