Audrey quickly ran out the door and flew down the stairs.
Reaching the general living room, she saw people gathered in peers in each corner of the living room.
She slowly walked outside the packhouse and was surprised to see more people at the entrance.
She slowly walked past them and trailed the crowd that lined from the front to the back of the Packhouse.
She could hear them as she passed;
“It’s a teenage witch,”
“I wonder how she got her,”
“She’s asked for trouble,”
“Didn’t she hear about the feud?!”
“Poor thing’s gonna die,”
Audrey hastened her footsteps as she heard their talks.
She had a feeling that the witch at the border might have something to do with her, or she just felt that way because she needed to save the witch.
She went into a full sprint and ran into the forest. Her heart leaped when she saw some wolves standing in front of her secret garden, but she sighed in relief when she saw it was still tightly sealed, she had thought they found the witch girl in there.
“Who sent you?!” She heard Alpha Lake’s angry voice in front of the guards.
“No one, I came for my sister,” A girl’s voice replied.
Audrey felt her blood turn cold as she heard the familiar voice. She would recognize that voice anywhere, even in death!
Maria!
What was she doing here?! Has she gone nuts?!
‘Fuck!’ Audrey swore murderously within herself.
“Raphael,” Alpha Lake called darkly.
“Yes, Alpha,” A tall guard with a deep voice answered beside him.
“Kill her,” Alpha Lake said darkly.
“As you command, Alpha,” Raphael replied.
Raphael brought out his gun and pointed it at Maria’s head, ready to pull the trigger.
“Lake!” Audrey called and ran her way to his side, subtly using her body to block Maria.
She called him by his name because she knew it would get his attention faster, and, she knew he would like it.
She was ready to do anything to get his attention off of her cousin.
“Hold, Raphael!” Alpha Lake growled when he suddenly saw Audrey in front of the kneeling witch.
Raphael immediately lowered his hand, tucking the gun safely back into the hustler.
“What are you doing here, Catherine? You’re wounded!” Alpha Lake said and gently pulled her into his side.
Audrey ignored the look Maria was sending her way. There was no way she was letting that girl put her in trouble by admitting she knew her!
“Um, I heard the commotion around the Pack and decided to come check if you’re alright… and safe,” She said softly, her voice laced with concern, she said the last part and glared at Maria.
Maria looked away, knowing she was indeed impulsive with her arrival.
“Everything is fine, Kitten, I promised to come back to you, didn’t I?” Alpha Lake caressed her hair.
“Ahem, he-he-he!” Maria giggled.
THUD!~
“Ouch!” Maria cried out as she was roughly kicked to the dirty floor by Raphael.
Maria arched her back in pain as she lay on the floor.
Audrey swiftly removed herself from Alpha Lake’s hold and turned to Raphael, her countenance turning dangerously murderous in an instant.
“Why?” She asked darkly, staring right into Raphael’s eyes.
“Uh, she-she…” He trailed off, feeling strangely intimidated.
Raphael didn’t know why, but he felt some kind of powerful aura and command coming from Audrey as he stared right into her determined eyes, he felt subdued.
Audrey wasn’t using her Alpha command, even though she was so tempted to, given the situation, but she decided to channel her natural aura to him, letting him feel the danger she could be if she wanted.
Alpha Lake cocked his head to the side as he looked from his stuttering guard to the crying witch on the floor, he was wondering why Audrey was acting strange and why his guard couldn’t hold his composure in front of her.
But he did notice there was something that shifted in Audrey at that moment; if he wasn’t an Alpha, he would have been intimidated, too.
“Answer me, Ralph-eal…” She said slowly.
“S-she s-spoke when s-she wasn’t asked to,” Raphael stuttered, trying his best to free himself from the hold he felt around his body, but he failed.
“Tch!” Audrey scoffed, “Are you an Alpha?”
“No,”
“Beta?”
“No,”
“Ordered to?”
“No,”
“Then why did you kick her?” Audrey asked her tone deathly.
“I-am-”
“Because you wanted to. You wanted to feel some gratification, making yourself act brave in front of the Alpha and score yourself some points, right, Dum Dum?” She asked with her head cocked to the side, her brow raised in anger and mockery.
“Yes,” Raphael replied defeatedly.
“Never, never do that again, am I clear, DumDum?” Audrey asked.
“Yes,” Raphael replied, lowering his head.
Alpha Lake and the other guards watched on in surprise as Audrey took the head of the guards down several pegs.
“Hey, kitten,” Alpha Lake wrapped his hand around Audrey’s waist, “It’s just a witch…” He whispered in her ear.
“Do you really plan to kill her?” Audrey turned her face to him and asked, “Even after knowing the truth?” She said
Alpha Lake sighed, he knew she was right. He already knew his mother was killed by a dark witch as she informed him in the letter she wrote.
He also knew that the girl lying on the floor with her hands behind her back wasn’t a dark but a white witch, so technically, she was clear.
But he had already declared enmity between the werewolves and the witches. He couldn’t just let the first witch who flew into his Pack go scott-free.
“Bring her to the examination room,” Alpha Lake said to his guards.
“Yes, Alpha,” The men replied.
“Come, Kitten, let’s talk at home, you’ve stressed yourself a lot,” He said and carried her back out of the forest.
Audrey couldn’t struggle because she was still acting like she was wounded. She felt the curious eyes of the Pack members and their whispers as they passed them.
She was kind of relieved that Maria didn’t get locked up in the dungeon, she didn’t know how she would have handled it. But, she was sure it wouldn’t have been a good outcome.
When she saw Raphael kick Maria, she felt something feral let loose within her, if she wasn’t under a disguise, she would have snapped his head, then and there.
“What happened, Alpha!” Adeline rushed to Alpha Lake as they reached the Packhouse.
She stood in front of the Packhouse and waited for them.
“Nothing, Adeline,” Alpha Lake replied and walked past her into the house, securely holding Audrey to himself.
Audrey felt the dagger glare Adeline sent her way.
Adeline couldn’t bear it, she wondered the kind of tricks Audrey had to apply to make the Alpha care that much about her.
“Was it the witch? Did it hurt Catherine? We should burn her, Alpha, you know how dangerous they can be,” Adeline didn’t give up; she followed them up the stairs, trying to find a way to get rid of Audrey and get closer to Alpha Lake.
Alpha Lake ignored her and walked into his house; she followed them in.
“Poor Audrey, she’s gone and got herself hurt. Don’t worry, Alpha, since she’s currently useless, I’ll come make meals for you from now on,” Adeline announced confidently.
Alpha Lake gently lowered Audrey to the Sofa and walked to the fridge to get her a bottle of water.
Audrey simply lay there, quietly listening to the crazy woman’s rants.
It was good she was pretending to be ill, it saved her some life span she would have lost in bantering with the two-faced wallflower.
“Catherine, dear, don’t worry, I’ll do everything right from now on,” Adeline walked over to Audrey and softly patted her hair in fake concern.
She was just putting on a show for the Aloha to see.
“Please do; I don’t mind having a subordinate; I could teach you a trick or two… if you’re good enough,” Audrey put a hand over her mouth and pretended to whisper.
“Bitch!” Adeline mouthed.
“Adeline,” Alpha Lame called as returned with a bottle of water.
“Yes, oh, you’re so thoughtful,” Adeline stretched her hand before her and snidely looked at Audrey.
“Here, Kitten,” Alpha Lake didn’t notice Adeline’s stretched arm and passed the opened bottle of water over her waiting hands.
“Huh, oh…” Adeline said, embarrassed, she slowly brought her hand back to her side.
“Thank you, Lake,” Audrey said, smiling innocently at him.
She secretly looked at Adeline and stuck her tongue out at her.
“Ugh!” Adeline immediately put her hands over her mouth, she didn’t know when she said that out of anger for Audrey’s provocation.
Audrey silently chuckled as she watched Adeline, and casually sipped her water and wished it were tea.
“Ah, yes, Adeline, I wanted to say something to you,” Alpha Lake sat beside Audrey.
“Yes, Alpha?” Adeline replied sweetly.
Her sour mood was gone now that she got his attention back to her. She thought he was going to discuss her living arrangements concerning what she had proposed earlier as to becoming his new chef.
She was glad to finally be a step closer to him.
“Go downstairs and tell everyone to gather at the hall tomorrow morning. We’ll start the project tomorrow, too. Goodnight, Adeline. You may leave,” Alpha Lake spoke, his tone dead serious.
“What? Ah, I mean… ahem, yes, Alpha,” Adeline couldn’t believe her ears.
She’s been dismissed… again.
She walked out of the house with balled fists and a vengeful and malicious heart.