Marshall’s POV
I looked furiously at the abandoned castle that stood in front of me while brushing my hand through my hair.
I knew a lot of years had gone by, but a part of me hoped the witch could still be around.
“Shit,” I whispered coldly and then pulled my cell phone from my pocket.
“What do we do?” I asked my wolf.
“Tracking down that witch would take a lot of weeks or months, if not years. Also, what if she is dead?” I asked my wolf bitterly.
“Then how about we look for another witch who is very good at dark magic?” he asked as I kept quiet, thinking back to whether I knew of any witch.
When it clicked, I smirked proudly.
News of an ancient witch related to Berta’s son was everywhere in the news. Not only was she ancient, but she was also diverse in dark magic.
If there was one thing I came to understand, it was that those who practiced dark magic were very selfish and greedy.
They never said no when asked for something, and in exchange, they got something of value for themselves.
The first witch wanted a few of my years to make the spell I needed, so it would be no different with another witch. Be it ancient or not, she was going to ask for the same, if not similar.
“How do we get to her?” I asked my wolf.
“Riff,” came his direct response.
“Right,” I whispered, then dialed his line.
After a few minutes, he picked up.
“Father,” he called in a form of greeting.
“Son, is there a witch related to Berta’s son?” I asked seriously.
“Oh, you mean Glen? Yes, there is; her name is Edith. Why do you ask?” he asked seriously.
“I would like to talk to her,” I answered.
“I don’t have her line or a way to contact her, but I do believe my mate has,” he answered.
“Mate?” I asked in a low tone, surprised by the news.
“Yes… I have a mate, Father,” he answered in a low tone.
“Oh,” I whispered softly.
“I didn’t tell you about it because my mate was so cold and distant with me. While I was busy trying to win her over, she wanted nothing to do with me; that’s why I was so ashamed to tell you the truth,” he said as I kept quiet.
“I know this news might not only be shocking to you but also upsetting. I do apologize, Dad,” he said as I sighed heavily.
“You know, no matter what, I can’t blame you or think of you badly. I know some mates tend not to want who our moon goddess has blessed them with,” I answered, speaking from my own experience.
“I did go through some hardship to win her over, like her yelling at me or being cold and sarcastic. But now everything is okay, and I’m glad to tell you that we will be back in a few days,” he said as I frowned.
“Dad, are you there?” he asked seriously.
“Yes, I am, and I am very happy to hear that; that’s why I kept quiet for a few seconds,” I lied.
“Her name is Sophie, and she is Alpha Glen’s Beta. You know, Alpha Glen, Luna Berta’s son,” he said as I laughed softly.
“That’s amazing news! I can’t wait to meet her,” I forced myself to say the words.
“I feel very glad and relieved to hear you say that, Father,” he said happily.
“Of course I want to meet her. After all, she’s your mate, and I am always proud of you, son, so don’t be surprised to hear such words from me,” I lied.
“Son, about Edith,” I said after a few seconds of silence.
“Let me talk to my mate; I’ll call you in a few minutes,” he said.
I rolled my eyes and disconnected the call.
“What do you think this witch would ask of us?” I asked my wolf.
“I don’t know, but whatever it is, we will give it to her as long as Berta is ours,” he answered as I smirked.
He was right; we cared less about the price we had to pay as long as we got what we wanted.
When my cell phone rang, I quickly picked it up.
“Son,” I answered after looking at the caller ID.
“I have texted you her cell phone number,” he answered.
“Thanks,” I said as I disconnected the call and quickly checked my messages.
When I saw her number, I immediately dialed it while I patiently waited for her to pick up.
“Hello,” came a calm female tone.
“Edith?” I asked softly.
“Who’s asking?” she asked back.
“Well… let me introduce myself in a way you could understand,” I said seriously.
“I am Marshall, a Beta. I am Riff’s father, and I serve Glen’s and Sky’s father, Alpha Clyde,” I said seriously as the line went silent.
“Edith,” I called.
“Sir, it’s a pleasure to have a call from you,” she said as I smirked.
“The pleasure is all mine, ancient witch,” I said calmly.
“I wanted to have a private conversation with you, if it’s not too much to ask,” I said as the line went quiet again.
“Sir, if it’s very important, I can locate you where you are and come to your side,” she answered as I raised a brow.
“Seriously?” I asked.
“Of course,” she answered.
“Please do it, because it is very important,” I said.
“Alright, give me a few minutes,” she answered and then disconnected the call.
I stood wondering if it was possible for her to locate me just like that.
When a portal appeared right in front of me, I got a little startled.
She stepped out of it as it closed right behind her.
She was exactly as they had described her to be on the news. Although she was older than me, she looked nothing like her age. She actually looked a little younger than Riff.
She smiled and then gave a low bow of respect.
“Edith, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” I said as I extended my hand to her.
She stood upright and shook my hand with a smile.
“The pleasure is all mine, sir. Not only do I know your son, I have grown very fond of the Alpha he serves,” she answered in a respectful tone.
“I’m glad to know,” I said as I wondered how to bring up the issue I wanted to discuss while I dropped my hand.
“Sir, is everything alright?” she asked seriously.
“No, nothing is alright,” I answered sadly and honestly.