Alpha’s Mark (Three lives Of A Witch)

He knew better than to trust a blood sucker , yet beneath his caution, he hoped she would've assistance to his cause.

How could he have thought so?

But what's really at loss to him?. It either a gain or a trap and he's willing to fall into it.

And as he had suspected, it indeed a trap set by that skimpy witch of the night. His souls turns rough and cold the moment his feet touched the grounds of the designated location. His sharp eyes scans the gathered bodies of the so called council elders who surrounds him like ants on sugar, all ready to rip the flesh on his bones.

"This is interesting" a smirk curls on his lips as he gaze fixed on Balu's figure shielding behind a council member. "Tell me, dear king, what deed have I committed to deserve such an honorable meeting?" His tone is taunting, his words directed at Steffen, whose darken eyes could incinerate him in an instant, though a protective spell hold Steffen's fury at bay.

"Today you stand trial for your crimes" Steffen's voice thundered

"And what crime is that?" Teslime challenged, his posture unyielding ad defiant. His heart spell itself for the battle already see unfolding.

"I owe you or anyone here an explanation, I work on my terms. You and your so laws have long been forsaken by me"

"You may have forsaken those laws but they still binds you for as long as you bear your wolf skin and since it is so, you have violated those rules you'll be stand to trail by the council" Teslime huff at Paul's words, his mind defiant for anything ahead.

Teslime's gaze sweeps across the faces of the council members, his amber eyes burning with loathing. The so-called elders—self-proclaimed protectors of the wolves and all supernaturals ,sits perched on their makeshift thrones, cloaked in authority they no longer deserve. To him, they are nothing but relics of a decaying system, cowards draped in robes of power that didn't belong to them.

Hypocrites, he thought bitterly, his upper lip curling into a sneer as he watch Lady Marv speak with feigned righteousness. She speaks of rules and justice as though the council upheld either. But what justice is there in bowing to humans, in cowering while wolves are hunted like vermin?

"Protectors of the clans," he mocks inwardly. It's laughable. Where are these protectors when wolf packs were slaughtered? When villages are burned and children taken? They sat here, safe behind their wards and spells, whispering empty words and clinging to traditions that has long lost their meaning. They speak of laws and order, but their true law is fear. Fear of the humans they claimed to despise but lack the spine to stand against.

Disgust coiled in his chest like a venomous snake. His fists clenched by his sides, nails digging into the flesh of his palms, drawing blood. You sit here and condemn me, he thought, his glare hardening as it flitted over Steffen's imposing form, yet it is your cowardice that has doomed us all.

He sees it in their eyes—the unspoken truth they never admit. The council fear humans. Despite their power, their numbers, their centuries of existence, they trembles at the thought of humanity's wrath. Wolves are born of the wild, creatures of strength and instinct, yet here they are, ruled by timid elders who preach peace while their kind are hunt to extinction.

Teslime's voice cut through the silence like a blade. "You speak of justice, yet you've abandoned your own kind." His words drips with contempt, his gaze daring them to challenge him. "You claim to protect the clan, but all you do is hide—afraid, like beaten dogs."

The tension in the clearing thickened,the air heavy with unspoken threats. The council's gaze bore into Teslime as he defiles them,his stance rigid and unyielding. A storm brewed within Steffens darkened eyes, a storm that would soon be unleash.

"I stand for nothing",Teslime voice rings, sharp as the dagger's edge.

The words were barely out before Steffen move. Faster than he could process , an iron like hand clamps around his throat, slamming him in the unforgiving earth. The force rattle his bones, the ground cracking beneath his weight. Steffen loom over him,a towering figure of dominance,his grip unrelenting as Teslime's breath claws at his lungs.

Teslime's eyes glinted with rage as his hands shot up, prying desperately at Steffen's fingers. His vision swam, his heat beat thundering in his ears. For a second Steffens grip loosen and he squeeze a moment to twist his body and breaking free.

He staggered to his feet, gasping, but Steffen is on to him again in an instant .

"Aww" Teslime groans as the pain of his king's hand lands square on his jaw, blood fills his mouth, metallic and bitter, as he crashes back down to the earth.

But Teslime isn't so easily broken.

A deep growl erupts his chest ,vibrating through the clearing like a primal call to war. His body contorting, bones cracking and shifting.Muscles expands as his skin gives way to fur, his shadow now taken by a high wolf, twice the size of a normal one. It mouth drooling as it feet's lean on firm stance against the king known would kill him in a second , yet the fuming fury in his chest pushes him against his limits.

A thin smirk curls on Steffen's lips as his watches his transformation unflinching. In a second his body hastily takes the form of his wolf.

The council falls in silence as they gaze at his giant wolf claws it paw at Teslime . Before he could react, Steffen's paw collide w we itch his sides, sending him sprawling through the air.

In a second, his wolf is on it feet's, his breath ragged, blood staining the fur at his sides. His steps carefully set round Steffen, glaring and calculating his movement, his growl rumbling like a distant thunder. Steffen mirrors his motion,his sheer size exuding dominance.

Then without warning, they collide.

Pin beneath Steffen's massive paws, he claws at the ground in desperate struggle to free himself. With his breath thinning and his body weakening, his vision blurs. Death looms before , Steffen jaw opens wide, his fang poised at Teslime's neck ,ready to tear him apart. All holds their breath as they they watch patient in anticipation on the big moment. Taking a strike of eagerness and longings for Steffen's know method of devouring his enemies.

But then..

Teslime's body begins to dissolve

Steffen pause, confusion flickers in his eyes. The shimmer glows bright , his fur dissolving into a haze of glowing particles that drifted upwards like a smoke.

"No" Steffen snarled,his voice rough and guttural as his jaws snaps at the empty air.

The light fades, leaving only a faint wisp of dust where Teslime had lain. Steffen steps back, his wolf form trembling with fury as Teslime's disembodied voice echoes through the clearing:

"Remember my words, Steffen. I'll have her killed, and trust me it will be the best gift to you. This isn't over".

The voice lingers like a curse, carried on the breeze that rustle through the trees.

The council falls into stunned silence.

"Clone magic" Lucy breaths in awe, rising to her feet. "A witch's magic"

Clone magic is no simple feat. She herself had tried it many times, only to fail. The clones she created were flawed, glitching, deformed,and incapable of independent speech or thought. But Teslime's clone is different. It moved, spoke and acted exactly like the original, a flawless copy.

"Quite the masterpiece", mistress Lily adds, a small admiring smile playing on her lips. Kneeling, she runs fingers through the fine dust left behind. "It left no trace"she murmurs claiming her fingers to shake off the ash.

For years, she along with Lucy had tried and failed to master clone magic. Her creation were imperfect, reliant on words and actions. But this, this is the work of a true master and there's one clan that's capable of such magic. 'Sun witch'

"She's powerful" Lucy mutters taking lead behind mistress Lily, sniffing at the ash that clung to her fingers. "More powerful than any sun witch we've encountered"

A growl of frustration broke through the silence. "Damn it, what now?" Paul barks, his temper flaring. No matter what he tried Teslime always slips through his fingers. The rogue wolf's action threatens their existence to the humans and that's something he won't allow.

"Set a bounty on him" Steffen declares coldly after takingb his human form, his chest heaving, his face a mask barely containing the rage. His hands clenched into a fist as he stare at the empty ground where Teslime had vanished. "Hundred million, I want him caught soon" he futher.

He can't risk a maniac vengeful rogue out to kill his mate.

The council murmurs their agreement, but their thoughts lingers on the fight they have just witnessed. And as Steffen turns his back, he can't help but wonder, was Teslime truly gone or was he merely a step ahead of them?.

****

After the long, grueling trip, Ella collapse onto the bed in her temporary room, exhaustion weighing her down. Abi's feast had been a welcome relief, one she devoured eagerly before retreating to her room.

Now, her stomach aches from overeating, and she lay with her hands pressed against it, her eyes tracing the patterns of the chandelier swinging faintly above her.

Her thoughts spun like the chandelier. How would she get Mia the pills before the poison takes hold?.

There's only two days left,two days until the poison consumes Mia's small body, dragging her into an agonizing death.

But how?how would she do it without being seen or being suspected by Steffen or his spies?. The lady's warning was clear:if she is discovered as a spy for the organization she would be "taken care off". And she knows exactly what that means.

"Goodness" she groans, burying her face in her hands.

Time is running out, and the weight of it presses down on her like a stone.