35. Anna

35

Anna

"Release me," I said in a cold tone as I stared at the witch. "Now."

It was a gamble. I had no idea what the spell was supposed to do. If I'd more time to study the magic wrapping around, I could hazard a guess. I doubted it was meant to do anything too drastic, or Maeve and her witch would be immediately accused.

No, it had to be curiosity.

Jax snarled, and the magic was gone. Maeve frowned at the witch, but Cam's face was still calm as she bowed her head. "My apologies," she murmured. "I feared my magic would be erratic here. Sometimes it acts without me."

Maeve turned to Jax. "I apologize. She did mention her magic was seeping out, but I didn't think it would attack anyone."

"Not attack," Cam said quickly. "My magic was just drawn to her."

"Apologize to her," Jax said, his eyes still glowing gold. "Not me, and do not allow it to happen again."

Turning, Cam bowed again. "I apologize. I did not mean to alarm you. I am anxious."

I could definitely understand her anxiety, but the fact that her magic immediately targeted me was suspicious. Did she now know that I was a null?

"Once you're shown to your room, I can take you to see Irene," Jax said. There wasn't a trace of suspicion in his voice. I wasn't dumb enough to think he didn't care. Instead, I was in awe of how easily his political mask slipped back into place.

"Surely, you do not need to take her," Maeve said with a frown. "Let your mate. We have things to discuss."

Jax hesitated, and I cleared my throat. The fastest way to get a target painting on your back was to appear weak. "Amelia and Bridget can accompany us," I told Jax.

"Fine. They should already be on their way. Follow me."

Normally I was more than happy to trail Jax and whoever he was walking with, but today, I walked next to Jax. That put me ahead of Maeve and my back to the witch. A bold move. To my surprise, Jax slipped his hand around my waist and pulled me against him as we walked.

Great. He wanted us to be that kind of couple in front of the other mates. I tried not to stiffen.

Maeve would miss something. She hadn't been in power for so long that she would miss much.

"Suites were assigned at random. It should be plenty of room for you, your witch, your third, and two guards," Jax said as he stopped at the door. I don't think you've been here since we've made some changes. If you have any security concerns, please let me know."

"This is adequate," Maeve said as she walked around and wrinkled her nose. I didn't know what her home was like, but I had a good feeling that Maeve was all about living the high life.

"The beds don't have any sheets."

"You are a day early," Jax pointed out. "The rooms will be finished shortly."

"Fine. Since we must wait, I suggest we all go visit this witch of yours. I'm curious as to how she survived the attack when Boa did not." There was a light crack in her voice, and Cam lowered her head. It was obvious that the daughter mourned her father, but just how close was Maeve with her witch?

Hell, Jax left his pack to hunt down whoever had taken Irene. Maybe the relationship between witch and alpha was more intimate than I realized.

In the car, with Bridget and Amelia, Maeve finally turned her full attention on me. "So you're the daughter of the rogue who would murder to be an alpha."

"Strange way of putting it considering that most alphas have to kill to get the position," I said as I met her gaze head-on. My wolf trembled but didn't back down. Not when Jax was in the car with us. She had so much more faith in our mate than I did.

"True," Maeve said with a small smile. "Do you think he would have made a good alpha?"

I snorted. "No." He couldn't even treat his own daughter with compassion. How would he treat a pack?

Then again, it was starting to look more and more like Dirk Kipling wasn't trying to amass a pack.

"It's a shame he's not still alive to see you in the position he wanted for all this time. There is nothing more satisfying than watching a man go insane when he learns a woman can do a job better than he can," she said with a cold smile. "No offense, Jax."

"I regret Kipling's swift kill every day," he responded. "He certainly deserved something far crueler."

"Tell me, Anna, how did it feel when you realized you were mated to the man whose hands still dripped with your father's blood?" Maeve asked, a wild intensity in her eyes.

"I doubt she felt anything," Cam murmured.

My stomach twisted. Did the strange witch know that I was a null?

‘What do you mean by that?" Jax growled.

Cam cleared her throat. "Only that she was so sheltered. Did she even know what a mating bond is? Is it instinctual or did someone have to explain it to her?"

She wasn't wrong. "I knew what a mating bond was when Jax arrived." My voice was soft as I sifted through my memories. "Although I don't know who told me or how I knew, but there was no mistaking what I felt when I looked at him."

"Relief that your mate was so powerful?" Maeve pressed.

After a second of debate, I decided there was nothing wrong with the truth. "Not relief. Powerful wolves terrified me, but Jax had just killed a nightmare. My nightmare. In that moment, he was a hero. I succumbed to this girlish notion that I was facing a happily-ever-after and he was my knight in shining armor."

Rolling her eyes, Maeve turned back around. "Ridiculously."

"It was," I admitted. "I realized that fairly quickly. I didn't have the luxury of feeling like a girl, and there are no easy happily-ever-afters for wolves like me."

My voice turned bitter and I stared out the window. Luckily, we were just pulling into Irene's driveway.

There were five guards outside her house. Apparently, Jax had upped security for the alpha meeting.

Maeve noticed.

"Worried about something?" She asked as she got out of the car.

"Not at all," Jax said easily. "I simply want to make sure my witch knows she's safe now."

One of the guards opened the door to the cottage and glared at me. It took me a moment to recognize Roy, but I tried not to show my discomfort as I walked passed him. Irene was waiting for us with a tray of tea.

She was as white as a sheet.

"Alpha," she greeted. "Anna. Alpha Frost, welcome."

Her gaze slid by Maeve, and her eyes widened. "Cam?"

"Hello, Irene," Cam said in a hard voice. "You seem surprised to see me."

"I was expecting your father." Her eyes widened. "Oh, I am so sorry, Cam. They told me a witch was killed, but I had no idea it was Bao."

Her eyes filled with tears, but Cam looked anything but sympathetic. There was clearly some history there, and I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"And how did you know Bao?" Maeve asked.

The kitchen was getting a little crowded. Jax cleared his throat. "Guards, Bridget, see to the perimeter. Irene, if it's not too much trouble, perhaps we can take the tea to the living room and get settled."

Eyes wide, she nodded and carried the tea from the kitchen. We followed behind. I sat on one side of Irene on the couch, and Jax stood behind her, protectively. Maeve and Cam sat in the chair across from the table and stared while Irene poured the tea with trembling hands.

"Bao helped train me," Irene explained.

"Bao had been my witch for two decades," Maeve cut in darkly. "And I've never set eyes on you. Do not lie to me."

I glared at Maeve. "Perhaps if you don't interrupt her, Irene can explain fully."

"The submissive wolf has teeth. How interesting. You are right, of course. My apologies.

Continue."

"It was ten years ago when our paths crossed. I had been invited to a coven and was on my way there. Bao was searching for an herb rumored to grow at the top of the mountain. I was procrastinating in my journey. The Spellkyn coven was a powerful one, and I didn't think I was powerful enough to join."

Everyone inhaled sharply but Cam and me. She clearly knew the story, but I didn't even know what the Spellkyn coven was. "I thought the Darkwyn den was the only coven here."

"There was a time when there were several covens here," Irene said with a soft smile.

Witches and wolves shared these mountains. The Spellkyns and the Darkwyns were sister covens. They helped secure and protect the other smaller covens in the mountains. Anyway, I helped Bao look for the herb, and he stayed with me on the mountain for nearly a week, helping me hone my powers. I'd kept in touch with him through the years until…."

"Until?" Cam prompted. "Why did you stop speaking to my father? He was heartbroken, you know. There was a time when he thought surely you were dead."

"When I left the Spellkyn coven, I worried about retribution. I feared he and any other witch I was friendly with would be a target, so I cut ties with them. I am sorry to say that I never spoke to him again."

"And this Spellkyn coven? Are they responsible for your attack and his death?" Maeve hissed. "What secrets are you keeping from us, witch?"

"The Spellkyn coven is responsible for the death of dozens of witches," Irene said in a hard voice. "And the Darkwyn coven culled them for it. Two witches escaped, but they were killed over a year ago. There are no Spellkyns left. That is why there are no more covens in these woods."

Maeve frowned. "How have I not heard of this before? Wolves share these woods, and I knew of no battle between witches."

"It didn't involve the woods, so the Darkwyn coven kept it quiet. It was our burden and our shame," Irene said bitterly.

I touched her arm comfortingly. "Witches are being attacked again, Irene. Are there any similarities?"

"The Spellkyns were accused of stealing power," Irene said slowly. "And killing for it. It's against witch law, but it does happen. It's happening now, but the Spellkyns are dead. If any of them remained, one of the Darkwyns would have seen it, and I did not recognize my attackers."

"Tell me, how is it that someone as young as you survived when the man who helped mentor you is dead?" Power emanated from Maeve. Jax growled, but Maeve didn't back down. Her eyes glowed silver as she leaned forward, and I could see the fury in them. "Perhaps it is you that is behind these attacks. Seeking refuge with the Darkwyn coven or conspiring against them?"

I felt the magic brewing in Cam just before it lashed out. This time, I was not the target, but before I could blink, Irene was on her feet and Cam was against the wall.

Holding her hand out steadily, Irene narrowed her eyes at Cam. "You dare to come into my home and threaten me?" She hissed. "You are half the witch your father was. Perhaps you'd like to join him."