20. Tayla

Chapter twenty

Tayla

Standing by the window, watching distant birds, I heard the door creak open. Turning, I saw Nora, her green eyes heavy with regret and sadness, sinking to her knees.

“Nora,” I said, a small frown forming. “I know I asked for your release, but what brings you here?”

“Ms. Tayla, I know I’ve wronged you. I don’t expect forgiveness, but please hear me out,” she pleaded.

“You betrayed me,” I said, my hands clenched into fists. “I trusted you, only to find out Asher had influenced you, too.”

“Please,” she implored, rubbing her hands together. “If I had told you the truth, Asher would have killed me. You must believe me.”

"But I would've kept it from him," I said, uncertain about forgiving her. Even if I did, my trust in her would be shattered, and it would take time to mend.

“Ms. Tayla, I promise to be transparent from now on. No more secrets,” she vowed.

“Get up,” I said, turning away. “And tell me why you are here.”

“I’ve been asking around and doing some research about witches,” she replied.

“What have you found out?” I asked.

“I think I’ve figured it all out. The children being killed in the pack—what if the witch is sacrificing them to complete the ritual to resurrect his wife?” she asked.

“What?” My frown deepened.

“His wife is dead, but he's kept her preserved all this time, planning to bring her back from the dead. That's why he's been abducting children,” she explained.

I gnawed on my bottom lip in frustration. His deceased wife had been with him all these years? But where did he keep her? It could be true…

“I'll tell this to Asher when he returns,” I decided. “It may be worth considering.”

Just then, footsteps approached, and as I turned, I saw Aurelia entering the room.

My heart melted at the sight of her, and I hurried over, wrapping my arms around her.

“After much persuasion, Asher agreed to let me see you,” she revealed with a smile.

I sighed deeply. “If only I could find a way out of this tower, My father would help me figure everything out.”

Dozens of guards were stationed at the building's entrance, ensuring there was no escape route. There was no way out for me. I was destined to remain in this tower as Asher's prisoner.

“But attempting to flee would be futile,” I muttered, my brow furrowing as I chewed on my bottom lip. I could still help the children…perhaps even more so if I wasn’t locked in here.

“What if I told you I could help you escape?” Aurelia proposed. “You don't deserve the harsh treatment Asher is subjecting you to. You deserve a better life, away from him, where you won't suffer any longer.”

Her words ignited a spark of hope within me. “You'd help me escape?”

“Yes,” she affirmed, nodding. “My cousin will be away from the pack in a few days, and hopefully, I can find a way to distract the guards during his absence.”

The excitement in my eyes slowly dimmed as I recalled Asher's earlier words. If he discovered my escape, he vowed not to aid the people again. I knew what he was capable of when angry.

My heart sank into my stomach, and I staggered backward before sinking onto the edge of the bed.

“Tayla?” Aurelia's voice was laced with concern.

“If I escape from this tower, he won't help our people anymore,” I explained, sighing heavily. “He made it clear what he'll do if I leave.”

Despite my desire to escape, a part of me still harbored love for him deep down. It lingered, persistent even after learning the truth. No matter how hard I tried to shield my heart, a small ember of hope flickered, wondering if he could change. Perhaps I should grant him a bit more time to prove himself. But what if he remained unchanged, continuing on in his harsh, grumpy demeanor?

It had been a month since I'd been with him, yet there's been no sign of permanent improvement, save for his appearance.

Now, my focus must shift to the plan to aid our people…to locate the witch. Only then could I devise my escape from this tower.

“I'll endure a bit longer until everything is resolved, and then I'll make my escape,” I declared, lifting my head to meet Aurelia's gaze.

"I hope he does something about the tragedy in this pack. If these disappearances continue, our pack will fall apart," she said.

"Yeah, I agree," I replied, biting my lip.

After spending several hours with Aurelia and Nora, they were escorted back to the castle in a carriage. I sat on the sofa alone, staring into space as I slowly drifted off to sleep.

In my dream, I sat in front of the mirror with the gentle night breeze flowing through the room. I softly brushed my hair while humming a song I learned from my childhood. The candle illuminated the room enough to reflect my image in the mirror.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed a shadow passing by. I dropped the brush, and something in the mirror caught my eye.

A chill ran down my back as I saw a black coffin appear behind me. How did it get into my room? And why didn't I notice it before? With trembling fingers, I slowly turned around to see the lid open, revealing a woman covered in blood rising from the coffin.

The woman was heavily pregnant, and her gaze fixed on mine. It dawned on me who she was – the pregnant woman Asher had killed. I put two and two together, realizing this was the coffin that had refused to open. Questions swirled in my mind, but before I could speak, she brought her fingers to her lips, silencing me.

What?

“I suppose you already have a hint about me,” she said, rising from the coffin and standing on her ghostly feet.

“You…you don't look well,” I said softly, gulping. Her skin was pale, but her clothes looked new and clean except for the blood.

“Well, I was killed by the Alpha of this pack some time ago. How do you expect me to still be fine?” she asked, tilting her head to the side. I shivered at the cold aura emanating from her. Even my wolf could feel it, and she whimpered.

She was the dead pregnant woman the witch was planning to resurrect.

"H…how are you still like this? You're supposed to look like a dead corpse," I inquired. She was just drenched in fresh blood, and it didn't look like she was completely dead.

"With magic," she replied. "I have a baby witch living in me, and with her magic, my body can maintain its form without decaying."

My gaze shifted to the baby bump in her stomach, and I took a cautious step backward. Even in death, this woman appeared untouched.

"Is that why your husband won't stop taking children from this pack?" I questioned.

She chuckled softly, but as the laughter faded, her eyes grew cold.

"What you're experiencing is just a scratch compared to what's coming for this pack," she warned.

I frowned slightly. "What are you talking about?"

"A powerful ritual that will shake the Celoria pack to its core," she stated. "In the next full moon, no children of this pack would survive what is about to come."

I glanced at her, feeling taken aback, and I sensed my wolf becoming angry with her presence. Instinctively, I took a step forward, but then she raised her finger, and I could hear the sound of my heart thumping. It felt as if I were about to die any moment now, and my blood was growing hot. I began to sweat.

"Don't think you can take down an angry witch," she warned. As she dropped her finger, the pain vanished. I stumbled backward, grabbing onto the chair for support as I held my chest.

"I'm sorry for what Asher did to you, but the children don't deserve this. Shouldn't you be directing your anger towards him instead?" I asked.

"The pack failed me. They were the ones who reported to the Alpha that I was practicing magic. Their children need to suffer too," she declared.

"The full moon is just around the corner, and the whole pack will be swimming in the blood of these children," she added. “A great massacre would befall this pack.”

“And I will do anything to save the pack,” I declared with determination.

“Not even you or Asher will be able to stop us,” she said, rubbing her stomach, and I caught sight of thick, dark veins protruding out.

"But if we catch your husband first, the ritual wouldn't be able to take place," I vehemently replied.

“Husband?” she scoffed. “Jaxon doesn't mean anything to me. I am only using him as a means to be reborn again.”

“Then who are you referring to?” I inquired.

"When I said 'us,' I meant me and my unborn child. When Asher was about to kill me, she channeled all my powers away from me and saved herself from death. For years now, my daughter has been feeding on my magic, and if I don't complete this ritual in a week's time, then both of us will be gone forever," she explained.

"In a week's time, all the children of the Celoria pack will be slaughtered, and their blood will be used to appease my ancestors into bringing me back to life," she said. "I will avenge the lives of the witches Asher has taken in this pack."

“Every witch who died in this pack will release their magic in me. Once I am reborn, I will be the one to wipe every werewolf from existence,” she declared. “Including you, little wolf.”

I swallowed hard.

“These children…this isn’t right,” I said, shaking my head.

“I didn't deserve to be killed by Asher either,” she snapped. Hearing the sound of something dropping, I turned around to see the brush on the ground. As I slowly returned my gaze back to the woman, she vanished into thin air.

I jolted out of bed, breathing heavily, my eyes wide with shock. My entire body was drenched in cold sweat. I suddenly realized it was morning. I was awake.

My mind drifted back to the dream I just had. The coffin that refused to open contained the body of the pregnant woman. The witch must have sealed her there with enough magic to keep her hidden from outside eyes.

She was planning to perform a powerful ritual on the pack in a week's time with this man, and all the children of our pack would be slaughtered. As the words echoed in my head, panic surged through my heart, and I quickly stood up from the bed.

The door slowly opened, and Asher walked into the room.

"Good morning," he greeted.

"Morning," I replied hurriedly. "There's something you need to know."

"What is it?" he asked.

"I had a dream last night. The coffin we have been trying to open for days now has the body of the pregnant dead witch you killed, and she is determined to bring herself back," I explained.

"How can a dead person bring herself back to life?" he scoffed. "That's impossible."

"You should know that she's a powerful witch, and when you killed her, she had a child growing in her womb. The baby is not just an ordinary child; she's also a witch," I elaborated.

“Well, when I killed her, the child in her womb also died,” he stated.

I frowned slightly. “Before the pregnant woman died, she channeled enough magic to her baby, and the baby was able to use it to keep herself alive.”

“If they're still alive…then all we have to do is destroy the coffin and burn the bodies,” he suggested.

“How would you be able to do that when it's sealed with magic? We need a witch who can help us lift the spell. If we don't find a way in a week's time, this pack will be drowning in blood.”

“What do you mean drowning in blood?” he asked. “Explain.”

“The next full moon is in a week's time, and she and this other witch—a man named Jaxon—plan to slaughter every child in this pack for the ritual they'll perform to bring her back to life,” I explained.

“We don't have much time on our side,” I added.

“The only problem now is finding a good witch,” he said, deep in thought. “There are rumors of witches in the Silvermoon pack. I'll have to go there to find one.”

“Not when you have me,” I heard a voice, and I slowly turned my head to see Nora standing there with her head low on the ground.

“Nora?”

“Ms. Tayla, I have something to tell you about me,” she said, slowly raising her head to meet my gaze.