The fire burns, the flames slithering in the quiet night, licking through the dead bodies like hungry serpents. At least the wolves are on pyres, as is required by our werewolf tradition. The vampires have no such restrictions. Vasili has thrown his dead into a ditch and topped it with some kind of flammable liquid. Serena-the-witch does not mind as she flicks her fingers, setting the pyres alight. For her, everyone is the same — a dead werewolf, a dead vampire, or any other dead beast.

The clifftop is deserted except for the wolf council and the vampire king’s entourage. Vasili watches us from a makeshift tent with a glass of sparkling wine in one hand and a slave-boy in the other. Even after the battle, he looks pristine, as if he has merely shifted through it like wind. Beside him is Damien, standing alone, with his broody gaze trained on us. He has shown remarkable resilience. Any other wolf would have shattered in the face of such direct rejection, but Damien looks barely affected. There would be repercussions, but they would be for Tammy. I shudder to think what she will face now at the hands of these savages.

I wait in front of mother’s silver birch pyre on which she rests in peace. Beside me are my siblings, each looking down and devastated. My sisters haven’t spoken to me ever since I lost Danny. Jeff stands with Myra and Gerald, already cut-off from the family. His arms are crossed, face blank, as he gazes into the distance. In the last few days, both Jeff and Billy have aged years, yet both in different ways. Billy the introvert has come out of his quiet shell, taking over much of my burden while Jeff the extrovert has quietly retreated into a standby mode. And Gabe…all I have seen of him lately is him trailing and grovelling behind his mate. He does not have much time for anything else. Yet a couple of times he has stopped Tina asking for Danny’s news. A few times, I have seen him sitting by mother holding her lifeless hand.

I have failed them all, and most of all, those who are not present here. Mother and Danny. Mother died saving Tina as a vampire’s blade slashed through her gut. It was when I was wandering through the forest, searching for Danny. By the time I arrived, it was already too late. Sometimes I wish there were more of me to save them each, each preferably a better version of me, to save me some regrets. As such, I am full of them.

In the incessant drizzle of the rain, as I wait for Serena to finish the rest, my mind still wanders into that forest. She should be there somewhere. In this pouring rain, she must be all cold and wet. I should have looked more.

“Beta.” A musical voice breaks my stupor. It’s the witch. She has finished cremating the rest and now it’s mother’s turn. Despite the rain, Serena is stark dry. Her wavy hair has a soft bounce, her white shift rustles in the breeze as if she is standing in a summer garden. She is one of the most powerful witches alive, one with her rare brand of Elemental magic on display.

“I am sorry for your loss.” She chimes. “It must be hard. Your mother was a great Luna.”

That she was. I dip my head in acknowledgement.

“Thank you for helping us with this, Serena. The wolves will remember your assistance forever. It would be great if you could help us light this last pyre.”

She cocks her head as an amused smile curls her lip. I raise an eyebrow. Maybe I spoke too early.

“I am sorry, but it’s not an assistance, Beta. It’s a favour that comes with an expectation of reciprocation. And while I still have the last one to grant, I would like to negotiate my price.”

Right. I had expected this, but not right in front of my mother’s funeral pyre. Trust the witches to turn any situation to their advantage.

The rip-rip-rip of the rain is growing and the twelve alphas waiting on the side are getting restless. But no one can rush a witch. Not until we have paid her price.

“Really Serena. The whole point of the treaty is to help each other in need, without any strings attached. Not to take advantage at the first opportunity.”

“Another point of the treaty was also to be transparent and not keep anything from the other. Silver Shadows have broken it. I have nothing to do with your sister’s rejection of the vampire, but the witches have been duped on their own accord. We are entitled to compensation as much as the vampires.”

“How so?” I play innocent, but I know what she is getting at. It’s about Danny and Olivia, and the disappearance of their housekeeper. The news travelled unofficially, but we never made any formal announcement to the wolf council or the triumvirate. In our defence, Mrs. Bates disappeared the very night she arrived within our boundaries, but the fact remains that we never informed the triumvirate.

In essence, we broke the treaty long before Tammy rejected Damien. It was only a matter of time before we had to pay the price.

I shrug. Whatever was done was done. We cannot undo it. All I must see to now is that this does not spiral into something else.

“I do not see how the Silver Shadows guests could be of any importance to you.” I cross my arms, taking a defiant stance. “Danny and Olivia are wolves, as they were proved on the festival night. Everyone saw them turning. You lost your opportunity because you were late. That can hardly be our fault.”

“Enough!” Serena snaps, the smile being replaced by an ugly frown. Her eyes flash and fists curl as she pulls herself to full height. A dark aura emanates her, shadows sprouting like serpents from her pale form. A shiver of unease runs down my spine.

The only thing worse than a witch is an angry witch. And the Grand Witches of Selgurathian Kingdom have a reputation with temper. The fire that burns the pyres can quickly engulf the entire mountain with a flick of her finger.

“Do not try to be over smart, beta. You very well know how important your guests were when you took them in. The day they arrived was the first in years when a witch’s scent was detected on wolf lands. We had every right to be informed, yet you denied it.”

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

“We did not deny it.” I stand firm. “It simply was not considered necessary as Mrs. Bates, the woman in question, disappeared the very night they arrived in our territory. I too tried searching for her, but found no trace. We are still looking. You are welcome to join in the search, but that does not mean we owe you Danny and Olivia.”

“Oh, I don’t care about the one there.” She glances at Olivia, who stands a few feet away, listening in with keen interest. Behind her is Gabe, looking like a lovesick puppy. The witch curls her lip in a sneer. “This one is a wolf through and through. But the other one…” she purses her lips, turning back to me. “I am only interested in the other one. The girl who disappeared on your watch. It was your job to keep her safe and bring her to us, and you have failed. Now you must pay the price.”

A vein pops in my forehead, but I control my temper. There is no point arguing. I cannot avoid the inevitable. This is the last chance I’ll get to salvage the situation. Otherwise, everything is lost. Mother’s pyre is yet to be burned and father needs to be treated. The Silver Shadows need to be saved from derecognition and whatever the price, the alpha family must pay.

“Alright.” I sigh in resignation. “What do you want?”

“The price is -” she licks a lip as her eyes roam my family. Gerald quickly steps forward, shoving Jeff and Myra behind him. Olivia angles her body to remove Gabe from the witch’s line of sight. In a flash of a second Damien is beside Tammy, not quite touching but declaring his claim for all to see. My heart sinks as the only ones exposed are my youngest siblings.

Serena’s eyes glint as they land on Tina and Billy.

“I would say a girl for a girl. But your sister, being a mere Omega, virtually rules herself out. The rest of your siblings are all spoken for. So the only one that remains is…” Her eyes stop on Billy. “I will take him as a hostage until you can find the other girl. Bring her to me and take your brother back.”

My heart stops. I do not understand her bargain. Surely she knows Danny is a weak wolf. Everyone in our world must have heard of it by now, how a young girl turned into a most horrifically malformed wolf. Maybe it's just her vain curiosity. Or maybe she thinks I'll never be able to find Danny, in which case, Billy is lost forever.

“How dare you! You cannot take Billy!”

“You have no choice, Beta. Agree to my terms or forget the Triumvirate ever being restored. Silver Shadows are doomed anyway. Your mother will rot until the rain stops. And rest assured, I’ll ensure it continues indefinitely. This pyre will not burn until you fulfil your obligation.”

“You dare to threaten me…!”

“It’s simply a warning.” She shrugs. “Think about it, Beta. I would not like Silver Shadows to be cast off as rogues, but the Wolf Council may not be that lenient. So think about it, you have an hour.”

We do not need an hour. The decision was made right when Serena set her price. Standing in for the injured Alpha, it’s my job to do what is needful for the pack. It was a motto mother lived by and instilled in us. I must stand by it, even at the expense of my family. Especially when its us who have caused this havoc.

Smiling her winning smile, Serena does the honour. The flames leap merrily as pyre burns bright. The long shadows of the evening descend on us like the ghosts of the departed. It’s our last farewell to mother, the Luna of Silver Shadows whose funeral is attended only by a handful of her people. Our dead are burned and our wounded have already departed. The remaining wolves are fidgeting, chief among them is Gerald.

“I must take your leave. Duty calls. We have dawdled here for long enough.”

His beady eyes are hooded, though I can sense his glee. The man has extracted a revenge like no other.

“I hope your brother will behave and not offend my daughter in the future. If he does, rest assured you feel the consequences.”

I do not reply to his threat. I do not need to. Jeff looks so down, there is barely any defiance left in him.

We watch as Gerald grabs Myra's hand and stalks off. Jeff follows them without glancing in our direction. Everyone is silent as they reach the path takes them off the edge of the cliff. The only sound around is the cracking of the wood as the flames devour it.

“I should leave too.” Serena steps forward as a signal to hand over Billy. He exhales a heavy breath. His eyes are wary, yet resigned to his fate. His return depends on me finding Danny. In my entire life, I have never felt so helpless.

“So long, brother.” He gives me a hug, then to each of us. Serena stiffens when he has a hard time letting go of a sobbing Tina and I take her off him.

“Remember our deal, Beta. Bring back the girl. At all costs. Or you can forget your brother.”

She holds Billy’s hand and strides a few feet away, flicking her fingers. A glowing circle of fire opens in front of us, illuminating the clifftop. It takes them mere seconds to step in. The last I remember is Billy’s stricken face trying to hold on to his courage as they disappear through the portal.

There goes my second brother. Now I have only one left, Gabe, who stands meekly behind Olivia as if the weight of the world is on him. I have not yet spoken to him; I do not know how to. I have heard all his promises to Danny and how he let her down. In his defence, he at least showed the decency to claim his mate when he saw her, which is more than I can claim myself.

“Adam-the-unfair…" a sweet voice echoes in my head. My throat tightens with all the pent up emotion when something moves to my right.

The vampires have stirred, beginning to dismantle the tent as Vasili saunters to Damien.

“It’s time, Damien. We need to get going.. We cannot hold off the ritual any longer.”

“My King. I was wondering if it’s necessary…”

“It’s absolutely necessary, Damien. Tamara rejected you. You are no longer mates. The only way you can keep her is if you take her as a slave. Otherwise, I’ll make her mine. Either way, she must come with us. The choice is yours.”

The air stands still as I try to make sense of their words. What exactly do they mean?

Damien lowers his eyes and bows to his king. Tammy is a few feet away from him, but in one long stride, he closes the distance.

In the grey dusk of the Anadin peak, his hazel eyes burn with an ethereal glow. Tammy’s body goes slack as a thin red tendril shoots from Damien’s fingers to Tammy. A golden collar appears around her neck for the thread to fasten into it.

There is a click sound as the collar claims its place. Vasili watches with a satisfied smile as Damien purses his lips.

“I, Damien Lestrange, take you, Tamara Stevens, as my bonded slave. You will live for me and die for me. You will have no will of your own.“

He gives a tug, and she jerks forward. Her face has relaxed into such serene oblivion, I cannot find my sister in there.

“Stop! She is an alpha’s daughter, a werewolf. You cannot take her as a slave!”

“We will take her the way we want.” Vasili laughs, relishing the pun. “It’s the price she must pay for her stupid defiance. And a price you must pay for not keeping her in control. Goodbye now, Beta. I hope we don’t see each other anytime soon.”

He stalks into the night, followed by his people and Damien, with Tammy joining his group of slaves like a docile lamb of slaughter. The last ones left are I and Tina with Gabe and Olivia. Tina slides down, unable to contain any longer. I too give up, slumping beside her as the pyre burns away.

The endless night drags on. It’s morning when we are recovered enough to gather the ashes. We scatter them around the shrine in the goddess’s forest before trudging our way down.

***** *****