Bryan
I stepped off the plane into the humid Louisiana heat, already dreading what was to come. I had been dreading this day for two weeks now, ever since the Vampire King, Gerald, had suggested that we seek the help of the witches in our war against the demons. The witches were the only supernatural faction ever known to defeat the demons, and though that was almost 200 years ago, King Gerald had told us that their Queen had only gotten more powerful with every reincarnation since. We had been in alliance with the Vampires for five years now, attempting to protect ourselves and our packs from the demon invasion. The Vampires had great weapons to aid us in fighting them off, but there was only so much they could do. Their weapons had been made in the 1800s by the witches during the first demon war that had come to the US. They had targeted the Witches and Vampires back then, but this time they were targeting us Wolves.
So, we were here, in the witch capital of the country, to ask for their help in defeating the demons. I didn't particularly trust witches, let alone like them, but as the Royal Alpha Prince, it's my job to protect my people, and we had already lost far too many over the past five years to this war. That's why we were here. It was time for us to put aside our pride and ask for help from the experts who had already defeated them once. King Gerald had set the meeting up for us, since the Vampires had a very long standing alliance with the witches too, but he was unable to join us for the meeting so we were on our own in dealing with them.
Atleast I wouldn't be alone in these negotiations. My parents, the King and Queen of the United States Werewolf Packs, were here to help me persuade the witches of the United States to ally with us against the demons. Though none of us spoke of it often, we all knew that the witches were the most powerful of the supernatural factions. Every faction leader I'd ever met had a story to share about their all powerful queen. All of the factions in the United States had a monarchy, all of which were ran with the King being the ultimate authority, except for the witches. Their Queen is their ultimate authority, and she had never once, in any of her lives, taken a King consort to rule beside her.
The Queen of the witches was an enigma in such a way that every other faction leader had an incredulous story to tell of her rage and the show of power that usually follows it, but also spoke of her kindness and empathy in such a way that you could never truly imagine her committing such rage filled acts. Supposedly she lives and dies just like every other mortal, but because of how powerful she truly is, she reincarnates herself a few decades after her death. Everything I'd ever heard about her had only confused me, if I'm being completely honest. Yet, here I was, hoping that she would help me defeat the demons, since King Gerald had made it very clear that she was probably the only one who could.
We had our meeting time and place set, so as the sun sank lower in the sky, we hopped into the black SUV that was waiting and started our journey into the city. Our driver was a witch, and quite powerful as I could sense the power radiating from him. He paid us no mind and didn't even bother to speak to us as he drove us to where we would meet the witch queen. My parents didn't say anything either as we drove along, but I knew it was because we had discussed everything from our approach to our defense on the jet before we landed. So, we drove along quietly, each of us anxious to see how this meeting would go. One thing was for sure, we couldn't afford to make an emeny out of the witches.
By the time we made it into the city the sun had set on the sky line, giving the city a mystic glow. As we drove through the city streets I couldn't help but to watch the nightlife that played out infront of me. People crowded the sidewalks as they walked from one bar to another, laughing and drinking, completely safe in the witch capital. There were conjure shops and booths littered along the streets where witches were giving all different types of readings to the humans. One witch was reading palms, while another was looking into a crystal ball, and another was using tarot cards.
We drove along the streets until we came to the gates of a cemetery where we stopped momentarily as the driver nodded to someone in a dark red and white cloak, who opened the gates for us to pass through. As we passed the cloaked figure by, I saw she was a woman with short dark red hair. I sat up straighter as the energy shifted around us, letting us know that we had entered hallowed ground. Though we had been in their territory for the past two hours, we were officially at the epicenter of their power. They were in full control here, and the way the energy had shifted when we entered told me that they wanted to ensure we knew it.
The SUV came to a stop and we all got out and followed the driver through the maze of tombs that surrounded us. My father kept my mom close to him as we made our way through, trusting me to protect her as well as I walked closely behind them. One wrong move as we followed, and we would be lost in the maze that is the city of the dead. We finally came to a stop in what I assumed was the middle of the cemetery in front of a large tomb with steps that led to a flat cement platform. A large white marble altar sat on the platform, 10 feet infront of the door to the tomb.
We were led to the bottom of the stairs to stand and wait. As we stood there, cloaked witches began coming out from the surrounding tombs and down the many walkways. Their power was undeniable, as I could sense each and everyone one of them and the power they held. Some were stronger than others, but as a collective, their power was suffocating, and they had us surrounded. It took everything I had to keep my Wolf, Andu contained and under control as more and more of them surrounded us. He sensed danger, and wanted to show the witches that we wouldn't go down without a fight.
However, a fight was not what we were aiming for, which he was aware from the conversation I had with him on the jet. He understood that we needed to keep calm, and he needed to stay contained so the witches wouldn't sense us as a threat. That was the good thing about being a royal wolf, we had much more control over our wolves than most wolves did. I glanced over towards my mom and dad to ensure that they too had their wolves under control. A slight nod from my dad told me that they were both in control, so we shouldn't have any issues due to losing control of our wolves.
As darkness fell over the cement graveyard a tall, dark skinned woman in a black cloak, wearing a black head wrap came out of the tomb infront of us, and proceeded to walk slowly to the altar. She looked down on us with an arched eyebrow as she leaned onto the marble altar. She looked to be in her thirties, around the same age as me and her power alone held the weight of my father's Alpha aura, so there was no denying that she was the one in charge. Behind her stood the same red cloaked woman that had opened the cemetery gate for us, along with two other women in red and white cloaks. Though it was dark, I could see that the other women in the cloaks held similar features so I assumed that they were related. Just to the left behind them stood another woman in an all red cloak, with another in an all white cloak on their right.
These six witches infront of us were undeniably the strongest witches in the cemetery, and I knew that we were officially standing infront of the witch court. The man who had picked us up from the airport stepped forward and bowed to the women before announcing us to them.
"His Grace, King Henry and His wife, Queen Diane, along with their son, Alpha Prince Bryan, King, Queen and heir to the throne of the United States Werewolf Packs." He spoke before turning to us.
"Sophia Deville, Queen Regent of the United States Witch Covens." He told us before bowing and stepping backwards.
"Thank you, Isaiah. And welcome to our city and our court, Your Graces. Now, I know you didn't come all this way for formalities, so let's get down to business, shall we? King Gerald informs me that you've come to discuss an alliance, is that correct?" She asked as she stared us each down one by one, no doubt measuring us up.
"Yes, Your Grace, though we were under the impression that we would be speaking with her majesty, the queen directly as King Gerald informed us that she is the most powerful weapon the world has against the demons. We were told that she has been reincarnated so she would be able to help. Not that we aren't honored that you have taken the time to speak with us, because we are." My father spoke up as he stepped forward.
"Yes, she is reincarnated and alive in this lifetime. However, she is unfortunately indisposed at this time, which is why I am serving as her regent. Now, after speaking with Gerald, the grand council spoke with our ancestors, and we are inclined to accept an alliance with the Werewolves to help defeat the demons that plague your Packs. The only question is what are the Werewolves willing to offer in return for our aid?" She asked as she gracefully made her way around the large marble altar, masterfully gliding over the fact that the Queen was unavailable.
With her words I knew that something was off. King Gerald had made it very clear that the Queen of the witches, and only the Queen was the key to defeating the demons, yet this regent was acting as though all of the witches at her disposal would be enough to handle our demon problem. I wanted to object and question her more about the witch Queen's whereabouts so that we could speak to her directly, but I knew it would be taken as a sign of disrespect, so I held my tongue and allowed my father to negotiate the terms of our alliance with her. Though, I still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something major that she was hiding from us. Something that was directly linked to why the witch queen was unavailable. Perhaps it was because the witches were the ones who had declared war on us and they were merely using the demons as their soldiers. The thought sent a rage boiling through me, but I knew the feelings weren't my own. They were Andu's, and he was dangerously close to the surface, ready to rip all these witches apart.
The Queen Regent noticed the shift in my energy and whipped her head to towards me. Her irises flashed from their dark brown to a shiny black, like sunlight reflecting off of an onyx stone, before going back to their dark brown. A warning to let me know that her magic was resting just below the surface, just like my wolf and she was not afraid to protect herself. Luckily, I was able to calm Andu down by reminding him that we weren't sure what it was that she was hiding, nor would we ever find out if he didn't settle. With that he finally settled back into my mind, waiting for any indication that he may be needed.
"Your Grace, we would never be so foolish as to think that we had anything to give you that your covens couldn't manage to get yourselves, however, we can offer open minds towards whatever it may be that you and the covens require from us in this alliance." My father cleared his throat before speaking.
At his words the Queen Regent smiled, knowing that we had been warned about attempting to set the terms of the alliance. She had asked the question in an attempt to feed off of the pride and arrogance us alphas are known for. Trickery and Riddles was what the witches were known for, as it had been their main tactic for survival until the 1900s. They were known to be incredibly clever and resourceful, which was how they had managed to survive through the colonial world's attempt to wipe them from the earth. Now, they were thriving. They lived among humans, marketed their skills into business ventures that thrived on human tourism, and had turned what was once just a witch sanctuary city into the witch capital of the country, possibly even the world.
"You are absolutely correct, King Henry. Our ancestors have already chosen their terms for this alliance, however, it is not you that they wish to have seal them." She smiled as she strolled past my father and mother.
"They wish for the next generation of leaders for our two communities to seal the terms of our alliance. Therefore, Alpha Prince, it will need to be you that chooses whether to agree with the terms." She stopped and smiled a mischievous smirk with a perfectly groomed arched eyebrow at me.
Though I was quite intimidated by the power that rolled off of her like waves hitting the shore after a hurricane, I kept my facial features hardened, refusing to let her see any weakness within me. I looked directly into her eyes in an attempt to figure out what type of game she was playing at, but I knew it was no use. She may have looked as though she and I were close in age, but her power was an old one unlike the rest of the witches that surrounded us. She was far more knowledgeable and strategic than even my father, so all I could do was play along with whatever game she was playing, and hope that in the end, my people, the Werewolves that I was responsible for protecting, would be safe from the demons.
"And these terms? What is it that your ancestors request of the werewolves?" I asked her, never breaking eye contact.
"They ask nothing of the Werewolves, Alpha Prince, only you." She purred as she slid a well manicured hand down my chest.
I glanced over towards my parents to see my father watching the interaction intently, holding my mother close to his side as she appeared quite nervous. I smirked as I looked back to the Queen Regent standing directly infront of me, still with a hand on my chest.
"And what is it that your ancestors require of me, your grace?" I asked her, though in my gut I already knew the answer.
Her being so close to me wasn't a coincidence, she was looking for something. A mark. She had gotten close so that she could see if I was mated, and to possibly get a sense of my mate through the bond that we would've shared. But, I wasn't mated, not anymore. So, I already knew she what she was going to ask of me.
"Our ancestors require the alliance be sealed with a mating. A traditional knot binding to seal the alliance on our end, and to seal the alliance on your end, a traditional werewolf marking, ofcourse. The ancestors have assured us that they would see to it that two incredibly powerful heirs would be born from the union, one wolf and one witch to carry on each family's legacy into future generations. Those are the terms for an alliance with the United States Witch Covens. And, before you ask, the ancestors have made it very clear that those terms are non-negotiable. You have 24hrs to make a decision." She smiled sweetly as she backed away from me towards her altar.
I felt my mother's intense stare on me, while my father shifted away from her aggravated. The two of them had forced me into an alliance mating just over five years ago that had ended terribly. They had forced me to marry the Canadian Werewolf Princess, Amberyn, to seal an alliance between us and the Canadian wolves. During that time, shortly after the demons began their attacks, we were seeking out alliances with every acquaintance we had in the supernatural community. Only the Canadian Wolves and the Vampires had answered our call for alliances though. So, to seal the alliance, I mated the Canadian King and Queen's only child, their young, barely 18 year old daughter. I hadn't wanted to do it, but my parents had forced me to, reminding me that my responsibility was to my people, not my happiness.
She and I were never able to get along well though, as we had nothing in common besides both being heirs to our country's respective thrones. I was 13 years her senior, and while I had been raised to be an Alpha King, she had been raised as the princess she was. She was spoiled and arrogant with no real sense of responsibility. Though, if I'm being completely honest, I hadn't even tried to make the relationship work. I avoided her at all costs, and often left her in the castle while I traveled around the packs, trying to locate the demons. She ultimately chose to end our mating a year and a half ago by formally rejecting me infront of both sets of our parents, stating that I couldn't love her the way she needed to be loved, the way her fated mate would love her. I was relieved by her rejection and immediately accepted it, yet the pain that I incurred from ripping our intertwined souls apart had left me bitter with a burning rage that still nestled deep within me.
I knew that this was probably a bad idea, especially since I had no idea on who the witches had even planned on mating me to, but I also knew that this alliance was the best hope our people had of ever living in safety and peace again. I was slightly annoyed by the fact that though we had never had any interactions with the witches, their immediate go to for sealing an alliance with us was through mating. We had never given them any reason to hate us, or to bother with us at all. We respected their laws and their space, never venturing into their sanctuary cities or harming humans. So, these terms seemed a little extreme to me, but we needed this alliance. Even if I would be completely miserable in this pairing, my responsibility to my people trumped my own happiness.
"I don't need 24hrs, I'll do it." My words came out much more assured than what I felt.
"Bryan..." My mom whispered from beside me as she grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.
I smiled down at her and gave her a nod. The Queen Regent and her ancestors were right, as the future leader of my people, I needed to do what was necessary to protect them.
"Perfect. We will need time to make the proper arrangements. I have your contact information, so I will have someone get ahold of you to tell you when the ceremony will take place." The Queen Regent spoke with her back to us, not even bothering to turn and face us.
"And what witch will my son be mated with?" My father asked the question I hadn't even bothered to.
It didn't matter to me, I would mate any witch that their ancestors wanted me to if it meant saving and protecting my people. My father had seen how Amberyn's rejection had affected though, much more so than my mother who I intentionally hid it from. I'd like to think he had my best interests at heart, but I knew he was worried that another failed mating may make Andu feral and therefore make me unfit to rule.
The Queen Regent turned to face us, but her once proud and confident composure faltered, and now she appeared nervous and slightly sorrowful. She didn't look us in the eyes, choosing instead to cast her glance down at the cement, or perhaps maybe it was that she couldn't look us in the eyes.
"He will be mated to her majesty, the Queen of the United States Witch Covens, should she choose to accept this generous offer from our ancestors to unbind and restore her power and title." She spoke barely above a whisper as she played nervously with the many rings she wore on her hands.
"God's help us all if she does." My royal werewolf hearing picked up as one of the girls in the red and white cloaks whispered ever so quietly.
