Chosen Witch

by Rae Hendricks

  He had no sympathies for them. The hybrids had been given plenty of chances, and those two had become nothing but nuisances and trouble makers. They were going to cause trouble constantly if they stuck around. Being a lone wolf was a rough punishment, but hopefully, they could find their way to another pack or to just stick together out there and get over the vicious emotional cycle they were in.

  Isaiah looked to Annalise, knowing it was her he needed to deal with next. Everything in his life seemed to bring him, physically close to her, despite his best efforts. He felt like he needed to hold his breath, as to not pick up her scent as he approached. However, he wanted to be sure she was alright. "Are you going to be alright?" Isaiah asked gently, trying to survey her.

  "In their defense, I did volunteer in a way. Though, I did not expect that kind of attack or for Roman to egg it on. Regardless, I will be fine." That's when she leaned in, the wind making her long hair brush against the side of his face. Isaiah went stiff, trying not to react at all. "But I don't think Roman is going to be fine. I don't know how to help him. I think he needs you," she whispered into his ear, before pulling away. He saw nothing other than innocence in her eyes. She may not have even known what she was doing to him, perhaps assuming his engagement meant all feelings were gone. He intended to let her keep thinking that, for his own sanity and for Tamara's.

  Isaiah nodded in agreement. His brother needed a swift talking to, but then some compassion. He had never seen Roman so out of control. Years of being the most in control person Isaiah knew, had worn him down until he was imploding, bit by bit. "Do you have somewhere you can go for a little while, Annalise? Maybe you should even go back to the coven for a bit. I am sure they need you and that you do not need to be here after this incident," Isaiah coaxed, hoping this was all the convincing she would need. Then again, who was he trying to fool? Annalise was never deterred by danger.

  "I think I need to reconnect with nature a bit anyway. I'll be back later once the two of you have calmed down." She raised her eyebrow at Isaiah as if she were his mother scolding him, even though she was younger than him.

  Isaiah didn't get to say anything about it as she turned and walked away immediately. So, he turned his attention to Roman, glaring at him. Roman sighed and began making his way towards his home, scooting his feet along the ground like a kid that didn't want to go to school in the morning. Suddenly, Isaiah felt more like a father than just an older brother. There was only a few years' difference between them, but right now, it felt like decades.

  When they got inside, Isaiah was ready to lay it on him, but he didn't know if he could do that; and let him know what he originally came to tell him about Orson and their mother. His position was suddenly becoming riddled with tough decisions. He decided to lay it all on the line, letting Roman know how his behavior was affecting those around him. He still wanted to offer his support in some way. A rough and practical approach sounded like the best way to get his usually reasonable brother under control.

  "Roman, you are putting me in a terrible position. Here I am, alpha, though I didn't desire it to be this way. I had hoped you would be, and, you are making it harder. I realize that we have been through a lot, but there are other ways of dealing with this. I was coming here to tell you something so important, but now I do not even know if I can trust you with that information, after learning today that you have committed not one, but two indiscretions," Isaiah told him, staring him down for some kind of reaction or sign of remorse. All he got back was a set jaw.

  "Yeah, I figured after the way that kiss went, she would come running to you about it at some point. If I had expected that reaction out of her, I never would have done it. I am sure you don't believe me, though," Roman told Isaiah, not making eye contact with him. Isaiah grabbed his head for a moment and took a deep breath, keeping control over his frustration. He didn't need to blow up on Roman and make things even worse than they already were.

  "Look, I am not sure why you expected any other reaction from Tamara. She is my mate, Roman. We are getting married. Tamara is a good person, and even if she had feelings for you, which I have never seen a sign of, she would not be unfaithful and act on those," Isaiah explained, talking some sanity into his brother.

  "It's not a mistake I will make again. I just really thought..." Roman trailed off at that, and Isaiah saw a hint of hurt in Roman. Apparently, he had been harboring some kind of feelings for Tamara. Isaiah was not going to dwell on it, though. If Roman wanted to come forward and talk about it, he would, and he could have, before he took her officially as his mate. That ship had sailed.

  "Roman, you know I do not have a choice but to impose on you some kind of consequence. I don't want to make it harsh or hurt you, but this is my job now. I have an entire pack to run, and you know how quickly I can lose their respect if I falter." Roman nodded and looked at the floor. Isaiah could not tell if he was truly getting through that thick skull of his or not. Isaiah tried to follow his gaze to get a reaction. That was when Roman looked up and snapped back.

  "I don't even know why you should care that I kissed her, or be trying to marry her, Isaiah. It isn't like you care about her at all. I know what you feel for Annalise. It's sickening, watching you try and hide it and fail while Tamara watches from the background, hoping you'll get over it. Even Annalise, despite still hanging around, has done her best to keep her distance since hearing you are engaged, and here you are, coming to her rescue again."

  Roman’s anger baffled Isaiah. Why had he never expressed any of this before? "I am trying my best, but as far as Annalise goes, I was coming to talk with you and found you allowing her to be tortured in my territory. You didn't leave me a choice on that one. I am trying to do right by Tamara. That is why I am marrying her, and that is why I am talking to you in a civilized manner about this. She may not be in love with you, but she cares about you, and I DO care about her! Love is just so complicated, Roman. Dad should have been enough to teach you that."

  Roman scoffed at Isaiah's comment about their father. Isaiah grunted in annoyance but remained silent, hoping to hear something encouraging from Roman.

  "So, what is the punishment going to be, Isaiah?" Roman asked bitterly.

  "For now, I think you should stay away from Tamara. I feel like, considering the circumstances, that might be punishment enough. But please, for her sake, do not do something like this again," Isaiah pleaded. They were so close to healing all the wounds the pack had endured since the death of his father, and he was ready to move on.

  "So, what is it that you came to tell me?" Roman asked, changing the subject rather quickly. Isaiah looked at him viciously. That had been too easy, and he knew his brother was playing the game of bottling up how he felt again. One day, he would have to learn a happy medium. In his mental state, Isaiah settled for a middle ground with the revelation about Orson.

  "Hyacinthe has offered a way for us to see the past when we are ready. Would you like to see who killed our mother once and for all?" Isaiah asked Roman, making Roman's head shoot up in great interest. Isaiah could already tell what the answer was.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  “Are you sure that Roman can handle this?" Tamara asked as Isaiah reached down to give her a hug and a sweet kiss on the forehead. Roman had been immediately interested to go see Hyacinthe to find out about what happened to their mother. Isaiah hadn't even been sure he was so emotionally prepared for it, so he had agreed on a compromise; two mornings from the time they talked. Tamara was worried, though, creasing her brow, that Roman’s behavior would only get worse after he saw the truth.

  "I know he is acting terribly, but I think something like this might shock him back to reality. He will know that the enemy is dead and might let go of that conflict he has about our brother; whether Orson was just misguided or an entirely bad soul." Tamara pursed her lips, and Isaiah suspected why. Even with all she knew, she still had a soft spot for Orson. She didn't see things as all his fault, even if he had murdered his own flesh a
nd blood. They had made a point not to fight about that, though, and let him rest in peace.

  "Well, I hope you're right. It's not like I can talk him down now or anything." Tamara’s tone sounded guilty. It had been that way since Isaiah had revealed to her what Roman’s punishment was; not to see her. She had expressed it was fair but also that it would be hard, knowing she couldn't help him at all.

  "I will take care of him, Tamara," he reassured her before walking away. He was meeting Roman at his place where Annalise would be waiting for them. She would send them directly into the territory, dropping them in front of Hyacinthe’s house. It was the easiest way to get them in, especially with a barrier up to block those who were not witches, from coming through.

  When he got there, Roman looked anxious, unable to stay still. Isaiah just felt emotionally exhausted, knowing he was about to physically see, with his own eyes, his little brother killing his mother. Roman would be finding out for the first time.

  Annalise put a hand on each of their shoulders. One moment they were standing in front of their house, and the next they were in front of Hyacinthe's place. That process was just a little underwhelming. Annalise had clearly gotten better at that spell.

  The two brothers looked at each other as the door to Hyacinthe's home opened, and out she came. They never got to go inside; the woman keeping her privacy in some fashion. She had a sinister looking smile on her face as she descended the stairs, looking like a beautiful devil, as always. Her hair was short and slicked back and wearing a navy dress that hugged her body tightly.

  "I will be honest, I did not expect you to come so soon to see me. Are you sure that you are both ready to face the past?" Hyacinthe asked, beckoning them to come and sit on the ground, in front of the steps, leading to her house. "It is easier to draw power for this complicated spell if I am touching the earth," she explained, when they sat down on the cool, damp grass.

  "I am ready," Roman answered. Isaiah just nodded. He didn't think there was ever a way to be prepared for something like this. He was as close to being ready as he was ever going to be.

  "I need to warn you how this works. Visions of anywhere on the timeline, other than those close to the present, are hard to control and a bit unpredictable. I will be able to let you see what you wish to see, but I cannot promise what else you might see. This kind of magic is very emotional, and since I must link with you both, to let you see it, mine are not the only emotions that will be controlling this. I will do my best to keep it focused, but are you sure you are alright with whatever you may see? It could get personal and disturbing if there is something you were not expecting to come up," Hyacinthe told them.

  Isaiah wasn't frightened by any of that anymore. Nothing could be as bad as the murder of his mother by his youngest brother. He was almost sure Roman would feel similar.

  Hyacinthe didn’t know why she even bothered giving them a warning. She knew they were going to go ahead with it anyway. These hard-headed werewolves thought nothing could disturb them, and yet, something always did.

  Perhaps, the warning was more for her sake; an apology ahead of time. She had not been fully honest with anyone, especially any pack members, about what was going on with her magic, but it was almost certain the spell would take a turn, and she would lose control. She hoped the contact with the earth would make her stronger, but that ground had not been as giving as it used to be, lately.

  She took each of the brothers by the hand and closed her eyes, prompting them to do the same. She held onto what she wanted to know, in her mind, as well as taking into account what they were looking for. In a way, their minds would be temporarily linked. While she could not see or hear every thought, she would be able to use their strongest emotions about the moment in time, to make it appear as if they were there, watching it happen.

  The death of their mother had not come as a surprise by any means, but it had hurt her. Hyacinthe had kept a soft spot in her heart for the woman who had been with the coven for so long, serving her. But, then, got caught up by hormones and emotions. It reminded her of her own tragic love story.

  The picture soon became clear, as they looked over Mirium Young. It was a scene of a time, before her death. It was soon after she left the coven, when she had snuck away to tell Hyacinthe that she had gotten what she wanted. She was becoming the mate of Arnold Young and taking his name. The brothers were going to get two surprises in one night, it seemed.

  “Why have you come back here, Mirium?” the younger Hyacinthe asked coldly, looking her over like she was a piece of scum. She was still completely offended at that point. She loathed Arnold Young and had made it clear all the trouble he caused over his years, ruling that pack. They had put a strain on a centuries-old treaty with the coven.

  It had been impossible to believe that a witch, even one with such limited power, would ever want to associate with the werewolves like that. And above all else, Mirium was pretending to be human.

  “I wanted to see you, Hyacinthe, and share my happiness with you. I know in time you will come to understand my decision. You know I always felt out of place here. I am good with plants and potions, nothing more. I never felt like a witch, even though I find peace in my garden work. And a man like Arnold will give me a nice life, a place of comfort and power to raise a family. I know you see nothing good in him, but I do. I am to become his mate in just a few days.” Mirium smiled, trying to get a positive reaction out of Hyacinthe, but Hyacinthe refused to react.

  “You’re right, Mirum, I see nothing at all worth loving or even sharing oxygen with when it comes to that creature.”

  The vision then shifted, and Hyacinthe could feel what was coming next; what the brothers had truly wanted to see.

  It was early morning, the dawn breaking through the clouds when Mirium was making her way back to the cabin she shared with Arnold. Hyacinthe recognized it as being the last time she had seen Mirum alive, leaving the coven after asking for Annalise to do a protection spell on her three boys.

  Mirium had gone straight to her herbs, and Hyacinthe recognized that she was pulling what she needed for a healing salve; probably too quickly hide where she had bled for that protection spell to be performed.

  Just as she bent down in her garden to begin pulling up some fresh herbs, footsteps came crunching in her direction through the grass. She didn’t look up, until a foot came down and kicked at some of her flowers and herbs, uprooting them. It was Orson who was standing over her, then. Hyacinthe had always suspected it was a member of the Young family who had been responsible for Mirium’s illness, and then demise. Her finger had been on Arnold as the one, all these years, but after Orson’s execution, her mind had changed. “No matter what you do, nothing is going to save you now. Your betrayal will be paid for by this evening, unless you would like me to speed up the process.”

  Mirium looked stunned, obviously deducing that it was Orson all along that had been poisoning her. She lifted her head and looked upon her young son, in horror. Barely a teenager, Orson’s face was twisted up in evil anger. "What? You didn't think one of us would discover your little secret one day?" he spat at her. "It sickens me that because of you, witch blood runs in my veins. Trust me, you would much rather I do this because Father would be the next to figure it out, and he would not make your death so private and merciful."

  Orson's knowledge explained many things, including his work with Roan and the herbs he must have used in the process of his betrayal of the pack. Despite his feelings about witches, he had learned some of the basic magic himself.

  It had always been a mystery as to why Mirium had lacked true magical abilities. Her bloodline was rather strong, nowhere near Hyacinthe’s and Annalise's, but strong enough not to produce many non-talented witches.

  Hyacinthe meant to bring all three of them back to reality now that they had seen what needed to be seen, but as she had been worried about, the visions took a turn. Strong emotions were being felt by all three of them. After watching young Orson evolv
e into a killer, the vision got out of control. They were going to have to ride it out, no matter what they saw.

  Memories of the two werewolves’ childhoods flashed by so fast, Hyacinthe could barely catch up, and then her own nightmares were catching up with her. Roan could be seen in his prison, constantly trying to break out and communicate with the other prisoners. Her weakness was laid bare for the werewolves to see. That embarrassment and shame led to another vision, having to do with her.

  The blonde woman whose name she didn't dare to speak anymore was lying in a beautiful field of flowers with her, twirling one in her hand before slipping it onto Hyacinthe’s hair, which was longer at that time. Hyacinthe blushed and looked upon the woman with worship and love, which were both entirely undeserved. Though, her naive heart never would have guessed that, at the time.

  Then, that was when the blonde, with a happy smile on her perfectly pink lips, leaned over, caressing Hyacinthe's cheek with what had felt like the truest affection she had ever experienced, and laid those lips on her mouth. That had been their very first kiss.

  Thankfully, the vision shifted again, leading them away from that and into something else pertaining to the wolves. She could see Roman, and he was in the woods. That was when she recognized the vision. This one was a vision of the future; something that wasn't always set in stone. It was a possibility she had seen not too long after Isaiah took over the pack, and it had surprised her.

  Diane and Roman were talking about something. Roman looked to be down about something, as he often did lately, but he was clearly older in the vision. Hyacinthe could only guess by how much. In the middle of saying something, Diane leaned in and kissed him, stopping him dead in his tracks.