Chapter 8
Gabriel was unusually quiet on the way home.
Something was off.
I set my books down on the coffee table, then walked over and straddled his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck. “What’s wrong?”
Gabriel snapped out of his daze, his hands instinctively tightening around
my waist.
His gaze drifted down to my neck, his pupils dilating slightly. A flush crept up his ears.
“Elisabeth…” His voice was low, strained. “If you don’t get off me, I won’t be able to control myself. You smell too good.”
A slow smile spread across my lips. “Then don’t.”
I leaned in, surrendering to the warmth of his touch.
His restraint snapped.
The air between us burned, tension giving way to raw desire. His lips. traced over my skin, sending sparks through my veins. My breath hitched. as I felt the marks on my body come alive, searing with heat.
I gasped. “Gabriel-”
His mouth found the sensitive marks along my neck, whispering between kisses, “They’re becoming more beautiful… like purple irises.”
Irises.
!!
Beautiful yet poisonous.
Fitting for a witch.
By the time we caught our breath, the rain had stopped. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting silver shadows across the room.
Gabriel’s golden eyes gleamed in the darkness. “Elisabeth…”
I ran my fingers through his dark hair. “Tell me. What’s bothering you?”
His jaw tightened. “It’s Andrew. He’s having trouble transforming.”
I blinked, then shrugged. “You’re there, aren’t you?”
Gabriel and Andrew were evenly matched in strength. The only reason Andrew was Alpha was because of my father’s influence.
“The Pack’s Grand Competition is coming up,” Gabriel reminded me.
I sat up straighter. “Already?”
The competition was an annual event. As Alpha, Andrew had to win first place to maintain his reputation.
Gabriel’s expression darkened. “Winter is approaching. If Andrew gets injured or worse–during the tournament, the Rogues will take advantage of the situation.”
A slow smile curled my lips. I flipped my wrist, summoning a flickering purple flame to my palm.
“Don’t worry. I’m here.”
Gabriel exhaled, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. He pulled me back down into bed. “Then let’s make the most of the night, little witch.”
Time moved faster than I expected.
As the competition neared, Gabriel and I made one final visit to Tanya’s
cottage.
The once–blooming garden had withered, the flowers dormant, waiting for spring.
Tanya wouldn’t make it to spring.
She lay curled in her rocking chair, her once–bright eyes clouded with exhaustion. Yet, despite her failing body, a glimmer of knowing remained.
“Little witch,” she murmured, voice thin but steady. “It’s time. Go claim. what is yours… I’ll be watching over you.”
The markings on my back were nearly complete.
Only one branch remained.
I knew what it meant. Once the competition ended, Tanya would be gone.
I knelt beside her, pressing a reverent kiss, to her cheek.
“Thank you, Tanya.”
She smiled, her fingers brushing against my hair in a silent blessing.
Gabriel and I left the cottage, walking toward the tournament’s draw.
The crowd buzzed as we entered.
People whispered, eyes flickering toward us–some with curiosity, others with thinly veiled hostility.
A tournament official stepped forward, holding a red draw bag.
“Gabriel, you’ll be facing the Alpha in the first round. Elisabeth, you’ll be going against Elsa.”
Elsa.
The Pack’s Gamma.
Of course. As the former Alpha’s daughter, it was inevitable that I would face her.
I signed my name on the pre–match contract.
A purple iris flickered briefly across my forehead, the mark of a witch.
The official’s eyes widened. “You… you!”
I smiled, pressing a single finger to my lips.
“Shh. Not yet.”
Not yet.
But soon.
Soon, they would all see.
As the competition began, I stepped forward, ready to rise from the ashes.
