The Alpha's Curse The Enemy Within

I was covered with sweat and breathing heavily by the time | was done training with the young warriors who were in their first year of shifting. We had begun training every young male and female so they would be able to protect themselves if the time ever came. Every pack, coven, and kingdom in North Central and those that survived from other regions had begun extensive training for the war that was almost upon us. We had no idea when Vladimir was going to strike, but his silence so far only meant one thing. He was rebuilding his army, and we had to be ready.

1 walked through the castle doors and hurried quickly to the kitchen to get some water. Ria was there as well, having her meal in her training clothes, and she was also part of the training. My eyes scanned around, and there was no sign of Brielle.

“Where's Brielle?” | asked, settling on the seat next to Ria.

A short smile found Ria's lips. "Somewhere around, | guess. Probably venting her frustration out or sulking," she said, stifling a laugh.

I couldn't help but smile. Brielle has been in the worst mood since a few days ago when Killian changed the duties of some of the warriors and reassigned them to other tasks. Unfortunately, Brielle was one of them. She was taken off the field and assigned to Castle, and would most likely not join the war. That didn't sit well with the female Beta, but Killian did it for her and Allen, especially for their pup that was almost on its way. Brielle was already ten weeks gone, and since wolves’ pregnancy was far different from that of humans, she had three more weeks left.

1 took one more sip from my water before jumping down from my seat. It was almost noon, and | had to be at the Council's castle. | left Ria to finish up her meal and sauntered to Killian and my chamber.

As soon as | entered, | stripped and showered quickly. It's been almost a week since Zeriyah, Valerie and a few witches left North Central to retrieve the ancient witch, Shota's bones for the ritual, and as they were yet to return, the Council had also begun training their army and strategizing for the coming war. Killian and my brothers were part of the teams of Alphas, helping the Council, while | was helping Cora in recreating the spell we would need for Shota's bones when Zeriyah, Valerie and the witches returned.

I went to the clothing rack and pulled out a pair of brown leather pants, and its matching leather vest to wear. | fastened my boots and tied my long brown hair in a ponytail, ignoring the painstaking ache against my skull. It had been constant the last few days, and the strange weakness | experienced was getting worse. Valerie had begun to figure out why my dreams had suddenly stopped before she went on this trip with the witches, but so far, there was no plausible reason.

1 left the castle and got on my horse, heading to the Council's castle. | was there in no time, alighting from my horse. | handed the reins

over to a warrior who took it away.

From a distance away, | could hear the loud growls coming from the large training field where the warriors were training. | ambled to the castle, taking the hallways that led to Cora's spell room. On my way, | met with Jaskier, he was at the witches’ spell room. He and some witches had joined the Council's coven.

At the end of the hallway was Cora's spell room. I pulled it gently, using my magic and found Cora at the end of the room, she was busy browsing through her grimoire. Cora was one of the Elder witches in the Council, and she was a weaver as well.

Calmly, she lifted her head to the door as | walked in, and a small smile lit her face. “You are here.” let out a small smile, nodding as my eyes caught the pile of ingredients that were stationed on the table next to hers.

“What's all these?" | asked, running my fingers through them.

She closed her grimoire, pulling up from her seat. “| was working on a new spell, but that's aside,” With a wave of her fingers, she bundled them into a bag, and tossed it aside.

“Any word from Zeriyah?" | queried, meeting Cora’s deep ashen eyes as she shook her head. | sighed. "They haven't found Shota’s remains yet?" | asked again.

“Not yet. But don't worry, they will. The old Council did everything in its power to hide Shota’s remains. Even though the witch is dead, her remains still held dark magic. So, to ensure it doesn't wind up in the wrong hands, it was hidden, and everything about her or that darkness was erased from history. But they did ensure we had a way of finding it," she explained, as | settled into one of the chairs.

“I hope everything turns out well,” | said, and Cora settled into the chair opposite mine, her deep gaze regarding me.

“Hope is all we have now, Sheila,” she bit out carefully. “And more than ever, | am more hopeful now that you are here with us,” she added, and my brows crippled in confusion.

“Why do you say that?" | couldn't stop myself from asking.

“The rise of the greatest evil,” She inhaled, "For so long we had feared the prophecy from coming through, thinking you were dead after what happened that night. But Amelie’s visions never stopped, and we knew it was impossible to stop this darkness from coming through. We also knew we didn't stand a chance because we thought the white wolf was dead. But you are not, Sheila. | don't mean to scare you, but you were aware of the prophecy on the crystal stones, even as a child. No one knows what your role is in all of these, but you are not like the rest of us, you are powerful, Sheila, and the best chance we have in stopping this unnamed darkness and its vessel, and | know deep down we will win this.”

Listening to Cora’s words, | could barely swallow the lump in my throat. | felt a knot in the deepest corners of my chest, tightening at every second, squeezing me, as if sucking every ounce of life and magic from me. Her words hit me deeply, and for the first time in my life, 1 felt as if a heavyweight was placed on my shoulders.

I shut my eyes closed, hissing silently at the painstaking ache against my skull that wanted to consume me.

“Are you alright?” Cora's alarmed voice called out to me, and | pulled my eyes open, nodding. She exhaled, holding a small smile. "We should continue with the spell.

Cora and | continued from where we last left off, weaving a new spell we would use to perform the ritual on Shota's bones. | was in her spell room for hours and by the time we were done, it was almost dusk.

1 left her spell room, sauntering deeper to the left-wing side of the Castle. | walked for a few minutes before stopping in front of a chamber. It was Amelie’s.

1 was about to pull it open when a young witch stepped out from the chamber. She lowered her head upon seeing me.

“How's Amelie?” | asked. | was told by Zeriyah before she went on her trip that Amelie had gotten worse. Now she barely speaks to anyone and instead, stares at her black crystal ball all day.

“still the same. I'm afraid she may not be able to see you or even speak to you now,” The witch said, and | thought deeply, before nodding.

“I understand. But | would still like to see her,” The witch nodded, before opening the door for me and I stepped in.

Amelie's chamber was dark, only the evening light that traveled into the chamber attempted to illuminate the chamber.

“She prefers the darkness,” The witch said, and | nodded, before shutting the door behind me.

I strode in and at a comer, near the window, | saw Amelie seated on a chair. As | moved further into the chamber, she didn't budge as much, her eyes were fixated on the black crystal ball in her hands, almost as if she was seeing something in them.

I moved closer and stopped until | was next to her. She still didn't move. She looked strained and exhausted. The skin around her eyes was tired and had dark circles. This was the thing about her gift, it was like a parasite that fed on the person's magic.

I crouched down next to her, and slowly my eyes fell on the black crystal ball and for some reason, 1 just couldn't tear my eyes away from it.

“That's the thing about people like us. No one sees what we see," |

shook in surprise, tearing my gaze away from the black crystal ball, and pulling my gaze to Amelie.

“Amelie,” | called in shock, but her eyes remained on the ball, and if | wasn't sure | heard her voice, | would have thought | was hallucinating. “I know," | replied to her words, settling on the cold floors. “What do you see?" “Our end, if the darkness wins," finally, she pulled her gaze from the ball to me and a small smile slipped past her lips, as her eyes took me in.

“It won't," | muttered, unsure of my own words. | didn't know why | was suddenly feeling this way, but Amelie smiled again. *1 don't know what to do. My dreams stopped coming, and | feel so scared, like something bad is about to happen, something that will be out of my control,” | forced it all out, and Amelie's gaze softened, but she didn't utter a word, instead her eyes shifted back to the black crystal ball.

"You will have to make a choice soon, before it's too late,” | furrowed my brows at her words. “You must do what you must,” she added in a drawl as if she was in a trance.

“What choice, Amelie?" | asked sharply but she didn't say anything.

“What must | do?" | asked again, but nothing from her.

Unsatisfied with what | just heard; | moved closer to her. "Amelie, what—" My words were cut off the instant | placed my hands on hers that was holding her crystal ball. And then | saw it. The deaths, chaos, and blood around.

1 gasped, and her vision began to move fast, making it difficult to understand what | was seeing. A war. Blood. Deaths. My eyes widened in shock, suddenly understanding what | was seeing. A blood ritual.

1 couldn't breathe. | could hear the echo of a female cackling, and in

fast motion, | began to see the corpses of everyone | loved. My brothers. The pack and Killian. All dead.

| screamed, jerking away from Amelie and breaking out from whatever hell that was. | stumbled back on my boots, and Amelies gaze was still fixed on the ball.

I bolted out of her chamber, hurrying out of the castle. I couldn't stop the hot tears that raced from my eyes, and the fast beating of my heart. | kept moving without quickly, until | crashed hard into something, and | felt familiar tingles envelop my body. Killian.

“What the fuck happened, Sheila? Why are you crying?” | heard Killian yell, and more tears rushed free as everything | saw played once again in my mind.

“Who the bloody fuck made you cry?" | heard Leonardo's thundering voice from behind as Killian embraced me. The warmth and tingles made it easier to control my emotions.

“It's nothing," | said, "I guess it's just pressure from the coming war," | lied. I didn't know what else to say.

Killian and Leonardo didn't say a word, even though I knew they didn't believe a word I said.

“I'm done here,” I said.

“Already? I'l go back with you—" Killian started, but | shook my head.

“You don't have to, Killian. I know you still have a lot to do here. I'l be fine," I rushed, fighting the murdering ache in my skull. | kissed Killian, and gave Leo a quick hug, before scurrying off to my horse and leaving the Council's grounds.

1 was riding through the woods when the painstaking ache against my skull intensified. I groaned, tightening my hold on the reins when I felt an overpowering tug within the depths of my soul. It came again, and this time, the excruciating cold pushed me off my horse

into the ground. The next thing | felt was an unwelcoming coldness and 1 lost consciousness.