Chapter 2: CHAPTER 2: I HATE WITCHES.
DAMIEN.
I stare at her in shock.
Who does that?!
Announce someone as their mate and then pass out.
"Um, I am not the only one who heard that right?" Lucas asks from behind me.
No one answers, clearly still in disbelief at what just happened.
I feel a nudge by my side and I look down to see Maya's foot tapping me.
I look up at her and see her gesture for me to stand up.
Shit.
I didn't even register that I was on the ground.
With one spring, I am up on my feet and glaring down at the woman.
"What do we do with her Alpha?"
I look over to Maya and see that she has a blank stare on her face. She only uses it when she is hiding her feelings or is about to go batshit crazy.
I can already feel a headache coming on.
"Take her to the pack clinic," I respond.
"Have them look her over and make sure she is under strict surveillance."
"Yes, Alpha."
As the guard lifts her into his arms, a growl is immediately heard. I look around to see who did that and I am met with shocked stares.
"Al…Alpha?" the guard stutters.
"What?" I demand, confused.
"You can go," Lucas orders and they all rush to obey, leaving only him, me, and Maya.
"What was that?" he asks.
"What?" I ask again.
"That growl. It sounded like you wanted to tear him apart," Maya answers.
"I am not the one that growled," I retort.
Both he and Maya exchange a look before turning back to me.
"Uh, yes you were. Are you okay?" he asks, moving closer to me.
I raise my hands to stop him in his tracks. I won't lie, what the woman had said had shocked me.
Everyone in our world knew about my curse, it would be suicide for anyone to pretend otherwise.
So why would she do it? Break into my back only to lie straight to my face?
And what the hell is wrong with my wolf?
Cool it, I order him.
I receive only a snarl in response.
With a sigh of frustration, I run my hand through my hair, before looking back at them.
"I-"
I stop at the shocked looks on their faces.
"What now?" I demand in exasperation.
"Your… your wrist," Lucas whispers in shock.
"What about my wr-" I look down at my wrist and break off in shock.
The petals.
One is missing.
"What the hell?" I snarl as I lift my hand higher to get a clear view of it.
"Did that just happen?" Lucas asks as he steps closer.
"I think so, I would have noticed it this morning if anything had changed."
Lucas looks up at me before glancing at Maya.
"Um, I will… I will go check on the woman," he announced before hurrying off and leaving me with her.
The coward.
"Maya," I start, wary of her silence.
"What if she is right?" she asks.
"You don't know that."
"A strange she wolf breaks into the most dreaded pack in this side of the country and declares him her mate, not even your bravest enemies are stupid enough to do that. And now your tattoo is fading, the same tattoo that symbolizes the curse. Tell me, what am I supposed to think?"
"Maya," I say as I walk closer to her. We don't know anything. It might be a trick, another ploy from those who seek to harm us.
"News if our bonding ceremony has circulated our world, if she knew I was her mate, why wait till now?" I demand in earnest as I grip her arms.
She looks at me in silence before responding.
"Answer me one thing. When you first sighted her, how did your wolf react?"
I clamp down on the question.
My mind goes through the immediate and uncharacteristic actions of my wolf.
It can't be, I think.
Mate. Mate. Mate. My wolf chants.
You don't know that.
Mate.
"Yeah, that is what I thought," Maya remarks.
"Maya-"
"You growled," she exclaims. "You, the most controlled and disciplined werewolf I have ever seen, you growled when that wolf touched her and you didn't even realize it."
I step back from her slowly. What can I say to that? It's true, I reacted out of character but…
"I don't know Maya. After all this time, why now? What if it is a ploy? There are too many things at risk to make one wrong move," I tell her.
"True. That means we should be sure of the facts."
"The facts?"
"We need to know if what she said is true. If she is really your mate."
"And how do we do that?"
"We need to see a witch."
"Hell no."
"Damien-"
"No. A witch? Seriously Maya? Is that the best solution you can come up with? Your go-to? You of all people know how much I detest witches."
"Do you have another alternative? The tattoo was created by a witch, only a witch can tell us what it means. How do you intend to figure this out on your own? For years, we have not been able to figure out how to get it off, and now all of a sudden it is fading off, cone on Damien. Be realistic."
"i. Don't. Like. Witches."
"Nobody does. It still does change the fact that they are an important part of our society. And that it is only a witch who can explain what is happening."
"Say I agree to this, what witch would be willing to see us? These last few years, we have killed them by the hundreds," I tell her.
"Only the ones that deserve it. Only the witches who have used their powers for evil. There are still many who are good."
I can't believe this.
"You have an answer for every argument don't you?"
"This concerns you, me, and the pack. We can't joke with this."
I try to stare her down, to intimidate her into submission but Maya grew up with me. She knows me too well to be fazed by it.
"Fine. Find a witch."
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone