Capítulo 3: Chapter 3: The Sacrifice

Selene feels as if she’s under a spell. There are voices talking around her but she can’t climb out of the darkness enough to see who they are.

“Kill her,” a female voice says. “She’s clearly a witch and none of our concern.”

A low rumble, like thunder, is both heard and felt in response. Selene moves her hand up in an effort to free herself. Her touch stops on a muscular, very bare, chest. She succeeds in lightly scratching the man who is holding her. This only manages to anger the butterflies in her stomach. She gives a moan as the arms tighten around her and they start to move.

The next time she comes to her senses, Selene is in her bed at home. She rolls over and cozies up to her pillow. She wonders if it was all some crazy dream. Then the voices from earlier drift up the stairs into her open room.

“I won’t tell you again!” a deep voice bellows. “She put herself in harms way to save me. I’m the Alpha, not you, so I call the shots. We are not going to kill her.”

Selene hears shuffling followed by the door to her house slamming. She still can’t open her eyes, but she doesn’t feel as weighted down as she had earlier. The sound of heavy footsteps coming up the stairs causes her to freeze. Had her protector left? Was someone climbing the steps to finish her off?

The comforting smell of rain fills her room and Selene feels her anxiety release. She wants to open her eyes, but she’s still too deep in the darkness. Someone walks over to her and brushes the hair out of her face. Selene manages to let out a slight whimper.

“Don’t worry, you're back home in the safety of your bed,” the man coos. “I need to leave you for now, but I won’t be gone long.”

Selene wants to stop him from leaving. She doesn’t know why, but she feels like if he leaves she’s going to be in danger. Why would he vouch for her life only to leave her in such a vulnerable state? She wonders if he can read her mind as he takes her hand in his own.

“I will be back as soon as I can. If I don’t leave now I fear I won’t have the strength to do so later,” the man’s gentle voice fades away along with the soothing scent that accompanies him.

The room feels cold and empty as Selene slips into a dark dreamless sleep.

She wakes up confused about everything, and it takes her a moment to get her bearings. Is she just waking up for the day? No, the light outside is dimming into dusk. Maybe the tea she drank the night before had gone bad and caused her to dream everything.

“That must be it,” she tells herself. “There hasn’t been a shifter on this side of the river that divides the lands in forever. They have their territory and we have ours.”

Selene is almost fully convinced until she steps down into the kitchen. There is a meal waiting for her on the table. Beside it sets a beautiful arrangement of wildflowers.

A heavy sigh escapes her lips. “What have I gotten myself into?”

Her thoughts begin to clear now that she is alone. The emotions that were driving her crazy earlier have all but subsided. Without really thinking about it, Selene sits down at the table and eats the meal that was left for her. The food is delicious and calms the growing hunger pains. With her strength somewhat restored, Selene clears the table and sets to putting the flowers in water.

Her mind races with thoughts of the mysterious man who saved her. Had he really been a shifter? She doesn’t understand why she had felt so connected with the wolf in the woods. Having never been around a shifter before, she can’t help but wonder if they have magic and compelled her to act the way she had. A knock at the door causes her to jump.

“Who is it?” she asks from across the room.

“Marcus of Bellum,” a man responds.

Selene makes her way over to the door and slowly opens it a crack. She can make out the figure of a man wearing a burgundy cloak. This one is slightly different from the ones the men in the forest had on. The inside of this robe is lined with gold. Selene remembers her Gram telling her about the High Priests from Bellum Village.

“They always dressed to impress,” Gram would say. “You will know a High Priest or Priestess from the gold embellishments of their attire.”

Why would a High Priest be calling on her so late in the evening? “Is there something I can help you with?” Selene asks.

“Possibly,” the man replies with a smile. “May I come in so we can talk?”

She hesitates for only a moment. This is another witch asking to enter her home, there’s no harm in that. Had this man intended to do harm, her protection seals would have prevented him from crossing her threshold. Selene closes the door behind him and points toward a chair by the hearth. “Please, have a seat.”

Her guest is handsome, if you like the dark and brooding type. His jet back hair causes his green eyes to stand out. Selene shivers a little as those eyes make contact with her own. He is dressed in fine clothing that hugs his well built physique. In spite of his alluring looks, Selene feels uneasy about him.

“May I get you something to drink?” she asks. She needs to do something with her hands that doesn’t include wondering what his chest feels like.

“Allow me,” Marcus replies while using his magic to pour them water from the reserve by the sink. “I have been meaning to introduce myself to you, Selene. I heard about your grandmother’s ascension, devastating news if you ask me.”

He levitates her cup over and allows her to take it from the air. Selene takes a few sips, trying to satiate her thirst. “Thank you for your condolences. I wasn’t aware that anyone knew about my grandmother’s ascension.”

“Word of mouth travels fast, my dear,” Marcus says, setting his drink on the table beside him. “I know your parents moved to this hut, terribly close to shifter territory, before having you. They were greatly missed in Bellum Village, by the way. We still like to keep tabs on our coven members even after they leave. They are like family, and we like to keep family safe.”

Selene nods her head while drinking the rest of her water and setting her cup beside his. “So did you just decide you needed to come check on me now?” she asks, trying not to sound ungrateful to be though of.

After her grandma’s passing, several of her friends came to pay their respects. It isn’t uncommon to have local witches visit, but the fact Gram has been gone for two years without a single coven member coming to the hut is a little suspicious.

Marcus stands up and walks over to the hearth. “I had a few of my coven members report an Alpha shifter in the woods near your home. Being the leader I am…I had to come out here and make sure you were okay. You are, after all, the only solo witch who lives out here.”

Selene opens her mouth to voice her gratitude but her tongue doesn’t want to work. She tries to lift her arms, but they too refuse to move. She slowly looks down at her cup and back up at Marcus. He laughs as she makes eye-contact with him. Her blood slowly runs cold as she realizes what’s going on.

“Oh, yes, my dear. I heard you were alone and that you are the reason we have no Alpha for our Moon Ceremony. The Goddess would have loved the blood of a shifter spilled in her good name. And not just any shifter, but an Alpha! Now she will have to settle for a know-nothing witch.”

Marcus walks up to Selene and cups her head in his hands. “You’re not that bad looking though. Striking really,” he whispers while bending down to kiss her.

Selene has enough wherewithal to pull away before he makes contact. She looks up with all the hate she can muster. “Foul beast!” she hisses between clenched teeth.

Marcus tsks at her. “You are a feisty one, and stronger than I gave you credit for. You shouldn’t have meddled in coven affairs. Take her away.”

Selene can hardly hold her head up as three coven members come in and yank her from the chair. She feels nauseous and suddenly very afraid. The only thing helping her keep it together is the booming voice of the wolf in her head.

“I’m coming to save you, Selene. Fight them with everything you have.”

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