chapter 42

Reece POV (cont)

They were, after all, the only beings in this realm that are powerful enough to change ones perception of your surroundings.

With what was found in the house. And a few discarded spells laying around, we had surmised that Eva was a witch. She had to be. To be able to  control people the way she did. It had to be black magic.

I was currently waiting for a contingent from the high council to arrive. With them would be a white witch. If any black magic had been cast around my pack borders, the white witch will know. And will aid us in protecting ourselves from an attack.

“You know.” Jeremys voice broke into my thoughts. “If it is the black witches, why are they showing themselves now? There has been no sightings of black magic for many years now. I knew we had not irradicated them, there is no way to do that. But we chased them far enough away that they have been a thing of the past, for many years. So I ask you, why show themselves now.”

Steven was nodding his head in agreement, and I could not argue with Jeremy’s  logic, either.

The war with the witches was the darkest era in werewolf history.

To this day, the high council still have no clue how the black coven got into this realm. Such a thing was unheard of. All that changed thirty years ago, though. When one night, and seemingly random, a curse had been detected within this worlds borders.

The high council worked day and night to identify the beings, or being,, that had managed to push through from the supernatural realm.

It had not been thought possible. So there was no one really looking for a breech. Until it was too late. Now, the high council play catch up. Never catching the coven. Just moving it along.

“Perhaps it would be wise to inform the high council of The lady’s return?” Steven said, quietly.

“No!” I responded, angrily. “They are coming for the simple reason that black magic has been detected. They don’t need to know about Julia, until Julia is ready to deal with them. Steven, I understand your fear. I share it. But I will not throw Julia to the wolves, so to speak, until she is ready.”

Steven bowed his head in submission. “Steven, I know how important Julia is to you. I know you are frustrated because you have not been able to spend time with her. I can’t begin to understand what losing our premier family did to you, all those years ago. Just know, we will avenge our beloved Alpha Michael. You will get your shot at justice.”

Steven nodded sadly. He bore the loss of his best friend, every day. I know it weighed heavily on him that he could not protect his Alpha and Luna. And was devastated at the loss of the girls. They had been his family. And in the space of an hour, he had lost them all.

I swore to him, when he became my Beta, that I  would make sure Alpha Michaels killers were brought to justice.

“Well, if Jackson is to be believed, we know at least one person who is guilty. Why haven’t you challenged him, Reece? He has no right to remain Alpha of the Moons Wane Pack. I tell you what, the high council had better depose him, when they arrive. Or there will be trouble. There is already stirring within the surrounding packs. When it comes out,  that Our Lady has returned. It will take all four Alpha’s working together to stop an inter-pack war.”

Jeremy finished speaking and we all sat in silence for a while, whilst we digested his words.

He was right, too. Alpha Maximus was still the Alpha of his pack, but he was on borrowed time. Once the high council arrived, they would place  Jackson as the new Alpha.

I wanted to believe he would be a good Alpha. But I had my doubts. Before I could speak about them, there was a knock on the door. We all looked toward it, hope filling our faces with light. Alas, it was just Nurse Pauline coming to tell us she had administered the last tea potion to Julia. After a few quick wellness questions, Pauline went back to work.

Like me, nurse Pauline was always here. So worried about the strength of her potion, so worried about Our Lady, she was barely sleeping. I observed my Gamma as the nurse left my / his office. I chuckled at the dopey look he always got on his face whenever he saw her.

“For the love of the Goddess, will you just ask her out for coffee. You look so love Lorne whenever you see the She-Wolf. Your making a fool of yourself. Go ask her. Or do you want Steven here, to ask her out for you.”

Steven chuckled at Jeremy’s scarlet face. “I’m working on a strategy to get under her skin, like an itch she will want to scratch. If you know what I mean.”

Jeremy waggled his eyebrows. I did know what he meant.

The handsome Doctor and pack Gamma, Jeremy Wallace is what is known as a man whore. He was famous, or infamous, for his behavior. He enjoyed the fairer sex. That was what he had told me in our youth.

And enjoy them he did. I’m sure, if he had met Julia under different circumstances he would no doubt have tried it on with her.

He was incorrigible. But lovable at the same time. And I couldn’t see him changing any time soon.

The meeting broke up and I headed to the small bathroom that was attached to this office. It only had a small shower, and using it was a slight problem, in that I didn’t fit in it, so I had to wash myself a bit at a time.

But it would do. I was not leaving her. Not now. Not ever.

I made quick work of showering, if you could call the fight I had with the shower head, a “shower.” Then, made my way back to Julia’s room.

I had insisted that Julia be placed in her own room, and taken away from the bays. Privacy was an absolute must.
And the bays were needed, after all. 

We still had casualties coming in from the bombing in Midway. Most of the injured had been seen to. The only ones not seen, were the ones that chose not to attend the hospital. Those people were mostly the older generation.

But as Alpha, I was making sure that everyone got seen, whether it be here or at their own homes. It did not matter. What mattered was that everyone was cared for.

Apart from the Moons Wane pack, the remaining packs worked well together. Forging new generational ties with each other. I knew that my own Pack had grown since the bombing. As so many of my warriors found their mates within the different packs.
I was so thankful to the Goddess, for allowing some joy, from the disaster.