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69


Arthur's POV

I couldn't shake the feeling of unease and shock after everything that had happened at the festival. Did I just see a man point out a witch in the form of a child's body standing close to Julianne and Antonia, eyeing them with the most scrutinizing gaze I have ever seen, only to transform the ugly creature to attack Julianne? Geez! My thoughts kept racing, and I needed answers. I needed answers so badly that I didn't even know what to do anymore. I had to find out what was going on and why Julianne was being targeted. She was supposed to be their leader just as the lady had said the other day, so why did they want to kill her? Why would they want to kill who they badly need? Judging from Nyx, who attacked us, she was ready to go to any length to make sure she went back with Julianne, or she accepted to be their leader and denounced her wolf status to be in their coven. So I don't know why they would attack her?

I glanced outside and motioned to one of my guards, he came in standing rigid as usual.

"Call me my Luna, Julianne," I instructed, looking away immediately to the pack's festival still going on at the other side. They had chosen the field opposite the wood stop to hold the festival and all packs had agreed to the location.

Julianne walked on with her guards and he bowed and turned and went to stand at his position. I stood up and walked to the door, I looked out briefly and then closed it.

"Julianne, I need to ask you a very sensitive question, I need to understand what is going on." I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "What’s going on? Why are the witches after you? If they want you to lead, then why do they want you dead? Why would they attack instead of plotting a way to kidnap you as before?" I questioned knowing fully well she was confused and without ideas as I was.

There was a long pause on the other end, and then nothing. She didn’t respond hurt and I expected but I was not happy with it since she seems to be familiar with their strategy and logic. I waited for her to say something, anything, but there was only silence.

"Julianne?" I repeated, frustration creeping into my voice. Still no answer.

I felt my anger rise. "I don’t understand why you won’t tell me anything!" I snapped. "You’re putting yourself in danger, and you won’t even explain why!"

But still no response, she kept on staring at my feet and wondering if there was something interesting there.

"Just leave my office if you won't talk," I shouted waving at the door in annoyance but she hesitated which got me worked up, she won't tell me anything and she is proving stubborn to leave my office at my command. "LEAVE MY OFFICE NOW." I dragged the words emphasizing on, controlling my anger from yelling at her while I fixed my fingers on the door ushering her out.

She lifted her eyes to stare at me and shuddered at the aura I possessed then, she turned and hurried out of the office.

I sighed and turned around lost on what to do, I walked over to Jeremy’s office. I had told him what was going on so I trust that his judgment on the matter at hand might prevent me from doing something stupid.

I knocked on his door and stepped inside immediately without waiting for him to usher me in. "Jeremy," I said, closing the door behind me. "I need your help so badly on something. I am slowly losing my mind on the issue."

Jeremy looked up from his desk, his eyes narrowing as if he knew exactly what was coming. "What’s going on?"

"I need to know why they’re trying to kill Julianne," I said. "She’s supposed to be their leader, but instead, they’re targeting her. I don’t understand it."

Jeremy leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepling in thought. "I think this issue is bigger than what you are looking at it from," he said slowly. "There’s something you don’t know yet, Arthur. Something you need to understand about her. So I suggest we should drop this matter for the time being and focus on something very important."

I frowned. "What do you mean? So this issue is not important right?"

Before Jeremy could respond, he gave a small shake of his head. "Put that aside for now. Leave the issue of the witch agenda concerning Julianne and let's focus. I’ve got something else to tell you. Someone wants to meet you."

"Who?" I asked, confused.

Jeremy didn’t say anything more, only nodded toward the door. I didn’t ask questions and followed him out.

We walked for a while, the silence between us stretching until we reached a secluded part of the pack. I know this place because we haven't met countless times to meet people who don't want to be seen around the pack by members. It was a place I knew well, but the person who stepped out of the shadows when we arrived was someone I recognized. He was the same man who had fished out the witch at the festival. The one who had helped Julianne. The one who had unknowingly helped saved Julianne's and Antonnia's lives.

He looked at me with sharp, assessing eyes. "You must be Arthur, Julianne's mate," he said, his voice cool but steady.

"Who are you? What do you want from me?" I asked, not bothering to hide my suspicion.

"I’m someone who knows more than you think," he replied, his gaze piercing. "And it ain't high time you need to know the truth about Julianne and this witched stuff."

I felt my heart skip. "What truth? Is there something she had been hiding from me?" My heart skipped a beat at the thought and my mind went back to a while ago when I was questioning but she kept her more and refused to talk to me till I sent her out.

He looked around as if making sure no one was listening before speaking even though he knew this was a secluded part only known to me and Jeremy. "The truth is that is not just a werewolf," he said quietly. "She’s a witch as well. A very powerful one. But she doesn’t know it yet."

The words hit me like a blow. "What? She’s a witch?" That explains the reason she looks so confused and won't take the matter seriously except being scared of getting attacked and kidnapped and tortured by them. I remember her word's, the look of confusion and fear on her face, I remember how panic stricken her voice sounded when she explained the story, how Nyx had bowed to her and called her a moon goddess for the first time and how she denied it, and had been doing so because she does not believe till then fateful day she attacked.

The man nodded. "Yes. And that’s why she’s being targeted. The witches know about her powers, even if she doesn’t. They want to control her. Or worse, they want her dead because she’s a threat to them."

I stared at him, trying to make sense of what he was saying. "But… Why would they want her dead if she’s meant to lead them? And why would she have powers she doesn’t even know about?"

"I don’t know why the other witch wants to attack her even though the other witch needs her so badly," the woman replied, shaking her head. "But she needs to know about her abilities, Arthur. If she doesn’t learn how to control them, she’ll be vulnerable. To the witches. To everyone. She needs to learn of the truth so she can protect herself and Antonnia from their attack or whatever it is to come."

I felt a surge of panic, but I held it back. "So, how do we help her?"

The man studied me for a moment before answering. "I have a friend who is a witch. She can train Julianne. If Julianne is willing to learn."

I nodded. "Where is she?"

"She’s waiting, whenever we are ready," the woman said. "But you need to talk to Julianne first. You need to explain everything to her. She’s the only one who can decide if she wants to take this step."

I and Jeremy walked back in silence. My mind was racing, but I couldn’t quite piece everything together. Julianne was more than just a werewolf. She was something much more dangerous. And now, I had to find a way to make her understand that she had powers she didn’t even know about.

When we got back to the house, I went straight to her room. I knocked on the door softly, but when there was no answer, I opened it.

Julianne was sitting on her bed, her face buried in her hands. She was crying.