Chapter 79

**POV

Rose

There were so many thoughts dancing inside my head I found it hard to keep things in order. In the plane time doesn’t mean much, but timing was everything. I had been pulled here and in doing so it saved more than one of us. It meant that neither she nor I would be alone. Phoenix had no idea that when she created the void in the plane in her image that she had altered everything around it. She was truly powerful. Of course, it had long been known that witches in her, our, bloodline stem from the most powerful witch ever known. While power possessed by a witch as well as magic is neither good nor evil at the core, our ancestor was known as a witch for the good. She spent her years helping to heal plagues and illnesses. It was her magic that was said to save our family and bloodline in the great Salem Witch Hunts. Seraphina Montgomery was a great teacher as well. She taught many witches to control their gifts and build strong covens.

One of the witches that she took under her wing didn't stay on the path of good. Athena turned from Seraphina and formed a coven of some of the most powerful witches the world had ever seen. Now known as the old coven, the damage they wept on this world almost destroyed it. Knowing that Seraphina would come to stop them they formed a plan to kill her. It would be no easy task. Serphina was more powerful than they would ever be. Using her will to protect the people the coven baited her into a burning village. Fire in the old days was one known way to rid of a witch and the best way to kill them.

As expected, the powerful witch showed up to help the people. Once in one of the homes the coven with Athena, managed to cast a holding spell keeping Seraphina in the building. Trapped and with no one to help she called out to the great bird of fire, whom she had befriended in her search for the witch who had betrayed her. With a screech that deafened the coven, who stood by and watched as their fellow witch burnt alive, the great phoenix swept in and wrapped its wings around Seraphina forming a great wall of protection. Though Seraphina was too badly burnt to be saved the phoenix took her spirit into itself. Creating the first Phoenix witch. Over the years Seraphina has been born again from the ashes of death. Her newest life though is the greatest yet.

**Shane

With Athena having found the perfect body to hide in and the others working on bringing the rest of the coven back, everything seemed to be going well. The Lycan and his group had made plans to get out of the city. It was only too bad that my pussy nephew would be with them. If his father had kept our linage pure then together, we could be ridding the world of the Lycans for good. Instead, he is trying to help aid them in a ridiculous prophecy said to give them back the advantage that the witches took from them. The hunter in his blood should never allow this to happen. It just shows how much a single break in the blood can affect the outcome of the person. It was as sad as it was sickening. Still even with the change in times, not all hunters wanted to jump into a war. So, I am doing what needs to be done, as always. There is no greater honor than to be a hunter and keep this world safe from whatever dangers we face. It has, at least for now, made me have an alliance with then witches. I help them return to this realm in a permanent form and they help me get rid of the Lycans. It was a win/win, for now.

It could have all gone differently. That night, just over twelve years ago now, when I went to seek the help of my brother. I discovered a grimoire. One that prophesied the return of the Lycans power and collapsing the world that we knew now. Making hunters useless as I see it. What good were we if the supernaturals of the world were free to create hybrids? Hybrids with powers left unchecked and unmatched? When I arrived, a witch answered the door. I found out then and there that he had ruined our bloodline. I pleaded with him. It wasn't too late to fix it, but then a small child, only ten or eleven tipped toed down the steps. I looked at that child, his hunter scent mixed with that of a witch. I lost all control. My brother had not only betrayed his family but had produced a filthy hybrid. I allowed the boy to witness everything that had taken place, to know that his parents died that night because of him. Then I let him live so that he could live knowing that as well. Cruel? Perhaps, but it is a pain I hoped all hybrids would soon know. They are the death of the world. They pollute it just by breathing in the same air. When I claim my seat in the Court, the first order will be to rid this world of any hybrid. The CRA will be in full effect and have free will to stop the producing of hybrids at all costs.

**Jasper

“Oak Bane, some of you know what is going on, others only know that there is business needing to be taken care of. Either way, there are some things that need to be addressed. One as your Alpha I am ordering you to keep your guard up, watch out for one another and trust no one. Find a way to know the members around you better. Not things that are only skin deep. This will be important for the upcoming weeks. Also, I will not be as close as I would like to be, but I am not too far away that I cannot get here should there be a problem arise. I know that most of you have noticed the city seems deserted. There are missing people. What is going on we aren't sure of. It is part of what we are working on. The other Alphas may come around to start trouble, remember they are hurting. Loved ones are missing. I will not be here to take the pain out on, keep the people of this city as safe as possible should that happen. Witches are still a problem for us, we just don't know how much more they have for us. Be mindful of your pack and surrounding area. Communcate using the mind link as much as possible. This will keep plans from being overheard. I hate to have to admit it, but there is a war coming and it is coming for us all. I have never been prouder to be your Alpha. I have all the faith in you that when the time comes to fight, that we will be giving them the fight of their lives. Together we are stronger than anyone who would come against us.” It was a lot to process I knew, but I hoped that there would be little questions.

“Yes, Alpha.” Rang out loud in my head.

“Will you be a lone or will there be others with you Sir?” Leo asked. The father of the pack. It made sense that he’d want to ensure no one would deal with such situations on their own.

“Yes, Leo I will have a couple of Oak Bane with me as well as some others. There are many involved in this.” Our mind link was for just us, private. “My daughter,” I almost couldn't say the words.

“Is the future Luna missing still Sir?” he asked gently.

“That answer is complicated Leo. If she is seen, don't trust the face or the words. Actions matter in this.”

“Understood Alpha. Good Luck.”

I hoped that this wouldn't fall on ears it shouldn't. We still weren't sure that this blood spell would work through the link. We thought the chances were great, but like Nell had said it had never been done. Nothing was certain. Not in any of this.

The one thing that I knew was that I wanted to hear from Phoenix again. I hoped that I would be able to reach out to her in a dream state. She had already come to me like in one once. I needed to ask her about Cortlyn. See what she knew about our daughter. Her warning lets me know that she knows more than we do right now. The time had come to find out what we didn't know.

Running was what we were about to do. I was running and leaving my pack to just handle things I couldn't tell them everything about. I hated the way I felt. This was not what an Alpha did. The Alpha stayed and fought to the death for their pack and yet here I was running and hiding from whatever was coming for us. Would they be able to forgive me if we survived this?