Chapter 48 (There Is A Witch In Our Mist)

Chapter 48 (There Is A Witch In Our Mist)
Roman’s POV

The moment Kaelenya fell in my arms, everything stopped. The music, the laughter, the lights. All gone, like someone blew them out. I could only hear her breath. It was rough and shaky. Then her soft voice came, scared and broken. “Don’t let me lose it… not again.” And then she went still.

“Kaelenya!” I shouted. My heart skipped hard in my chest. I shook her a little, praying she’d move. Her head rolled back, and there was blood everywhere. It ran down my hands, warm and sticky, as I held her really close.“Get the physician! Now!” I yelled again, louder. My voice echoed through the hall like thunder.

Guards ran out , and the elders rushed towards us. I didn’t care who moved or fell. I just held her tight, praying and hoping that my child was safe.

Someone touched my shoulder. I turned my head. It was Marcus, I think. “Alpha, we must take her to the chamber,” he said with a shaking voice.

I couldn’t speak, I just nodded and picked her up myself. She looked so small in my arms, so light, like she could break.

The physician came running down the hall, half-dressed, his robe hanging loose. His eyes widened when he saw her. “In the east chamber!” he shouted.

I carried her there fast. I laid her on the white bed. My hands were trembling so bad I could hardly breathe.

The physician shouted orders. “Hot water! Herbs! Bandages!” His helpers ran everywhere.

Everything around me felt far away, like I was underwater. All my mind was just focused on my baby. I can't afford to lose another one.

“Alpha, please,” one of the healers said gently. “We need space to work.”

I stepped back, with my chest hurting me really bad. It felt like the room was moving and my head was spinning. This can’t be happening. Not after the ritual. Not after the Chief priest promised that the moon goddess was protecting them.

The room smelled of blood and herbs, as the physician pressed her stomach and whispered strange words. His face went tight, then worse, then empty. When he looked at me, I already knew what he was going to say.

“We stopped the bleeding,” he said quietly, “but…” His eyes dropped to the floor.

My chest felt hollow,“We couldn’t save the child.” he continued.

I just stood there frozen. I couldn’t blink and couldn't move. “My child…my baby…gone again…just like that. A loud scream broke from within me.

I turned to the wall and pressed my hand against it hard. My body shook. “No,” I whispered. “No. The priest said she was protected. How can this happen?”

The physician swallowed. “I don’t know, Alpha. The ritual was strong, I was there, so I know how powerful it was. No curse, no sickness could pass through. It’s like… something darker broke the barrier.”

That word…dark…stayed in my head. Suddenly, I remembered that night Kaelenya ran into my room, talking about the figure trying to choke her. But…I paced the room. But…the chief priest had told me the room was safe, and it was just her imagination.

I turned back to the physician. “Are you saying this doesn't look natural?” I asked slowly.

He nodded. “Her vitals were stable as I checked her, everything was normal, so it must have been something unnatural.”

I looked at her again. My heart felt like it was being stabbed “Who is after my baby?”

Kaelenya moved a little, weak and slow, I just stared at her, lost in thought. Who knows if maybe she is even the problem.

Her eyes fluttered open. “The baby?” she asked softly.

The physician moved closer to her, trying to calm her down. “I'm sorry Luna…but you lost it.”

A tear rolled down her cheek. “No…no,” she shook her head violently, “Not again…not again.” She screamed. “What is happening…Why my baby?”

Her fingers trembled, as she kept hitting the bed. The physician touched her wrist. “I’m so sorry for your loss Luna, but you must rest,” he said. “You are really weak, and have lost a lot of blood.”

I stared at her for a moment, then I walked out. Joshua was standing by the door. “Bring me the chief priest,” I ordered.

He bowed and left immediately.

After some minutes, the chief priest arrived, his face was sad and heavy. “The pack mourns with you, Alpha.”

“Spare me that,” I said coldly. “You said the ritual was going to protect them. You swore she was safe. So why and how did she lose the child.”

The chief priest lowered his head. “The ritual was carried out correctly, Alpha.Something darker is going on here.”

“Something darker?” I screamed. “Is this a joke?...Are you joking with me right now?... Aren't you the mouth piece of the goddess, isn't it your job to clean anything evil?”

“I'm so sorry Alpha, “The ritual was really solid, except someone broke the protection spell, with darker magic.”

My eyes widened, “Darker magic…Are you talking…witchcraft?”

He nodded. “I’m afraid so.” He said.
My eyes narrowed. “There is no witch in this pack…I made sure every witch was banished.”

The chief priest stared at me for a while and then finally said, “There is only one power that could have broken it, and it is witchcraft…There is a witch in this pack.”

I stepped closer. “And you think this witch is in my quarters?”

“It is possible,” he said.

My eyes widened as I slowly paced the hallway. That's impossible. A witch can't be in my quarters. During the time of my father's reign, he banished all witches because of their evil practices. And a decree was made, that if a witch is found in this pack, the witch will be burnt alive. So what witch is stupid enough to come to my quarters.

I turned back to the chief priest and stared at him, tapping my feet on the floor. “So what now?” I asked.

“I need to go and consult the goddess for what to do.” He bowed and walked away.

I went back into the room where Kaelenya was lying down, I stared at her for a while, and then walked to the window. I looked out the window, lost and in deep thoughts. The moonlight touched the floor like silver water. “Goddess,” I whispered. “Why are you letting this happen to me…Why aren't you fighting for me?”

But no one answered, only the sound of the wind. Then a faint whisper came out in the empty. You will never hear the cry of a baby.

I turned my head immediately, searching for the person with the voice. “Who’s there?” I screamed, but there was no one. The room was completely empty. My eyes moved from one corner to the other. Maybe I was losing my mind. I whispered to myself.

Suddenly, a scream cut through the silence. It was loud and filled with fear.

I quickly followed the direction of the voice, it was in the Luna's private room. Janet was there, trying to arrange the place.

The room had this awful smell. It smelt rotten and burnt, like something dead mixed with smoke.

Janet was in the middle of the room, shaking. Her eyes wide, her hands pointing at the bed. “Under it!” she cried. “Under the bed!”

I told the guards to hold her back and went down on one knee. The smell got worse. My hand brushed against something rough, and I pulled it out. It was a small dirty pouch, tied with red string. It was damp. I opened it slowly, and inside was Kaelenya’s hair. A small wolf fang tied with black thread. And a piece of paper with her name written in blood.

The physician came in right behind me. When he saw it, his face went white. “A hex bag,” he said in a whisper.

“A hex bag?” I repeated. “Isn't that…”

“Witchcraft,” he cut me off.

Everyone froze, and suddenly it felt like the air was heavy.