CHAPTER 4: THE WITCH

The music was loud, the firelight golden, and Raven was laughing beside me, really laughing, not the sly smirk he usually wore. For a moment, I let myself believe we were just… two people celebrating. No danger, no debts, and no hostages.

Then I had a whisper, soft as smoke curling through my ear. “Child… come to me.” I froze, the glass halfway to my lips. It was faint, but the pull was unmistakable. It's my Godmother. I looked at Raven, thinking of what to say because I don't want him meeting my family. I have yet to trust him, but he looked occupied as he spoke in a hushed tone with the barman.

“I’ll be right back,” I murmured, already standing. I didn’t give him time to ask where, forgetting that I'm his prisoner. Outside, the night air slapped against my cheeks, sharp and cold. She stood in the shadow of the alley, her cloak heavy, hood low, but I knew those eyes, bright as molten gold, even in the dark.

“You vanish for days,” she said, voice sharp, like she’d been pacing. “No word, you didn't even leave a note. No sign, and I had to call you like a stray cat.”

“I’m fine,” I lied, tucking my hands in my coat so she wouldn’t see them tremble. There's just something scary about an angry witch. “I just… got caught up.” Her gaze searched me, and I swear she could smell the lie. “Caught up? Aine, don’t play games with me. You’ve been in trouble.” I forced a laugh. “No trouble. Just… distracted.”

The truth burned on my tongue: I was kidnapped, and I’m still in danger. But I couldn’t put that weight on her, not when she already looked like she hadn’t slept for days. “Distracted?” Her brows lifted. “By what?” I swallowed, heat rushing to my cheeks before I could stop it. “Someone,” I admitted quietly. Her face softened instantly. “You’re in love.” I shook my head. “I didn’t say—”

“You didn’t have to.” She smiled faintly, but her voice stayed careful. “And who is this someone?” My throat tightened at this question. How would I explain to her that it's an Alpha that kidnapped me because I stole from him, and they killed my best friend? My Godmother had always been able to pull the truth from me like thread from a spool, but this time, the name felt too dangerous to speak aloud.

“I can’t tell you,” I whispered. Her smile faded, replaced by a slow, knowing frown. “Then I hope you know what you’re doing, child. Because love is fire, and fire burns.” The words struck deeper than she knew.

I turned away before she could read my face, before she could see the flicker of Raven’s smile in my mind, the sound of his laugh still echoing from inside.

I turned, my breath still fogging in the cold, and nearly stumbled back.

Raven was just standing there, emotionless. I immediately regretted living his sight. He stood just a few paces away, his dark coat blending into the shadows, but his eyes… his eyes burned into me like he’d been standing there long enough to hear everything.

“Who,” he said slowly, voice low and dangerous, “were you talking to?”

The warmth I’d felt a moment ago with my Godmother snapped into ice. My heart thudded so hard it almost drowned out the wind between us.

“I—”

“Don’t lie to me, Aine.” His jaw was set, and there was no trace of the man laughing with me inside moments ago. “You disappear. You whisper in shadows. And now you’re out here… talking to someone who isn’t here anymore.”

My Godmother had already melted into the night. Of course, she had.

His eyes narrowed, suspicion hardening every line of his face. “What are you?” The words cut deeper than I expected. What are you, not who?

I swallowed, my voice catching. “Raven—”

“Tell me,” he pressed, stepping closer. “Are you a witch?” For a heartbeat, I considered denying it. I could still pretend, still hide it under the same half-truths I’d been feeding everyone. But the air between us felt different; charged, like the world was holding its breath, waiting for my answer.

“Yes,” I said finally, the word trembling but real. “I am.”

The confession hung in the air, sharp and heavy, and I saw the muscle in Raven’s jaw twitch. His lips curved, but it wasn’t a smile. “I thought so.” He reached two fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp, piercing whistle. It cut through the night like a blade, and my chest tightened.

The shadows moved first; then the eyes. Glowing eyes in the dark, circling, closing in. One, two… five shapes emerged from the treeline, all towering, broad-shouldered, their steps too controlled to be human. The scent of fur and earth hit me a second later.

My throat went dry as a wave of dread washed over me, my heart racing with the worst scenario.

Raven didn’t look at me as he spoke, but his voice was steel. “Take her.”

Two of them seized my arms, their grip unyielding. “Raven, ”

“Don’t,” he said flatly, finally meeting my gaze. His eyes were nothing but winter. “You’ve had your chance to explain.”

The walk back was a blur of pounding heartbeats and the sound of boots on dirt. When the lights of the pack house came into view, I caught myself hoping this was just to scare me; that we’d talk behind closed doors and clear this up.

I was wrong.

The moment we stepped inside, I was taken to what looked like a basement. I was shoved into a chair in the center of a dim, windowless room. Rope bit into my wrists, rough and tight. Raven paced in front of me, his eyes tracking me like a predator measuring his prey.

“Who sent you?” he asked.

“I wasn’t sent…” The back of his hand met my cheek. Not hard enough to break me, but enough to steal my breath. I looked at him wide-eyed in disbelief that he was willing to go to such an extent.

“Don’t lie to me!” His voice snapped like a whip. “You think I don’t know witches crawl into packs to spy? To sabotage?” He leaned down, so close I could feel the heat of his breath. “Tell me, Aine. Tell me who you’re working for.”

“I’m not—” The chair jolted as he kicked it, making me flinch. “Every second you waste, every lie you tell, it gets worse for you.”

His hand closed around my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. “You’re going to tell me everything. Or I’ll find my own way to make you talk.” My pulse thundered in my ears. I wanted to hate him for this, for the cold fury in his voice… but the strange, dangerous pull between us was still there, twisted now, tangled with fear.

“Stop!” A voice shouted, saving me from the angry Alpha.