Chapter 5 My Spells Are Never Wrong

Sandra answered the call, and Ella's excited voice filled the line. "Hey Aria, guess what? The spell worked! I found out where Jason lives, and I told Rose. We're meeting at her house."

Sandra's voice was subdued, the weight of grief still thick in her throat. "That's wonderful..."

There was a pause, then Ella gasped softly and her tone shifted to apologetic. "Oh my God, sorry Aunt Sandra! I thought it was Aria on the line."

Sandra tried to keep herself together, but the dam cracked. Her voice broke as tears streamed down her cheeks. "It's alright... I think you guys will have to free Jason without Aria."

Ella's voice shifted from surprised to concerned. "Huh? But why? Where's Aria?"

Sandra's lips trembled as she tried to answer. "She was... She was..."Her words faltered, overwhelmed by emotion. A sob escaped her, and she clutched the phone tighter as if holding onto hope through it.

Memories came crashing in like a tidal wave-Cynthia's smile, Aria and Kai's mother, flooded her mind. Cynthia and her husband had entrusted Sandra with their children's safety before passing away.

The promise they made. Her sister's final words whispered through her mind like a curse: "Don't let our daughter fall into the hands of werewolves."

She had failed.

She had failed them all.

Aria, so full of fire and strength, had been taken. Not just by anyone-but by the very monsters Sandra had sworn to protect her from.

Sandra collapsed into the chair, her body trembling, her tears silent now but unrelenting as she struggled to come to terms with the reality of her niece's situation. The secret she had buried for so long now stood bare: Aria was the mate to a Werewolf Alpha.

Diamond gently took the phone from her trembling fingers, his voice calm despite the storm in his chest. "She was taken by the Werewolves,"he said.

Ella's breath hitched. "What? When? How?"

Diamond exhaled, trying to maintain his composure. "It appears... she's the mate to their Alpha."

There was a moment of stunned silence on the other end before Ella's voice returned, hushed with dread.

Ella's voice trembled. "Oh my God, this isn't good. Rose was right about Aria's dream."

Diamond's curiosity piqued. "What dream?"

Ella's voice grew more serious as she explained. "She used to have this recurring nightmare. About being chased by a Werewolf who turned into a man. He always called her 'Mate' in the end

Diamond turned sharply toward Sandra and Kai. "How come she never told us about this?"

Sandra looked up, shocked and confused. Kai stared at her, wide-eyed. Neither of them had known.

"You guys didn't know?" Ella asked, her voice soft.

No," Diamond said simply.

There was a heavy pause. Then Ella's tone softened even further. "I see. I'll catch up with you guys later... and tell Kai I said hi."

"Alright," Diamond murmured before the call ended.

Silence lingered in the room like thick fog. Sandra held her face in her hands, Kai leaned into her side, eyes wide with uncertainty. His small voice finally broke through.

"Why is everyone scared, Is Aria never coming back?"

Diamond placed a hand on Kai's shoulder, kneeling beside him. "She will, buddy. We'll get her back. I promise."

But in the silence that followed, even promises felt fragile.

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After the call ended, Ella quickly freshened up and headed to Rose's house. She had spent the entire night attempting a locator spell to find Jason's whereabouts.

She'd poured over her spellbook, memorizing the incantation. Lighting candles in a circle, she placed Jason's book at the center.

"Focalis Revela Sanguis Via..." she whispered.

Her eyes turned white as her body lifted off the ground, hair whipping wildly in the wind. A whirlwind burst through the windows, scattering books and extinguishing all light except the flickering candles.

She took a small knife, sliced her palm, and let the blood drip onto a photo of Jason. The blood swirled, forming letters:

"Holland Street" was written in bold, crimson letters.

Ella's eyes widened as she realized Jason's last name was Holland. Did he own the street? Where was it?

The storm ceased. The wind fell still. She landed softly, The candles extinguished, plunging the room into darkness and silence. She healed her palm, erased the blood from the picture, jotted down the street name on a sheet of paper, and headed out Rose's house.

In the car, Ella recounted her conversation with Diamond to Rose, who listened intently, asking for directions to Holland Street along the way.

"Hmm," Rose hummed, her expression unreadable.

Ella shot her an icy glare. "What? Are you not surprised?"

Rose smirked. "Not really. I told you both the dream meant something. Aria kept denying it-now look."

"What are you? A seer or what?" Ella shot back.

Rose's response was laced with amusement. "I'm not a seer, but Aria kept saying she couldn't be a mate to a Werewolf, and now she's been taken by her mate, a Werewolf. And here we are, on a mission to free her second lover from a magic spell."

Ella's frustration boiled over. "Just shut up if you don't have anything better to say." Rose's calm demeanor only fueled Ella's annoyance.

Rose's response was measured. "What? It's the truth."

Ella's eyes flashed with irritation. "Whatever, Rose."

Rose's voice took on a serious tone. "Hey, don't think I'm a bad person and I don't care about Aria. I do care about her; she's our friend, like a sister to me. We all saw this coming, but she kept running from it. Her constant dream was a sign, but she didn't want to believe it."

Rose's words spilled out, laced with a mix of concern and frustration. "Even I tried to tell her, I tried to tell you both, but I was always shushed up. No one wants to listen to me."

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "So don't blame me, blame the moon goddess for pairing her with a Werewolf."

Rose stopped the car beside two young girls with red eyes sitting on a bench. "Hey, sorry to bother you guys, but can you tell us where Holland Street is located?" she asked with a sweet smile.

The girls exchanged a glance before one of them spoke up, pointing ahead. "You're almost there. Drive straight until you see 'Block C' and take a curve to your left. You'll see 'Holland Street'."

Rose thanked them and drove off. Ella's eyes narrowed. "Did you see the look those girls gave each other?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah."

Ella's voice was laced with intrigue. "It means something."

Rose's response was dry. "Oh, please, Ella, don't start right now." She turned left with full speed, and Ella's face almost hit the glass.

"Take it easy, Rose! I almost hit my face!" Ella exclaimed, glaring at Rose.

"Sorry," Rose apologized.

As they reached the end of the street, their eyes widened in unison-and there it was: A tall, imposing mansion loomed ahead, with "Holland Mansion" engraved on it.

Ella's voice was barely above a whisper. "Is he the owner of that mansion?"

Rose's question was laced with skepticism. "Are you sure your spell brought us to the right place, Ella?"

Ella's response was confident. "My spells are never wrong."

Rose's eyes locked onto the mansion. "So, does that mean Jason lives in that mansion?"

Ella's shrug was accompanied by a determined look. "I don't know; let's just go and ask."

Rose's hesitation was palpable. "Are you sure about that?"

Ella's voice was firm. "Come on, let's go. We're doing this for Aria, remember?"

Rose nodded, and they stepped out of the car, approaching the mansion.

As they reached the gates, two guards stood tall, their red eyes fixed on the duo.

Ella's whisper was urgent. "They are Vampires, like you."

"And you know they can hear you, right?" Rose whispered back.

Ella's uncertainty grew. "Are you sure Jason lives here? Probably he lives down the street, and we've just gotten to the wrong house."

Rose approached the guards with a smile. "Hi, my name is Rose, and this is my friend Ella" Ella waved, and the guards' gazes lingered.

One of the guards asked, "Who are you two?"

"We're friends of Jason from school," Rose replied. "We just wanted to know if he lives here."

The stoned–face guard's response was curt. "Master Jason lives here, and he's not receiving any visitors today. Please leave."

Ella's determination flared. "We have to see him now; it's important."

The guard's nails elongated, warning them. "I said both of you leave right now."

Rose dragged Ella away, and they walked back to the car. "It appears things didn't go as planned."

Ella's frustration simmered. "Are we just gonna leave like that?"

Rose's eyes narrowed. "No, we have to think of a way to get past them."

Ella's confusion deepened. "I don't get it; I mean they're Vampires like you. So why won't they let you in?"

Rose's shrug hinted at complexity. "I don't know, Ella. Maybe because I'm an outcast."

Ella's curiosity piqued. "We witches let our kind in, no matter the coven we came from."

Rose's response was measured. "Not the same for Vampires."

Ella's eyes lit up. "Wait... I think I've got an idea."

Rose's interest was piqued. "Well, tell me then."

"I would use my spells to control their minds, and that way they'll let us in," Ella said.

Rose's nod was decisive. "Do what you must; we don't have time."

As they approached the guards again, the Vampire's anger flared. "I thought I told you to leave!"

Rose stood firm. "Sorry, but we can't."

The guard's command was swift. "Get them, Louis!"

"Now, Ella!!!" Rose urged.

Ella chanted the spell: "Ona Dubious Sendrondium." The Vampire guard clutched his head, swaying."

The other guard, Louis, blinked and suddenly spoke, "Who are you?"

Rose's response was smooth. "We're here to see Jason."

Louis's obedience was unsettling. "Follow me."

As they entered the mansion, Ella giggled. "It worked!"

" It worked " Danielle said giggling.

" What did you say " Louis turned to ask them and Ella quickly shook his head.

" No, nothing I didn't say anything " She said grinning.

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**Alpha Lyrien's Pack...**

Aria stirred awake, her lashes fluttering open as sunlight streamed harshly through the tall windows. She groaned and lifted a hand to shield her eyes, squinting at the brightness filling the unfamiliar room.

Slowly, she sat up, wincing in pain.

"Ah-" she hissed, clutching her neck. A sharp ache pulsed beneath her skin, as though she'd slept in a twisted position for hours–no, days.

Her gaze drifted across the room. The bed beneath her was massive, soft as clouds, the type of luxury that felt unreal. Red velvet curtains framed the balcony glassy doors, and a thick matching rug cushioned her feet when she swung her legs over the side.

Where was she?

Her breath quickened. The last thing she remembered was-

Her eyes widened. The alley. The black car. The werewolves.

The Alpha.

Her heart pounded. Her throat tightened. Where were Aunt Sandra and Uncle Diamond? Where was Kai?

"Where's Kai?" she whispered, voice trembling.

Memories crashed over her like a tidal wave. Being dragged. Fighting. The Alpha's hand wrapped around her neck. The panic. The helplessness.

Tears welled up and spilled freely down her cheeks. Her hands curled into fists.

He was going to pay for what he did to her.

She wiped her face roughly, standing on shaky legs. Her mouth felt dry-painfully so. She glanced around for water but found none. Determined, she headed toward the door, hoping to find something-anything.

But just as she reached for the handle, the door swung open.

She gasped, stumbling back. "Who the hell are you?"

A tall guy stepped inside, hands raised in surrender. "Whoa-sorry! Didn't mean to startle you."

She narrowed her eyes. "You didn't answer my question."

He offered a small smile, then tapped a hand to his chest. "My name is Rawon. I'm Alpha Lyrien's Gamma."

The moment the word Alpha hit her ears, her expression soured.

"I don't care who you are. Get out," she snapped.

"Wait-what?" Rawon blinked, thrown.

"I said leave. I don't want to see any of you!"

"I get that you're upset," he said softly. "And I'm sorry about what the Alpha did, truly. But I swear, I'm not here to hurt you."

She scoffed. "And why should I trust a single word out of your mouth?"

He hesitated. "Because... I'm asking you to. That's all I've got right now."

Aria crossed her arms. "Then that's not enough. Leave. Now."

Rawon sighed, clearly torn, but stood his ground.

"Okay... but please, you have to come with me," he said.

She narrowed her eyes. "To where?"

"Alpha asked you to join him for lunch."