LUNA LITTLE WITCH

My eyes trailed over the group of eager teenagers, all anxious to try the new spells they learned on the dummies.

As the head of the largest Coven in the country, my job was to make sure these young witches and wizards knew every spell in the book and when to use them.

"When you come across an enemy unexpectedly, you should not use Mortemous alegerda!" I said loudly, pacing in front of the young group.

There was a chorus of groans and a few confused faces, causing me to chuckle at their disappointment.

I stopped pacing and raised my eyebrows, "Does anyone want to guess why?"

A hand shot up, and my eyes flew to the short brunette boy, who had a broad smile on his face, "Since the enemy caught us off guard, we won't have enough concentration to perform the death spell correctly in the short time frame before they attack."

"Exactly, very good, Theodore," I smiled, causing his beam to brighten.

"Does anyone know the story of the wizard named Ernest who turned himself into a frog?"

There were a few nods and a few heads shaking.

I began to walk down the line again, "Ernest was a classmate of mine who did not pay attention to this warning. When he was attacked by an animal in the woods, he tried to perform the death spell but got distracted by his pet frog, Ro, who hopped out of his bag. The spell ended up backfiring on him when he yelled Rortemous instead of Mortemous. No one has seen him since, but legend has it he lives on with Ro the frog."

There was some laughter, and someone yelled, "We're not that stupid!"

I smiled half-heartedly, "Ernest thought the same. He stood in the same places you did, laughing at how ridiculous the warning supposedly was. Look where he is now. He's making tadpoles with his pet."

The laughter died down immediately, and I laughed inwardly at the serious looks on their faces.

The younger teenagers thought they knew everything and ruled the world. It was time they learned how to be brought down a few notches.

"We stress this rule for a reason. You should not use the stronger spells until you are completely focused and immersed in the fight. It is easier for older wizards because they have performed such spells numerous times. So until you have reached their level of experience, start off simple and work your way up. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

I walked to the sidelines and waved my wand at the wooden dummies. A few of them spun in place before their arms raised with their wooden weapons.

"We will first practice some simple spells like disarming and freezing. However, if you choose to do the freezing spell, please don't freeze each other. The hospital wasn't pleased with how many of you got frostbite last time," I said amusedly, eyeing the two sheepish witches who had been the unfortunate ice cubes last time.

"Begin!"

I backed away to give them some room only to run into Meredith, who was panting heavily.

"Mer? What are you doing here?" I frowned, patting her back as she started coughing. When she was done with her coughing fit, she straightened and shook her red locks away from her face, "I need to talk to you. Like now-now."

I turned to Anton, my assistant, "Do you think you could supervise for a while?"

He nodded, "Of course, Ms. Jaslynn."

Before I could thank him, Meredith grabbed my hand and dragged me into the Coven building. She was practically running down the hallway, and I pulled my hand out of her grasp so I could keep up the pace by her side.

When we were finally in my office, I locked the door and leaned against it with an eyebrow raised, "You know, I'm always ready to hang out, but what is it that couldn't wait till after my training session?"

She rolled her eyes and plopped on the loveseat next to my desk, "You got a call from the Minister."

My heart dropped to the pit of my stomach.

"You mean the Minister himself called? Or his assistant?"

"He called. Believe me, I made myself look like a total idiot with all the stuttering I did. "

I bit my lip nervously, "What did he say?"

"He wanted to tell you that he's moving the annual meeting to tomorrow because there are 'some matters that needed to be attended to right away.'" She said, making quotations around the last bit.

My stomach churned from anxiety. If he pushed the meeting to tomorrow, there must be an emergency of some sort or something that came up unexpectedly.

Something like him.

My hands clenched into fists as I stared at the gray carpet, "What if it's about him? What if he's come back?"

Meredith shook her head, "I doubt it. You would have known before anyone else. I think it's about the werewolves because the Minister mentioned Alpha Alrik Kuznetsov was coming to the meeting as well."

I scoffed at the mention on the infamous Alpha, "So Alpha Alrik has finally decided to pull his head out of his ass to attend the meeting?"

"I guess so. You don't like him?" Meredith asked curiously.

"I never met him, but I've heard about the things he's done and how all werewolves fear him. He doesn't exactly have a good reputation even though he's known as the unofficial Alpha King."

"Does that mean you'll fear him?" Meredith asked with a smug smirk, "You know, cause you've got werewolf blood in you?"

I threw my coat at her face, "Very funny, Mer. I'm the last person that would be scared of him. He's just an Alpha who let power to get to his head. If I see him at the meeting, I don't plan on turning into a quivering pile of–"

I was cut off by Meredith's shriek as she tumbled to the floor ungracefully.

"What the f–"

She pointed at the window with a shaky hand, "F–fairies. Over there. I saw them. They were the size of toothpicks. One was bald and–"

Fairies? Was she playing me?

"Mer, I think the talk about Alpha Alrik is messing with your head. Go sleep it off," I chuckled, turning around and unlocking the door again.

She glared at me and threw a cushion at my back, "I wasn't hallucinating. There really were two fairies outside your window."

"Did they come to collect my teeth?"

"Jaslynn!"

I shook my head in amusement, "I'll see you later, Mer."

With that parting statement, I left Meredith to her fairies and headed back outside to supervise the witches and wizards again.

The annual meeting with Alpha Alrik was the last thing I could care about.

***

Mortemous Alegerda – death spell

It was a beautiful morning to wake up to.

The rain was pounding the rooftops, lightning was flashing left and right, and thunder rumbled every few minutes like my stomach when I hadn't tasted blood in a long time. Not just any blood though, the blood of those who betrayed me, my enemies.

It was why some called me cruel and insane, but in my eyes, I saw a realistic and practical wolf.

We lived in a world where those who have the hunger have the most power. I hungered to have complete control over my kind, to be the one who led them to victorious pursuits around the world.

That hunger hasn't died. It has continued to rumble in my stomach, and no food or blood will ever satiate it.

Until the werewolf species had flourished to their full potential, I was not going to stand still. I would fight until the Moon Goddess granted me my last breath.

I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt back up and started walking back to the house, relishing in the raindrops that soaked through the thin cloth and pierced my skin with their iciness. The best kind of rain was the kind that hurt. It was like having a reality check or a sudden epiphany.

When I reached the back door, I could hear my cooks running around frantically, trying to get my breakfast set up before I sat down at the table. They knew I was picky about waiting for my food.

I decided to give them a few more seconds before I stepped through the door because I knew they wouldn't be able to function properly when I did enter.

They would be too busy trembling with fear.

Their goal was to avoid me at all costs, dropping the food off and running, which is what they did.

When I finally stepped in after having some mercy on them, it was quiet and no wolf was in my line of vision.

I walked across the silent kitchen calmly and sat down at the table, eyeing all the food in front of me with a blank expression.

It may not look like it, but I liked tasting different foods around the world. It was one of the two pleasures I allowed myself to indulge in that did not have to do with werewolf prosperity.

I dug into my meal and grunted at the explosion of flavor. My cooks may act like headless chickens, but they knew how to put together a good meal.

"Alrik!"

Unfortunately for me, my meal was about to be interrupted by my commander. She marched into the kitchen and took a seat beside me.

"Good morning, Alrik."

I grunted again.

She rolled her eyes and grabbed a plate for herself, "As charming as ever, I see."

"Commander Reece, if you have nothing useful to say, then stop chattering and eat the food you have stolen from me."

"Lucky for you, I do have some useful things to say," she huffed, pulling up a checklist on her phone, "Five rogues were found on the eastern border. They are–"

"Commander, you should know the routine by now. Behead them. Heads on the rogue wall."

Her eyes narrowed, "I. Wasn't. Finished!"

Unlike all other wolves, Commander Reece was not afraid to talk back to me and was the only wolf I would allow to do so. She was a childhood friend that I treated as an annoying little sister. So my respect for her stemmed from those memories and her ability to take charge of my pack warriors.

"Alrik, these rogues are children."

I stopped chewing and frowned at her passionate statement, "So?"

"So? SO? How can you sit there so calmly and ask me to behead children?"

"I never said behead them. I meant that this was another useless piece of information you didn't need to tell me. There's a routine for rogue children as well that you seem to have forgotten. Send them to the doctor for health checks. If they're healthy, they are able to start training and schooling. Otherwise, they are nursed back to health before they start. This isn't rocket science, Commander. Where is that brain you like to brag about?"

She glared at me intensely before turning to her list once again, "The Minister called."

"Tell him that I'm not coming to his useless annual meetings. If necessary, I'll send Beta Conrad to tell him in person that the werewolves have no problems that need to be addressed and that we don't care about the other species. They can take care of themselves."

"He said it was vital that you attend this meeting because what he plans to discuss may affect werewolves greatly."

"Really?" I drawled sarcastically.

"Really. I say it wouldn't hurt to go and see what he wants to say. If ten minutes in, you think it's a waste of time, you can leave."

"The Minister likes to talk for hours, Commander. Ten minutes isn't enough for him to even finish greeting all of us. He needs an hour at least to even state what the problem is."

"Well, go for an hour then. I can handle things here. He really sounded worried this time, Alrik. You have to go."

My wolf rose for the first time this morning, shaking his fur out and growling a little.

His reaction to Reece's plea was abnormal. He would usually nod along to everything I said, but today, he was standing up and growling, as if he wanted to side with her.

Go meeting.

I stopped eating and pursed my lips.

My wolf wanted to go to the meeting? That was a first on his part.

He let out another low growl and stomped his paws to get his point across.

"Fine," I sighed, "I'll go, but tell Beta Conrad that he'll be coming with me."

Reece smiled broadly and got up from her seat, "I have to tell the Minister you're going. Bye Alrik!"

I grunted in reply.

The stupid meeting had better be worth it.

The dark circles under my eyes were starting to worry me.

I had woken up at four in the morning to fly over in time for the meeting, and since I couldn't sleep on planes, I was functioning on three hours of sleep.

"You look like death," Meredith chirped from her side of the car.

Unlike me, she was refreshed and ready to take on the world. Not only was she a morning person, but she was also able to sleep on the four-hour flight on top of her six hours of sleep.

I was only a little jealous.

"I feel like death too," I groaned, pulling my sunglasses back over my eyes.

She grinned, "Is your evil twin going to make an appearance?"

"If someone rubs me the wrong way, then yes."

The smile on her face was unnerving.

"I don't like that look on your–"

"Look!" She cut me off, slapping my arm in excitement, "We're here!"

My eyes immediately darted to the windshield and sighed in relief as the manor became more visible as we got closer. The faster we got through this meeting, the faster I could go back to the Coven. I was never comfortable leaving it for long when I had to make unexpected trips.

The driver pulled into the driveway and up to the front of the house where the Minister waited to greet us. I plastered the most genuine smile I could muster on my face and got out of the car with Meredith behind me after thanking the driver.

"Ah, Jaslynn, so wonderful to see you," the Minister exclaimed cheerfully, kissing my cheeks.

He was a small, stubby man with a white beard that he occasionally liked to grow out. Meredith liked to call him the smaller version of Santa Claus because of his appearance and his love for children.

I didn't know how old he was, all I knew was that he was there when my great-grandfather was born. That was also probably why my entire family had a close relationship with him and why he treated me as another granddaughter.

"How are you, Minister?" I greeted, bending over to give him a brief hug, "Ready for retirement yet?"

He threw his head back and let out a full-bellied laugh, his eyes sparkling with merriment, "Not for a couple more centuries, I'm afraid. I'm not ready to let you youngsters take control."

"We're not that bad," I grinned, "Maybe a bit wild, but we know how to hold our own."

The Minister shook his head, "Whatever you say, Jaslynn. I'm still sticking around to keep an eye on all of you."

Before I could give a retort, Meredith came out of nowhere and grabbed the poor man's hand and started shaking it furiously, "Minister, it is a complete and utter pleasure to see you again. How are you doing?"

The Minister wasn't surprised by Meredith's enthusiasm, seeing as she did this every year. He was her idol, and she was completely starstruck by him every time.

"I'm doing fine, my darling, although my hand does feel a little numb," he smiled kindly.

Meredith stared at him like a deer in the headlights until she realized that she was still shaking his hand. She flushed and let go of his hand abruptly, "Sorry, Minister."

He chuckled lightly and turned his attention to both of us, "Because we are still waiting on Alpha Alrik, who should be arriving by the afternoon, we will have the meeting in the evening. So in the meanwhile, take some rest and be down for lunch. Helene has prepared a feast for all of you to enjoy."

"Thanks, Minister. We'll see you later."

"Thank you so much, Minister. We are so grate–"

I dragged Meredith away before she started rambling again. Once we were out of earshot, I raised an eyebrow at her flustered state, "You see him everywhere. Shouldn't you be a bit more...calm around him?"

"It's just that he is so charming and intelligent. I aspire to be like him and acquire his level of knowledge. Did you know he met Napoleon Bonaparte? I want to meet Napoleon!"

"Mer, he's dead. He died ages ago."

"Too bad there's no resurrection spell."

I stiffened and adjusted the duffel bag on my shoulder, "I don't think many people would appreciate you resurrecting him."

"Yeah, yeah. Did you know the Minister even met King Henry VIII? I wonder if he met all his wives too. It might have been interesting to meet Anne Boleyn."

Something told me I was not going to be getting much sleep this afternoon.

***

"Jas, wake up! It's time for lunch. I'm starving!"

The word 'lunch' had me sitting upright quickly. I rubbed the sleep away from my eyes and stared at the dancing redhead who I apparently called a best friend.

She noticed the horrified expression on my face and stopped her ridiculous moves, "It's my hunger dance."

"Right," I drawled, scooting off the bed, "I had no idea humping the air was an expression for hunger nowadays."

She wrinkled her nose, "It was twerking."

"No, that was grinding."

"Whatever, it was still my hunger dance. Now, let's go, I can smell Helene's famous shrimp starters."

I sighed and shuffled to the mirror, eyeing my messy hair and the drool at the corner of my mouth, "I'm gonna need a few minutes to fix my appearance."

"Okay, I'm going down and saving some food for us. You can take your time, but just know that every minute you take is a minute closer to me devouring your portion of food too."

I threw my hairbrush at her and she closed the door behind her before it could reach her.

***

I smoothed out my skirt one last time and double checked my appearance.

Even though the meeting wasn't until the evening, I still had to maintain a somewhat professional appearance. From what I understood, all the other leaders were here and roaming the manor so I could not just walk around with a pair of sweats on.

I grabbed my phone and exited the suite just in time to see the Minister's butler lugging a suitcase down the hallway. He bowed his head at me politely, and I returned it with a smile.

It looked like the final leader had arrived at last.

I headed downstairs to the dining room, expecting to find Meredith sitting there, but the room was empty except for a man sitting at the end of the table.

His head was bent some papers so I couldn't see his face. All I saw was slightly messy, thick black hair.

He was dressed in a black shirt that was unbuttoned at the collar to reveal a bit of bronze colored skin, and I could make out a tattoo on his neck that curled and hid under the black cloth. The shirt itself was taut and didn't do anything to hide the muscular physique underneath.

He made the large dining room feel small with his presence. It was like he commanded attention without even having to move.

And based on the power and confidence that radiated off of him in waves, I had a strong inkling that this man or werewolf was Alpha Alrik.

I decided not to greet him and distract him from his work that he seemed completely focused on since he didn't acknowledge my presence at all.

Not to mention, I wasn't too keen on meeting an Alpha who hadn't bothered to show up to any of the annual meetings.

I quietly grabbed a cup from a trolley cart and poured myself a cup of chamomile tea.

"Refill my coffee."

I froze in place with the tea kettle still in my hand at the rough voice that echoed through the room.

Was he talking to me?

I turned around slowly and found his cup in my face as he held it up for me to take.

With pursed lips, I took the cup from his hand and decided to be nice and refill it once since I was at the tea and coffee station anyway. I didn't want to trouble the maids and make them do it.

After I poured him his coffee, I made a move to give it to him when he spoke again:

"Reheat my steak."

My eyes narrowed at his bent head immediately, "Pardon me, Alpha Alrik, but I don't ever recall applying to be your personal servant. The Moon Goddess blessed you with two arms and two legs so please make use of them."

There was a gasp from the other side of the dining room, and the sound of pots and pans hitting the marble floors echoed loudly. I winced at the ringing in my ears and sent a comforting smile to the maid, who was picking up the dishes she had dropped frantically with a mortified look on her face.

I directed my attention back to Alpha Alrik, who had stopped writing but still didn't look up. A few seconds later, he slowly stood up and picked his plate off the table.

I raised an eyebrow as he rotated his body toward me so I was finally able to get a clear view of his face.

Saying he was good-looking would be an understatement.

He had the kind of features that one would have to look twice at before realizing how attractive he really was.

From the sharp jawline to the crooked nose to the little scar on his cheek to the light stubble on his face, he was imperfectly perfect, a walking contradiction.

His eyes were a dark gray, almost black in the light we were in. They were narrowed in on my face as he made his way over to me casually with his plate still in hand.

I didn't break eye contact even though the tingles running wild down my back and the butterflies flapping away in my stomach were starting to annoy me.

He stopped just a few inches away from me and towered over me, almost like he was waiting for me to crumble to my knees.

He might be used to that back at his pack, but we were equals here. I was not going to bow my head to a fellow leader.

After studying me for a few moments, his lips parted, "You're not a werewolf."

I gave him a saccharine smile, "Jaslynn Beaumont, leader of the Imperium Coven. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Alpha Alrik."

He raised an eyebrow at my introduction, "A witch?"

"Yes, a witch."

I was a bit confused by the tiny smirk on his face. His eyes were glinting with an emotion I couldn't identify and the corner of his lips was tilted upward like he was amused.

What was so amusing about me being a witch?

I parted my lips to ask him, but he opened his mouth first.

"My bitch."