OnyxI leaned against a large oak tree and watched Ferrah as she stepped gingerly through the garden. The care she was taking while harvesting the plants reassured me that I made the right decision in bringing her here. I knew that whatever herbs she might need for her healing potions, she would find them here. Mother used to muse that this garden of hers would get her accused of witchcraft if she kept it in the village. At the time, it seemed like she was just being silly. Now that I knew more about witches, I understood her meaning. There was so much paranoia about witches among certain packs. If rumors started that the Luna Queen was dabbling with magical potions and ointments, it would cause a lot of problems. This garden made her so happy. It helped her to find peace in the chaos that we were living through. The fact that she had to hide it bothered me. The way that Ferrah’s face lit up when she saw it reminded me of the way mother smiled in the spring when the first bloo

Onyx“The Autumn coven is responsible for my parent’s disappearance.” A heavy silence fell over the room. I hadn’t meant to tell her that. It wasn’t what I had come here for at all. The confession had just come out of me, unbidden. Ferrah was staring at me with a mixture of surprise and anger on her face. It was the reaction that I expected. She knew that I had taken her family from her, but there was no way that she could have known why. Even now, I wasn’t sure she had put it all together. She was likely still trying to process the meaning of my words. I didn’t expect her to believe me. I sat silently, waiting for her to start yelling or call me a liar. There was a chance she might even attack me. I wouldn’t blame her if she did. She closed her eyes for several seconds. When she opened them, I could no longer read the emotions in her eyes. She turned in her chair slowly so that she could face me directly and in a very calm voice she said, “Explain.” “It’s a long story,”

OnyxThe papers piled up on my desk were daunting to look at. I had been spending too much time away from my office and things were starting to get out of hand. I had several days worth of reports to read and countless letters to respond to. It didn’t help that rumors about the captive witch in the Alpha King’s house had reached the other packs already. The other alphas wanted to know how they could reassure their packs that they’re safe. People were confused and frightened about why Ferrah was in the village at all. If I brought her to the elder’s house and locked her in the old basement dungeon, there wouldn’t be so much confusion. I couldn’t do that to her, though. It was miserable down there. I didn’t know how to answer these letters. Rydel was seated in a swivel chair on the opposite side of the desk, helping me to write quick responses to the simpler letters. He had been quiet all morning, which told me that he wanted to say something, but he was holding back. It bot

Ferrah“I need to find Onyx,” I said urgently. The guards exchanged worried glances, then frowned at me in concern at my sudden outburst. I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. If I freaked them out, they wouldn’t help me. “I mean, I need to speak with the Alpha King,” I continued. “I’ve just thought of something that I need to discuss with him. About the prophecy.” It wasn’t a lie. Something about the green eyed figure made me think that he could be involved in the prophecy somehow. He was clearly extremely powerful. It could be that he was a threat that we were meant to face. I had to tell Onyx about him so that we could figure out how to address the situation. They exchanged another uncertain look, then one of the guards, an older man with a dark beard and close shaved hair looked at me. “We really don’t know where he is,” he told me. “What about Emron?” the second guard asked. He was a younger man with bright eyes and freckles. He was always a little

FerrahI stared at Onyx in shock as he snarled at me. I couldn’t believe that this was happening. I was trying to warn him that his people were in danger, and he was judging me. Just like everyone else here did. I had been so wrong about him. I had been so wrong about everything. I couldn’t even be angry right now. All I felt was defeat and humiliation. My eyes were welling with tears, but I held them back. I would not cry in front of him. I turned my back to him and rushed to the door. He didn’t call after me or try to stop me. The office door opened to reveal Emron and Rydel standing just beyond it. They had obviously been eavesdropping, but it didn't matter. None of this mattered anymore. I carefully closed the door behind me, then I pushed past them and hurried down the hallway towards my room. I heard them exclaim in confusion and surprise, but I didn’t stop. I was distantly aware that my guards were at my heels, but I didn’t slow down. It didn’t matter if they were c