CHAPTER 2

　　'Who are you? How did you get into my territory without us noticing?'

　　The person in front lowers their hood.

　　'Yiselda?' I say.

　　'Alpha Magnus,' she murmurs before turning her focus on Nina. She acknowledges Nina with a smile and a nod. The four hooded people behind her all bow their heads to Nina.

　　Nina and I exchange a troubled look.

　　'What brings you here, Yiselda?' Nina inquires. A mouse sits upon Yiselda’s shoulder and begins to clean its whiskers.

　　'After all, Magnus, it's fantastic to see you were able to break the spell,' she replies, dismissing Nina's query.

　　'I did,' I admit. 'But I can't help but think that's not why you're here.'

　　'Alpha Magnus, I would like you to meet the Midnight Coven's members.

　　Introduce yourself to Fern, Ela Ria, and Lilac.’ As their names are called out, the women drop their hoods. They are all stunning women. Fern is a woman with brown hair and blue eyes. Ela has brown eyes and blonde hair. Ria has red hair, green eyes and numerous freckles. There is a cream-coloured snake around her neck. I try not to squirm thinking about the snake. Then there is Lilac, her hair is black, and her eyes are brown.

　　'It's a pleasure to meet you all. Please have a seat,' I say, motioning to the wooden logs.

　　They warm themselves by the fire and make themselves comfortable.

　　'So, The Midnight Coven?' I question.

　　'That's correct. We are the last known coven, although only a few people are aware of us. We learned about Nina and her sister. They are half-wolf, half-witch hybrid.’ Yiselda looks at Nina.

　　‘I knew there was something special about you when I saw you, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was, but I can see it now, all around you. The curse must have been shadowing your power from everyone. The rumour that Nina and her sister are witches spread quickly. There's a reason we're the only witches remaining and why we've remained hidden from the rest of the world.'

　　'Can you tell me why?' I enquire.

　　Yiselda inhales deeply. 'Witch hunts,' She whispers, sending eerie shivers down my spine.

　　'But now the eggs are out of the basket, werewolves are aware that witches still exist, and Nina is your Mate, making things quite interesting. So, my midnight coven sisters have become hopeful that they may be able to come out of hiding and live peacefully among the pack, your pack.'

　　Zak and Josie take a step back in surprise, tripping over the log. We all exchange glances as we hear nothing but a croak, followed by another croak and another. As the croaking comes from Ela, we all look at her oddly. She giggles and reaches into her pocket for a slimy toad.

　　'Everyone, it's fine.' That noise isn't coming from me. It's simply Todd, my familiar. He's a toad,’ Ela exclaims as though it's the greatest thing ever.

　　I try not to cringe and instead frown.

　　‘So, you all want to live here in Shadow Crest?’ I ask.

　　They all nod and smile except for Yiselda.

　　'I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to stay.' The four ladies would be the only ones residing here. Perhaps if the other packs see that we can coexist peacefully in this pack with you, they will rethink their ideas about witches and allow us to live freely without fear?'

　　'This is a significant decision that Nina and I can’t make right now. Tomorrow, we'll have a meeting and seek counsel from our elders.'

　　'We would appreciate that, Alpha Magnus.'

　　'Why wouldn't you be able to stay, Yiselda?'

　　'The Covenstead we live in is more than just a house. Some beings have been sealed for all eternity and can never be released. So at least one of us must remain at the Covenstead to ensure that the ward spells are not removed.'

　　'What kind of beings are they?' I ask.

　　'Things you hope you'll never meet, the darkest things you can envision, such as Grimghouls and Shadow Reapers, that come from your deepest darkest nightmares. It would be like opening Pandora's box if they were set free. Because of this, it became the name of our Covenstead.'

　　'Your home is known as Pandora's Box?' I grimace.

　　Fern, Ela, Ria, and Lilac chuckle and nod, amused at the situation.

　　'Yes, if only your species could understand that witches are here to protect everyone, to keep the world free of demons and dark forces. We must keep anyone who wants to bring us harm locked up by having wards and spells in place. We also create potions to help heal the sick.'

　　‘Won’t you be lonely staying in Pandora’s box?’ Nina asks.

　　Yiselda laughs, ‘I wish. But unfortunately, the Vampire King never shuts up. I've already put up with him for a few centuries as it is. Fern, Ela, Ria and Lilac can come by anytime if they are able to reside here. They could teleport to Pandora’s Box easily enough each day if they wanted to.’

　　‘Vampire King?’ I mind-link to Nina.

　　‘Never knew vampires existed, let alone a king?’ she mind-links back.