Trish was devastated when she was caught kissing Olly, and even more so that it was Alpha Caelan who did it. If it were anyone else, she would have laughed off the mischievous act, but now she was filled with anxiety. She feared that he wouldn't appreciate her kissing someone else, causing him to lose respect for her and interest. She scolded herself for valuing his opinion so highly after only spending a few hours with him. Trish dreaded the thought of seeing him again, as she didn't know how to handle his intense gaze without coming up with a clever retort.
"It's time," Trish's mother, Luna Alexandra, interrupted her thoughts.
"I'll go prepare," Trish replied before quickly exiting the hall. As she left, she saw Erik, Dean, and her father returning to the hall. Caelan was already there, and as their eyes met, Trish turned her head away. She wasn't ready to face him and needed to think about her next steps.
Luna Alexandra took to the stage in her celebratory robes, resembling more of a shaman or priest than a luna of a pack.
"Dear guests, it is time to honor the Moon Goddess. Today, we are gifting her this ritual and this sacrifice, thanking her for all these years of peace and asking for more. I ask that all the Alphas step forward and prepare something to sacrifice to the flame of the Moon Goddess."
"What the hell is she talking about?" Caelan asked Erik as Luna Alexandra made her announcement. He was still upset with Erik, but knew they could discuss politics later.
"It's an old ritual from the East, son," replied Erik. "Every Alpha gives something of their own to be thrown into the flame. Don't worry, anything will do, even your hair," he chuckled, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket.
As the lights dimmed, eleven figures dressed in white entered the hall, forming a circle around Luna Alexandra. One of them stepped forward with two small pots, catching Caelan's attention. He recognized Trish. She looked like an angel, but he knew looks could be deceiving. Her chestnut hair cascaded down her shoulders, covering her chest, while her white gown had two large slits that revealed her bare legs. Her arms and her neck were completely covered though.
Luna Alexandra and Trish spoke in unison, "Mercury for the sacrificing," as they poured something from the pot onto the ground. Caelan recognized the smell of mercury.
"The silver for the brave," Luna Alexandra added, dropping a silver coin into the mercury.
"The wolf's bane for the honorable," Trish emptied another pot that contained the flower dust. As soon as all three elements were thrown on the ground, fire ignited. Caelan was impressed by the display and briefly believed it was magic.
"We thank the Moon Goddess for peace and ask for her mercy to let it stay this way," Luna Alexandra continued while the ten figures moved in a large circle around the fire. Trish took a bag from her belt and began to walk around the Alphas.
"Now, the Alphas of all packs will give their possessions to the Moon Goddess to acknowledge and swear that they will maintain peace at all costs," Luna Alexandra proclaimed.
Caelan almost chuckled. Although he was in awe of the entire ritual, the items Alpha placed in the bag for sacrifice were hilarious: hair bands and hairs, nails and handkerchiefs, a thread from a coat and shoelaces. It made the ritual look pathetic. When Trish approached, he saw Erik give her his handkerchief. Her face was covered in the same paint as her mother's, and her blue eyes had a bright and serious gaze. She took a step closer to him, waiting for him to put something into her bag. He pulled one of the buttons from his shirt and dropped it into the bag, never breaking eye contact with the beautiful woman in front of him. She gave him a thin smile and then disappeared.
As soon as Trish threw all the items into the fire, it almost exploded, with the flames touching the ceiling of the grand hall. The torches around the room suddenly burned brighter, making the building unbearably hot. Caelan didn't know why he suddenly felt so disoriented. Was it the heat, the lack of oxygen, the wild dance of the white figures, or was this how Alphas were affected by their promise to the Moon Goddess? His vision became blurry, and his head felt heavy. He could still hear the chants of the white figures, and it sounded like they were immersing themselves in water, or maybe it was oil? He tried to find Trish and succeeded just before he saw her running towards the flame. No, she was running into the flame. A cry might have escaped his lips, or maybe he was dreaming it. She went into the fire but returned unharmed.
The doors of the grand hall opened, allowing fresh air to fill the room, and the fire was extinguished as quickly as it had ignited. A silence fell over the hall, and the white figures froze in a low bow in front of the place where the fire had been. Trish was standing there in a burnt dress, with black marks on her chest, belly, and hips. She was on her knees, with her hands and head turned up towards the ceiling, almost like the stone figures of the fountain where Caelan had seen her with Olly. She breathed heavily, and Caelan looked around, noticing that everyone seemed to be recovering from the daze.
"Never underestimate these women, Caelan. Whether you believe in their magic, or you think it's just a performance, they will find a way to get into your head and tear you apart from the inside," Erik whispered, massaging his temples. Caelan feared that one of them had already managed it successfully. He looked at Trish, knowing that he should stay away from her.
***
A few moments ago, Trish had acted on impulse. She had quietly removed Caelan's button from the bag during the ritual, placing it back only after taking a thin thread from it that he had torn along with the button. She needed something of his to attempt what she had in mind. After the ceremony was over, she realized that it was a good move. She had to talk to him, but Alpha Caelan had been avoiding her all night and had left the hall without even saying goodbye. She felt uneasy and wanted to apologize for her behavior, not literally of course. Apologizing was never her strength. Talking nicely to him and making him forget about the incident should count as an apology, right? If she couldn't talk to him in person, she planned to find him in his dreams.
She closed the door of her room and lit some incense. Sitting near her bed, she took the thread from Caelan's button and closed her eyes. Trish knew that visiting someone else's dreams was incredibly dangerous and required complete control over her own thoughts. The thread would help her find the right dream to enter, but entering was only half the challenge. Exiting and finding her way back to her own dream was the real challenge, if she failed, she could stay in the dream forever in a state of coma. But she had done it before and could do it again. She wanted to see if he was thinking about her, if she had left the same impression on him that he had on her. Maybe they could even talk. Trish felt her eyes roll back into her head, and then there was darkness.
YOU ARE READING
My magic is for you, Alpha
אנשי זאב"He remained silent as he gazed upon her. He awaited her to initiate the conversation. If he was taken aback, he didn't show it, though a flicker of emotion passed in his eyes. This girl who had plagued his dreams, who had insulted and rejected him...
