Chapter 2: _Make The Coven Proud

This... This couldn't be right. The Alpha King had his finger pointed at me. He was choosing ME. I gulped, raising my head and staring directly at his face. He had a stoic expression, tilting his head and staring at me with no emotions in his eyes. However, the silence from the audience that had arisen after the Alpha king's abrupt declaration, disappeared when a feminine voice behind me spoke up with hesitation. "W– With all due respect, Alpha king." Turning my head around, I discovered that it was Lucinda whose face was flustered. "But are you certain of your decision? O– Odessa is the lowest among our witches. She doesn't even–" "Did you just ask me if I'm 'certain' of my decision, witch?" The Alpha King asked with a cold voice that boomed around the hall, sending shivers down my spine. When that happened, I realized the gravity of the situation. The Luminari coven was one of the biggest and most powerful covens in the continent, inhabiting one of the biggest human cities. However, despite our power, no one could raise a finger to attack the Alpha king and his delegates even though they were the ones in our territory. That was more than enough to show how powerful and feared he was. Anyway, Lucinda stuttered, disoriented and lost on what to say. "I– I would never question your–" "Then shut up." The Alpha King blurted simply, removing his gaze from Lucinda and addressing the audience. "I've made my decision. This witch will be taken with me back to my pack's territory to be my bride, under the terms of the truce." There were murmurs from the audience composed of witches and humans. My body shook with fear as I slowly turned around, scanning my gaze around the audience to search for my aunt. It didn't take long for me to spot her, Aunt Althea, one of the three Elders of our coven, standing at a distance away from the audience, a complicated expression on her face. She also had her gaze on me, a helpless look in her eyes. Seeing that made my heart drop with despair. If even Aunt Althea was helpless in this situation, then I'm doomed. My fate was sealed. I'll have no choice but to become the Alpha king's bride. Meanwhile, the murmuring soon died down, allowing the Alpha king to continue. "She is to remain my bride and prove herself to my pack, showing herself as an example and proving that witches can cooperate with werewolves. Her actions will decide what direction I take this war to and if this will be a permanent truce or not." There wasn't anyone who dared to murmur again. It was clear from his tone that the Alpha king didn't have the patience to tolerate the chattering of the audience. 'Dear goddess, please help me. How do I survive with such a man?' I thought to myself, my hands trembling. Suddenly, the Alpha King called my attention with a domineering voice. "Rise." I glanced at him, swallowing silently when my eyes met his piercing silver eyes in an intense gaze that made my heart race. To my surprise, he stretched his right hand forward, beckoning at me to take it. I blinked repeatedly but didn't dare waste his time, hurriedly grabbing his hand. He yanked me back to my feet without effort, but in the process, I almost stumbled into his chest, causing my heart to skip a beat. His cologne was of a rich variety that managed to make me weak in the knees. It didn't help that he still had his gaze on me, scrutinizing me closely with confusion flashing in those silver orbs he called eyes. What was this feeling inside me? Why was there a voice in my head, drawing me to this man? Why was that voice leading me to do all sorts of scandalous things with him? All I wanted to do now was reach my hand to his face and feel the taste of his lips in mine. However, I was forced to shove those thoughts to the back of my mind when the Alpha king finally let go of my hand, glancing at his delegates first before turning his gaze back to me. "If there's anything you want to take with you before we leave, now would be a good time." His voice was oddly calm but it held this edge that made me know that his words could not be rebutted. I didn't even want to dare test the limits of his patience and turned my gaze back to the audience, my eyes landing on my aunt. My eyes stung with tears as I ran down the stage, running to her and navigating my way past the tables without looking back at the Alpha King. "Aunt..." I croaked when I got to her, hugging her without any care. She seemed hesitant at first— she was never a fan of public displays of affection after all. Eventually, however, she wrapped her arms around me, using her fingers to brush my hair tenderly. "Hush, child. Your husband awaits you. We have to make this quick." She remarked. My heart lurched as I pulled away from the hug, staring at her purple eyes that radiated with warmth, in contrast with her tone. She placed her hands on my shoulders before she waved her right hand into the air, causing two items to appear on it. A book and a ring. "That book is my grimoire, containing all the knowledge you'll need in the aspects of spells, rituals, and even potions." She said with a somber expression, placing the items in my hands. "The ring belonged to your mother. It's enchanted and meant to protect you." My eyelids fluttered as I stared at the items, speechless on what to say. Where do I even begin? "Time to go, witch." One of the Alpha king's delegates spoke up with a loud voice, forcing me to turn my gaze back to the stage. I was just in time to spot the Alpha king and his delegates stepping down from the stage, navigating their way past the audience, and heading for the exit. I drew in a deep breath as Aunt Althea patted my face lightly. "Go make us proud, Odessa. The fate of witch kind lies on your shoulders. May the goddess of the crossroads guide you in this next phase of your life." She said solemnly. This is it. I glanced at the items one last time before wearing the ring on the index finger of my right hand and clutching close to the grimoire. After giving my aunt one final smile, I rushed to the Alpha king and his delegates who were already leaving the hall. "My Lord, I just got a text from the elders at the pack. Everything is ready for the wedding." A handsome dark-skinned man who walked beside the Alpha king said. The Alpha king merely nodded, glancing back at me briefly before he turned his gaze back to the dark-skinned man. "Excellent, Marcellus."