Chapter 22: _Speak Of The Devil

Chapter 22: _Speak Of The Devil When Elder Davina finally walked up to our group, she gave me a slight bow before she continued speaking. "I made sure to take a look at the body of the deceased myself and discovered something unsettling." She paused, adding to the tension that was already building up like a volcano inside me. I clenched my jaw, pondering the possibility of Odessa being behind this. ’If she comes for any of my people, I swear I will rip–’ Before I could complete that sentence in my head, Damon interrupted. ’Oh please, will you relax?! You’ve been so hard on that poor girl. She’s our mate for the moon’s sake.’ he scolded like a disappointed parent. But I only grunted in response, managing to keep my anger at bay as Elder Davina finally continued talking. "The girl’s life force was taken away. The essence that makes up her existence as a living being." She explained with a somber tone. Oh... My body tensed up when I heard those words. No werewolf could take away a person’s life force... "Taking away a person’s life force." My uncle remarked with a snigger. "Sounds oddly like the work of a slimy little witch, doesn’t it?" I balled my hands into fists but kept my gaze away from him before I did or said anything rash. The man has always been against me but when I decided a truce with the witches of the continent through an arranged marriage... He was very vocal about how stupid of an idea it was. He insisted that my predecessor’s way of furthering the war until every witch was wiped off the face of the planet was the best, and deviating from that path would only lead to chaos. But of course, I ignored his opinion since I’m the Alpha king and could do whatever the fuck I want. "Yes, I do agree that taking a person’s life force is the work of witchcraft." Beta Marcellus spoke up just then with a calm tone, glancing at the Gamma. "But if you’re suggesting that Odessa is behind it then I’ll have to disagree with you there, Gamma." I glanced at Marcellus, dimming my eyes. He seemed to be certain of his statement despite the severity of the allegations. ’What does it say of you as a mate if she’s being defended by another man while you stand back and watch like a wuss?’ Damon said in my head with a mocking snigger. I clicked my tongue but didn’t respond to my annoying wolf as Gamma Zane harrumphed in response to Marcellus’ words. "Why’s that, Beta? Don’t tell me you’ve grown a soft spot for that witch already?" He remarked with a mocking tone and then continued firmly. "I know what I’m saying and it’s obvious that she’s the only witch in this pack. Besides, why would the witches launch an attack on the pack of the Alpha king himself for the first time in decades barely hours after a truce was made?" I hated how much his words made sense. "I have to agree with the Gamma on this." The Delta suddenly spoke up, causing me to roll my eyes. He was among the delegates who accompanied me to the Luminari coven’s territory and was in fact, the man who slapped Odessa after she spilled drinks on us. ’The night we fell in love.’ Damon muttered dreamily in my head when I reminisced on the memory from last night. However, I scoffed mentally. ’Who’s we? Would you pipe down?’ Anyway, Beta Marcellus spoke directly to the Delta. "Oh, and why do you agree, Delta? Are you all even aware of the fact that Odessa is the lowest-ranking witch of her coven and possibly the entire continent? She’s basically powerless for the moon’s sake." I tilted my head, staring directly at Marcellus. I found it odd how he wanted to prove Odessa’s innocence so badly. He’s a kind man and a good leader but I never thought that kindness would extend to a witch that he only met last night. ’I smell jealousy!’ Damon exclaimed inside my head, causing me to subconsciously grit my teeth. Meanwhile, the Delta seemed lost on what to say next after Marcellus’ words, his mouth opening and closing repeatedly. That gave the Gamma the chance to speak. "If she’s indeed so weak, what use will she be to our pack? The point of this truce is to show the werewolves that magic can be used to our advantage and coexist with us, isn’t it?" He glanced at me just then, his silver eyes that annoyingly reminded me of my father glinting judgmentally. I cleared my throat before I responded. "Indeed, Gamma. But then–" "Then why did you pick a powerless Witch, Alpha King? Could there be a motive behind it that we’re not aware of?" He asked, dimming his eyes suspiciously. My jaw clenched in response to the fact that he just interrupted me so rudely. If it was any other person, my hands would’ve been wrapped around their neck by now. ’Any other person except our darling Odessa.’ Damon commented with a teasing voice, causing me to sigh both mentally and in real life. I locked my gaze on my uncle for a while before glancing at Elder Davina. She’s the only one who knows about Odessa being my fated mate and that’s only because I could trust her. If anyone else finds out... Goddess, I don’t even want to imagine the chaos that would ensue. Luckily, Elder Davina cleared her throat, forcing everyone to turn their gazes to her. "Gentlemen, let’s calm down and think things logically. One of ours is dead today and our best course of action right now would be to investigate properly instead of pointing fingers carelessly." That last part was definitely aimed at Gamma Zane who clenched his jaw but didn’t say anything. Seeing that everyone was silent again, Elder Davina continued. "Anyway, I think it’s about time the Alpha king’s bride begins contributing to our pack with her knowledge of witchcraft. And I have just the perfect trial to begin with. She..." She paused just then, turning her gaze to the entrance to the compound. I turned my gaze there as well and was mildly surprised to see Odessa walking in, led by her shy maid. "Speak of the devil and she appears." The Gamma mumbled with disdain. Dear goddess, here we go...