The Coven

Trixie:

Trixie was pacing the room, trying to figure out the best way to tell this to Jack. She was also thinking about leaving, but she knew it was not possible now that both of her friends were mated here. She thought about the day she had promised Martha to take care of her daughter.

Martha had run inside the house, grabbed Liz and thrust her to Trixie. She had said, "He is not who I thought he was. He betrayed me for immortality. Take care of Liz and run for your life Trixie. Someday when the time is right tell her everything."

After that she had used her life increasing spell on her for last time, kissed her daughter and summoned a wild horse to take them to safety.

Trixie had wanted to stay and help her but Jade stopped her and told her to run. Trixie had always regretted leaving Martha behind. She cursed herself for not being able to help her mentor. They were a coven and she should have helped her. After that Trixie had promised herself to never leave a battle.

That was two decades ago but the wound was still fresh. Lost in her thoughts, Trixie didn't notice the time. It was soon night.

Trixie sighed and thought it was best to deal with it right away. She had to go find Jack. She knew where he stayed from the tour conducted that morning.

Trixie knocked on his door. "Who is it?" Jack asked. "It's me Trixie." She heard a chair scrapping, some papers rustling and couple of drawers opening and shutting. The door finally opened. Jack stood in door frame with wary eyes, "Yes, you wanted something? Is everything alright?" he looked tired and drawn. He raked a hand through his hair and waited for her reply.

"Can I come in? I wanted to tell you something."

"Okay." He moved aside to let her in.

She looked over the room. It was messy with papers and clothes everywhere, some even on bed. The only place that looked clean was a couch. She suspected that he had cleaned it now when she had announced herself. She smiled slightly.

"Ahem..." he cleared his throat. "Sorry for the mess. I live alone and don't usually have guests here."

"It's okay."

He gestured her to sit on the couch. His expression was still very wary. He almost looked as if he was expecting something bad to happen. "You wanted to say something."

"Yes, I was shown around the pack grounds today by Cassie..." Trixie paused as his expression clouded over. "What's wrong?" she asked concerned.

"You are going to leave, aren't you?" Jack asked accusingly, unable to restrain himself.

"Leave?"

"Yes... leave." His face fell and his expression was of pain and pleading.

"No. I am not." Trixie said quietly.

He was silent for a second or two. Then he asked, "You are not?"

"No. I am staying."

"Really?"

"Really."

He seemed cheered by this fact. His happiness was so evident that it fell off him in waves. Unable to control, he pulled Trixie close for a hug.

Trixie stiffened in surprise and inhaled deeply determined to push him away. But his scent, of earth and forest, was intoxicating. She relaxed slightly in his arms. He felt her acceptance and so he held her very close for a moment longer before letting go.

"What did you come here to tell me?" Jack asked. He was happier than before and it showed.

"We were shown around the pack grounds by Cassie. She introduced us to Nadia. Do you know her story?"

"Yes.What of it?"

"I Know this Angara... He is Liz's father."

"What?"

"Yes. He is also the man who killed her mother."

"What?" Liz asked.

Both Jack and Trixie started. They turned to face the door, Liz was standing in the door with Sam's hand around her shoulders. His face was troubled.

Liz was feeling hurt and Trixie took a step towards her with a hand raised.

"No!" with a cry Liz turned and fled out of door, only to be brought back in by Jade and Cassie. Liz struggled in Jade's arms. "Let me go." She kept saying.

Trixie moved behind her and helped Jade hold on to Liz. Liz struggled even more and succeeded in getting released until Sam caught her. He murmured soothing words in her ear. But she had bit him.

Trixie said, "Calm down Liz. You have to hear the story. It's about time you knew."

"NO!" she said redoubling her efforts to get loose.

"I know you don't want to listen to us or even your mate but I don't think you should hurt him. For heaven's sake stop biting him. You have drawn his blood." Cassie said quietly. Her words had a dramatic impact and Liz stopped struggling.

"What?" Liz murmured and looked down at the wound.

"Start from the beginning." Jack commanded.

"It had only been a few years since Martha brought me with her to live at her cottage. I met Jade there; she too was a girl Martha had rescued. One day Martha, Liz's mom, was getting some herbs for a spell in the forest. She heard a moan coming from bushes. So she went to inspect.

She saw a wolf lying there. Thinking it must be feral and would hurt her, she turned back. Just as she took a step away from the wolf, she felt a rush of magic from behind. She turned to see a man lying in place of wolf. "Please. Help me." He moaned.

She understood that it must be a werewolf. There were some deep gashes down his side as if he had been in a fight. She used some basic spells to heal him and brought him home to rest. He said his name was Angara.

For some days he stayed with us in our cottage; when the time came to leave he pleaded that he was in love with Martha. He claimed that she was his mate. He pleaded her to marry him. They did get married in few days.

Jade and I didn't quite like him but we tried our best to be friends with him. He was always guarded around us and didn't let his guard down even for a second. About eight decades passed before Liz was born. Martha was really happy. She became Martha's whole world. Angara showed all the signs of fatherly love when we were there.

But once when the three of us were out and Angara was home with Liz; I walked in on Liz crying for food and Angara sitting quietly in a corner going through Martha's spell book. When I came inside the room he quickly scrambled to get her bottle of milk.

One day Martha came running from forest. She said that there was a herd of elephants trampling through forest and one of them was about to step on Angara. But Angara threw the elephant to a side. I said that he is a werewolf and he might be able to. Then she said that he had used a spell. Angara wasn't a werewolf; he was wizard. He had simply used a charm to make a person see what he wished to. She said that she had confronted him and he had told her truth that he was with her to get the life force increasing spell. And now that he had Liz, he was going to kill the rest of us. She had temporarily managed to slow him.

She didn't want that Liz should be used or manipulated. She cared for us as if we were her own. She asked Jade and me to run away with Liz. I desperately wanted to stay and fight but Jade and Martha forced me to leave and summoned a horse for our travel. Riding with you cradled in my arms, I promised myself to never back down from a fight again and to protect you till my last breath." The last statement Trixie addressed directly to Liz.

Liz was sitting on couch and Sam was holding her. She broke down crying and rushed from his arms to Trixie. Jade and Trixie held her while she cried her heart out.

_________

Liz:

Liz struggled to be loose. She couldn't believe that such an evil man fathered her. But when Jade said she had drawn Sam's blood, it took all the fight out of her. She looked down at bite mark there was a little trace of blood. Not sure how Cassie had even seen the blood, she turned to apologize to Sam. Sam merely pulled her down on couch and held her. She sat calmly with Sam holding her upright. She listened to Trixie's story.

Liz bowed her head in acceptance and shame. She said, "When I had heard Trixie saying that Angara was my father and he' killed mom; I was angry and hurt but I do realise now that both of you loved me and protected me. Now I realise why we kept moving cities. But I have got a question; Nadia said that Angara had destroyed their tribe a couple of centuries ago. If he is still living then why would he have needed mom to increase his lifetime?"

"I might be able to answer that." Jack whispered softly. "I know Angara's past." He looked at Sam and Cassie briefly. Both of them nodded.

"My father brought Nadia home because her tribe was destroyed as a result of his actions. Once when I was a mere cub and Sam wasn't even born, Angara had came to our father and asked begged to be changed into a werewolf. My father had laughed in his face, refused and ordered him off the pack lands. My father didn't believe that a person with other magical qualities should be given a place in pack. Angara wasn't much powerful at that time.

After he left seething in resentment, he had decided a revenge on the pack if he could. He kept close to our pack. He learnt all that he could by observing us. After many years nearly a decade or so later a pack member went rogue. My father hunted the rogue down and eliminated him. The tradition to burn the remains of a werewolf or bury him inside pack lands was not followed for this wolf. He had tried to harm me, Sam and other kids. His body was left to rot in the open jungle.

Angara used this opportunity to grab the dead body and use it for dark magic. He used the muscle content of the body for a curse which could destroy werewolf if the werewolf were to ingest it by air, water or food. He used it on our pack to severely diminish our numbers. The survivors had to leave.

We lost many of our family members that day including our mom. He had thrown the curse potion in lake water and many of our members were used to drinking directly from lake whenever in wolf form. I watched while our mom burst in flames. Sometimes her howls still ring in my ears."

Jack had closed his eyes and a tear escaped Sam's eyes. Liz suspected that Sam still felt haunted too. Liz hugged him. Turning to Jack she said, "So you think he is using the body of the wolf to remain alive?" Jack merely nodded.

Everyone was silent for a few moments. No one knew what to say. Jade said, "Jack, I want to officially mate Cassie. She is going to have to mark me or something."

"Wow. I am happy for you. Congratulations. It will be a happy occasion for the pack. " Jack said.

"Congratulations. That's good news." Sam said.

"Rather sudden. But I am happy. There should be a party." Trixie said.

Liz was smiling but her eyes still retained their sadness. "Maybe Sam should mark you as his too since you have already engaged in the mating game." Jade winked.

Liz blushed furiously.

_________________

Jade:

After she teased Liz and Sam, till Liz was blushing bright red and there was no trace of sadness on her face, Jade turned to see if Cassie would be okay with this.

Cassie was frowning for a bit. For the first time since they met, Jade wondered if Cassie was really going to accept her as a mate. Jade's mood of happiness diminished a bit. The thought that came uninvited in her head lingered.

It was still there in the morning when she woke up and Cassie wasn't around. However Jade knew better than following Cassie's presence. So she got ready and went in search of Trixie. Jade knew that if anyone would hear her out it was Trixie. Talking with Trixie had always lightened her heart.

As Jade neared Trixie's room, she heard the sound of two people voices coming from the room. Jade knocked on Trixie's door. Trixie opened the door laughing. Jade was glad to see Trixie happy. Since she came here Trixie had been a little stressed. Jade pushed the door opened and stepped in, to find Cassie leaning by the window.

"Hi guys. What were you talking about?" Jade asked smiling.

"Nothing interesting. It's late. I should go have my breakfast." Cassie winked at Trixie and left.

"What were you laughing about?"

"Oh! It's nothing. You wanted something?" Trixie questioned.

"No. I... I was just here to see if you were going for breakfast."Jade stuttered out a reply.

"Oh yeah sure... let me get ready okay? I will join you there."

"Okay." Saying so, she went out. Instead of going down to dining hall she went outside the cottage for a walk. She was thinking about Cassie's behaviour since she had announced that she wanted to mate Cassie. She also thought about how Trixie kept refusing to mate Jack. Finally she thought about what happened just now and she couldn't help but wonder if it was related at all.

Heavy dread settled in her heart. Jade started making her way back inside cottage. She stopped with her hand on door knob and sighed thinking what she was going to do if Cassie loved Trixie instead of her.

_________________

Trixie:

Trixie woke up to the sound of someone banging the door loudly. Trixie was surprised. She was a light sleeper and usually woke up to softest of the sounds. Trixie opened the door to see who was disturbing her so early in the morning. She was surprised to see Cassie in the door with a sheepish expression on her face.

"Hi. Good morning. Sorry to disturb you. It's just I have an important..." Cassie began.

"Whoa... slow down. I am still trying to wake up." Trixie said rubbing her eyes.

"Sorry. Had a good sleep?"

"Yes. Better than I had in ages." Trixie said surprise colouring her words.

Cassie came inside and sniffed a bit. "Hmm... probably you had a guardian angel here. That's why you slept so soundly."

Feeling confused, Trixie just looked at her. Then shaking her head, went to splash some water on her face. "What you wanted to talk about?"

"Jade." Cassie just replied in a word.

"What about her?"

"I would like to marry her before marking her as mine. But I want it to be a surprise wedding. I need your help. Yours and Liz's."

"Okay." Trixie came back in room scrubbing her face on a towel. "Are you sure about it?"

"About marrying Jade? Yes. About her taste and choices? No. That's where I will need your help. We have to plan this wedding very nicely and in secret. I want to be tied to her in every way imaginable."

"Okay. When and where do you want to do this?"

"As soon as possible. We should do it in the circle. You know, where you and Mary had fought? That place is used for every important occasion."

"Yes. Good idea. We can totally plan a beautiful outdoors wedding with flowers and an acoustic guitar. She would love it. I guess the only problem will come in dress fitting."

"Yes. I hadn't thought of that."

"Probably because your thoughts are filled with Jade." Trixie winked.

"Oh dear, not only of her but also of her and bed and..."

"Okay... Okay. Stop. I am sorry I ever tried to tease you. I don't need those images of Jade and you."

Cassie laughed and Trixie joined in. That's when the door knocked and Trixie skipped to door and opened it to let Jade inside.

After Jade left, Trixie went to take a shower. She turned on the shower and thought about last night's dream. It was a good dream. She thought about how it had felt to sleep in someone's arms. The thought that someone was there to protect you, to care for you. It had made her feel safe. Yes, it was a good dream.

Trixie then changed in to a tank top and shorts. The air in the forest was humid and warm so it felt better to dress in shorts. She walked down the steps to have breakfast. She entered the dining room and searched for Jade. She was nowhere to be seen. She scanned the room twice. When she saw Liz and Sam huddled together and making googly eyes at each other over breakfast; an idea occurred to her about how to get Jade for dress fitting without arousing much suspicion.