Chapter 99: The Alpha King’s Virgin by Charmeleon Chapter 98

Chapter 98

RAINE

The nights were long and lonely, spent dreaming of Amaris, waking up crying and pining for him. It happened so oftch that I dreaded going to sleep. Did he feel it too, this terrible longing like half of you was missing?

To counter the emptiness, I took to reading, taking an interest in the spell books.

“Do you want to learn some spells, Raine?” Pippa asked me when she saw what I was reading.

“I’m just curious. Is it possible for me to learn magic? I am not a witch.”

“You have some ability, I’m sure. You’re Quindin’s daughter, after all.” She beamed a blue–eyed smile at

“What abilities do you have, Pippa? If you don’t mind me asking? I would love to see some magic.” 1 wondered if all of them liked to show off like Quindin did.

She cast a furtive glance around the room and, when satisfied that none of the others were paying attention to us, she took my hand and led me out of the common room. We went outside to the courtyard.

“We’re elemental witches, Raine. We draw our power from nature around us.”

Yeah, I got that part when I blew a couple of rogues to pieces. “Really? And what about Quindin?”

Sure, he is also an elemental. But with the difference where we can only use one element, he draws power from us to employ all the elements.” She looked over her shoulder. “I shouldn’t tell you this. He has a weakness. That is why he needs your baby.” She snapped her mouth shut. “Let’s go back. He’s looking for you.”

“There you are.” Quindin beckoned to me to follow him. “You said you wanted something to occupy your mind. I have just the thing for you.” I followed him down to the lower levels. It was dusty and reeked of weird smells. “These cauldrons need cleaning.”

He waved his hand towards a stack of large iron cauldrons. There were dozens of them in a variety of sizes. The shelves, lined with a variety of cleaning materials, were all neatly stacked. Brushes, fabrics, and buckets and mops stood alongside the basin.

“I beg your pardon. Am I a servant now?”

“I wouldn’t say servant, exactly. Acolyte is the more appropriate term.” he snickered. “It seems you are interested in our practices.”

“And you can’t just magically clean them?”

“That would be a waste of power, little girl. Get to it. We need those for the harvest festival. I’ll send Willa down to help you if it is too much for you to handle.”

Chapter 98

“That would be a waste of power, little girl. Get to it. We need those for the harvest festival. I’ll send Willa down to help you if it is too much for you to handle.”

“I would rather stick needles in my eyes.” I didn’t want Willa anywhere near me.

He chuckled all the way up the stairs, leaving me to my task.

“Sadist!” I mumbled under my breath.

That night I slept like the dead. At least I didn’t dream and woke up crying again. I didn’t quite know how to feel–humiliated or honored that he would want to include me in their rituals. Even if it meant cleaning up after them. Pippa explained to me that was part of being an apprentice. I had no desire to become a witch. The only thing I wanted was to become closer to Quindin, to learn his weaknesses and to kill him.

Pippa didn’t elaborate on what exactly Quindin’s weakness was, but I gathered they were all connected.

My bedroom door opened unexpectedly, making me yelp in fright. Willa stood there, arms folded across her chest, glaring at me with eyes full of contempt.

“Get up, Acolyte. You have work to do,” she ordered in a bitter voice.

“You don’t get to order me around, Willa. Who do you think you are?” Her appearance was enough to bring my blood to a boiling point.

“Your superior. You must obey me. Orders from Quindin.” She grabbed my arm roughly and pushed me through the door. “Get moving!”

“Take your hands off me, Willa, I’m warning you!” I snarled at her, feeling Tasha stir beneath my

skin.

Willa pushed me against the wall. “Or what? What will you do, wolf? If you attack me, Quindin will punish you. I will enjoy watching you suffer.” Her fingers dug into my skin, and I felt that familiar pull down low in my belly. I wasn’t sure if my baby felt threatened or if my magic had simply not been blocked. “You’re nothing special. I can’t imagine why Quindin wants to go back on his word to the vampire.”

“What?”

“Oh, you didn’t know? Yes, he promised you to Athan after the baby’s born.” She laughed in my face. “Poor little Raine..But now you’ve bewitched him.” She scrutinized my face, bringing her face closer. “What is it about you that makes men want to wage war for you?” Willa grabbed my cheeks with one hand, her long fingernails dangerously close to my eyes. “Is it your pretty face? Or is it something between your legs?

That did it! I grabbed her wrist and twisted her hand away from my face. “I warned you, witch!”

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10, 18 Apr

Chapter 98

The strange sensation rushed to my fingertips, and I let it flow through me.

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Willa’s screeching brought the witches running towards us. She writhed in front of my feet while I clasped her wrist. The blue light flickered and danced around her like a flame. I wanted her to hurt, to know that I was in charge.

“Raine! Stop that!” Quindin’s voice lashed over us. “Let her go!”

I turned my head towards him, snarling with rage. “No! Why would I do that? She threatened me.” The blue flame intensified and Willa’s cries with it.

“You’re killing her! Quindin, make her stop!” Joyce rushed forward to me, but Quindin stopped her.

“She won’t.”

He was right. I couldn’t kill her just because she was a bitter, jealous little bitch. I pulled back the blue flame into myself. Willa lay in a pathetic heap at my feet.

“Keep your witches on a leash, Quindin. I am not their slave.” I went back into my bedroom and locked the door.