Midnight Blood. The Cursed King and The Empress

Elizabeth Wardwell

 "Mine."

I heard him growl, his voice low and cold, his eyes locked onto me.

They were as black as the night itself, and the intensity in his gaze sent a shiver racing from the nape of my neck all the way to my toes.

I swallowed the knot forming in my throat. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. Within a single second, I buried every ounce of fear inside me.

Raising an eyebrow, I replied in a voice stripped of emotion, "Excuse me? I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

Without looking back, I spun on my heel and ran. Or at least, I tried to. He was faster.

"STOP!"

His Alpha Command slammed into me, freezing me where I stood. A small voice growled inside my head, urging me to fight. It insisted I wasn't made to obey.

For a few bewildering seconds, I could only wonder... Am I losing my mind?

He seized my wrist and yanked me violently against his chest, wrapping me in an iron embrace.

I struggled.

Twisted.

Tried to break free.

Nothing.

His grip bit painfully into my skin. His warm breath brushed my ear as he whispered in a dark, measured tone,

"I don't care about your titles or where you come from, witch. Under pack law, you are now my property, and I will oversee your submission on my own terms. Your resistance is expected, but don't worry... with enough discipline, you'll learn your place."

Fear coursed through my veins.

But rage burned even hotter.

My heart pounded wildly while nothing, but cruel amusement reflected in his face. The Ancestors warned me not to come here. The Supreme Witch begged me not to tempt fate. My coven insisted someone else should go instead.

I ignored every single one of them.

I wanted to take fate into my own hands.

Goddess...

How wrong I had been. I fought against his hold. I fought with everything I had.

But it wasn't enough.

He immobilized me effortlessly.

Without another second's hesitation, the Alpha King sank his fangs into the tender flesh of my neck, claiming me before every one of his warriors.

Pain.

Nothing but pain.

Every nerve. Every muscle. Every cell in my body screamed for him to stop.

Then I felt my strength slipping away. My arms refused to move. My vision blurred.

Until darkness swallowed me whole.

______________

Two Hours Earlier

"Elizabeth, don't go! There's no reason for you to be the one visiting the Midnight Blood Pack!" The Supreme Witch's voice echoed behind me.

"Martha, I have to. I need to know if what the Ancestors showed me in that dream is true. I have to find out whether the cursed king is my fated mate."

"But what if he catches you? We know how ruthless he is. We know he's cursed. Don't tempt fate, Beth. This is completely unnecessary."

"He won't catch me, Martha. You know I can take care of myself. I've done it for as long as I can remember. Besides, ever since you met me, I've always been good at going unnoticed."

"That's not the point!" she snapped. "He can't catch you. Don't you realize how important you are?"

She hesitated.

"To me?"

I sighed, already tired of this conversation.

She sighed as well; concern etched across her face. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she finally surrendered.

"Fine. If I can't change your mind, then Michael is going with you. Before you confirm whether that monster is truly your mate, you must cast the spell first, Beth. That's what matters the most."

She narrowed her eyes.

"And don't even think about telling me you can do it alone. You're only leaving this place if Michael goes with you. Understood?"

I wanted to argue, but I knew better. Some battles simply weren't worth fighting.

"Fine," I muttered. "Tell Michael to be ready in thirty minutes."

She smiled before wrapping me in a hug. "You're unbelievably stubborn, Beth. I never thought anyone could be this impossible."

She gently tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Please be careful. What you're doing is incredibly dangerous. We've been at war with the Alpha King for years. He's killed so many of our sisters..."

Her voice trembled.

"I'd hate for something to happen to you. Beth... you're like a daughter to me."

"And I love you like a mother."

I smiled softly.

"Besides... do you really have that little faith in me? Drake won't catch me. But I have to know."

"What if he really is your mate?" she whispered. "Do you honestly think you'll be able to reject him? A witch bonded to a Lycan... it's unheard of."

"I know."

I closed my eyes for a moment.

"That's exactly why I have to do this. I need to know. There is no future between that murderer and me. He is the reason I grew up without my parents."

"What if the Goddesses chose him for a reason?"

I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe..." she said quietly, "you're meant to be his redemption."

A humorless laugh escaped her lips.

"And maybe your lesson is learning how to forgive."

I slowly shook my head. Hatred surged through me like wildfire. I hated him.

I hated that merely hearing his name could still provoke such a violent reaction.

"No one is redeemed without repentance." My voice hardened.

"How am I supposed to forgive the man who slaughtered my parents? He did it for his own amusement… No, Martha. There will be no forgiveness. Not for that monster."

Without another word, I left for my room.

Ever since that dream...

Ever since the Ancestors spoke to me a week ago...

Peace had become impossible. I needed answers. And I knew I would only find them inside that pack.

_________________

I climbed into Michael's pickup truck. He started the engine and accelerated onto the highway.

The drive from the coven to the pack usually took about forty-five minutes. Whenever we entered Lycan territory, we used scent suppressants to avoid attracting attention.

Although I had my own reasons for coming, our primary mission was to cast the spell.

Drake had murdered several members of our coven over the years, and we were desperately searching for those destined to replace them.

Most of our members were human witches like me.

But some were she-wolves born with magic. For them, magic awakened at fourteen. For witches, it manifested at ten. Which meant we had to find them first. Because once their packs discovered their gifts...

They either imprisoned them to exploit their powers... Or killed them.

Female wolves suffered the worst fate. Their wolves were suppressed. They were kept captive. Forced to bear magical male heirs. The perfect hybrid army.

Deadly.

Loyal.

Unquestioning.

Exactly what happened to my parents.

The tyrant Alpha King Drake slaughtered them in our own home. I survived only because they gave their lives to save mine. The same thing happened throughout every pack in the country.

By his command.

He had always despised witches. He called us mistakes of nature. Proof that the Goddesses had made a terrible error when they created us. In his eyes, only Lycans deserved these lands. Magic belonged to them alone.

Every witch he found... He executed. No questions asked.

Legend claimed the Goddesses eventually cursed him for it. He would never father an heir. His bloodline would die with him.

"Are you sure about this, Beth?"

Michael's voice pulled me from my thoughts.

"I can still turn around."

I shook my head before looking at him. "Yes, Michael. I have to do this."

A low growl vibrated in his chest. His wolf was barely restrained.

"Baby... all we have to do is cast the spell and leave. I can handle it myself."

I looked into his green eyes.

They always captivated me.

Like walking into a dense forest at sunrise, dew clinging to every leaf while damp earth rested beneath your feet. There was worry in them.

And...

Possessiveness? Love? I wasn't entirely sure.

"It's okay, Michael."

I smiled reassuringly.

"The sooner we get there, the sooner we'll leave. Are you worried about me, handsome?"

He placed his hand over mine.  Warm. Gentle. His thumb stroked lazy circles across my skin. "I'll worry about you until the day I die, baby."

His voice softened.

"You know I love you. Right?"

I smiled. Taking his hand, I pressed a kiss to his knuckles. "I know. And I love you too. That will never change. No matter what happens, Michael... believe me. I'll never stop loving you."

He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.

Moments later, we reached the pack's outer gates. A warrior stepped forward. "What are you doing here?"

"We're from the Rising Sun Pack," Michael answered smoothly. "We're delivering the fabrics Mrs. Thompson requested."

I smiled to myself. Michael was using his magic. He could plant thoughts inside another person's mind. Not illusions. Ideas.

Then gently convince them those ideas had always been true. Sometimes he got carried away a little. I swear he genuinely believed he was a Jedi.

His gift was incredibly useful. Though it had limits. We'd discovered it didn't work on Betas... Or Alphas. Which made sense.

From the moment their wolves awakened, they were trained to build iron walls around their minds, keeping out Mind Architects and Memory Weavers alike.

The guard seemed to think for a moment.

Then nodded. "Very well. "You have one hour. If you remain longer than that... You'll be arrested."

"Understood," Michael replied.

The gates opened.

He drove through the border toward the center of the pack before parking behind a cluster of thick bushes. Turning off the engine, he gripped the steering wheel until his knuckles turned white.

Without looking at me, he said, "This is where you cast the spell. We're close enough to the river. I'll secure the perimeter while you do it."

I nodded, waiting to see if he'd say anything else.

Seconds passed.

Silence.

I sighed and reached for the door. His large hand covered mine, stopping me. "Be careful, baby. Do it fast. Okay? I want to get you out of here as soon as possible."

I smiled, hoping to calm him. "Relax, handsome. I'll be quick. I promise."

"That's my girl." He kissed my hand before climbing out of the truck.

I followed.

He gave me one last look. His eyes held countless emotions. But he said nothing else. Instead, he walked away.

"In and out, Beth..." I muttered to myself. "Cast the spell and move your *ss."

I headed toward the river.

A few minutes later, I slipped off my shoes and stepped into the icy water. Taking a deep breath, I felt magic surge through my veins. I inhaled once more before speaking.

"Mother Queen, Goddess of the waxing, the waning and the full moon.In the vast corner of forgotten time, where silence weaves its sacred mantle,I seek the soul destined for our embrace.We call to you, lost soul. Your sisters sing your name. Divine discovery.Come with us…”

White magic exploded around me.

The river answered. The water rose beneath my feet before splashing playfully against my face. The spell had been cast.

Now...

It was only a matter of time before those destined for our coven found their way home. I hurried back to the truck, slipped my shoes on, and broke into a run.

I had almost reached it when powerful arms wrapped around my waist from behind, spinning me around with brutal force.

His eyes locked onto mine.

Alpha King Drake growled one word.

"Mine."

Elizabeth Wardwell

 The last thing I remembered was trying to get back to Michael and the searing pain in my neck. I felt as though someone was carrying me. I slowly opened my eyes, only for my gaze to collide with a broad back sculpted from pure muscle while the world appeared to be upside down.

I blinked several times, confused, unable to understand what was happening.

Then it hit me.

The f*ck*ng Alpha Drake had just marked me in the most shameless, primitive way imaginable. He was a goddamn caveman. But that only raised another question.

How the hell had he known I was his mate if I'd taken the scent-blocking potion? He shouldn't have been able to smell me.

You're such an idiot, Beth... the water... remember?

There it was again.

That d*mn insidious little voice whispering inside my head. I was definitely becoming either more creative... or completely insane. Honestly,