Returning to my own vision, I glance at Magnus. 'They've come to see if we have any witches living here. They don't appear pleased with the prospect of it being real,' I convey.
Magnus takes my hands, his thumbs rubbing reassurance into my skin. 'Nina, I'm confident everything will be alright, but I'll mind-link my parents to join us. They might be able to help put the wolf council at ease if we cannot,' he assures.
I nod in agreement, and together, we descend the stairs, readying ourselves to face the formidable Wolf Council.
As the thunderous thuds echo against the door, Magnus calmly opens it, wearing a collected smile. 'What brings us the pleasure of welcoming the Wolf Council?' he greets, maintaining an air of politeness.
Alpha Bennet eyes Magnus appraisingly, his gaze carrying a mix of suspicion and intensity. 'Alpha Magnus, we've come to talk about some fairly serious worries that have everyone on edge,’ he states.
'Please come in and join us in the dining room for some refreshments,' Magnus invites, widening the door to usher the Wolf Council inside.
Magnus furrows his brow as scores of men accompanying the Alphas flood inside the packhouse. 'Perhaps you could all go to the ceremony hall, where there is more room, and I'll have staff bring you all food and refreshments?' he suggests.
The Alphas signal for their men to proceed to the ceremonial hall.
Ryker and Astrid arrive just before Magnus closes the door.
'I'm pleased you're here,' Magnus acknowledges, gratitude reflected in his eyes.
'We want to help support you and reassure the wolf council that they have nothing to be concerned about,' Ryker states, their expressions mirroring a sense of determination. Like father, like son. I smile to myself.
In the dining room, the kitchen staff tends to the three Alphas and then proceeds to cater for the dozens of men in the Ceremony Hall. We take our seats around the table.
'So, what's this troubling news you've heard that has prompted you to come here?' Magnus inquires, adopting a casual demeanour.
Alpha Amir and Alpha Theaton glance at Alpha Bennet, silently deferring to him to speak.
'At first, we heard that your fated mate and Luna is supposedly half-witch. We ignored the rumours since we knew they were ridiculous, only to hear that you have initiated a number of witches into your pack. Now we're all aware that witches haven't existed for hundreds of years, so please explain why the packs continue to believe these rumours are genuine?' he demands, placing his clenched hand on the table with a look of scepticism and seriousness.
Magnus gently squeezes my hand, his smile reassuring as he prepares to respond to the Wolf Council's inquiries. 'Well, you see, you're hearing all this because it's true. Nina's grandmother was a witch, and the powers were passed down through her mother's generation. The witches of the Midnight Coven learned about it and requested to live peacefully amongst us. We agreed to join together to unify witches and werewolves,' Magnus asserts confidently.
There’s a brief pause before the three Alphas burst out laughing, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Suddenly, 'Skedaddle Dash,' I hear one of the girls upstairs exclaim. To our surprise, Fern appears in a blink, gracefully taking a seat next to us. The Alphas, who were previously amused, suddenly appear shocked; their laughter is cut short.
Fern, Ela, Ria, and Lilac join us at the table. Their laughter is contagious. They ignore the Alphas and continue to converse animatedly, adding a light, carefree atmosphere to the room. The cook serves out a tray of pancakes, and the scene becomes even more surreal as Ela’s toad leaps across the table, Ria’s snake slithers from her shoulders, and Lilac, casually, helps herself to half the stack of pancakes, leaving two for Ela.
'I would like some as well, you know?' Fern frowns.
Ela responds with a smile and a wave of her wand. 'Spawniate,' she utters, and suddenly, her two pancakes multiply into a stack of ten.
Ela joyfully claps her hands and generously sets five on Fern's plate.
'Thank you, Ela,' Fern says, appreciative.
'Would anyone else like some?' Ela inquires, turning to face the rest of us at the table.
Having gone quiet and pale, the three Alphas observe the four witches eating breakfast.
'Thank you, Ela. We're good for the time being,' I interject with a smile. 'I'd like to introduce you to our rather speechless visitors, though,’ I add with a laugh, breaking the tension. ‘Alpha Amir, Alpha Bennet, and Alpha Theaton. They are the Wolf Council,’ I convey, introducing the bewildered Alphas to the Midnight Coven.
The mention of the Wolf Council has piqued the witches' interest. They pause their eating and exchange curious glances, their smiles genuine and welcoming as they turn their attention toward the Alphas.
'Hello, my name is Fern,’ Fern introduces herself with a friendly wave.
'I'm Ria,’ she says, offering a warm smile.
'Lilac, here,' Lilac adds, her demeanour calm.
Finally, Ela chimes in. 'I’m Ela, and we're from the Midnight Coven. It’s only Yiselda who isn't here,' she adds, a twinkle in her eyes.
Alpha Bennet narrows his eyes at the witches with irritation. 'But there haven't been any witches in hundreds of years. So, how did you end up here, and how do you even exist?' he demands, his distrust clear.
Fern, now with a stern expression, glowers at him. ‘That's because your great-grandparents' generation nearly wiped us out. Fortunately, a few of us, like Yiselda, survived. We recently learned that the new Luna of Shadow Crest was a half-witch and felt we would be safe here. And just so you know, none of you would be here right now if Yiselda hadn't survived the witch hunt. So, it is because of her that you all still exist,' Fern huffs, her words carrying a weight of historical grievances.
‘Huh! Safe! How can the world be considered safe when you darn witches exist?’ Alpha Bennet snarls, his tone accusatory.