Chapter 149: What if the Witch Changes Her Mind?
{Rennon}
~**^**~
Zenon’s growl broke first. "Elira Shaw—We came for her. And I’m sure you are very much familiar with that name. Undo what you did to her."
The witch studied him for a moment, her expression unreadable. "So quick to demand, Alpha heir. And so, you know what was done."
Lennon bristled, fire sparking hotter. "Don’t play games with us. We know you are the witch who sealed Elira’s channels."
"You are right, I was the one," she said with a calm voice. "But it wasn’t at my own bidding. Her mother, Kathryn, begged it of me when Elira was still a child. She feared what her daughter carried would consume her before she could even walk in her own skin."
The words struck me harder than I expected. This was all Kathryn’s choice.
I adjusted my glasses, my voice steady but edged with unease. "You mean... she asked you to hide Elira’s power from her?"
The witch’s eyes shifted to me, sharp, as though she knew I had already seen pieces of this truth in dreams.
"Yes. A wolf born with fire in her blood will burn through her own body if not tempered. The lock kept her alive."
Lennon swore under his breath, shaking his head. "Then remove it now. She isn’t a child anymore."
Her gaze held firm. "That is not for you to decide. Nor you," she added, eyes flicking to Zenon. "Not even the three of you together."
Zenon’s jaw clenched; his silence was deafening.
The witch leaned lightly on her chair, her voice calm but heavy. "Bring the girl to me. When she knows the truth—about what her mother asked of me, about why her fire was locked away—then she may choose. Only then will I unseal her channels."
Silence pressed in, as thick as stone.
Zenon’s claws curled at his side, restrained but ready. My chest tightened with something else entirely.
Lennon’s fire flared hotter, spilling up his arm, and his grin curved sharply.
"You locked her power away, and now you sit here speaking in riddles? Say that to her face after I break your bones."
He shifted forward, every muscle coiled to strike.
I caught his arm before he could take another step. "No." My voice was low, steady, but it carried enough weight to make him pause.
His fire licked dangerously close to my sleeve, but I didn’t let go. "She isn’t our enemy."
His eyes flashed at me, all reckless flame, but I held his gaze until Zenon’s voice cut through the air like steel, the kind that left no room to fight.
"Lennon."
Lennon cursed under his breath but pulled his arm free, sparks snapping as he reined himself in. His fire guttered down, though the fury in his eyes still burned.
Zenon turned to the witch, his jaw set, voice clipped. "We will bring her to you."
The witch inclined her head, calm, as though this was the only answer she had been waiting for.
"You should," she said quietly. "It was her mother’s choice to seal her. So, it must be her choice to break it."
The silence that followed pressed heavily against the walls.
Lennon paced once, restless, his fire still flickering faintly. Zenon stayed rigid, every line of him wound tight but controlled. And me—I released a breath and let my hand fall back to my side.
’Choice.’ The word rang louder than the wards had.
Zenon gave the room one last sweep with his eyes, then turned on his heel, his voice clipped and final. "We are done here."
We left the house in silence, the wards behind us dimming like the embers of a dying fire.
But the weight of what we had carried out was heavier than anything we had ever faced.
---
The road back was darker than when we came. The forest pressed closer, shadows bleeding into one another, and the hum of the tires was the only sound for a long stretch.
Lennon broke it first. "We should have made her undo it. Right there. Why the hell leave Elira’s fate in her hands?"
His fist hit the armrest, sparks flashing at his knuckles before fading. "That old crone was stalling."
Zenon’s gaze stayed locked on the road ahead, jaw tight. "She wasn’t stalling. She was very clear. This isn’t ours to force."
"That’s a damned excuse." Lennon turned on him, fire still licking under his skin. "Every day that passes leaves our mate weaker. What if the witch changes her mind before we take Elira back there?"
"She won’t." Zenon’s tone was clipped steel, final, though the muscle in his jaw ticked.
I sat back, letting the weight of their voices settle before I spoke. "You both felt it. She wasn’t lying. Elira’s mother asked it of her for protection."
Lennon scoffed, but his fire dimmed at that, even if his glare didn’t. "Protection? Locking her away from her own strength doesn’t protect her. It cages her."
"Cages can keep wolves alive until they are ready to hunt," I said quietly.
His eyes flashed towards me, sharp, but he didn’t answer.
Zenon’s hand flexed once against his knee, his voice low. "Ready or not, Elira will have to make a choice. And we will have to stand behind whatever decision she takes."
The car sank back into silence, but it wasn’t the same silence as before. This one was heavier, lined with the echo of the witch’s words.
This was no longer about what we wanted for her, or what the prophecy demanded. It was about what Elira would decide for herself.
---
It was past midnight when we finally reached home. The corridors were quiet, and shadows stretched long under the dim lanterns.
I thought we would slip through unseen, but we didn’t.
Our mother was waiting in the main hallway, her robe drawn neatly around her shoulders, her gaze sharp even in the late hour.
"Where are you coming from at this time?"
Zenon didn’t even flinch. "Good night," he said evenly, inclining his head once before walking past her without another word.
I followed quickly, my pulse ticking high. Lying had never sat well with me, and I knew if I lingered, she would see straight through me.
"Good night, Mother," I murmured and slipped past before she could press further.
Behind me, Lennon’s voice came, smooth as always. "We had a brother’s day out today. Did you need us for something?"
Her steps hesitated just a little. Then, she exhaled softly. "No. I only wondered."
"Then rest easy, Mother," Lennon said, and I could hear the grin in his tone. "We are back safe. Aren’t we?"
I didn’t slow down, but my ears caught every word. A moment later, his footsteps quickened, closing the distance until he fell in stride beside me again.
He shot me a sideways grin. "You are lucky I’m good at this."
I only chose silence, but he wasn’t wrong.
We trailed after Zenon without speaking, our footsteps muted against the carpeted hall. He didn’t slow until we reached his room.
The door shut behind us with a quiet thud, sealing the three of us away from our Mother’s eyes and ears.
Lennon flopped onto the edge of Zenon’s desk, stretching his legs out carelessly, though his fire hadn’t fully gone out yet—I could see it in the restless way his fingers tapped.
"You know, I deserve a thank you. She would have had questions all night if I hadn’t smoothed it over."
Zenon’s glare cut sharply across the room. "You shouldn’t have had to smooth anything. If you had held your tongue, we would have walked past her clean."
"Walk past her clean?" Lennon snorted. "You and Rennon can get away with silence. Me? She would have pulled me apart if I didn’t give her something." His grin was faint but tight. "You are welcome anyway."
I pushed my glasses higher, my voice softer but steady. "It doesn’t matter. The reason we didn’t tell her is the same. She only sees Elira as a threat."
That quieted the air. None of us needed to say more about our mother.
Zenon paced once, then finally stopped, his shoulders drawn taut. "We need to take Elira to the witch soon before anyone else learns what she is meant to carry."
Lennon leaned back, grin fading. "You think she is ready to hear all of that? To choose?"
"She doesn’t get to wait," Zenon said flatly.
I stayed silent for a moment. Elira deserved to know. But once she knew, she couldn’t un-know.
"The truth will change her," I said quietly. "Whether she chooses the fire or refuses it, she won’t be the same."
Zenon’s gaze snapped to mine, hard but not unkind. "There is no other choice here."
The room fell silent once more, heavy but calm. We all understood what lay ahead. And none of us knew which way Elira would choose when the decision was finally hers.
Zenon moved to the window, staring out into the dark gardens below. His reflection in the glass was all sharp lines and restraint.
"Now that we have finally found the witch, we will take her there within the week."