Chapter 472

113 – Elara

She’s stalking towards me, hands raised. I think Marietta said she’s a Chaos Witch, but I don’t remember what that means. The rest of the names make sense, but what the f*ck does ‘chaos’ mean, exactly? It would help fight her if I knew. Copyright © 2025 Miss L Writes and Ember Mantel Productions.

“Get your head out of your ass!” My wolf chides me. “A chaos witch is exactly what it sounds like. She is unpredictable. She has access to lots of kinds of magic, but none of them are her true calling. Chaos witches have to work twice as hard at mastering their skills, but they have natural access to more types of magic. If they put in the work, they can master all of the elements.”

“Do you think she has put in the work?”

“To try and take magic, yes. To earn her abilities, no.”

“How do you even take magic from someone?”

“Not sure. I assume dark magic is involved and people die. Don’t die!”

“Thanks.” I respond sarcastically. “Is everyone a safe distance from us? If I can dodge her spells and force her to fight we might have a chance, but I don’t want her to hit anyone.”

“I think you’re alright, but just to be safe, corral her in the other direction. I can feel everyone. They are conscious, but I can’t tell if they are able to move or not. I can’t talk to anyone’s wolf.”

Blue streaks across my face. I thank my dad for pushing me to train quick reactions. I let her move towards me as I gradually side step. I’m not trying to have her direct her blasts at the new barrier around the divide either. I don’t need her spells ricochetting into my back.

I know witches get tired. Marietta and Brianna are always careful about energy expenditure, but this chick is firing off blasts like she has an endless supply. Hopefully she passes out from exhaustion. I notice all of the colors too. I don’t remember Marietta or Brianna having colors. Juliette did though. Maybe that’s a chaos thing.

Her onslaught halts and she stands there staring at me in an eerie calm. I stop moving and mirror her curiosity. I am being sized up, that’s for sure. What she’s looking for is less clear.

“I think your motivation to cooperate is lacking.” She says, tilting her head the other way like I am an art piece to be discussed.

“Motivation for what?” I ask exasperated. “I don’t understand what you want from me or my pack. Why are you attacking us? We didn’t do anything?”

“Didn’t you?” She simpers in a fake question. “Did your pack not attack my coven in cold blood? Didn’t they take our High Priestess to use and abuse her then kill her when they were done?”

“What the hell are you talking

about?!” I shout at her. I’m fucking confused and scared of what she is going to do if she is out for revenge. She might be on a suic*de mission and not care if all of us die. “If you have a problem with me, let’s fight on equal ground. I can’t use magic, so stop f*cking trying to hit me with your lightning bolts! If you want to fight me for some imaginary grievance, then get your ass over here and fight me!” I growl out, hands fisted at my sides. She wants to blame my pack then she can get over here and do it, not hide behind borrowed magic. The ground around merumbles and a warmth melts up my legs have the urge to check on Ben, Jax and Dev, but I can’t split my focus. I don’t know what she is capable of. I do know that I need to capture and not kill her if possible. I’m sure Brianna and Marietta have questions. And, I don’t know if she has set any spells or whatever that can’t be broken if she dies. That’s something I would do in her position, just to be an as*hole.

Pet

Then it hits me, borrowed magic. My wolf said it. She has probably put in the work to take magic, but not to wield it properly. Marietta told me she’s impulsive and doesn’t take her time when learning. An egotistical hothead I can work with. That’s basically every ranked wolf I have ever known feel the tremble again It’s like the Rift is agreeing with my thoughts. The magic should weird me out more than it does. That must be my mom though. I guess knowing you’re different and having it confirmed is all the difference.

Even if it was my mother’s imagined voice inside my head.

I don’t give her a chance to wind up this time. I charge at her with all my speed and force, tackling her to the ground. If she can’t use her hands, maybe she can’t hit us with anything. We go tumbling to the ground. She huffs out a word, but I elbow her in the chin before she can say more. I’m hoping she has to talk to cast. She rolls on top of me and spits blood in my face. This b*tch is strong, but clumsy in her movements.

“You will die, and the Rift will be mine!” Her eyes are wild. She’s scratching at any part of me she can. It’s all I can do to keep her from taking out my eyes.

“You know…that’s not how…this works…right?!” I grunt out fighting off her clawed slaps. “And I still…don’t know what…happened…to your coven…to make you…do all this.” She shifts again and I knee her in the back before throwing her off.

Massive arms wrap around me, lifting me off the ground. My vision is scrambled for a second at the movement.

“Whatever you said, keep saying it.” A voice I would know in any crowd, breathes into my ear. “You made her falter.”

“What happened to you guys?” My eyes stay on the witch, but I hold Ben’s arm tight on my waist.

“We need time and drinks for that story. Now, keep talking.” He’s moving me, and I have no idea what he’s up to, but I trust him implicitly. Now I have to figure out what part of my grunting made her make the mistake Ben caught.

“What did my pack supposedly do to you, Eliza?” It’s the first time I use her name and her gaze snaps to me. I’m not supposed to know her. She thinks she is this almighty thing, too good to give lowly me her name. I smirk, taking back some control. Another thing she wants over everyone. The Rift doesnt want you. It didn’t choose you. You can’t have it. So the only thing you could want is revenge, but what was the offense?”

Ben’s arm disappears as she lunges towards me. Instinctively I glance over my shoulder to see where he went, but there isn’t anyone there. I’m alone with her, it’s the last realization I have before a blast of blue light surrounds me.