1 A Deal with a Dark Soul

The meeting room of Human Division D was filled with an uneasy tension. A lantern on the table dimly lit the small room, allowing the shadows to be casted on the walls and the floor.

Everyone's attention was on the slim light-skinned woman in a long flowing black lacy gown, who sat on the only furniture in the room, a small round table.

That woman was Serena.

She was the only one that didn't share the uneasiness of the rest. A light smile played on her lips as she picked through her long polished nails. Dark circles were painted around her eyes and her lips were glossy black. Despite all these, it was obvious that Serena was a beautiful woman--a beautiful witch.

There was no one that didn't know about The Moon's Witch. This, for two reasons. Serena was the only witch blessed with the ability to identify a werewolf's mate, using their essence. She was also known for been manipulative and really tricky, just like the rest of her kind.

Human Division D hated witches and hated Serena even more, but they needed her and that need was greater than any hatred that could be in-between them.

A woman in a pair of black trousers and a jean jacket, glanced at the door for the umpteenth time. She was fairly built and her face had sharp features.

She was Rita, the Captain of Human Division D.

Rita ran her hands over her shaven head slowly, her mind filled with anxiety and fear that she mustn't show.

The Crave was upon them again. The time when the urge for the werewolves to search and claim their mates was at its peak. Rumour has it that the werewolves had gone through every human and pack divisions, except theirs, searching for the mate of one werewolf in particular.

The Alpha Superior.

The Alpha Superior was the Alpha of all the Alphas of different Pack divisions in Teeland.

There was another rumour that said that the Alpha Superior had resisted the yearly Crave six times before. Resisting the crave was known to be impossible. How he had done it, nobody knew. Why he was giving in to the Crave this time? Nobody knew that too. But why should they even bother about that to begin with?

Rita was certain that the Alpha's Superior's mate would be among the twenty ladies who stood in firm formation before her. She just needed Serena to identify who his mate was. That would give them an head start for their next plan.

This brought Rita's mind back to the door again.

What could be taking Comrade Jones so long?

He was supposed to be here by now with anything that the Alpha Superior had been in contact with recently. Rita was starting to get worried.

Could it be that he had been caught? Or maybe it was their spy in the palace that had been caught? Or maybe they couldn't get anything that the Alpha Superior had been in contact with to begin with? She couldn't blame them if that was what happened, getting something like that was almost an impossible task but they needed it. She immediately started praying in her mind that everything was fine.

"This is taking so long." Serena said tiredly in her high-pitched voice.

"Patience." Rita snapped. She wouldn't have had to do business with an human that had sold her soul for dark magic, if not for the circumstances. Serena was starting to get on her nerves.

The door busted open at that moment and a slightly huge man in a pair of black trousers and a jean jacket rushed in. He had a dagger by his side like the rest of them in the room except Serena. His face looked rough and his long hair was hazardously braided.

"Jones." Rita straightened up when she saw him.

Jones bowed briefly to her in greeting before handing over a huge book with a leather cover to Serena.

"What took you so long?" She whispered to him when he returned to stand by her side.

"One of the Transfer Points had gotten to her post late."

"Lily." Rita sneered. "She got distracted again. I'll have to punish her this time."

They both stopped talking and turned to Serena who was sniffing in the book. Her long fingers tapped against the hard cover and she took in one final long sniff, closing her eyes before she opened them once again and looked at them. Her eyes a bit darker than it was before.

"Too many." She shook her head with disapproval, dropping the book on the table. "There are too many essences."

"But his is still there, isn't it?"

"Hmmm..." she moved her head from one side to another. "It's lingering but it isn't enough. He must have been in the contact with this many hours ago and like I said, they are just too many. I can't use this."

"And where do expect we get something else for you to use?" Rita sneered, her mind ticking closer to anger.

"That's your problem." She shrugged and got off the table eagerly.

"No! It is yours. You are the witch, you should be able to still use it."

"Oh, I can. The problem is I'll have to use my blood and that..." a devious smile played on her lips as she stretched out her hands and snapped her fingers. "...will cost you a lot."

"I think we've already given you more than enough." Rita finally snapped and pushed forward, towering threateningly over Serene with her dagger leveled against Serena's throat.

The room stiffened, the ladies watched without saying a word. It wasn't their place to.

Jones quickly placed his firm hands over Rita's, whispering logical things in her ears to calm her down, his cold observing eyes never leaving Serena. Rita soon nodded and dropped her hands, freeing Serena from her grip. Serena crackled in her high-pitched laughter, mocking them. The laughter shook her so much that she hurled over. By the time she was done, she was already by the other end of the table.

"I think I'm done here. Thanks for the money." Serena turned away but Rita's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Going somewhere without your elixir?"

Serena quickly pressed her hand by her side where the elixir should be kept safely but met emptiness. She spun around to find the little bottle in Rita's hands and she sneered. "You filthy thief!"

She rushed forward to snap it out of her hands but Rita had been too fast. "You manipulative witch!" She snapped back.

"Fine." Serena straightened up, eyeing her bottle of magical liquid that had costed her too much money and rituals for her to easily give up on. "I'll do it. Once I'm done, I want my elixir back."

"Alright then," Rita shrugged. "Sounds good to me."

Serena brought out a small knife out of her gown, then slashed open her palm. She snapped the book laying on the table quickly then spread her bleeding hand across it, allowing her blood to spill on the book while she whispered unintelligible words. Slowly, she closed her eyes.

Suddenly, a violent breeze blew into the room, snuffing out the lantern. The widows flung open, clanking vehemently against the wall as air gushed quickly through them.

A darkness settled into the room and the room felt unsettlingly cold.

Everyone looked around, fear in their eyes but they said nothing.

Then they felt it.

A force beyond them, a dark aura and then they heard it.

A scream.