“Liar!” Hazel’s voice exploded through the hall.
She was trembling.
“I’m not a witch!”
Her eyes moved around the room.
Was this what they wanted?
To make everyone believe she was a witch?
To turn her into an outcast?
Witches were forbidden from entering werewolf territories.
They were hated and feared by almost every werewolf.
If everyone believed Sarah, Hazel’s life would be over.
Lady Mira frowned deeply.
“How is that possible?”
Sarah quickly lowered her head.
“Lady Hazel won’t be able to shift into a werewolf because she is a witch.”
The room became completely silent.
Sarah continued.
“Very soon, her witch abilities will begin to appear.”
Hazel’s eyes widened.
“What?”
“She was sent here by the witches.” Sarah pointed at her.
“She was sent here to eliminate the little Alpha.”
A loud gasp came from the crowd.
Hazel felt like her heart had stopped.
The little Alpha?
What was she talking about?
She had only found out about her mother’s pregnancy that afternoon.
How could Sarah possibly know about the baby?
Hazel suddenly realised it was a lie!
She’s lying.
There was no way Sarah knew about the baby unless…Unless there’s a spy in their pack house with is very dangerous.
Still, the people in the hall kept whispering.
Some sounded almost amused.
“After all these years of looking for a male child… they finally have one?”
“No wonder the girl never shifted…”
“A witch in the Alpha’s house…”
Alpha Gabriel turned sharply toward his wife.
Shock covered his face.
“Are you pregnant?” he asked.
Luna Charlotte gave a small, tired smile and nodded.
“It’s a boy,” she said softly.
“I was planning to tell you when you came back from the meeting.” Enjoying the story? Read on at novelping.com.
Emily stood frozen.
Her mouth hung open for a second.
Then she frowned hard and looked at Hazel again.
The same Hazel she had always seen as weak and useless now looked even stranger in her eyes.
Hazel shook her head wildly.
Tears ran down her cheeks.
“I swear! I have no intention of harming anyone!” she cried.
“I didn’t even know about the baby until today!”
Sarah’s voice stayed smooth and cold.
“You may not know it yet, but very soon your real mother will find a way to communicate with you. This is exactly how Alpha Caius was cursed…”
“Shut up!”
Lady Mira’s shout cut through the air like a blade.
Her cane slammed against the floor.
“You are in no position to say the name of the Werewolf King!”
The High Priest turned her sharp eyes toward Hazel.
Then she looked at Luna Charlotte, who was staring back with tear-filled eyes.
Lady Mira’s voice dropped lower, but every person in the hall still heard her.
“Bring her here. Let us check on her.”
The guards pulled Hazel forward.
Her feet dragged across the floor.
She tried to dig her heels in, but they were too strong.
They forced her to stand right in front of the High Priest.
Lady Mira raised one hand.
“Bring the Black Stone,” she ordered.
Two younger priests hurried out of a side door.
They returned carrying a large, dark stone on a wooden stand.
The stone was almost as tall as a child and completely black, like a piece of night that had been cut from the sky.
No light reflected from its surface.
The hall grew completely silent.
Lady Mira looked at Hazel with a serious face.
“Place both hands on the stone,” she said.
“If you are only a late-blooming wolf, nothing will happen. If witch blood runs in your veins, the stone will answer.”
Hazel’s hands shook.
“I’m not a witch,” she whispered.
“Please… I’m not.” She looked around the hall.
Everyone was watching her, including Ryan, who was very serious about it…
he must have been told about it before the awakening…
How did he know?
Hazel slowly walked toward the stone.
Her legs felt weak.
The stone is from the wolf king’s palace.
It can never lie…
Nothing happened.
Hazel released a small breath.”See?”
She looked at Sarah and raised a brow.”I told you—”
The stone suddenly vibrated.
Hazel froze and looked at it with confusion.
“What…?”
A small black light appeared beneath her palm.
Then it spread across the entire stone.
BOOM!
The stone suddenly glowed with a strange dark light.
The hall erupted in gasps.
Hazel quickly pulled her hand away.
“No.” She stared at the stone in horror.
“No, no, no… this must be a misunderstanding!”
The black light continued to glow.
Lady Mira frowned deeper as she looked at Hazel, but to their surprise, she didn’t say anything.
Sarah smiled and looked at Lady Mira ” You see, I won’t allow anything to happen to our race!”
Scarlett’s eyes widened with excitement.
Whispers filled the hall.
So, she really is a witch.”
“I knew it!”
“Get her out of here!” someone yelled and quickly pointed a sharp sword at her.
“She’s dangerous!”
Hazel shook her head.
“I don’t understand!” Tears filled her eyes.
“I don’t know why that happened!” she whispered.
Lady Mira raised her hand.
“Silence!”
The hall immediately became quiet.
She stared at the glowing stone.
Then she looked at Hazel.
“This stone doesn’t lie, Lady Hazel.”
Hazel’s lips trembled.
“So… I’m really a witch?”
Lady Mira didn’t answer immediately.
She looked at the silver moon pendant around Hazel’s neck.
Then back at the black stone.
Something didn’t make sense.
‘ A witch’s magic should not react like this,’ she thought.
Not with that kind of energy.