If you haven't noticed, I like to make up a lot of my own rules when it comes to the supernatural and otherwise. I use other stories as inspiration, of course, but I always like to see what kind of world I can create on my own. For example, in some stories, mates can reject each other and in mine, they can't.

How do you guys feel about reading stories with contrasting rules like that?

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Millicent agreed to help clean up dinner with Ulrik as Griselda ran off to finish the last touches of her ritual set up. Millicent couldn't help but steal glances at the big Viking, just like she had when they were preparing dinner and while they were all eating together. The wolf always had a smile on his face. When he looked at Griselda or caught Millicent staring, it brightened, otherwise, he seemed pretty content.

It was harmless, Millicent thought, that Griselda made him this happy. She just couldn't find it in herself to be okay with it. It wasn't real happiness.

"Are you... happy.. with Griselda?" Millicent hesitantly asked as he cleaned a plate and handed it to Millicent to dry.

Ulrik chuckled as he stared into the sink. "Yes. Why do you ask, little one? Don't I look happy?"

The fact that he hadn't stopped smiling since she met him made her skin crawl as he said that. "Well, yeah.. I guess.." There was silence before she spoke again. "Does she use her magic on you?"

"Sometimes." Millicent perked up with shock. So, he knew? Shouldn't his awareness of it break the spell? "Sometimes I break, but Griselda is always there to fix it. She helps everyone here. All of their problems and worries, she fixes it all."

Millicent scoffed in disbelief as she shook her head. Griselda didn't fix their problems, Millicent was smart enough to know that. She probably just made them forget about their worries or let go of them. That didn't fix anything. How was anything suppose to get done if everybody just walked around in blind, ignorant bliss? It was sketchy. Millicent didn't like the way Griselda used her magic. It wasn't right.

But then again, Millicent had just attempted to murder someone a few short days ago. When she realized that, she decided to put her judgement aside. She was in no position to be talking all high and mighty, as if she had ever used her powers for good...

Millicent couldn't help but notice the complete lack of werewolves around them. One of the things Walter and Iven always bitched about was that the pack had to take care a lot of the chores in the house while the Alpha, Luna, and other higher ranking wolves didn't have to do anything. It made Millicent wonder why Ulrik was washing dishes, and cooked, and why he had prepared a room. As the Alpha, didn't he not have to lift a finger around here?

"You're the Alpha, right?" Millicent asked, just to make sure so her assumptions weren't wrong.

"Yes." Ulrik nodded, that same, friendly, closed mouth smile on his face.

"So, why are you doing all of this? Can't you order someone else to do it for you?"

Ulrik's eyebrows pulled in. "I know you've been around rogues the last couple days, and they've probably said some pretty bad things, but I don't order around my pack members just because I can."

"Why not? It's not like they'd blame you. You can get away with never lifting a finger as the Alpha." Millicent pressed.

"You're right," Ulrik glanced at Millicent to see a bit of intrigue flash through her eyes. "I could order them around and they'd likely never question it. But Millicent, you are a special guest in this house, so I didn't want anyone disturbing dinner. After all, look at us now. We're bonding."

Millicent grimaced at that. They were not bonding. Ulrik had to be pretty desperate to get on her good side if he was going to claim washing dishes together was pulling them closer. Millicent couldn't help but wonder though, like a toxic reflex. Was Ulrik keeping his pack away from her because he was scared she couldn't control her magic? Did he just not want them to know she was here? Was there something he was hiding from her? Or, maybe he was none of that and he was just a nice Alpha wolf that wanted to spend the evening with his mate and their guest?

"Come on, little witch." Griselda chimed from the doorway of the kitchen. Millicent turned to the older witch, who now had all of her wild hair pinned up. "Let's find those asshole Rogues, fix those markings on your skin, and put you to bed."

"Put me to bed? I'm sixteen, you know." Millicent glared.

Griselda snapped her fingers, causing the plate in Millicent's hand to leap away from her. Ulrik caught it midair, on pure reflex. Slightly raising her hand, Griselda curled a long, skinny finger towards her to summon Millicent closer. She had a stern, oddly motherly glare on her face, as if she were warning Millicent not to disobey and misbehave. Millicent huffed in annoyance and set down the rag in her hand.

Millicent followed Griselda through the pack house, her eyes meeting with every wolf she passed. She couldn't help but stare. The only wolves she ever met and talked to were Walter and Iven, and they did not speak fondly of pack wolves. But once Griselda and Millicent were in the basement, there were no wolves at all. Griselda pulled back a set of black curtains in a widely arched doorway and gestures for Millicent to step inside. She did, but with hesitance.

Inside, there were black, velvety curtains lining all the walls and distorting the naturally square shape of the room. A small chandelier hung from the ceiling, where all of the curtains gathered. Directly underneath was a small, round table with different colored crystals, candles, and natural herbs all lining the edges of the table. The candles were lit, just as the sage was, creating a warm and calming atmosphere in the midst of the darkness.

"Holy shit, this is serious..." Millicent gaped in awe as she examined the table.

Griselda was quick to smack the back of Millicent's head, almost causing her to trip into the table before she stabled herself. "Watch your mouth."

Millicent grumbled in annoyance and looked up again to watch Griselda waltz around the table. They both stood in silence as Griselda moved a few last things in the correct places. Millicent didn't touch anything or say anything as she simply watched and studied the older witch. She instantly got excited when Griselda threw the sweatshirt and hat over her arm to hold.

"Wait a minute..." Millicent froze, her expression twisting in confusion. Griselda didn't wait as she began moving small crystals to their respective spots. "If you need something from Iven and Walter in order to track them.. how did you track me?"

Griselda froze this time, her eyes staying glued to the crystals she had moved. For a moment, her heart raced. That was definitely a question she didn't expect or care to answer. Luckily, a response was quick to pop into her head.

"These items belonging to Iven and Walter will only make it easier. I don't need anything." Griselda smugly answered, dodging that bullet.

"How do you track people without something that belonged to them? How did you track me? Why were you tracking me? Have long have you been tracking me?" Millicent persisted, becoming more and more anxious as the words spilled from her mouth.

Griselda finally looked up, her expression as hard and intimidating as always. "You're a witch, Millicent. You're one of my kind and you're young. If I hadn't been tracking you, you would've died by now."

"What does that mean?" Millicent exclaimed.

"Shh!" Griselda held a skinny finger to her lips, her eyes wide. Millicent reluctantly backed down. Griselda slowly returned her attention back to the table. "I have to start the ritual now. At no point, from here until I'm done, must you interrupt me. If you do, I won't have control and who knows what will happen then. Maybe I'll die, maybe you'll die, maybe we'll both go, or create a black hole."

Griselda flashed Millicent a devious smile that shook fear into Millicent. She didn't like that. She didn't like this. It sounded dangerous. If witches died so easily by their own magic, why was this witch so quick to use them? And why did she need all of this stuff? Did it make conjuring her magic easier? Millicent had never seen a table so full of crap. But yet again, she had never met another witch either..

All Millicent could do was nervously look around as Griselda cleared her mind. While Griselda was busy, her eyes closed and head down, Millicent curiously examined the curtains around her. The room wasn't very big and all there was were curtains and a table full of crap. She didn't feel any different yet. Part of her was worried she'd feel Griselda's magic in a room this small and confined.

Griselda elegantly raised both her hands to hover above the table, one hand resting over the other. Her eyes were still closed, aura calm and content. Slowly, one by one, the small crystals rose from the edge of the table and floated upright as they found their place under Griselda's hands. And then, suddenly, they started slowly circling under Griselda's hands in midair.

Millicent stared at the table in front of her, watching the set of five crystals float in a constant circle. It looked as if they were being pushed by wind but there was no wind in the small room they were confined in. The circling crystals created a faint whistling as they moved through the air, until a black circle began to show under the crystals. The circle darkened and darkened, until there was a jet black puddle on the surface of the wood table.

Millicent was amazed to see the light of the candles dance off the slow ripples in the inky puddle as it took shape. The ripples calmed until the puddle appeared eerily still, the crystals stopping their rotation as well. Griselda's hands, that were stacked atop of one another, started turning until she had her fingers all lined up, pointing straight ahead of her. Just as they locked, there was a bright flash from the black puddle in the table.

Millicent flinched and stared wide eyed at Griselda. She took one last deep breath as her magic settled around her. Millicent could feel it too. She felt strangely displaced, as if she wasn't on the earths rotation anymore. She instantly wondered if Griselda had stopped time or maybe transported them somewhere, but they were still surrounded by black velvet curtains. She wouldn't be able to tell unless she pulled the fabric away, which she was too scared to do anyways.

"Halfway there.." Griselda spoke gently as she opened her brown eyes. Her hands remained locked over the crystals and the still puddle in order to keep everything stabilized. "There is a box of stones under the table. I need you to grab me two stones with wolves painted on them, Millicent."

Millicent instantly jumped into action. She fell to her knees and grabbed the big wooden chest under the table. The box was heavy, obviously storing a bunch of stones. Millicent managed to turn the chest a bit and flipped the locks to pop it open. The chest opened with a loud creak and revealed two things to Millicent, one of them catching her off guard. Of course, the chest was full of different shaped stones with marking and drawings on them to represent different things, but there was something else..

Millicent came from an orphanage in Pine Springs, the one right next to the towns church. She never felt like she really belonged there, just like every other kid in there. But, none of them had anything to remember their parents by. That's one thing that gave Millicent a little sanity in such a horrid place. She had a photo with her from birth. The top of the picture was cut off so she couldn't see her mother, but she knew she was there.

The rest of the picture showed Millicent as a baby in a frilly onesie and a teething toy in her grip. The toy resembled that stress relief toy that's eyes and ears popped out when you squeezed it. The toy itself was red, had yellow dots all over it that was good for chewing on, and it's small head that looked like that squeeze toy. She didn't have the toy, only the photo, but Millicent was surprised to recognize that toy now. Because right atop all of those stones was that toy.

Millicent stared at it in shock and amazement. Was she just seeing things? No, because when she grabbed it, she felt just how real it was. It was so small in her hand now but it looked so big compared to her in the picture. She was just a baby then. What did this mean? The witch had her baby toy? Why? Is this how she had tracked Millicent all this time? Had her mother passed the toy to Griselda? Or... Was Griselda Millicent's mother? She was a witch after all. Witches often spawned from other witches.

"Millicent?" Griselda asked as she noticed the little witch was taking a second too long to look.

Millicent clenched the toy in her fist as she contemplated confronting Griselda. She couldn't now, right? They were in the middle of doing a spell. Millicent had to find Walter and Iven, just to make sure they were okay. Maybe she could talk to Griselda about the toy later. With that thought, Millicent grabbed the first two stones with little wolf heads painted in white atop of them before she shut the chest.

Stuffing the teething toy in the back pocket of her jeans, Millicent stood up and handed Griselda the two small stones, both of which hardly taking up her palm. Griselda examined Millicent's timid expression for a moment. It wasn't strange for Millicent to be timid. She always had been, but she had kind of warmed up the last couple hours being here. It was a bit off-putting to see her revert back to that again.

"Drop them in, please. One at a time." Griselda calmly instructed.

Millicent looked down at the inky puddle and floating crystals, admittedly hesitant to participate. She could feel Griselda's magic, and it was powerful. Millicent knew she could possibly die by her own magic, but she didn't want to die by this witches magic. Still, Millicent slowly reached between the crystals and dropped a stone into the puddle. The black inkiness didn't even budge as the stone disappeared into it's oblivion. The same thing happened to the second stone, which was nothing at all.

"Now grab Walter's sweatshirt and Iven's hat." Griselda instructed once more.

Millicent knelt down against to grab the two items laid beside the chest. When she rose again, Griselda nodded her head towards the pool. Millicent carefully folded the sweatshirt, since it was so large, and let that fall into the small puddle as well. She tossed the hat in afterwards, still amazed to see the puddle never react to such contents entering it's darkness. No ripples, no splashes.

Did that mean she was doing it right? Where were these things disappearing to?

When all four items were within the black puddle, Griselda closed her eyes and took another deep and slow breath. Millicent anxiously rubbed her hands together as she waited, feeling very hyper aware of the toy in her back pocket. She watched as Griselda channeled her magic again, her fingers moving from their locked position atop each other to point almost opposite of each other again. Millicent braced herself for impact, but when Griselda's hands stopped moving, nothing happened.

Even as Griselda opened her eyes, Millicent couldn't read the expression on her face to understand what was happening. But, she knew something was wrong. "Uhm.. Are we suppose to do something else or.. Do we have to wait?"

Griselda frowned as she took a moment to read the magic surrounding her. It was telling her something other than what she was looking for. "There is a stone in that box that has a long 'U' with two dots above it and a bow tie with one string on it. Hand me that one, Millicent."

Millicent hurried to comply as she knelt down and pushed the different stones around to find the right one. There were so many markings and symbols on so many different stones. All of the stones were slightly different shades of grey and they were all relatively flat and oval shaped, so Millicent could only go by their markings. She had to flip some over just to make sure she didn't miss any before she finally found the right one.

Millicent jumped up again and showed Griselda the stone just to make sure. Griselda looked at it, nodded, and Millicent dropped it in. This time, Griselda knew something was happening. She could feel her magic fueling itself through the symbols she gave it to communicate. Griselda closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and moved her fingers back towards each other against until they were stacked atop one another and pointed out from her, just like before.

As soon as Griselda's hands locked atop of each other, Millicent gasped as a wave of power shot through her chest. Griselda only breathed deeper so she could control herself and the magic. Millicent gripped her chest as she fought to get a full breath of air and resist the urge to hurl. She instantly felt nauseous and displaced again. For a moment, Millicent was so dizzy that she thought she'd pass out, until it all stopped. Whatever happened, it was over now.

"What's happening..?" Millicent gently panted as she tried to properly intake air again.

"It's preparing to show me Iven and Walter's death." Griselda's answered simply, her eyes still closed.

Millicent's eyes widened and her heart raced even more than it already was. "Their dea-"

Before Millicent could ask, Griselda eyes shot open and she suddenly splashed her hands into the water. The stone didn't make the water move but Griselda's hands sure did. The water splashed on to Millicent, causing her to flinch in a start. And when she opened her eyes again, everything around her was different.

The table was still in front of Griselda and Millicent as they looked around at where they were. Griselda was not surprised to find they were in an underground prison, metal bars separating them from small cells, the walls and floors cement. They were stood in front of the entrance with the long hallway ahead of them, a few torches lighting the way since there was no way they could get electricity through all the cement. These werewolf cells were made centuries ago, there was no helping it.

"Where are we?" Millicent gulped. She couldn't feel the warmth of the torches, couldn't smell the swampy scent coming from the puddles in some of the cells, but could still feel those velvet curtains under her feet, even though they were stood on cement.

"A dungeon." Griselda answered.

Carefully, Griselda moved one hand to her side and swiftly waved the other through the pool of water on the table so both their bodies moved in the direction she waved. Even the table moved magically along side them, the water never moving as neither of them took a single step forward.

Millicent looked around as they moved, completely in awe by the magic Griselda was so effortlessly able to conjure. "I didn't know dungeons were real.. Why are we here?"

"For Iven and Walter." Griselda stopped her hand, causing them both to stop in front of a particular cell.

Millicent instinctually tripped forward, as if the sudden stop of them magically moving had disorientated her balance for a moment. When she looked up, she was stood in front of the corner of a cement wall. On one side of the wall, Iven laid against the cement wall with his eyes closed and arm resting through the metal bars. On the other side, Walter stood at the metal bars with both his arms hanging through them. They both looked miserably bored and incredibly ill.

"Walter! Iven!" Millicent excitedly exclaimed.

Millicent rushed forward to Walter but was stopped before she could reach the bars. Because right in front of her were the velvet curtains that lined the walls. She caressed and tugged the invisible curtains before she looked up at Walter again. He hadn't reacted to her presence or her voice. Neither had Iven. Her heart sunk as she realized that Griselda hadn't transported them there, but was simply creating an illusion.

"They can't hear me.." Millicent sulked as she looked between Walter and Iven. They looked so sickly, it pained her to see them.

"Nope. I don't have the power to teleport and, well, this is in the past, anyways." Griselda explained.

"In the past.." Millicent remembered Griselda claiming they had died and felt her heart drop into her stomach. "They're already dead.."

Griselda didn't bother to respond since she knew Millicent was painfully aware that it was the truth.

"Where do you think Millie is right now?" Walter asked, slightly turning to gaze at the cement wall, as if he could see through it to the other side.

Iven shook his head but didn't open his eyes. "I don't really give a shit. If anything, I bet she's back at her orphanage. There's no way she has enough of a backbone to live on the streets and fight to survive."

Walter looked ahead again, his gaze falling to the floor. "I don't know..." He seemed perplexed by something. "I think she tried her best.. I mean, it's partially our fault. We dragged her into it."

"I did try, Walter! I swear, I did!" Millicent proclaimed, her fists clenching the velvet sheets in her hands. She knew he couldn't hear her but she wanted him to.

"Fuck off with that shit! We didn't drag her into shit. She had nowhere to fucking go so we offered her some food and shelter until she could help us. That's as far as my deal with her went and she failed, which means I can die with no regrets." Iven huffed.

Walter took a moment to respond. "She's still young, Iven. That grenade plan was a lot for you to ask of her and you know it."

"I really don't give a shit, Walter. She's probably still alive and soon, I won't be. Either way, she still won." Iven bitterly laughed.

Millicent felt her heart clench at Iven's claims. He knew he was going to die. That must be a terrible thing to face so bluntly.

"No, no.. They can't die!" Millicent turned to Griselda. "You can't let them die! Can't you do anything?"

Griselda remained calm. "We're not here, Millicent. This happened days ago. They're already gone." Tears welled in Millicent's eyes as Griselda curiously furrowed her eyebrows and narrowed her brown eyes. "Why don't you want them to die, Millicent? Iven couldn't care less if you died. He was using you. They both were using you. You aren't naive enough to believe they care about you, are you?"

Millicent didn't have a response. But even if she did, she didn't get to answer as the entrance to the dungeon crept open. Millicent turned and felt all the blood drain from her face when she spotted Sophie coming down the long hallway. She looked fine. She wasn't injured. Granted, this was a couple days, after the incident. Still, Millicent was shocked to see Sophie in her prime. She had only seen her once and she was covered in blood and screaming with so much devastation.

And what was even more shocking, Sophie was holding Cortez's hand. He seemed so caring and calm the last time Millicent saw him, after the explosion. That loving aura around him was gone as he stared at Walter and Iven. The deadly expression on his face made Millicent stiffen in fear. He still wasn't as big as Ulrik, but he was intimidating.

As Cortez and Sophie approached Iven and Walters cells, Griselda waved her hand to move them out of the way. They were stood between the cells like the Alpha's, Millicent's attention rapidly shifting between the two as they stared each other down. She felt more tense than she ever had before. Her mouth was dry, nerves incredibly restless, and heart racing. She knew what was coming but it still scared her.

Millicent was hoping Sophie had a bit of compassion and forgiveness in her heart. Apparently, from what Iven and Walter had told her, Sophie used to be human. Not a lot of humans were quick to declare death, which gave Millicent a bit of hope. Iven and Walter may have been assholes but they weren't bad people, at least, in Millicent's eyes. She couldn't help but hope, even if she knew exactly what was about to happen.

But, as a stray tear rolled down Sophie's face, Millicent froze in pure shock. She was crying? In front of her prisoners? As the Luna of a pack? How delicate was this girl? Seeing her scream in terror at the sight of her home on fire and her grandfather in potential danger was understandable. What was making Sophie cry now, though?

"Her grandfather passed away a couple days after the explosion." Griselda answered the question that she knew was running through Millicent's head. Millicent's eyes found Griselda's as she continued. "Did you know there was another person in that house, Millicent?"

"N-no.." She gulped. The guilt was becoming even worse than before. "I didn't know anything. They just told me what to do and I did it. I tried to, at least."

"You followed these assholes to go kill someone without knowing anything? Why? Because you thought they'd take care of you? Are you that artless?" Griselda lightly scolded.

Millicent grew rigid and angry as she glared at the older witch. "I had nothing and nowhere to go! What was I suppose to do? It's not like I could follow in my heartless mothers footsteps and brainwash a whole pack of wolves to protect me!"

Griselda was taken aback by that as her eyes widen and heart raced. How had Millicent figured that out so quickly? It wasn't until Griselda thought of that toy that she realized she hadn't moved or hidden it when she was preparing for this ritual. Without moving her hand from the puddle and floating crystals, Griselda peaked under the table. The chest was open and the toy was gone.

Griselda straightened her spine with a flat expression. "But you tried, didn't you? You used Walter and Iven's pity for you against them. You manipulated them, whether you'd like to admit it. You can call me heartless all you'd like, little witch, but you're just like your mother."

Millicent felt a lump form in her throat as more tears welled in her eyes. This entire situation was overwhelming. She found her mom, who turned out to be evil, and was being shown the deaths of the only two people who had ever taken her life into consideration. Part of her didn't even care that they didn't truly care about her. Even if all they wanted was her powers, they still offered her more than anybody else ever had.

That's all Millicent wanted. Someone that would take care of her. In all her years at the orphanage, none of them had ever cared. Griselda obviously didn't either, or she wouldn't have left her at the door of the orphanage all those years ago. That still hurt Millicent, being tossed aside so carelessly. Why didn't Griselda want her? Why did she abandon her when she was nothing but a baby?

"Why did you do it?" Sophie's voice caught Millicent's and Griselda's attention.

Both of their eyes shifted between the Alpha's and the rogues as they quickly conversed. Iven fearlessly mouthed off at the Alpha's about how much he hated Cortez. Griselda snorted a laugh when Sophie very intellectually called them both absolute morons. Millicent's eyes dropped to the floor, as if Sophie was scolding her as well. After all, Millicent was also apart of the incident. She was just as foolish as the rogues.

Maybe she deserved to die too...

"For your foolishness alone, I think you deserve to die." Millicent looked up in shock. It was happening. "But, because you killed my last living family member for your selfish conquests for vengeance, I think you deserve a slow, painful death."

"Luna!" Iven suddenly begged as he desperately grasped the bars.

Walter said nothing. He was expecting as much. He just didn't understand why Iven didn't expect that. Iven was ready to die but didn't expect it to be painful? Walter was convinced he must've really been friends with a total moron. He wanted the easy way out, he thought he deserved it. Even Walter knew how foolish it was to believe otherwise.

"Kill them." Sophie spoke coldly before she turned on her heels and walked towards the door.

Millicent flinched as Sophie neared her, and then froze when she watched Sophie walk right through her. The breath she had been holding suddenly escaped her as Millicent took a couple deep breaths. Part of her felt like she was about to die. She deserved to, didn't she? If Iven and Walter were dead, why wasn't she? Why did she get to walk away from that incident with no scratches?

Griselda looked back at the puddle of water once Cortez excitedly cracked his knuckles and prepared to kill Iven and Walter. Before she pulled them back from the illusion, though, her eyes found Millicent's again. She was staring at the two rogues with tears in her eyes and her hands shaking at her sides. Griselda didn't know if she should give Millicent a moment longer to see them alive or simply take her away from all of this before it got bad.

"I don't want you to watch them die." Griselda said but Millicent didn't even flinch at her voice. "We're going back now."

Millicent could feel the anger building within her, her veins growing hot as her blood boiled beneath her skin. The heat coursed through her from her heart and spread throughout her body. When the heat reached her fingers, she struggled to keep the fire contained within her. Still, Millicent couldn't help but stare at Cortez as he smugly chuckled at Walter and Iven as he prepared to kill them. She was so angry at him. He killed her friends..

But, before Griselda could pull them from the illusion, Millicent turned towards the puddle of inky liquid and snatched something out of her back pocket. Griselda only caught a glimpse of what was in her hand before it fell into the water. Instantly, Griselda screamed in pain and clenched her fists over the pool to restrain the amount of magic forced on her. The world around Griselda and Millicent instantly began to change and conform as the magic Griselda was conjuring tried to phase.

Millicent felt her heart pounding in her throat as she watched the dull colors and shapes around her bleed into each other. The world warped and darkened as Griselda groaned, continuing to fight the magic that was attempting to tear her apart. But, eventually, Griselda let go when she couldn't hang on anymore. When the proper illusion finally manifested around them, both of them stilled and took a look around.

They were in the depths of a forest, the stripped branches swaying in the sky above them. It was the dead of night and everything was still and quiet. There was no life in this forest, only the sloppy sways of the tree as a stiff breeze blew through them. The snow covered every bit of land around them, even coating the same side of every tree. Griselda and Millicent shuddered from the cold they could not feel but knew was looming all around them.

"We shouldn't be here..." Griselda shakily whispered as her eyes continued to wonder the space around her. She looked down at her hand and shuttered with fear at the sight.

"Where's here..?" Millicent whispered, her eyes slowly drifting towards Griselda.

Griselda's arms were trembling as she attempted to control the powerful magic still coursing through her. She wasn't strong enough for an illusion this big, this important. Millicent didn't know what she did yet, but Griselda wanted to escape this illusion before her magic killed her. Millicent could tell Griselda was fighting to control her magic as the black puddle climbed the crystals and swirled around Griselda's fingers like vines until it disappeared under skin and invaded her veins.

"Griselda.." Millicent uttered in shock as she watched the blackness creep up the veins in Griselda's arms, the color dark and veins thick as they squirmed under her pale skin.

"We shouldn't be here, Millicent!" Griselda hissed between gritted teeth as she fought the pain in her arms and chest.

Out of the corner of Millicent's eye, she saw a flash of something new in all of the darkness around them. She instantly spun and froze when she spotted two small lights waving back and forth through the trees. The little lights illuminated the figure they were attached to as they swung and the reflected off the snow coating the ground. The figure holding the flames was immediately recognizable, shaking Millicent to her very core and making Griselda gasp and still.

"That's me.." Millicent said as her breathing stuttered and her heart raced.

Just as Millicent's figure got closer and closer, they began to notice the other figure just beside her. That one was slightly taller, just by a few inches, but was definitely female. They were running from something and headed directly towards Griselda and Millicent. Griselda couldn't feel the rumbling of the rapid footsteps but she could tell by the sound of them that there was a lot of them. Wolves, specifically. The hints of animalistic growls and violently huffing breaths basically confirmed that they were wolves.

"This is where I die, isn't it? And Sophie is with me when that happens?" Millicent asked as she watched herself run towards her, her hands flaming at her sides and Sophie running right along side her.

Griselda focused her attention, in total shock of Millicent's rhetorical questions. When her eyes found the lights of Millicent's hands, they found her figure, and then the figure beside her. They were getting closer so it was easier to see them now. And when Sophie got closer, Griselda got a full look at her face. It was definitely her. The short hair, bright green eyes, petite figure. It was Sophie.

Sophie was undoubtably involved in Millicent's death.

"No! We can't be here!" Griselda hollered. She forced the black liquid down her arms as best she could, screaming in pain as she did. She had to take back the uncontrollable magic but it would take some fighting before she succeeded. Or, she'd die trying.

The wolves were quick to catch up with them on every side now. Millicent and Sophie stopped right in front of Millicent and Griselda, although, they couldn't see them. Millicent looked around just as her future self did, both of them mirroring each other's cautious and slow turn. On one side, Millicent could feel herself being targeted, and on the other, Sophie was being targeted. Two different packs stood against each other with Sophie and Millicent in the middle.

"I didn't want any of this.." Future-Millicent spoke softly, a weakness in her voice as a tear rolled down her face.

Sophie stood against Millicent's back and reached to hold her hand, easily claiming the flames. Future-Millicent looked down at her hand, feeling relief that Sophie had the power to calm her like that. "It's okay, Millie. You're okay. I won't let anybody hurt you.."

Millicent nearly gasped at Sophie's claims. She sounded so genuine, despite the horrible situation they seemed to be in. And Future-Millicent, she looked terrified. Well, Sophie did too, but she still stood tall and never let a tear fall from her watery eyes. Millicent, present Millicent, was amazed to see their exchange. In the future, Sophie cared about her. How? What path did Millicent take to earn Sophie's trust after everything she did?

Millicent couldn't believe it. She just stared. Sophie was so pretty up close. Her hair was really cute. Millicent was jealous, but it seemed she never cut her hair in the future to match her. Actually, the only thing that changed about Millicent was that her Lichtenberg mark was gone. She was still wearing Walters sweatshirt and Iven's hat, which wasn't a surprise. She'd never let those go.

The visual in front of Millicent almost made her smile. Despite the fact that she was crying, and clearly in trouble, Sophie had her back. Walter and Iven weren't going to be the only ones to offer their kindness to Millicent. In the future, she had someone beside her. After years of being in an orphanage, no parents or family, hardly any friends, Millicent was rejoicing at the sight of another friend.

It was all very bittersweet until Millicent heard some rustling to her right. She turned, her future self looking up from her and Sophie's hand. The pack of wolves in front of Millicent parted as a much larger wolf made it's way through the crowd. When the black wolf was stood at the front of the pack, he shifted in a bright flash and stood on two legs as a human again. He was glaring down at Millicent with a look of death in his eyes, chilling Millicent even now. It was Cortez.

Millicent turned in a quick spin when she heard a growl behind her. Again, another Alpha wolf emerged from the crowd of wolves and shifted in a bright flash. It was Ulrik. Ulrik was here too. But he wasn't on Millicent's side, she could tell by the tension looming in the air. She didn't know if he wanted her dead or maybe he was helping but he was just angry. Millicent didn't know. All she knew was that she was in the middle of two Alpha's and holding on to the girl she attempted to kill.

"Enough of this!" Griselda shouted as she removed one hand from the puddle and shoved Millicent as hard as she could.

As Griselda lifted her hand from the black puddle on the table, the illusion instantly began to shift and phase. Griselda cried out in pain as her magic tore at her from the inside out. Millicent stumbled back from Griselda's push and fell through the black curtains, effectively escaping the illusion. Millicent instantly turned over from her hands and knees to stare back into the room as Griselda belted a blood curdling scream inside.

It was only seconds before Ulrik was beside Millicent and helping her to her feet. "What's happening, Millicent?" Ulrik grabbed Milliecent's shoulders to force her to look at him. Even when he did, it still took a moment for her eyes to stray from the black curtains. "What's happening in there?"

Millicent was too scared to answer. She didn't know what she was suppose to say. How could she say anything with Griselda screaming and crying on the other side of those curtains? She could tell by Ulrik's tight grip and his worried eyes that he was in a panic, but he knew better than to try and pull Griselda from a ritual. He tried it once and it went horribly, horribly wrong. Any imbalance in her magic and it would have the ability to rip her apart.

Ulrik growled when he got no answer from Millicent and stood upright again to run his hands violently through his hair. All he could do was listen to Griselda cry and scream on the other side of the black velvet curtains. Millicent felt her eyes fill with tears as she realized she might just kill another person that offered her their kindness. Everywhere she went, she caused so much trouble.

After what seemed like minutes, which was only a couple seconds, Griselda went silent. The black curtains slightly waved in the doorway as the silence fell over everybody. Apparently, a couple other wolves had also run to the basement to see what was happening, but Millicent didn't notice them as she stared hopefully at the black curtains. There was so much hope swirling between everyone in the silence as they waited.

And then, in a flash, Griselda pushed the black curtains aside and stormed out of the room in a rage. Ulrik instantly stepped towards her, as did the other wolves, so they could see if she was alright. But, everyone collectively decided otherwise at the sight of her. The black ink invading her veins wasn't just up her arms anymore. The black inkiness branched up her face, staining her eyes, dying the roots of her hair. There was even some black ink dripping off her chin from her mouth.

Ulrik reluctantly opened his mouth to speak but Griselda stopped him before he said a word. With a cold glare glued to Millicent on the floor, Griselda raised one hand towards the wolves. A blue crystal from one of her necklaces rose with her hand and sent every wolf stepping towards her flying towards the wall. Black ink spilled from the corner of her eyes at the use of even more magic. Millicent was trembling with fear as the others cried out for Griselda to let them go.

Griselda kept her eyes locked with Millicent's as she stormed towards the little witch in a rage. Millicent hurried backwards in fear as she watched the wolves struggle against Griselda's powerful magic. They were reaching for whatever was around their neck and pinning them to the wall, but there was nothing there. There was no chance for Millicent to get away as Griselda gripped her throat with her free hand and pinned her to the wall as well. She didn't hold the little witch lightly as she seethed with anger.

"If you ever talk to Sophie Carter in your lifetime, I will kill you myself.." Griselda's grip loosened in Millicent's throat just in time for her to take a big breathe of air. Millicent gripped Griselda's wrist, silently begging her to let go. "Before she gets the chance to..."

"What?" Millicent panted as she stared at her mother, both of their eyes locked so intensely that Millicent could see every sorrowful emotion within the blackness clouding Griselda's eyes.

Griselda fought tears as she stared at her daughter. "Sophie killed everyone.."

Millicent's eyes, that were already brimming with tears, overflowed and tears poured down her face as she shook her head. "You're lying.."

"Millicent!" Griselda tightened her grip on Millicent's throat, causing Millicent's hands to desperately grab her wrist again. "Sophie is the reason you die, Millicent! SOPHIE IS THE REASON EVERYONE DIES!"

More tears spilled from Millicent's eyes and poured down her face as she processed Griselda's proclamations. After seeing Sophie suffer from that explosion, and seeing her hold her hand in the future, Millicent wanted to care about Sophie. But, apparently, she was the reason Millicent died. Apparently, she was the reason everyone died. Maybe Griselda was right. She saw the future, after all. Maybe Millicent should stay away from her.

Griselda could see it in Millicent's eyes, that she had given up. With an exhausted sigh, Griselda let go of Millicent's throat completely and dropped her other hand. The wolves pinned against the wall fell free for her magic, as did her blue crystal. Ulrik was instantly by Griselda's side and cupping her face in his big hands so he could see her and talk to her. Griselda weakly smiled at the big Viking as she gripped his hands with hers, leaving streaks of black ink over his hands, just like what was left behind on Millicent's throat.

Meanwhile, Millicent slid down the wall as she silently cried. She hugged her knees to her chest and hid away as she silently sobbed. Her mind was reeling with so many things that were just revealed to her. Everyone she lost, everyone she never had, all her mistakes, all the trouble waiting for her ahead. She just found her mother, her only two friends outside of the orphanage were murdered because of her failure, and she was bound to die by the hands of the one other person she even dared to trust to the future.

The sudden tingling sensation rushing up Griselda's spine over her skin, riddling her body with goosebumps had Griselda spinning out of Ulrik's arms to face the room she used for her magic. A burst of wind blew through the black curtains, pulling them out of the doorway but not revealing anything hidden in the darkness. Ulrik looked nervously to Griselda as she stared intensely into the room. He could hear her heart racing.

Millicent looked up just in time to see two humanoid figures step through the black curtains.

At first, the figure on the left was taller than the doorframe itself, it's limbs skinny and shaped like bones, head lacking any hints of features like hair or ears in it's dark silhouette. Long horns that spiraled back and up protruded from the head of the large figure. But, that skeletal figure slowly shrunk and reformed to take a more standard, healthy, male, human shape in a colorful shirt and washed out jeans. Still, though, his long horns remained as he stayed hidden in the shadows of the black curtains.

The second figure, the one on the right, was a little harder to make out in the shadows. The figure seemed to be waving in the gust of wind that surrounded it. It was covered in fabric, Millicent concluded, from head to toe. Atop of the head of that figure, just like the other, were horns. This figures horns, though, laid much lower and looked smoother in shape as they pointed back and dipped only slightly in the middle. There wasn't much else that Millicent could decipher from that figure. Not like the other one, at least.

A spine chilling coldness took over the room, effecting more than just Griselda now. All the wolves, Ulrik, Millicent, they could all feel the horrible tingling pricking at their natural instincts and their consciences. That's what happened when you came face to face with demon that came straight from hell. Their very presents sent a supernatural creatures senses and instincts into overdrive. Everybody's fight or flight reflexes were malfunctioning, making them all feel trapped and confused.

One synchronized step forward and the two figures had shown themselves completely in the light now.

The one on the left was, in fact, a male human. He seemed to be Arab but his eyes were unnaturally crystal blue and sparkled with an angry glint that made his scruffy jaw visibly tense. He was undeniably handsome, his attire very new aged and street style but, his very existence shook fear into Millicent's heart, just like the others. She watched in amazement as his long, tall, spiraling, heavily rigged horns sunk back into full head of styled hair and disappeared.

The one on the right was pretty much what Millicent expected. A human covered in fabric from head to toe. From the beautifully long lashes and darkly framed, sharp crystal blue eyes, Millicent could tell the human was female. That's all Millicent could see from her, besides her black nails and long fingers that stuck out from the shredded black sleeves of her long gown. The ripped and torn black fabric over her head hid everything besides her eyes and those Long, swift horns that she didn't bother to conceal like her male counterpart did.

Both people drew their crystal blue eyes towards Griselda as they ignored everybody else in the room. "What the fuck have you done now, Griselda?" Both of them spoke at the same time, their voices eerily in unison with an Arabian accent that carried the 'R' in Griselda so elegantly.