A L M I R A

Prologue
Almira Davenport

Were they talking about me? Do they know I'm that special hybrid?

Oh my Goddess.

They finally stopped chatting and walked back out. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding and got out of the closet. I looked around and quickly ran back to the room, hiding the bag under the bed. I sighed and sat down on the bed.

I'm closer, I can feel it, but I have so many questions. The door creaked open and I looked up at who came in. Nobody was there. I got off the bed and walked over to it, opening it and looking around. Nobody was in sight.

Odd.

I turned around and was met with a tall hooded figure with his finger over his lips. I wanted to scream but I didn't know what would be worse: using this as an escape plan or possibly dying again?

He nodded slowly and put down his finger before pointing to the bed. I walked over to the bed and sat down, both scared and curious. What was he doing?

I looked at him curiously before he stuck his hand out to me. I looked at his hand and put mine in his. He pulled me up quickly and knocked me out.

~-~

I woke up in a pretty, little, decorated room. I sat up and removed the sheets from my body and got
up, walking out of the door. I stepped outside and was met by a guard.

"Oh, hi there," I mumbled, rubbing my neck.

"You're awake," He murmured.

"You know, this gives me serious deja vu vibes from when I met my mate," I laughed.

"Your mate? Calix West, correct?" He asked, standing up straighter.

"Uh... Yeah, I guess."

"Let me put it this way, our leader is what we call our Lord. Lord Wryler has a bit of a grudge against your mate, and now one against Alastor for hogging the prize all to himself. Nothing will happen to you unless Calix doesn't comply to our wishes." He explained, handing me a brown bag.

It was the bag I hid under Alastor's bed before I was knocked out. It had the spell books, but I don't have the key. "Thanks for the bag..."

My head hurt trying to process everything. It all happened so quickly. This is like the third time I've been kidnapped this week!

I closed the door and leaned against it, holding my head in my hands. Tears raced down my cheeks, my breath becoming erratic. This is all his fault. Every bit of it. If he wasn't such an asshole in the first place, I wouldn't have to deal with not wanting to be around him and trying to escape him in the first place! If he weren't an asshole, I wouldn't have to deal with his enemies and being used as leverage all the time.

I continued to cry and grew angrier with each thought of Calix. I despised that man. He didn't want me as a mate? That's fine, so be it. I hate you, Calix West, I hate you with everything in me.

I stood up and set the bag on the table, pulling out the spell books. I don't know the first thing about how hexes and curses and everything in that area worked, I just knew that I was a normal kid who loved to play with water and flowers. Hell, I baked dirt pies and made icing out of flower petals.

Focus. You need to focus. Find a library and find something about hexing. Play along with their tales until you can get back to Alastor's castle to get the key. Once I get the key, all I have to do is unlock the spell book and undo everything.

I slid the books back into the bag and sat it on the night stand, going back to the bed. It was already dark outside and I needed sleep. I wrapped the blankets around me and drifted into sleep.

~-~

I woke up and got out of the bed. Here at Lord Wryler's castle, I at least had more freedom to roam around and wasn't abused constantly, yet.

I went to the bathroom and took a bath like usual, getting dressed. They left a dress in the bathroom hanging up. It was really pretty. It was a long, pastel yellow dress that went to the floor. It was long sleeves but thin, almost see through on the arms. Clothes are clothes I suppose.

I walked out of the bathroom to be greeted by a tall man with blonde hair and grey eyes. He was dressed up as if he was a royal. Lord Wryler perhaps?

"Ah, hello," He greeted, smiling down at me. He had an accent, unlike what I've heard before.

"Um, hi," I replied, looking at his grey orbs.

"My sincerest apologies for not introducing myself sooner. I'm Lord Wryler, and you?" He asked, smiling down at me.

"I'm sure you already know," I responded, crossing my arms. I'm honestly so tired of moving around from place to place. I just want to go home, be in my bed, and read.

"I do. However, wouldn't it be rude not to ask? Much like how it's rude to not give the proper answer?" He inquired, twirling a strand of my hair.

"Isn't it rude to kidnap people?" I hissed, smacking his hand away from my hair and backing up.

"Oh, well then my apologies! However, I need you to get revenge on Calix, and I've used every other possibility. When this new possibility came up, I couldn't resist, it was such a temptation!" Lord Wryler exclaimed, holding my wrists.

"And what's your plan? Turn me into a beaten woman and threaten to hand over his power or else 'I'll really get it' and it'll miraculously work?" I seethed.

Calix must've done a lot of wrongs to have this many people against me. As much I despise the man right now, and I want my own revenge, I don't want to be used as a form of revenge. Not like he'd care anyways.

"Close, but no," Lord Wryler shrugged.

"Well I just hate to burst your bubble, but he doesn't care about me. Even if he did, this little plan wouldn't work. You and Alastor are just wasting your time with me," I lectured, moving to sit on the bed.

An idea clicked in my mind. What if Wryler has witches here? What if they would be willing to help me get back to Alastor, or at least the room to get the key. Or break the spell restricting my magic?

"We'll see about that. He's cared about the other four mates he had," Wryler joked.

"He had other mates?" I squeaked, ultimately confused.

"Oh yeah, married all four of them. They all died, of course. Credits to Alastor and I," He smiled.

He was psychotic. Who in their right mind owns up to murdering someone's mate?

"You guys killed them?" I said, my vice quivering. Here I thought Wryler was safer than Alastor, but no, he's just as bad. Alastor just gets to the point. Wryler seems to draw it out.

In a flash, Wryler had me pinned to the bed with his hand around my throat. I couldn't breathe and began to squirm and claw at his hand.

"Yes, I killed the first two. I'm not ashamed of that. If Alastor doesn't beat me to it, you'll be next. Calix has done far more than your little brain is aware of. So watch who you're talking to, doll. I'll snap you in half quicker than you can scream for your precious mate," He growled, glaring at me.

I continued coughing and he let go of my throat, stepping back. "Anything else?"

After what he just did, I don't plan on telling him anything. "No."

"Well, I will see you at dinner then, don't be a second late, love!" He smiled falsely, walking out and closing the door behind him.

I ran over to the bag with the spell books and checked them. Both books were still there, thank goodness. I grabbed the bag and headed for the door, the idea of trying to find someone who knows magic in this castle in my mind. I twisted the doorknob but it wouldn't budge. It was locked; smart move.

I looked around the room and my eyes met with the windows. I looked at them closely and send they had a latch on them, indicating they opened. Perfect!

I opened the window and looked outside for something to stand on. There was a small ledge around the entire castle. I smiled, knowing it would connect to other windows and rooms. I carefully walked on the ledge, my back pressed against the castle walls. I walked to the next window and stepped inside. I looked around and it was a library. I could find books in here about spells and curses.

I ran inside and went to the section that had older looking books in it. I skimmed the shelves and grabbed a couple books, putting them in the bag.

The door clicked open and I hid behind a shelf. A girl walked in humming, setting down a couple books and a drink. I eyeballed the books and they were spell books. The girl was a witch.

I grinned and she walked in my direction. When she got close enough, I grabbed her arm and covered her mouth. She started squirming and I shushed her. "Hey, hey, hey.. Look, I'm not gonna hurt you, but I can't have Lord Wryler knowing I'm not in my room! He locked the door and I climbed out of the window. I need your help to get back home, so please, I'm begging you, help me."

I uncovered her mouth and she turned around, taking in my appearance. "Okay, fine, yeah, who are you and what do you want?"

"My name is Almira, I'm Calix West's mate, but please, don't hold Calix against me. It's the reason I'm here, is to use me against Calix," I gushed.

"I won't. You seem nothing like him, and by the looks of ya, you don't bear his mark or resemble
him, so you're clear. What do you need help with?" She asked, walking over to her books.

"You see, when I was kidnapped the second time, by Alastor, he wanted witches to make me hate my mate, but when I went back to try and find a way out, two witches came in and I had to hide. They ended up putting a different spell on me. They said they hid my magic because I'm a hybrid of lycans and witches, which is apparently rare. I need to get back home, but I can't without contacting Calix, and I can't do that without magic."

"So, what you're saying is you need me to remove the hex or curse or whatever so you can go back home?" She asked, looking at me dumbly.

"Yep."

"Alright, I'll be right back."

She walked out and I pulled out the opened spell book and flipped through the pages. A note fell out of the book and so did a golden key. I picked up the note and read it.

You might need this.

- A

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