Chapter: 20
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Mariana sat in front of her mirror, glaring and fuming at the reflection of herself that was staring back at her with an unapologetic face. Fueled by rage and hate for the Werewolves she gritted her teeth as she ran her fingers through her hair. The long black locks swished through her fingers like a snake. Every morning she sat here watching the Lycan go about his life as if she hadn't cursed him to death. What will it take for him to die? How had he even survived her curse? What kind of power does he possess that could withstand hers? She was enraged as her mind wandered back to the night she climbed the Mountains seeking the Wizard who lives there for the third time. She was after answers, answers she is yet to find.

******

Snow coated the beds of the mountain floor making it hard to step upon. The wind howled loudly as she descended deeper into the valley where a small cave awaited her. Mariana crept slowly down into the dimly lit cave until she found the opening of a secret passage. Inside she was greeted by the glow of the Firebirds standing one on every eight pillars surrounding the cave and at the far end of the cave sat an old man, his long white hair hanging around his shoulders like the wings of a snowbird. He watched her with a calm look on his aged face. "I see you have come, Scarred witch," He snarled. "It's been too long since I've seen one of you." His voice was raspy like rocks rubbing against sandpaper as he spoke. "How did you escape child death?" She didn't answer that knowing the wizard knew the answer to the question. "Hmmm..." He mused aloud."You certainly didn't come here to say hello, did you."

Mariana glared at the old man sitting atop the stone pedestal before her. His body looked more like it belonged to a human than a creature made of rock. He wore robes of dark colors with silver trim and a hood, hiding most of his features from her view. A long staff rested beside him with a skull perched atop it. Her eyes followed the path of the staff up to the skulls that lined the walls of the chamber that held her. Each skull looked like it belonged to some sort of beast. Most were humans. "Ahh, my skulls, I have lived many lives, transferring my souls from one body to the next, the human body was the weakest and finally I settled to recreate myself, I cast my souls into this rock and now it's stayed ageless, and very convenient too..." He laughed a wheezing laugh as his lips pulled back showing sharp yellow fangs that shone in the low light. His voice grew louder as he spoke, but not quite to the point where her ears would burst from the volume. "What can I do for you, Scarred witch?" He said after a moment when he stopped his rant. "You must be desperate to seek me out." He grinned at her. It sent shivers down her spine. It seemed like a smile was permanently frozen on his wrinkled face but she ignored it. Her thoughts drifted back to what she needed to tell him. She felt her hands start to tremble as she spoke.

"My only son has found his Mate and the Goddess has cursed him with a Werewolf Mate, just like She did with his father... My beloved Kade." She seethed. The anger inside her building to a boiling point.

"And this angers you?"

Groaning Mariana met the old man's gaze. "It does, it boils within me, like the very fires or Neëblüm, and worse, after everything I have done to prevent this from happening... Why does it seem as though my powers are weakened?"

"You may be a Scarred Witch but you are created with a fault no less, just like the humans, who can not truly attain their true potential, blinded to only see beyond what the Third Heavens allows, you are no different from them. The Goddess has given you so much but even that much should have also been taken from you because with Great Magic comes Darker Evil..." The wizard sighed sadly as he took off his hood. His beard, long and wiry with age, made him appear more like a grizzled grandfather instead of an ancient sage. "Your son, he is destined for greatness... But you have altered his density time and time again since birth, how long until you are satisfied oh Scarred Witch?" He asked, his voice softening and his expression filled with pity.

"Until he abhors the Lycan with every prowess of his being. Until the Lycan hates and could not hate him anymore,"

"To what end, Scarred witch?"

"Till he returns home to me and be mine again. Till I can choose for my son whom I truly want for him. Not those cursed Werewolves!" She growled venomously.

The wizard nodded thoughtfully. "It is neither his fault nor the Lycan's that Kade was rejected," He paused, looking into the fire that roared nearby.

"It was a Werewolf who took Kade from me and from him and I shall soon die than let a Werewolf take my son too." She snarled.

"The Goddess makes no mistakes when Pairing her Creations but you have made many and are still making more,"

"I do not care. He is my son and as such only I can protect him, can keep him safe, only I know what's best for my son."

"And does it not bother you that your beloved son suffers so much from what you are doing and from what you have done?"

"He will learn to appreciate my sacrifices sooner or later,"

"I highly doubt that, Scarred witch,"

"Then tell me, ancient one, what have you seen? What is his fate... and mine?"

"It is only wise that we are veiled blind from seeing into our future for if it were not so many will sleep and remain in their slumber awaiting a future that can never truly be told," He raised his face to meet that of the Scarred witch. "Many of your kind have been killed and it is this selfish desire which corrupts the purest part of the soul that grows into the title you are known for 'Scarred Witch' try not to let the Darkness engulf you in its endless void... Heed my warnings."

"I should go, it is time to bring the cubs to their parents," She kissed his feet and turned to leave.

"The part you tread is the darkest and remember it is always the darkest before dawn, tread wisely."

Mariana nodded and exited the cave.

That night the Werewolves laid an attack on her Clan.

*******

Mariana's frown deepened as her memories wandered. Her rage fueled the further she glared into her mirror at the sleeping form on the bed, so calm and warm, it brought tears to her eyes watching him sleep on his bed. She wanted to rip him from there and bring him home. It seems as though she was losing this battle before it had even begun and how she has tried to prevent any of these from happening. She can't lose, she has made sure she doesn't lose from that night. Her mind wandered once again, back to the night Kade abandoned them.

********

On the night they had found her son who followed his father and lost him in the woods, Mariana cursed her son to be hated if he should be fated with a Werewolf. She had spelled him into a deep slumber until her spells were done then she woke him up and fed him dinner. She hoped for his Mate to be a Weretiger or even a Witch, she wouldn't mind but if they were to be Werewolf then they shall not see eye to eye with each other. "My son, shall not have a Werewolf for a Mate, and should this be so, then Enemies will they remain until I am no more." Her words to her sleeping son. They say a Mates Bond is stronger than any blood bond but she trusted in her abilities as the Scarred Witch and she knew she could alter his destiny. It might give him a tough life but it will be one he shall thank her for in the near future. Things stayed peaceful after that night, she watched her little boy grow beautifully while she waited eagerly under the shades for the day he shall find his Mate.

One time when he was fourteen she thought his Fated was a certain Weretiger he had become very close with. With Eagle eyes, she watched their every move but soon the friendship faded once the Weretiger found his Fated. Her son became lonely once again and she became enraged. A few years later, they were chased away from their Homes by some unknown Rogues and they found themselves on the borders of River Bay. At first, it seem like they have finally found their place but then they learned of the Alpha Lycan and they knew their home could be taken away soon and they were right but that wasn't all that left the Witch annoyed, it is to the fact that two weeks on this strange Land, her son returned home, coated in the scent of a Lycan, as if he had taken a bath in a tub filled with the Alpha's Pheromones. She despised that smell and she tried to eliminate it from her son but the Alpha had Marked his claim to him making it impossible to remove his scent. But she had other means, she cursed the Alpha with forgetfulness. If he doesn't remember Mating her son then he will not come in search of him or so she had thought.

Her curse worked greatly, months turned into years and her son never heard from the Lycan again, she was glad, he became dependent on her once again and she became his all. He wasn't looking over his shoulders at every minute expecting his Mate to come bounding down to whisk him away from her grasp. Only she can protect and keep him safe. But, she could not evict the inevitable. She began to brew him tonic every night, a tonic that helps him to sleep and helps his Heat to not get out of control but that night her son had forgotten to take the tonic and his Heat came. Naturally, both Alphas and Omegas can keep track of their Sex Cycle and know when it is due to take proper medications and precautions to control the excessive amount of Pheromones Released in order not to attract unwanted circumstances arising. But with Caleb, his Sex Cycle was never determined. She could not say for certain when he was due to go into Heat so the only prevention method she had was the tonic.

And he forgot to take it.

After all her warnings.

She heard him groaning in his bedroom and when she came to check on him he was gone, shifted into his Tiger form and jumping out the window, she couldn't catch up in time and he was faster, bounding on all fours he leaped into the darkness and disappeared into the woods. She knew he was going after the Lycan and it infuriated her. Mariana grabbed her bag and went after her son but soon lost his scent to the many smells of Werewolves hunting the grounds that night as it was the night of the Full Moon. She returned home with her hands behind her head. But there was another way to keep the situation under control.

Her mirror of Infinity.

She went into her inner chamber and invoked her son's whereabouts and through the Mirror she kept him grounded to a spot, rendering him weak to the point he could not get up from the grassy beds to continue his quest. She intended to have him waiting there until his Heat subsides then she will summon him home but the Lycan found him and she immediately began to seek another plan, fogging the Lycan's memories and blinding him to the knowledge of who her son was... who he meant to him... and instead of embracing and bringing his Mate home with him, Rafa Marked him Unwanted, charged him to cease his Pheromones and thus ending his Heat which somehow worked in her favor too and sent him home.

Yes, he pretended everything was alright after that incident and she pretended she didn't have the slightest clue as well while helping him to get over the Lycan. But, somehow that proved futile. He keeps wanting to run back to him. And she hates the Lycan more and more for that. Especially when she has to make her son suffer because of him, she wanted him dead from that moment on but somehow he wouldn't die.

Something or someone keeps breathing the breath of life into his nostrils, bringing him back to life to taunt her.

And now her son is with him, in his PackLand, under his care and watch and she is supposed to sit calmly and watch the only thing she cares about rip from her grasp yet again? She would rather die than give him up. Of course, she was more than delighted when Dare gave her the news of her son's recovery, it turned out that he didn't die from that arrow and had made full recovery from the poison which only means she has to do all in her might to bring him back home.

She has tried with the Lycan and it hasn't worked as well as she wanted this entire time.

And now, she will try with her son, and with that thought in mind, Mariana cast her spells into her mirror.

******

Conri barged into the room and the sound of the door crashing down had the sleeping Weretiger jumping away from the bed and sitting upright eyes at the door. When their eyes met, Xiher roared and charged the Alpha to depart from his sight.

"GET OUTTT!" He roared, taking Conri by surprise who stumbled back into the Hallway from the wind that pushed him back forcefully. "Stay away from me!" He warned, the shattered doors were restored and slammed back into their hinges. Keeping Conri and Rafa stunned and gawking at the now-shut door. Caleb sat on the bed and cried as memories of how the Lycan shot him dead flooded his mind with vengeance.

Mariana smiled.