The cackling witch was getting her way once again, but Alexander didn't care.
He wasn't going to stop until her bones crunched between his teeth.
Alexander was chasing her, but she was deliberately leading him the wrong way.
She knew she could outmaneuver the baby wolf before he even got close.
Ayla was pulling farther away from him with every step of his paws, while the witch's cackles grew bolder and more arrogant.
The witch had played her part, distracting him completely, and now he was coming after her with all he had.
Between her taunts and his deep love for Ayla, he had managed to break free from the spell, which only made Mrs. Bitch Witch hate him even more.
Rather than letting him ruin their fun, she chose to play a little game of cat and mouse to keep him occupied while his friends wandered farther into the woods in separate directions.
Just as he was about to let the little witch get the better of him, he figured it would be smarter to shift and trail the shadows on foot instead of on paws; they wouldn't expect that.
With his wolf still not fully himself, it was safer that way.
That's when he heard it.
"Bring him this way, Rowena!" he heard a voice, smooth and alluring, whisper.
The one he disliked the most had a name, but the one who spoke up had a voice like an angel.
"Oh, Maeve, you can't have all the fun. He's mine. Bring him my way, he is cute!"
Another voice whispered from the woods, but it lacked the mesmerizing pull of the so-called Maeve he had heard before.
He wasn't stupid; he could see right through what they were up to.
"So, you ladies want to play a game, huh? How many of you are there this time? Last time, there were two. I've already spotted three. How many more will I have the pleasure of meeting?"
"Zinnia, he's such a charmer. Do you think he always speaks that sweetly?"
Alexander recognized the angelic voice as Maeve's, but she had shifted farther away and a bit more to his right.
As he moved, he tried to map them out while they talked.
"Maybe we should check with Rowena and Raven. They're the ones who talked to him earlier, right?" Zinnia suggested.
'So Raven was the siren,' he thought to himself.
"Good point, ladies," a new voice chimed in from close to his left, drifting away as it added, "So, girls, was he just as sweet when you saw him in person?"
"We couldn't tell. It was as if he were mute. He never said a word to us, Acacia. But he does have a handsome voice, doesn't he?" Rowena replied.
"Careful now, Rowena. Keep it up, and I might just tell your smelly friend you've found a new plaything," Raven teased, her voice carrying a soft, almost hypnotic lilt before she burst into a cackle.
He immediately recognized the siren's call from before.
Alexander was closing in on their location, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips, as they became absorbed in conversation.
"That's enough, ladies. You're falling right into his trap. Didn't you notice he was just a few steps away?" A new voice slithered over him, sending chills down his spine and making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end.
Several witches responded together, "Yes, Mother Gaia."
Silence, no rustle of a leaf, no crack of a branch, not even a faint whisper.
Alexander froze, not knowing where they had gone or what he should do.
They had a plan, but now he wasn't sure if he was still part of it, if they were distracting him, or if he was the one distracting them.
What he knew for sure was that he had to find his team and bring them back together, making things right again.
But everyone was going the wrong way.
Who was he meant to go to first for help?
How could he choose the person on whom he could break the spell?
It was like having cotton in his ears one moment, and the next, it was gone.
The chirping of crickets reached him, and the rustle of wind through distant bushes drew his attention.
Then it hit him, they had cast a spell so he couldn't hear them retreat, and that's when he realized who to go after.
Raphael.
But how was he supposed to find him?
He'd need to change back and put his trust in himself and his wolf.
He could do it, for Ayla, for Julius, and for the team.
He took a deep breath to calm himself, knowing every second counted.
In an instant, he shifted into his wolf form, and to his surprise, Raphael's scent filled his senses.
"Raphael, I need you. Shake it off and let me reach you. You're under a spell."
At that moment, he ran cautiously toward what seemed like his best chance.
Surprisingly, he seemed to have a better handle on his wild side, and though he didn't fully understand it, he wasn't questioning it.
Raphael was usually gentle as a teddy bear, but he could be a beast when he wanted to be.
Alexander had no idea which side of his teammate he was going to face. without control of his wolf.
As he closed the gap, the growl reached his ears, making it clearer which version he was about to face.
A wolf was warning him to keep away.
"Is that you?" he asked Raphael telepathically.
"Why are you following me? We're not even friends, and I just met you."
Alexander did his best not to take his words personally.
"It's a spell. Think about it. SPELL. WITCHES."
"GGGGRRRRRR."
Raphael shook his head, struggling to make sense of what he was hearing.
Alexander felt too nervous to get any closer, but at least he could see Raphael from where he stood.
"I won't come any closer, but shift. Shift with me. Please."
Raphael hesitated, sensing his wolf's unease about leaving him in his other form.
Why would he leave him totally defenseless, given the situation they were in?
"Just do it, before it's too late to save Phoenix."
Raphael perked up his ears.
Whatever it was that happened when he mentioned his best friend, it triggered something.
He shifted, and Alexander followed him and did the same.
He quickly recounted his encounter with the witches and his thoughts on what was going on, and it all made sense to Raphael, who was trying to shake it off himself.
Just like before, his wolf felt stronger and more like himself the longer he stayed in human form.
For some reason, being in human form helped shake off the rest of the spell, as if it only worked on their wolves.
That was something the witches hadn't seen coming.
They teamed up to figure out a plan to save the rest.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the easiest task, and they didn't have much time to get it done.
In the end, they chose to go after the newly uncursed wolves first, since Phoenix was more capable of looking after himself than the girls were.
Or so they thought.
When it came to dealing with other wolves and witches, they were inexperienced and on their own.
Once again, lone wolves seldom make it on their own.
Raphael chased after the orphans, while Alexander went after Ayla for another try.
Or at least, that was the plan.
The hope was that Stella and Rhae would stay together or at least remain nearby.
The trees thinned out in the area they were running through, but it was still forested enough to make the task far from easy.
If nothing else, the witches picked the perfect spot to face off against the newly separated wolves on their journey.
Raphael moved quickly through the scattered shrubs, wildflowers, and trees, which now seemed fewer than the dense growth they had passed after leaving the clearing.
It felt like the land once wanted to clear itself, but then decided against it.
Thankfully, Stella and Rhae carried a faint scent that the former Major of the Silver Moon pack was able to detect.
The girls weren't together as Alexander and Raphael had hoped, but they weren't far from each other.
Raphael hatched a plan as he sprinted toward Rhae.
If he could reach her, she could then reach her best friend, hopefully.
He didn't hesitate, heading straight for her, and rather than following Alexander's lead when he faced the crazed wolf, he chose a different path.
With what he knew and the way he remembered his wolf felt, he realized he had two choices.
He could either take his chances trying to reach her wolf by talking to her, or just skip that step altogether.
In an instant, he collided with her and held her down on the ground.
"GGRRRR."
She immediately began snapping at him, aiming to sink her fangs into his neck, but he knew from experience that scared wolves never listen.
"Stop. You need to listen to me. NOW. You are under a spell."
After that, she still wouldn't listen, only becoming more aggressive and angrier about being pinned down.
Her wolf didn't bother to notice who had him pinned to the ground, consumed by fear and shutting out any trace of reason.
"STOP. NOW. You aren't being yourself. Your wolf is scared. Think about it. It's Raphael."
He thought he was getting through to her when she paused, looking at him with hesitation.
That was when he pulled back for a moment, but then she used all her strength to shove him away and lunged at him again, fangs bared.
She turned into a fierce wolf whenever her instincts and senses faded away.
Hurting her was the last thing he wanted.
"RHAE," she heard, her focus slipping from him for just a split second, long enough for him to pin her once more.
Stella was calling out to her, but from where exactly?
"Snap out of it. You're going to hurt him. We need him to find our way."
Now Raphael could hear her as well, but it didn't seem like the voice was in his head.
She hoped to hear from someone who could help, and she overheard him trying to assist Rhae.
He spent the whole time helping Stella while fighting with Rhae.
That meant she was closer than he had realized.
"Stella, let her see you. It might help more than just hearing your voice. The witches are toying with us. This coven is the worst of them, and they get a kick out of tormenting us for fun. We can't let them watch us break."
Stella's anger was unmistakable as she asked, "Are they watching us?"
"This isn't the time. We need to gather everyone and get the hell out of here, now! Ayla and Phoenix are still out there somewhere and need our help."
Suddenly, she was fully grounded.
"What do you need me to do?"
He filled her in, and the goal was to get the group to shift.
It was their best defense for Rhae.
She had a powerful wolf, stronger than he ever imagined.
Although it wasn't easy, with Stella there, they finally got her to shift, and the trio was back to their usual selves, standing on two feet.
"The witches won't be pleased, and they'll be coming after us with a vengeance. They'll either make things tougher for Phoenix or find another way to make us pay. Stay ready, we have to find him fast."
Just like that, they set off to find the last man in the group.
To their surprise, as they followed the faint trail of Phoenix's scent, they realized it didn't quite smell like his wolf, not entirely.
"Something is wrong. His wolf doesn't smell right."
Stella frowned slightly, her concern evident.
"What do you mean?"
Raphael knew the girls were beginners at tracking and trailing, so he took the time to explain it as they walked.
"When I was looking for you girls, I could track your wolves' scents because the glands give off a distinct smell. Your human form has a similar scent, just a bit different. His scent, though, is a mix of both, shifting back and forth. It's like he's changing forms for some reason."
Just then, the trio heard a sharp snap to their left and instantly froze.
Straining to catch any hint of who or what might be there sent chills racing down their spines.
There hadn't been enough time for their wolves to come down from the surge of adrenaline the spell had triggered, leaving them still tense and on high alert.
"Behind me, NOW!" Raphael whispered.
"Oh, so protective of the little orphans, aren't we?"
"Show yourself. Stop being a coward and hiding in the shadows, witch."
"Relax, Raphael. No need to be so judgmental, you know you have no right to be. Secrets, secrets, secrets. How long has it been since you last heard from your mother? Hmmm. And now you protect those you once hunted. Tsk, tsk, tsk. The orphans were never meant to be found."
Raphael seemed uneasy with what she said and the hints behind it.
"You're causing trouble again, just like your coven always does. Enough. No one should have to live not knowing who their parents are. Witches can't be trusted, so just go."
"HAHAHA...That's hilarious. Oh, poor handsome boy. One day, you won't be able to hide from everything. You'll have to come to us. We have the answers you're looking for, though you won't be able to find them all. Until then."
That's when they heard a voice say, "Sylvie, leave them be. You don't belong here."
"This is my forest. I'll be here until the day I die, and no wolf or witch is going to tell me otherwise, thank you very much," she said with a wink at Raphael before vanishing behind a tree as quickly as she had appeared.
No sooner had she left than Phoenix strolled through the trees, looking as smug as a man lounging on a beach with a margarita in hand.
From Raphael's perspective, that usually meant his best friend was up to something.
Something that would make him want to smack the guy.