Chapter 760: THE WITCH

BALE’S POV

Bale hated the fact that they had been interrupted by the arrival of their destination.

She smelled so beautiful and holding unto her had been like a dream.

He had been so uneasy and uncomfortable.

Trying his best not to push himself up against her.

He hated how he felt so shameless and foolish around her.

"Let’s get down." She instructed.

"Oh... uh... er... yes of course." He replied and attempted to come down.

"What are you doing?" She asked grabbing his shirt. "You’re going to fall. You can’t come down without support."

Ego and shame fuelled him.

He realised that she probably saw him as nothing but a boy who couldn’t do anything for himself and that genuinely at him up.

He had to change the narrative.

Stubbornly, he insisted. "I always come down fine."

And he did come down.

Except in the process of landing, he balanced on his weaker leg and came crashing down to the floor.

He felt so stupid.

He heard her gasp as she hurried down from her horse .

"Sweet goddess are you okay?" She asked him, startled.

In seconds she was by his side and helping him up on his feet.

He spat out some grass that had found the way into his teeth.

"I’m fine." He said even though he could taste the blood in his mouth.

"I need to check you to be sure." She insisted trying to check him up.

"I’m fine." He said quickly taking his walking stick away from her.

She let him and didn’t say a word except carry his bag for him.

He felt so stupid.

He wondered why she was even still hanging with him.

Didn’t he give her the creeps?

Someone like her must have someone.

A mate already.

With the way everyone went crazy at her, all the stares, he was certain that she at least had one.

One who was probably muscular, fierce, handsome, perhaps an aspiring gamma.

He felt shame and jealousy overwhelm him.

Who was he even to compete with anyone over her.

They arrived at the door and she turned to him.

"The moment he starts acting nuts, we have to leave. Okay?" She asked him.

He nodded. "Okay."

And then she knocked.

Another knock before hearing a. "Come in."

They stepped into the small cottage.

It was a tiny dark home with items scattered around it.

Cobwebs hung so thick they looked as though they had been there for centuries.

There were rotten pieces of food on the floor.

The few furniture that existed in the room were torn and worn out.

It smelled awful.

You could hardly believe that anyone lived here.

He scowled his face at the awful stench and covered his nose.

"Where is he? Are you sure anyone lives here?" Bale turned to ask her.

But he saw that Ruby wasn’t holding back on her nose the way he was.

She walked about as though nothing smelled.

He suddenly felt an overwhelming shame and cursed his rich boy privileges.

"Yes. He should be." Ruby said looking around.

Bale immediately straightened up and pretended like he could barely perceive anything too despite the fact that it was killing him.

A cockroach ran past and Bale knew that the cockroach was probably running off to his nest somewhere.

He wanted to throw up.

"So this woman... Circe. Why does she stay in the middle of the forest alone?" Bale asked as he went the other side of the house.

"Because i like my own space."

An old woman who had matted hair with a sagging face said to Bale’s face.

Bale yelped and jumped away from the woman , his heart beating so fast he felt it was going to hop out any moment from now.

"Hey... hey..." Ruby said rushing to his rescue.

She gently pushed him back and stood in front of the woman herself while Bale steadied himself on his walking stick.

"We didn’t mean any harm." Ruby replied hastily. "We’re just here because my friend has questions. Please."

There was a strained silence and the woman simply stood still.

Bale could perceive her awful body odor.

When was the last time she had even had her bath?

If ever.

Eventually she turned away and began to hobble off.

"Get out. I don’t welcome visitors." She instructed. "You’re lucky I didn’t kill you the moment you walked in here."

Ruby turned and looked back at him.

Bale swallowed hard. "We can’t just go."

Ruby sighed heavily and rose her head up to the woman.

"My friends just wants to ask questions about...." Ruby turned to look at him and Bale quickly said. "Stars."

"The stars." Ruby repeated. "Please. You’re the oldest wolf in the pack that I’m aware of. The only person that I know could give an answer to his questions."

The old woman sneered and snorted all at once.

She honked to her worn out couch and lay down.

It was then Bale could actually see her face.

Her brown hair was badly matted and dirty.

She had no eyelashes and her lips were cracked and dry.

She barely had any flesh in her withered body and her clothes hung loosely on what was left of her body.

She was what he had been made to believe a wicked witch would look like growing up.

"Speak." She said.

Ruby turned to look at Bale.

He took the cue and stepped forward uneasily.

He set his arm on his walking stick and began to fish through the contents of his bag.

He produced his note book filled with torn papers.

"I’ve researched and studied the stars from so many scholars. There are stories of an untold legend here. Legend of how we wolves came to being." He expressed.

She shifted and then her eyes went white, her hands turned to her wolf claws.

She turned to Ruby and pointed her dirty claws at her.

"You who do not belong here will bring death on us all." The old woman screeched.

What the hell?!

"Get back! Red! Red! Get back! Run away from here! Leave here! Die! Or we shall all die!" She screamed, except this time she now stood up on her feet.

Bale watched astonished as the woman progressed towards them and Ruby took steps back.

"Bearer of wreath. End your line so that we may not face what your generation shall bring!" She screamed and grabbed Ruby’s arms, her claws digging into a terrified Ruby.

Bale immediately came to his senses and growled, his left hand revealing his clawed palm.

He struck the old woman down.