Taming the Hybrid Mate: Desired by Five Alphas-Chapter 248: The witches’ coven

Andria’s POV

I walked into the building, and the building felt enchanted because once inside, it didn’t look abandoned anymore.

It had beautiful, but old, interior decor, giving it an ancient elegance.

Older and younger females sat along the corridor and at each corner.

Some were sewing clothes, while some were chanting some incoherent words.

"This place is beautiful. How is it even possible that a place with such a hideous exterior has this beautiful interior?" I uttered in bewilderment.

"It’s a facade. The exterior is a facade. We need to make sure we conceal our existence by making the outer look less appealing and abandoned," Lady Eskareth replied.

"What’s this place? And why did you bring me here?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrow.

"It seems you are not catching up with me, or you just want me to spell it out," she said, studying my countenance.

The place looked like a place for a clandestine rendezvous of witches. I would have called it a coven, but it didn’t look as hideous as the tales described it.

"Well, I have my suspicions, but I might be wrong. You should enlighten me," I replied slowly, walking carefully on the tiled floor so that I wouldn’t step on an enchanted object.

"It’s the witches’ coven. We built this shelter during the war. During the famine, there was a great struggle for food and other things. Some creatures became prey while others went extinct. The witches made this enchanted building to survive those years, and it has been our abode since then," she replied.

"Then why do you live in that small hut in the middle of the woods surrounding Ashwood?" I asked, curiosity getting me.

"I lived with a she-wolf. I was her witch before she died.

Because of everything I had done for her, my fame spread around the wolf kingdom, and every female wolf came seeking help from me.

They said I had the moon goddess’s touch, and I was welcomed amongst the wolves as their own, although I wasn’t so free as I thought.

Years later, I became the queen’s witch, and after the tragedy that befell the queen, they sought to kill me, thinking that I had played a part in the tragedy, just because I had told them about it beforehand.

I ran away from the palace, but when I returned to the witches’ coven, I wasn’t accepted, and so I ran to the middle of the forest, an outcast and made an enchanted little hut there for myself.

So you see why I cast the wolf’s bane on you three, the first day you came to my hut. My whole existence registered a threat before I could register the reason you came. But I’m glad you came.

You are going to set me free some day amongst the wolves, and I will claim my innocence before them.

You are the chosen offspring to bring order, although you can also bring chaos if not appropriately guided. But you are in the right hand," she finished.

"But how did you get back to the coven?" I asked, wanting to understand the Lady I’ve grown so fond of.

If she knew so much about my existence, even some things I’m not aware of, then there is no harm in finding out about her.

"I visited the coven once, the old witches had already been wiped out due to some weird potion the werewolves had gotten to wipe away every black witch, which they think I’m a part of.

I had the antidote to that potion, and because I saved a vast majority of the witches, I was welcomed back," she replied softly, staring in space as if she was lost in thoughts, or was recalling exactly how everything had played out.

"How do you mean by that I’m the chosen offspring?" I asked, replaying her former words in my mind.

"You look exhausted, let’s go get you something first," she replied, brushing off my question.

I wondered what sort of a meal I would eat as a vampire in a witch coven.

I followed her until we got to a room. She opened the door and stepped aside for me to get in.

I hesitated before getting inside. The room looked like a quiet initiation room. The witches there turned in uniform upon sensing my presence.

"Pick anyone," Lady Eskareth ordered.

"Have you done this before?" I asked, sensing something weird.

"Aria, I can’t answer all your questions today. The truth will only keep unravelling itself, and the reason for every action will be seen," she replied proverbially.

I moved closer to each one, and suddenly the smell of blood overcame me. I turned to my right, just to notice that one of them had slit her fingers.

The bloodlust overcame me at once, reminding me of how hungry I had been. I rushed to her with the speed of lightening, and before she could whimper, I had already inserted my canines into her neck.

She stood still, moaning. It was the compelling effect that didn’t let the victim feel hurt as they are being fed on until the predator drains the life out of them.

"Stop already," Lady Eskareth ordered. "You are going to drain the life out of her."

But I couldn’t stop, not now. The more I drank, the more I craved. The blood tasted different, and I wanted to have all of it.

I couldn’t control my darkness, and at this moment, I let it control me. I felt a burning sensation within an overpowering surge of energy, and I could get drunk on this blood.

"Stop Aria," Lady Eskareth shouted, pulling me out of her, causing my teeth to drag along her flesh, blood pouring out of her and pushing me to go back to drinking.

"Why did you stop me?" I asked, annoyance tugging at me.

She didn’t answer me, she just placed her hands on the spot I had fed on, and made some incantations, and slowly the mark started closing up.

"Aria, you nearly killed her. You need to learn to control your bloodlust," she muttered under her breath.