Chapter 3 : The Witch In The Woods

*Circe* Circe walked quietly through the woods and followed the flow of magic towards the top of the mountain. Part of her felt a little worried and nervous to see the wild witch, but she tried to find her inner strength and remind herself why she was doing this. As she walked, the trees seemed to be losing their color and bending toward her like a canopy. Circe stepped lightly and kept her eye out for anything dangerous that might be lurking in the woods. She had heard so many haunting rumors about the witch in the woods, she couldn't help keeping her head on a swivel. She listened to all the noises and the cries of other wolves around. The pull of magic was definitely getting strong as she moved up the mountain. Circe's heart started to pound more wildly in her chest. It skipped a beat with every snapping of a branch or call of an animal in the distance. The path started to curve, and suddenly the hooting of owls grew loud and echoed through the trees. Circe stopped for a moment and tried to see the owls around. Despite her sensitive wolf sight, she couldn't spot any of them. She felt a small chill rise up her spine. Had she been imagining the sounds? She paused for a moment and questioned if it was worth it to continue on this ominous journey. Picturing Henry with his arms around her, she felt warm and comforted by the image. But then Mae's face popped into her head, and Circe filled with jealous rage again. Suddenly, her fear disappeared, and she felt a new sense of confidence. With a scowl on her face, she continued up the mountain. Circe walked faster, ignoring the cries of the owls. She turned the corner and saw the cottage in the distance. Smoke was blowing heavily through the chimney, and the place was surrounded with twinkling lights and the glow of fireflies. On the outside, it looked like any normal cottage with just a few small hints at magic brought about by the lights. Despite its beautiful appearance, Circe got an eerie feeling. Nothing felt right about this place, and it made her shiver a bit. It was as if there was a pulsing energy around the house warning people to stay away. She forced herself to move forward and knock on the door. The house was quiet. Despite the lights and smoke, it almost seemed as if no one was home. Circe wondered if she should leave or try to knock again. As she raised up her hand, the door swung open to reveal a wild, unkempt, frightening woman. Circe instinctively stepped back. The witches hair was long and dark with dreads and braids intermixed. Her eyes were a piercing green covered in dark smoke. All of her clothes were tattered and torn, while covered in barnacles and shells. Around her shoulders hissed a shimmering green snake that fixed its slitted eyes on Circe. The witch smirked at Circe and leaned seductively against the side of the door. "Well, little wolf, you're a long way from home. Especially for being all alone on such a cold, dark night. How can I help you?" Her words dripped out like vinegar, and Circe backed up further. With her lips trembling, the words would not cooperate. "I want you to do a spell for me," Circe finally forced out. The witch smiled wider, revealing her sharp teeth. "You want me to do a spell for you? Is that all? Well, little wolf, what can you offer me in return?" Even the snake around her neck seemed to be smirking back at Circe. "What? Wh-what, um, what would you want…?" The witch cackled again. As she threw her head back Circe saw detailed scars and tattoos swirling around the witch's chest. Circe wrapped her arms around herself and tried to build up her courage. "Come on in, deary. We can talk about the price later. My name is Raveena. Don't worry, I won't bite." Raveena winked at Circe as she stepped aside. Hesitantly, Circe walked into the house, making sure to keep a safe distance from the snake. The small cottage was filled with candles, plants, and jars that were filled with what looked like intestines and blood. Circe's eyes were drawn to all of the gruesome contents, even though she wanted to look away. What had she gotten herself into? "Tell me what kind of spell you're looking for, wolfy," Raveena demanded, moving to sit down on a chair at her table. Raveena causally petted the head of her snake. Slowly, Circe moved to sit down next to her. Before she lost all courage, she blurted it out. "I want this man. I'm pretty certain he is meant to be mated to another wolf. He's in love with her, and it's driving me crazy," Circe mumbled. "Oh, I see, and you wish this man would start paying more attention to you. I understand. Did you want me to kill this other girl? Something along those lines?" "What? No! No! No one has to die. I want you just to change who they are mated to, so I end up with Henry." Circe felt her heart jump in her chest. She backed her chair away from Raveena a little. "Well, that is certainly simpler and will be easier to accomplish. So Henry shall be mated to you. What about this other woman?" "Her name is Mae. I don't know. I don't really care, just not Henry," Circe barked. Raveena gave Circe a curious stare and frightened Circe deeply. The snake around her neck seemed to almost be leaning in as if ready to strike. "I'll need a name, deary, if this is going to work." Raveena's tone had turned to ice. Her eyes seemed as dark and narrow as her pet. Circe instinctively backed up again. "Fine, um, she can mate with Nathan. That would be perfect for Mae," Circe offered with a satisfied scoff. Circe pictured Mae finding she's mated to Nathan, such a whimpy man without even a hint of Alpha in him. She couldn't help but let a wide crooked smile spread across her face. "Well, there you go. You shall be mated to Henry, and Mae will be mated to this Nathan. Now I'll need you to bring me a piece of Henry and Nathan's fur. Can you do that?" "Yes, yes I think I can do that. I can bring it back to you tomorrow. Is that acceptable?" Raveena smiled and gave Circe a curious look. Circe swallowed hard and tried not to show that she was afraid. "Let's just be sure this is all you want," Raveena cooed. "What do you mean?" "Surely, you've heard the rumors about me, my dear. You risked it all to see the witch in the mountain, and all you want is a little switch? I would think you'd be asking for so much more." Raveena went back to sweetly petting her slithering pet. Circe swallowed hard. She realized how little she had thought this plan through. Other wishes and thoughts had crossed her mind, but she wasn't sure it'd be worth whatever price Raveena could come up with. Besides, she didn't care so much about causing Mae pain. She just wanted Henry. "I can get you the fur by tomorrow, but all I want is to switch mates. I just want Henry to be mine. Do we have a deal?" Circe asked, trying to sound as confident as she could. Raveena stared at Circe and remained unnaturally still. The snake started to move down her arm and slink between Raveena's fingers. Circe took her hands off the table slowly. She started to feel as if she should say something else. Or should she just get up and leave? "Alright, deary. Bring me what I require by sundown tomorrow, and we'll see if you still want a deal then." Circe nodded, unsure what else to say or do. "You can leave now, deary." Circe stood up quickly and sped towards the door. She walked as quickly as she could back down the path, forcing herself not to look back. … The next evening, Circe gripped the small pouches of fur in her hand as she hesitantly walked back up the mountain. Several times, she stopped and wondered if this was truly what you wanted to do. But every time she paused, she pictured Henry's face. Circe forced herself to keep walking up the mountain in the fading sunlight. The owls hooting welcomed Circe to what she could only think of as the haunted house of the witch. Circe knocked lightly on the door. "Come in, deary," Raveena called from inside. Circe pushed the door open and was hit instantly with a wave of the most repulsive smell. Circe held back a gag and forced herself to breathe through her mouth. Moving through the small space, Circe sat down quietly at the table. She watched as Raveena continued to stir her poisonous mixture in a boiling pot on her stove. "You're late, deary. I wondered if you were coming at all. I thought perhaps you changed your mind, but now you're here. Are you still certain this is what you want?" "Yes, I am. I brought the fur you required." She'd been able to follow along behind Henry when he was out on his morning run and grab some fur that had gotten caught in a bramble. Nathan's had been harder to track down since he didn't shift often, but luckily, she had been able to trick him into going for a run with her late that afternoon and pushed him into a rose bush. Some of his fur got caught on a thorn, and she went back later to get it. Still stirring her pot, the witch looked over her shoulder with a wicked smile. "Oh, excellent. Place the fur on the table," Raveena demanded. Circe put the bags on the table and waited patiently for what Raveena ordered her to do next. She couldn't help but look around for the snake or any other wild surprises that might be lingering around. "Now, I'll cast the spell tonight. Are you certain you're willing to pay the price?" "Well, we haven't exactly talked about price, but I'll pay whatever you want, just please do this for me!" Circe didn't mean to shout, but she was frustrated with the back and forth. She wanted it done. She knew Henry and Mae were destined to be mated any time now. The mating ceremony was only a few days away. Raveena laughed wildly. She stepped away from her boiling pot and walked towards the table. Raveena kept her eyes on Circe and looked a little frightening as she picked up the bags of fur on the table. Raveena continued to mumble some words toward the pot. The smoke coming off the edges started to glow a deep blue and rose higher. Raveena's mumbling became louder and it took all of Circe's courage to stay planted in her seat. She watched in mesmerizing horror as Raveena continued. The blue haze of the potion reflected off of Raveena's pale skin, making her look almost sickly. Raveena continued to speak her jumbled words and threw in the fur patches. Circe gripped the edge of the table to keep herself from running out. She wasn't sure how long she watched in trepidation, but finally, the pot sort of exploded out, and she knew it was done. As the smoke cleared, Circe looked up to see Raveena's haggard and wild appearance. She was staring at her with the strangest expression and Circe swallowed hard. "Now, my dear, we talk price."