The SUV pulled up to the driveway smoothly, slowing then stopping just in front of the sprawling house. The chipped and faded tan paint revealed the previous coat - a light sky blue. Opening the black door of the vehicle, I stepped onto the faded stone path that led to the front door.
Damien walked around the car from the driver's side, and came around the car to grab my hand. Together, with Chris and Becky following behind us, we stepped up to the chipped wooden door. Damien knocked on the door, and I rested my head on his shoulder.

The door opened with a gentle click, revealing a woman. "Hello. What can I do for you?" She was short and slender, with a small frame that was covered in a loose, colorful dress. With bright green eyes and her enormous, curly, color-streaked brown hair, she seemed larger than her small figure really was. I would guess she was a few years older than me.
"We need to squeeze a little information out of you, Maeve." Chris spoke from behind Damien and I. "I'm afraid we've got a little bit of a problem on our hands."
"Chris, darling!" She crowed, "How nice to see you again! Come on in, honey!" She held the door open further to allow us to enter.
Her house was lit with mostly natural light, streaming in from a multitude of windows positioned around the airy living room. The overwhelming scent of lavender and sage burned my sensitive nostrils, and I cringed before schooling my excression for Maeve's benefit. In the living room, Damien sat on the couch and I sat next to him. Chris and Becky sat across from us, and Mauve set a platter of cookies between us before settling into a rocking chair. I immediately reached for one, as did Chris.
"So you must be Damien, the Alpha. I've heard all about you from Chris!" Maeve's cheerful personality seemed to surprise Damien and he blinked at her before answering.
"All good things, I hope." Damien said, shooting Chris a look. Chris smirked, and looked back at Maeve.
"Of course, of course! It's nice to finally meet you!" He gaze switched to me, lingering for a second. She looked confused for a moment before continuing. "And this must be your mate! Your connection is strong!" She smiled, all traces of any confusion from earlier gone.
"Um, thank you?" I said, wondering if that was a good thing.
Maeve switched her focus from me to the group. "So, what seems to be the problem?"
"Maeve, you once told me about a coven of witches called the Black Rose Coven." Chris said tentatively. "Could you tell us more about them?"
Maeve froze. "Why do you need to know about them?" Her voice had lost its bright cheerfulness, and now it was cold and empty.
Damien spoke up, his voice rumbling through the thick silence. "We believe they are targeting my mate."
Maeve's eyes snapped to mine. "Why?"
Damien spoke, and I could detect a hint of annoyance in his voice. "We don't know-"
"They think I'm a werewolf-witch mix." I interrupted.
Maeve's eyes widened further. "Oh, god." Her voice was quiet. "I saw it in your aura, I just didn't believe my eyes."
"What is it?" Damien snapped at her. I grabbed his hand, trying to calm him down. I could feel his frustration and annoyance and fear.
"Your mate," Maeve gestured at me, looking slightly flustered, "is extremely rare and powerful. It is rare for werewolves and witches to breed, but it is far more rare for their offspring to survive infancy."
"Why?" I asked, heart beating faster. This was a clue to who my parents were.
"Because, you understand that werewolves have a unique stream of magic, if you will, that allows them to shapeshift, correct?" I nodded. "Now witches also have a stream of magic, and this magic is what allows them to conjure, and create spells. When both of these streams of magic enter a single offspring, they don't mix. Usually, such radically different streams of magic aren't compatible, and they end up killing the infant up before it reaches the age of a toddler. Now, most of the time, if the toddler survives, it's because they didn't inherit magic from both parents." Maeve paused, watching me carefully. "Only one other werewolf-witch has ever been recorded in history."
It took a second for that to sink in. All the others died. All of them. I looked up at Damien, to see him looking down at me, concern in his eyes. I squeezed his hand gently, telling him I was alright.
"They want you because of the power they can get from you." Maeve said, eyes sympathetic. "With your werewolf genes, you heal faster and gain more energy in less time. They can drain your witch magic, and it would be back in half the time it takes for them to refill. You're practically a living lodestone."
"Well, how the hell can we keep her from them?" Damien growled.
Maeve looked sad. "You can fight, Damien, but they will be stronger than you."
"How could a single coven of witches be stronger than my pack?" Damien snarled. I could feel the tense anger radiating out from him in waves.
Maeve spoke quietly. "These witches have no morals. They use blood magic, animal sacrifices..." Maeve paled, her eyes going vacant as she was sucked into a memory.
"Maeve?" Chris looked worried as he spoke gently.
She shook her head and looked back at us. "Sorry. I-I just have some bad memories with the Black Rose Coven."
"Would you mind sharing them with us? It would be good for us to know our enemy." Chris asked kindly, glancing at Damien, who was squeezing my hand like it was holding him on earth.
Maeve took a shaky breath. "It was my sister. She... for some reason, she joined them. It was my fault. She loved experimenting with magic. But some of the stuff she did, she didn't realize how dark it was getting. We had a really bad fight one night, and she ran off, and went to them. She decided that her experiments were more important than her family." Maeve wiped a few tears from under her eyes, sniffling. "But when she realized what they were doing... how evil they were... she came to her senses I guess. We started talking - that's how I know so much about them - and I wanted to get her out. But it was too late. She was already inside, and once you're in, you never get out. She tried to escape one night, and... and," She took a shuddering breath, "We found her body in a field. The only way we could recognise her were by dental records. They burned her to death and threw her in a field." Maeve sobbed.
Chris handed her a tissue, and rubbed her back gently.
"I'm sorry for your loss." Damien said tightly.
After blowing her nose, Maeve crumpled the tissue in her fist. "I'm sorry. I haven't broken down like this in a long time." She said, voice watery.
Becky smiled sympathetically. "It was a traumatic event. Your response is very justified."
"I know you have more questions, fire away." She said, turning to Damien.
Chris looked like he wanted to object, but Damien sent him a look.
"I need to know every detail you know about the Black Rose Coven." Damien said, and the hard edge to his voice sent chills through me. This was the Damien who had built an empiric pack before he would have finished high school. This was the man who slaughtered entire packs that stood in his way. This was the cold, calculating general who worked in quick, precise attacks, that became known as the Silvermoon Strikes.
This was the wolf who was going to save his mate from the enemy, no matter what the price.
I wasn't sure what I should feel first, pride or fear.

A/N: Hey guys!
I hope you enjoy this chapter! I'm in Tahoe right now, and I have no computer 😖. So forgive the typos!

Remember to comment and vote!