83 - ra


    I stand at the door taking everything in. Brianna and Marietta are both muttering


    under their breath, I assume invoking some kind of charm to protect us all. I have so many questions and my impatience is making me antsy. I have to wait, give her a moment to feel normal and safe, but this is its own form of torture.


    I believe Marietta feels the same as me. Not for the same reasons though. She keeps looking at the girl with disbelief. Maybe not understanding how a witch would let something like this happen to herself, or maybe wondering why a wolf would imprison a witch. Whatever it is, she''s confused. I''m not sure what Brianna is thinking. Her poker face is better than my mother''s ever was.


    "Your healer is here." I say as soon as Dev''s linkes through. I need the tension in this room to break. "Are you ready for her, or is there more you need to do to set this room up for Juliette?"


    “To keep me prisoner you mean." It''s a soft insult, but there''s a little bite to her words.


    "You have been setting harmful totems around my pack affecting my pups and even my mate for a time. I do not know you, nor do I trust that you won''t try to harm me the second you get a chance."


    “So you''re just going to keep me here, locked up with the help of these two? I can''t believe you would betray your own kind and work with these things." Again, she''s trying to sound tough and angry, but the words sound wronging out of her mouth. She''s regurgitating what she has heard. It doesn''t piss me off any less, but it isn''t her thoughts she''s spouting. Copyright ? 2025 Miss L Writes and Ember Mantel Productions


    I don''t get the chance to respond when Marietta steps in front of her and grabs her chin. Juliette''s dark green eyes go so wide, I can see lighter green flecks in them.


    "Listen good witchling. You do not get to judge what has been done out of necessity. You yourself were caught working with a wolf. Your hypocrisy has been noted. You could be down in a cold, dank cell next to the trash we found you with." Juliette starts to tremble again. "But, the Alpha of this pack is generous and helpful. You are a danger to all of us, so yes, you will be secluded to this room until we have sufficient answers to our questions." She lets the witch go, moving to a window, muttering again. I can''t tell if this is another incantation or Marietta calming down. "Please let your warriors know that we are ready for Gene." Brianna finally speaks. “Juliette we are going to help you get cleaned up, and Gene is going to examine you for any injuries, and based on your reactions to the wolf you were with and the ones who helped bring you here; I would like Gene to do a thorough internal examination as well, unless you would like to provide that information yourself."


    "What?! What do you mean internal?” She pushes away from us to the head of the bed. Marietta and I have not moved from our positions, Brianna however, is approaching her like a cornered kitten. We need to know the extent his abuse went, or anyone else who had you in captivity. We need to know what we are facing when we do finally find the Ember and Ash coven and any rogue wolves that are working with them."


    The door next to me slowly opens and Gene pokes her head in. She is a matronly woman, soft with age, but strong and energetic. " Good afternoon, sweetheart. My name is Gene and I''m the healer for the Verdant Coven. Let''s get you all taken care of, shall we?"


    That genuine smile softens Juliette


    a little, but Gene still has to physically coax her to stand, and


    hooks and arm around here


    lead her into the bathroom. I choose


    to stay out here They don''t need fifth person and maybe they will get her to talk without having a wolf in the room. I can still hear everything she''s saying though.


    "How long has Ember and Ash been keeping you prisoner?" Marietta asks. For a second I don''t think she''s going to answer as I hear clothes rustling and a pencil scratching.


    "I''m not sure actually. I''ve lost track of time. I know that this is the second snow I''ve seen though.” She whispers, then I hear murmuring and more scratching of the pencil. Gene writes fast, and it sounds like she has found plenty.


    "Do you know if there is anyone else being kept like you were?” Brianna asks.


    "Maybe, I''m not sure. I haven''t talked to many people since I was taken."


    "Where were you taken?" Marietta jumps on the opening.


    "I was walking home from school. We don''t live far. It was just mom, my sister and I. We stayed under the radar. We didn''t cast around the humans. We did our best to hide our protection Spells so no one knew about us. So many families were getting taken, mom didn''t want it to be us, and I was grabbed right off the sidewalk..." She trails off into sobs.


    Brianna says something softly, but the shower is turned on and it muffles the voices further. I don''t think they will get much more out of her like this. Copyright ? 2025 Miss L Writes and Ember Mantel Productions


    "Jax, will the two of you coordinate


    dinner with Mnie and Marge, and make sure the both of them are taking care of themselves as well Mnie has been my shadow Since my mom died and Marge has a soft spot for the little witches and she''s unning herself ragged. It looks like we may be in here for a while. From the sounds of it, Juliette was pretty mistreated. We may need to be on standby to contain Jason If Gene finds anything more than neglect on this girl."


    "On it, Alpha." Deve responds quickly.


    "Apeaking of them, make sure Jason and Ben eat something too."


    "Of course. We wouldn''t want your new favorite toy to run out of stamina, now would


    we?" Jaxughs.


    "Idiot."