The Elemental Mate

Xander POV

We stood at the border as nearly forty or fifty witches emerged from the woods. They moved silently up to the edge of the border and stopped about an inch shy of crossing it as if they could sense it.

I stood before them with my pack warriors, not a single soul breaking the silence.

“Aren't they just a bunch of talkers?” Asher mumbled to me, not drawing his eyes away from the witches.

The line of witches broke apart, separating to reveal the woman I dreaded to see. Her blonde hair was wrapped in a neat business bun as her outfit comprised of a conservative black suit. She walked forward with determination, a small smirk resting on her lips.

"Iris."

"Alpha Xander," she smiled, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

"I don't think I can say the same," I reply, keeping my tone level and without emotion.

"Now there's no need to be rude. I'm here for the witch," she says, holding up her hand before I can talk, "and don't bother lying to me. I know she's in your pack."

"Aurora is not going anywhere with you," I growl.

"Do you remember what I promised you if I had found out one of the packs was hiding her from me?" she questions, her eyes dancing in amusement, "We will kill your pack if you don't give us the traitor."

I growl lowly as the wolves behind me tense, preparing for a fight. They all knew she wanted their Luna and they were willing to die to protect her. None of us would allow her to take Aurora.

"A fight it is then," Iris spoke as she raises her hand again.

“Enough,” I heard the only voice I ever wanted to hear ring out.

Turning my head slightly, I could see Aurora and Hayden moving swiftly through the trees and towards us.

“Aurora, I told you to stay at the house,” I growl lowly, just loud enough for her to hear me, as I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her next to me.

Before she could say a word, Iris spoke up, “Well if it isn’t the girl I’ve been looking for,” her voice sounding like venom as she lowered her arm back to her side.

I release a low growl from the back of my throat at her threatening tone.

“You have no right to be here,” Aurora tells Iris. I’m proud of the confidence I can hear in her voice.

“No right?” Iris fakes shock as she looks among the witches she had brought with her, “I have every right. Our coven deserves justice for the crimes you are guilty of.”

“And what exactly are my crimes?” Aurora snapped back, taking a step forward, “Stopping the destruction of our coven? Defending myself against a killer?”

“A killer? I think you are very mistaken my dear,” Iris sneered, “You attacked our head warlock. You are the murderer here.”

“Do you truly wish to act so blind?” Aurora asked, “Your husband killed coven girls. He killed my sister, and when I tried to stop him from harming anyone else, he tried to kill me too.”

Some of the wolves around us growled at the idea of their luna being threatened. A few of the witches behind Iris started to talk quietly amongst themselves.

“Iris, is this true?” an older woman asked. She was as tall as Iris. Her whitening hair was pulled back as she held herself confidently.

She stood to the right of Iris since Iris was leading this attack, but I could sense power coming off her in waves. Similar to what it felt like when in a room with another Alpha, I could feel this woman was actually the leader.

Aurora tensed next to me as the woman took a step forward.

“Do you question me, sister?” Iris asked, anger written all over her face.

Who is that? I asked Aurora through our link.

It’s Sister Irene. She’s the head of the witches council, she tells me, Iris needs her approval before she can declare any sort of war.

“Sister, it is true,” Aurora speaks up, drawing attention back to her, “I can show you if you let me.”

The woman looks back and forth between Iris and Aurora before nodding her head once and taking a step forward. Pulling Aurora tighter against me, I release a warning growl for her not to step any closer.

“Xander, it’s alright,” Aurora says quietly, “She’s our leader. She won’t hurt me.”

“I don’t care,” I tell her honestly. Irene could be the fricking pope for all I cared for. She still was not getting close to my mate.

“Possessive wolves,” Irene mumbled before she held out her hand, “I won’t hurt the girl, Alpha. I only wish to see the truth.”

“It’s alright, Xander,” Aurora says again before she slowly moves away from me and towards Irene. I kept my hand tight around her, so I could pull her back to me.

Aurora placed her hand in Irene’s as the woman shut her eyes. It was only a moment before she opened them again, “I understand now, Aurora.”

“Thank you,” she says quietly before I tug her back into my arms.

“You understand?” Iris gives Irene an icy glare, turning her anger on the other woman, “How could anything she shows you make you accept that she murdered my husband?”

“Her crimes were in self-defense. Although she must accept punishment for the death of Francis, it does not constitute a war,” Irene spoke clearly.

“Are we just supposed to forget what she did?” Iris angerly asks.

Irene lets out a soft sigh before she turns to us, “I am sorry, Aurora. Although killing Francis was in self-defense, our laws punishment is still the same for killing one of our own.”

More growls filled the air around us as our pack members took a step forward to protect their luna.

“What if Aurora already had been punished?” Hayden spoke for the first time since getting to the border.

I gave him a questioning look before Irene spoke, “She would not be tried twice.”

Hayden gave a small smile at that, “For clarity, what is the punishment for killing another witch?”

“To be burned at the stake,” Irene answered, honestly. I growled at their want to kill my mate, but Irene never wavered from her stance.

“When Iris found Aurora guilty during her trial, she was tied to a stake and burned,” Hayden told her, cracking a smile, “Your law doesn’t say she has to die.”

I watched Irene give a small smirk as she took in the information, “No it does not,” she says before turning to Aurora, “Congratulations Aurora. It seems you are free.”

Aurora smiles brightly before I hug her closer to me.

“What?” Iris screeches, “She must die! The law does not matter.”

“I am sorry, Iris, for your loss,” Irene tells her with a finality in her tone, “My decision is final.”

The other witches on the border started to walk back in the woods as Iris stayed before us, radiating anger.

"It's over, Iris," Aurora says, a small twinge of sadness in her voice, "I'm so sorry."

“I will not allow this to stand,” Iris seethed, looking Aurora in the eyes, "This is not the end."

“It is over," Aurora tried to reason with her, "There is nothing left here for you, Iris."

She shook her head as pure hatred overtook her features, "I may not be allowed to use the coven to get revenge, but there are other ways."

I felt her solemn feeling wash through me. She couldn't see that the love of her life was a psychopath, and she wasn't willing to lose the image she had for him in her mind. She was becoming unstable.

My hold on Aurora’s waist tightened again as Iris started to ramble quietly to herself.

The words were mumbled; an uneasy feeling moving through the pack behind us.

I couldn't catch the entire phrase she kept saying, but I could barely make out one word.

"Incindio."