CHAPTER 112: CHAPTER 112: DID YOU CATCH THE WITCH?

Vaelen’s POV ~

The night I received the news, my heart almost stopped beating.

The messenger from Midnight Pack came rushing in with an excited face, his voice trembling as he spoke. "They’ve caught her. The witch. The one who’s been killing Alphas."

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe. His words struck me like a blade.

Caught her?

Impossible.

How could they have actually caught her?

I sat frozen, my fingers curling into fists, my thoughts scattering like broken glass. The witch who had made the entire werewolf community restless, the witch who dared to demand freedom for her kind, the witch who punished the arrogant Alphas by killing their heirs when they refused her words... they said they had caught her.

Around me, the world did not slow. My court, my guards, the voices of people talking about my brother and the throne—none of it stopped. But inside me, everything went silent.

I had been busy, yes. Busy fighting for the throne, busy watching my younger brother’s every move, busy making sure I did not lose ground in this endless struggle for power. But that did not mean I was blind.

I knew everything that was happening outside the palace. I knew about the witches. I knew about the games the Alphas liked to play with them, breaking them, using them. And I knew about the witch who fought back.

She had made them furious. Furious to the point they could choke on their own blood. Because never before had anyone stood against them like this. Never before had someone turned the game around, hunted them, and demanded their fear in return.

The Alphas wanted her gone. They wanted her crushed, erased, forgotten.

But me?

I never cared what happened to those arrogant bastards. I did not care if they died, if their heirs died, or if their blood was spilled on the ground. They deserved it. Every single one of them. They had done worse to others, and now they were finally tasting their own poison.

No, my concern was never about them.

It was about her.

Because unlike them, I knew. Unlike them, I had never been blind to who this witch truly was, Selene.

We had been friends once, before everything broke. I hadn’t seen her since that day, but her shadow had never left me. Her name, her rumors, her whispers—they had always reached me, no matter how far. A part of me had never stopped listening about her.

And when the words "they caught her" reached me... Something inside me cracked open.

My mind stopped working. My body moved before my thoughts could.

I did not think of my brother. I did not think of the throne. I did not think of consequences or politics or what it would mean if anyone saw me.

I just want to run. Straight to the Midnight Pack. Straight to where they claimed she was.

Every step was fire under my feet. Every breath was heavy in my chest. My heart raced not from fear of what the Alphas could do, but from the thought of her. The thought that she might be chained. That she might be hurt.

That after everything, after all the battles she had fought alone, they might have finally caged her.

When I decided to come here, I thought I would come alone. But I was stopped by my uncle.

He rarely ever interfered with anything in the outside world. He stayed apart, silent, and respected by everyone, even by my father. In truth, I respected him more than my father. His words always carried weight, and his presence had always been like a wall behind me.

So when he said he wanted to come with me, I could not refuse. I would never refuse him.

I did not know why. Why, after all these years of keeping himself distant, did he suddenly wish to walk beside me into the world again? But I did not ask. If he had a reason, he would not share it yet. I only nodded and let him join me.

On the way, I realized something strange. My uncle—who was usually so quiet—was not quiet at all this time. He asked me countless questions about witches, about the covens, about the rumors, about everything. His tone was not casual. It was too curious. Almost... too eager.

I answered him anyway. Every single one of the questions. Even when I felt his interest was unusual, I did not mind. I respected him too much to hold back anything.

By the time we reached the Midnight Pack, I knew something was moving beneath his calm face. But I left it alone.

We arrived to find that all the Alphas were already gathered in a meeting. I didn’t want to wait. I didn’t want to rest. My blood was rushing, my mind only repeating one thing—Selene.

So I walked straight to the hall with my uncle at my side.

And then I saw him.

Aeron. The bastard.

The moment my eyes landed on him, I felt his hatred slam against me like a wave. It was sharp and raw enough to make the air heavy. And my own blood stirred with it. Old anger rose in my chest.

He did not bow. He did not greet me just as he should. He just stood there, his eyes like blades. And in front of everyone, he dared to act as if I were nothing.

A bitter smile touched my lips. He wanted to provoke me. He wanted to drag me into his rage.

I could almost laugh.

But I did not. I stayed calm. I walked inside like I owned the ground, letting his glare slide off me like it was meaningless. I would not give him the satisfaction of my anger.

But inside me, my chest was tight. Because as much as I hated him, another fear was burning stronger.

Had he seen her?

Had he already crossed paths with Selene?

Did he recognize her?

The thought made my stomach sink. The idea of Aeron’s eyes finding her, knowing her, even speaking her name—it filled me with a dread I had not felt in an entire year.

So I turned my head, just slightly, and let my words fall like a test.

"Did you catch the witch?"

The question was deliberate. Calm on the outside, but inside I waited like a blade held over my throat. I wanted to see. I wanted to watch his face, his eyes, and his body. Anything that could betray the truth.

Because if Aeron had met her... If he had recognized her...

Then everything would change.