The secret of change is to

focus all of your energy, not

on fighting the old, but on 

building the new.

~Socrates

King's pov.

"The witches are here!" My Beta informs me. "Are you sure you want to do this? This is dangerous." She's worried, understandable. Wolves are known not to have a good relationship with the witches for as long as I can remember. I remember my father telling me about the story. A wolf got involved with a young witch and was madly in love. That was until the wolf found his mate and broke things off with the witch. She didn't take it kindly, so she cast a spell and cursed them to a painful death. A war broke out between those species, and it only ended when the witch responsible was executed. But since then, witches and wolves have never been the same. The chances for them to help are slim, and it's not unless they get something in return. "It's the only way for us to find our daughter in time. I'm certain they won't try anything with how heavily the palace is guarded. You stay in our room, in the meantime. I'll come and get you once they've left." "Be careful. I want both my mate and daughter in one piece." Kissing her lips, I draw strength for what's about to happen next.

"It's about time you showed up!" I want to growl at the young witch for being disrespectful. I suppress myself, though. I need her help, and my daughter's life depends on her and her witch friend. "Karina, shut up! Don't be disrespectful!" The older witch scolds the girl, sending an apologetic smile my way. "Fine. I'm sorry! Geez!" I can tell she's going to be a difficult one to handle. Despite her attitude, she's known to be one of the most powerful witches to walk this earth, and that is when she's only twenty-one years old. "I called you here today because I need your magic. I need your help to locate my daughter. You see, she was kidnapped last night and there's no trace of her." "And why do we care?" Karina says, scoffing. "Please, excuse her attitude. She's a bit hot-headed." "She's right, though," I say, and the old witch raises her eyebrows while Karina looks over it already.

"It's true that it's none of your concern. I'm not here to ask for your help as a king, but more as a father. You see, it isn't the first time my sweet Sophia was kidnapped. She was kidnapped when she was only a few days old. We reunited no more than a month ago. I want to be able to find her in time before I lose her again, but this time for good." Something flashes in Karina's eyes. Something that resembles pain and grief. This girl must have been through a lot. That's the cause of her behavior. "We'll help." The older witch gasps, hitting Karina's arm. "Karina! You can't decide that for yourself! We need to discuss it first!" "I'll give you some privacy to discuss it. I'll be waiting outside until you've reached a mutual decision." Closing the door, I breathe a sigh of relief. Things are looking up! The girl, Karina, must have been something traumatic. This situation reminds her of her experience, and that's the reason for her eagerness to assist our efforts.

Waiting for a few minutes felt like a lifetime. My mind is racing to do bad things. I'm worried about Sophia's well-being. I don't know who's responsible for this kidnapping incident, but I'm worried that it's the same person responsible for the first kidnapping. We never managed to find the culprit nor how she ended up in the hands of the people who raised her. If this is somehow connected, and we can figure out how it started, then the mystery will solve itself. "We have decided," Karina states, walking back inside. "What's your decision?" "We'll help you," Karina says. A spark of hope ignites within me. "But, we want to be allowed to become members of your pack." "I can't do that!" There's absolutely no way the royal pack or any other pack will allow a witch to become a member of a werewolf pack! "That's not possible, and you both know it." "That's the deal. Take or leave it, your choice. Just remember, time is running for Sophia."

Torn between two of the things I love the most, my daughter and my pack. I would do anything for my daughter's safety but also for the safety of my pack. I'm not afraid of them being a member of my pack, but I'm scared of the reaction of the pack members and from the other packs. These witches and their capabilities will be a great asset to the pack and maybe the relationship between werewolves and witches will be restored. It's time I show my love for my daughter. "Deal." And a smile takes over Karina's face. "But, it will happen once Sophia is back in my arms, safe and sound. Otherwise, the deal is off." They both send me a confident smile, which, sadly, I can't return. "Let's find Sophia, then." Karina claps her hands, standing up.

"Follow me." I say, taking them to the meeting room where everyone involved in the rescue is waiting. Opening the door, everyone goes silent when they set eyes on the two witches. "Everyone, this Karina and-" "Amanda." The older woman states. "And Amanda. They will help us find Sophia quicker." We all make sure to inform them of our findings while they pinch in their ideas. "If I visit the location where she was kidnapped I might be able to retrace the route they took." Karina says confidently. "Let's go then. My Gamma, Vince, will lead the way." Exiting the room, we make our way to the entrance of the palace. "What happened? Are you ok?" My mate asks, rushing to my side. "Relax, woman. We don't bite, much." I growl at Karina for disrespecting my mate. "They agreed to help us. We're heading to the clearing so that Karina can retrace the way they took Sophia. I'll tell you more later." She nods and hugs me tightly.

As we arrive at the clearing, everything looks exactly the way it used to. Any trace of Sophia's blood or scent has vanished. "We're here. Are you sure you can do it?" All of us, except the witches, look at each other with doubt. We've heard about the magic she has performed and the things she's capable of, and they sound like things you see in the movies, but none of us has witnessed it firsthand. "Will you have faith in me?" We watch her walk around, but none of us dare to say anything. "I found her. They headed east. They're at the non-territorial zone."

I'm back! I know I was absent for a few days, but hopefully, I'm back now. I had computer problems and had to get them fixed.

Slowly we're seeing how Sophia was rescued. Do you think they will be able to find the culprit? Who could it be?

Thank you so much for reading! I'll see you again in the next update. Love you!