" amore, amore, amore "

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           The meeting room was filled with a heavy and tense atmosphere, with all the powerful Alpha's and Luna's in one room it held a weight. Especially when the knowledge of the threat looming on the Kingdom and the land surrounding may be at risk.

Turns out no one was taking it lightly and I didn't blame them. My mind takes me back to the fun and lively chatter of last nights dinner, where everybody was all relaxed and laughter echoed in the dining room freely.

However, today was a whole new insight. Gone were the carefree expressions and replaced with those were the serious hard-driven and power fuelled werewolves. Everything that I assumed they would be when they had first arrived - to be honest, it was a little bit intimidating.

And now the meeting room echoed with a debate of the next course of action.

"-I say we hunt the lands, there has to be some residue of a scent leftover. No werewolf has the ability to completely mask a scent even if that scent is magic. I say we start a search, release a few Warriors to scope out and try track where this Fleur came from." Alpha Jerry had been the first to place out an idea of action but it was shut down by one of the other Alphas.

"I believe that's a waste of resources. King Nolan already determined that there was no trail why bother going through the effort again?"

"Or we could ask the girl to lead us to the way she came from."

"She could lead us to our deaths! Who even believes the ridiculous theory of the witch? And if so whose to say she is being forced-" which was a solid point in my book until Alpha Jared undermines his sensibility by spitting, "-we can't trust the girl or the witch. I say we burn them both at the stakes."

"This is exactly the kind of thing that led to the Witch Trials and Battle in the first place! Why would one witch stay and the rest leave? That doesn't even sound reasonable!" A Luna this time, Opal to be exact, "and you will not harm a member of our pack. Erin James in all sense is rightfully ours."

Alpha Jared snarls, I was beginning to find more and more reasons to dislike him and the clear backwashed attempts of authority. This snarl led to Cameron snarling in protection of Opal and it all rightfully goes downhill from there.

Amongst the yelling, beside me Nolan looked pretty calm as he stared ahead at the progressively worsening state of his band of authority figures. In fact, he hadn't really spoken a word after explaining the whole entire situation, letting them all hash it out. Which is technically why they were called in but honestly? This seemed hopeless.

When a practically horrible string of yelling starts, I begin to shift in my seat uncomfortably, shifting a little unconsciously closer to Nolan because I was only human- I never liked it when people started yelling and I wasn't by all means going to start enjoying it now.

I see Nolan glance towards me as I do letting me know I wasn't as subtle as I had hoped before a deep rolling snarl emits around of the room, bouncing off the walls and I can feel it rumbling through me. "Enough." He growls out.

It's pretty impressive as the whole room falls dead quiet. Nolan hadn't even raised his voice.

"While you all have every right to express any ideas and worries amongst yourselves, yelling and fighting will not be tolerated on our land." Another glance in my direction and I try tip my lips up in a half-assuring smile.

Not room. Not castle. But his land.

They all simultaneously dip their heads down, a rumble of 'Yes Alpha' chorused from them all.

"Now, we begin the discussion again however you will ask for permission to speak and only when I approve you may continue." Nolan commands.

No one disagrees, another chorus of affirmation sounds.

Then the debate of the next course of action begins again. This time however, it's more civilised with them all working on each others theories, suggesting instead of accusing whilst also explaining their thought process.

Hours go by, we even have a lunch break in-between, and whilst I haven't contributed or suggested any of my own ideas, I listen intently to the their words. It wasn't for the fact I didn't have any suggestions I was just aware of my status amongst the group- I was a human being and I held no position in this world. Even if I sat beside the Alpha King, that didn't mean anything. I was here as support- support that Nolan had asked me for and if that meant keeping quiet and sitting through some ridiculous ideas than I would do it.

That wasn't to say I had not almost spoken up multiple times in the last hour ready to deny some ideas that were discussed.

Especially now when Erin James is brought up once again.

"She is the only one willing to talk at this current moment." Alpha Daniel, who was mated to Luna Melody who was similar to me in choosing the silent route, is currently clarifying his idea in asking Erin in helping us in uncovering the hidden Pack base. "She could very well lead us into the den, we could use her-" I didn't like the term use...to use a person even a child seemed wrong, "-to end this whole charade."

"We have her father in captivity," Jared begins and I already knew I wouldn't like where this was going, "Richmond Fluer was behind perhaps one of the biggest slaughters in history," he made it sound like a praise, "I'm sure he would appreciate us handing his daughter back to him for a trade of information. We could use her to get Fleur to talk."

Okay, just what?

I meet Alpha Kaitlin eyes, she hadn't spoken much over the last hour only to interject in one of the worse plans that had been brought up. We had been giving each other looks throughout the whole meeting- some filled with amusement others with irritation or sheer disbelief to absurd proposals made. Now? I was looking at her in horror and she had caught my look and was frowning.

"I don't think so." Alpha Kaitlin smoothly transits into the conversation.

Jared snorts. "And why is that?"

"I believe Madam Cassandra is willing to explain why."

Was it my imagination or did Jared just turn a deathly shade of white?

And...oh now everybody was looking at me with piqued interest. Right, Kaitlin had just put me in the direct line of fire and the room had fallen eerily silent. "Oh, I just- I just disagree," I stumble on my words, "I don't think we should use a child- use being the operative word here. Erin is a child. Who had her freedom stripped away from her as soon as she was kidnapped and although we can ask for information we are not going to just hand her away to her father like an owned object."

"In fact," I beeseched, looking to Nolan who was staring at me already to get my point across, "I don't want her anywhere near Richmond Fleur, Nolan."

"She won't be." Nolan assures, quickly and without much thought. "We will leave her out of this and there will be no further discussion of her partaking in any of our plans. Now does anybody else have a proposition for our next steps towards this threat?"

I had one. It had been brewing in my mind since the start but when I go to open my mouth I am quick to close it once again. It wasn't my place and maybe a farfetched idea in itself but it had been bugging me this whole time.

"Cassandra, my love." Nolan quietly speaks beside me, "you have something to say."

And I have no idea how he knows, perhaps having seen me open my mouth and promptly shut it but he can somehow read my mind. Was that a werewolf thing? And he was looking at me all prompting and soft and it doesn't help my nerves.

"I-I do." I concede, biting my lip unsurely before looking at everybody sitting in the room in front of me with all attention on me, "you have to hear me out fully."

"Always." He assures.

"Okay I- whilst I acknowledge majority think the witch should be dismissed I believe we are wrong to do so. Witches are powerful beings and with the right incentive they can do remarkable things. All this time their presence has been unknown, no one has suspected a thing and you're telling me they did that without help or a form of a spell?" I glance around slightly put out at how captivatingly everybody was staring at me. Furrowed eyebrows and tentative nods as they take into account my words.

"The only reason they have been discovered is because of an injured boy. There is no telling why the witch has let down one of her guards now out of all times but there has got to be a reason she did. The little boy must hold some significance to her but that isn't my point- my point being no evil witch is going to care enough about a boys safety and release him into the woods and into our sight."

"If I may speak your highness," Cameron interrupts looking at me and strangely nervous to have talked, although he is asking Nolan I nod anyway, "what is it you are proposing we do? I agree that we may have a witch on our hands but I don't see how this may help."

I smile at him glad that someone else agrees. Nodding I say, "I believe it is safe to say the witch has dropped one of her guards, two other members of this Hex have escaped through what I believe may be an opening to the wall masking them. It has to be a message, a plea for help or the witch has finally found a way to let us find them. So, what I am suggesting we do is call for assistance with the witches."

There is a round of surprised faces at the suggestion but one of them trumps all.

"You're suggesting we call for help?"Jareds voice is laced with abhorrence and horror. "Let the wicked witches of the west know that we are weak and that we can't fight our own battles? That is absolutely ridic-"

"I wasn't finished and don't interrupt me Jared." I cooly respond, effectively shutting him up although the low rumble that courses through Nolan might have more to do with it. "We are not weak." My voice comes out stronger than I intended yet the whole room does this strange thing where they sit up straighter and almost preen, "you have a peace treaty with the witches, they are not your enemies. We have a witch amongst the lands and that involves them indirectly therefore asking for their help in finding the witch could also strengthen the trust amongst one another.

A witch can navigate a witch, it would be effective and helpful whilst it could also cut down a lot of wasted time and effort. Also, if the witch were to be hostile we would have the backup necessary in aiding on taking it down. Do you all understand what I am saying?"

"You're saying we should call up the witches and ask for assistance." Cameron asks half baffled and half impressed.

"Personally I think that's a brilliant idea." Kaitlin's agreement makes me grin at her.

Then- then I look towards Nolan almost afraid to see his response to my idea except he is looking at me with a certain glint in his eye I can't make out and mouth slightly opened in a gape that has me almost blushing head to toe. "Nolan? What do you think of the plan?" I swear I hear a few snickers but I don't release my eye contact with him.

"Brilliant." He breathes out quietly before blinking, clearing his throat and turning to the group in front of us, "any objections to this plan? Any adjustments we believe need to be made?"

Nobody says a word, instead heads are being shaken in a no. Even Jared is suspiciously quiet, not saying no but not rebutting either.

"Great. I think we have a plan of action, let's call it a day and discuss a few more things tomorrow."

The meeting is adjourned, baffling me in the quick support that was followed at the proposition. I hadn't expected that at all. No, what I was excepting was another heated discussion of why it wouldn't work or why it was a bad idea. Instead everybody was discussing eagerly amongst each other about what this meant.

And when I look at Nolan once again I see a proud smile haphazardly being pointed in my direction, it makes my heart skip one too many beats and a preened smile of my own.

____

Okay so, when I had suggested the idea I had not encountered for the responsibility of the looming fact of the what ifs that presented itself in my mind. What if this was a mistake? What if there is no witch? What if this doesn't work? The majority of them all leading to one simple, slightly terrified thought: this was going to fail.

And so I had told all of this to Andrew with the confidence one would have when their mind is a battle of discarding thoughts only to have him laugh in my face.

"You're an idiot."

"Hey!" I indignantly shout, "uncalled for and untrue."

He is still chuckling as he shakes his head at me. "Fine let me rephrase it then; you are being an overthinking idiot."

"Now you're being mean," I pout, flopping onto the couch in one of the many sitting rooms, nobody was around but Andrew so nobody else was witnessing this disaster of a conversation.

"No, I am telling the truth. It is a brilliant idea and it will save us a lot of time in searching out the whole forest ourselves and don't tell anybody I said this," he lowers his voice a fraction, moving to sit beside me, "but we have no idea what we are looking for in terms of magical masking walls."

"I figured. I mean- you would have found it already if you did."

"Yes but we kind of halted all research on other supernatural beings when they moved countries and that's a whole other thing."

"I don't know anything about witches," I quietly admit, looking up at him pleadingly, "which is just another thing to add to my worries. You need to tell me everything you know."

He rolls his eyes. "I can do you one better, come with me."

Grabbing me arm and dragging me up, he begins to lead me down an array of hallways but in a whole new direction proving to me that even those good with directions would still get lost amongst this palace.

Where Andrew leads me to is remarkable though, a large room that could only be described as a library. Rows and rows of books from ceiling to floor, with two levels to account for easy accessibility and there must be thousands of novels stacked everywhere in sight.

"Wow." I breathe out in awe.

Andrew was still walking forward in determined strides causing me to quickly hurry my footsteps after him, do this while running my hand along the spines of books, gently pressing along the edges of the shelves and glancing up in wonderment at the looming endless supply of books.

"This is amazing." I whisper and Andrew chuckles.

"Ah, here we are." Andrew turns on his heel towards me, announcement made with a flourish to the shelving behind me. "This is your holy grail, all things supernatural and everything you need to know is right here at your fingertips."

"You're joking." I gasp out, immediately moving forward to read the scrawled titles. Some look ancient, covers torn in overuse and colour fading with the title but when I pull one of them out the sheets of written words have clearly been kept in pristine condition. "And I'm allowed to read any of it?"

He releases a tsk. "When will you learn, Cassie? You can do anything you want."

I give him a look, one that he levels me with the same before I sigh and turn once again admiring the spines pointing out of the shelves. "Where do I even begin, Andrew?"

"Let's see..." He hums.

And that's how I find myself thirty minutes later sitting on one of the couched areas, surrounded by books some already being opened when Andrew had pointed out necessary information. I was ridiculously comfortable wrapped in a throw blanket, the fire place to my left was crackling as Andrew had insisted it got chilly in here before he left me to my own devices with a fond look.

I was greedily sucking in all information I could into my mind, not paying attention to time, lost in another reality with covens and witchcraft.

So much so that eventually I drift off curled up on the couch with the glow of the fire keeping me warm and words painted behind my eyelids of peace treaties and wars.

____

A soft touch is what awakens me from my sleep, the touch gentle and trailing along the outline of my hair, fingertips brushing through gently. My reaction is slow, there was a warmth spreading throughout me, wrapping around with vigour and making me feel all weird inside.

My eyes flutter, humming unconsciously as the hand freezes on my head. "S'good," I mumble out, having to blink a few times to clear the blur of an image in front of me when I pry them open.

Nolan was crouched beside the couch directly in front of me, a gentle smile on his face as he watches. His deep brown eyes meet mine and the glow of the fire only causes them to sparkle, glinting under the orange and changing colour to a vibrant gold reminding me of when we first met.

"Hey." I whisper out.

"Hello, my love." He quietly says, hand continuing its motion of brushing strands away from my face, "you disappeared for quite a while."

"Was researching." I explain, burying my head into the pillow that I don't remember placing there.

He hums softly. "I can see that. Any particular reason why?"

"Witches. Wanted to prepare." My words are short, a soft sigh emits from my lips in content when his nails scrape behind my ear.

Nolan chuckles quietly to himself, his face somehow softening even further as he looks at me with all kinds of emotions. The warmth spreads to my toes. Then quietly, "care to allow me in helping you to bed?"

"M'comfy though."

"Come on, my love. I believe your bed will be comfier." He tries to persuade.

"I like the fireplace." I explain, "there's no fireplace in my room."

With a soft noise of recognition, he stares for a moment a decision being made in his mind that I can see because of how close he is. A thoughtful frown dips between his eyebrows before he states, "I have one in my room, you can sleep in there tonight."

"What about you?" I ask.

"Come to bed, please love." He instead says, coaxing me to sit up when he moves to a stand. He wraps an arm around my waist with an intention to steady me despite me not being unsteady but in my hazy state I giggle when the sparks that normally accompany his touch tickle me.

"That tickles." I exclaim losing all filter from mouth to brain.

Nolan doesn't say anything about it but there's a smile he tries to hide by looking away and leading me out of the library. Gently pulling me along, murmuring to himself but he is speaking too lowly for me to understand.

"Where will you sleep?" I ask when he settles me in his bed ten minutes later, he's pulling the blankets up around me and there's something so calming about his fingertips lingering on my sides.

As promised the fireplace is alight with flames, heat filling the room. Newly thrown wood clear as day. I imagine Nolan had linked one of the maids to set it all up for me and that creates another kind of warmth to curl around my body.

"Don't you worry about that." He says, a hand coming up to caress my cheek as I bury myself between the blankets. My eyelids become dreary, closing shut without me consciously realising. "Have good dreams, my love."

I vaguely remember a soft pressing of a kiss to my temple before doing exactly what the voice states. 

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AUTHORS NOTE

Hello my loves, long time no