Marry to Alpha or Vampire?

Dark storm clouds swirled in the sky, threatening rain, and the night had fallen, leaving only the moonlight. Kassandra stood at the entrance of Solanum Castle, the real residence of the ruling council. She had led four other witches through the Enchanted Forest to reach Emerald City, with Solanum Castle right at its heart.

Emerald City was eerily quiet, appearing like a deserted town with no inhabitants. Kassandra was the sole resident within Emerald City, and outsiders couldn’t enter this area. She had set up a protective barrier at the entrance, deterring anyone from attempting to enter Emerald City.

Not even the members of the McGo Family knew the exact location, and without Kassandra’s guidance, they couldn’t reach it. She reduced her staff to a smaller size and gently swirled it, causing the castle’s grand doors to open automatically.

“Join me inside,” Kassandra told the four witches behind her. She led the way into the castle, and the purple ribbons that had been tied around their eyes only fell off once the doors closed.

“Kassandra, is this where the council resides?” Trisha, in her green robe, looked around curiously.

Warm lights illuminated the entire hall, and in the center, a large black cauldron simmered with purple liquid. There were many bookshelves along the walls, filled with various books. Another set of cabinets contained herbs and three wands hovered overhead.

“Yes, please, have a seat,” Kassandra said as she placed a few glasses of juice on the table and took a seat on the couch. Those allowed to enter Solanum Castle were carefully selected and trusted individuals. Otherwise, the four of them wouldn’t have had the opportunity to visit.

The four witches seated themselves across from Kassandra, ready to engage in conversation.

“Kassandra, is there something you wish to discuss with us?” Hilda, wearing a blue robe, asked. She knew Kassandra wouldn’t have suddenly invited them to her living quarters.

Kassandra nodded. Choosing Hilda as the representative of the blue robe sect was well justified. Hilda was intelligent, wise, and very knowledgeable, but most importantly, she held McGo Family in high regard. Inviting her to be part of this plan was the right decision.

“I want to talk about the attack on Malissa’s farm,” Kassandra said.

“Do you think it wasn’t The Iron Star Pack that attacked Malissa’s farm?” Cecil, the witch in a black robe with an embroidered oak tree on her collar, suddenly spoke.

“Correct, Cecil,” Kassandra responded.

Cecil didn’t belong to any specific faction; she was just a core member of the McGo Family. Her mother was a powerful witch who had sacrificed herself to save other members during a war. Kassandra took her under her wing, feeling sorry for her, and raised her. Cecil was absolutely loyal to Kassandra, and she had remarkable talents. Kassandra intended to groom her as the next ruler.

“We have had no conflicts with The Iron Star Pack, and their attack seems peculiar,” Trisha furrowed her brow. She had found the whole situation odd from the beginning, but her fellow clan members were so enraged that they had barely considered it and immediately assumed that The Iron Star Pack was responsible.

Hilda nodded in agreement with Trisha’s words; it was indeed a strange situation.Còntens bel0ngs to Nô(v)elDr/a/ma.Org

“This is exactly why Kassandra called you here,” Gremma in the yellow robe finally spoke. Kassandra looked at the four of them, her eyes filled with appreciation.

“Listen to me, I absolutely trust your loyalty, so everything discussed here must remain confidential,” Kassandra said seriously. She needed to ensure that nothing from today’s meeting would leak out, especially since the McGo Family had traitors.

All four witches nodded in unison, silently waiting for Kassandra to continue.

Kassandra proceeded to tell them everything, including the peculiar wound on the fake Fiona and Janice’s presence in the medical room. She shared some conversations she had with Cyril and the cunning plan she was hatching.

After listening to Kassandra’s words, a sense of unease spread across the faces of the witches.

“Do you suspect Janice of betraying our family?” Trisha asked. She had always disliked Kassandra, feeling that she should not have become the ruling council, and her jealousy towards Janice was evident. But she preferred to hide her emotions behind a smile.

While it was true that Janice didn’t like Kassandra, being part of the McGo Family meant she should never betray it. This was a principle and a bottom line that every clan member had to adhere to. If Janice had truly done this, she could never be part of the McGo Family.

“I have a reasonable hypothesis,” Kassandra explained. “We found unique family spells on Fiona’s body, and while it might have been coincidental, Janice’s presence in the medical room was definitely not.”

“Why would she be cooperating with a wolf?” Hilda looked displeased. She had never liked Janice because she seemed deceitful and malicious. Now that she knew Janice was involved with a wolf, something didn’t sit right with her. The McGo Family never intervened in the matters between wolves and vampires unless it was for a just cause.

Kassandra shook her head. “Perhaps they reached some kind of agreement.”

“What Janice wants most is the position of the ruling council,” Cecil spoke again, making her insights known. Janice had never given up on that goal and had tirelessly studied spells, practiced magic, and identified herbs to achieve her ambitions. Janice had always been proud, believing herself to be exceptionally talented. But Kassandra was even more talented, possessing higher innate abilities. She didn’t need repetitive herbal identification; she could tell what a herb was with a single glance and had the ability to concoct remedies. This meant she could save lives and cure poisons at any time. Kassandra had formidable magic, far superior to anyone else in the McGo Family. Thus, the previous ruling council had chosen to nurture her to take her place.

Furthermore, Kassandra was more objective and impartial in her actions and decisions, unlike Janice, who always had her own interests in mind. Janice was deeply unhappy about this, even causing a scene at one point, but it couldn’t change the fact that Kassandra was the rightful ruler.

“Janice aspires to become the ruling council, but what do the werewolves want?” Trisha inquired.

“In a small town, what do all werewolves desire the most?” Hilda posed the question.

“The largest Pack in the world,” Kassandra said slowly, her purple eyes shining even brighter. She had a hunch about what the werewolves desired most. It was to become the Alpha of the world’s largest Pack. Their strength alone wasn’t enough to take over The Iron Star Pack, so they chose to collaborate with Janice and make her help them.

“Janice helps them take over The Iron Star Pack, and they help Janice ascend to the ruling council,” Cecil chimed in, a hint of disdain in her eyes. Cecil detested anyone who betrayed the family.

“A foolish trade,” Gremma added with disapproval in her eyes. McGo Family was a valuable asset sought by both vampires and werewolves. Even if McGo Family were to choose collaboration, it would be through Kassandra’s careful selection and after thorough deliberation to decide the final partner. Unlike Janice, who conducted clandestine dealings, Janice’s actions were nothing but a disgrace to the McGo Family.

“So, this time, the attackers on Malissa’s farm might be the werewolves cooperating with Janice,” Hilda speculated, “and not The Iron Star Pack.”

“Thus, Alpha Cyril and I have decided to play them at their own game,” Kassandra smiled, her expression unwavering. If Janice had indeed done something detrimental to the interests of the McGo Family, she would make Janice pay the price.

“Kassandra, what’s your plan?” Trisha said. “We’ll give our full support.”

“Release a statement announcing our rupture with The Iron Star Pack,” Kassandra said slowly, a hint of mystery in her eyes.