Chapter 176
**Isla
Freya and I sat in the garden with Aunt Louisa, carefully taking thorns off a few dozen roses we’d decided to clip to take into the castle proper to brighten up the place. Freya had been practicing her magic, and since we were plucking some of the more sickly ones, she had encouraged them to perk back up before laying them in the large wicker basket we’d brought outside.
It had been another week, and still no sign of Margot. The thought made me teary.
Aunt Louisa, sensing my distress, put a hand over my wrist. “Margot will be just fine,” she said confidently.
“How can you know that?” I whispered.
“I know because she is different from other five-year-olds. She is smart, and she is strong. She’s just lost right now. That’s all. Shifting probably scared the living daylights out of her,” Aunt Louisa said.
“I could try scrying again?” Freya offered.
Aunt Louisa paled, and we both said, “No!” at the same time.
The last time Freya had tried scrying, we’d had to rebuild the kitchen.
“You just stick with the roses, for now, dear,” Aunt Louisa smiled, though her tone was strained..
Freya’s shoulders drooped. “Alright.”
I went back to pruning while Aunt Louisa removed the thorns, and Freya
magicked the roses back to health.
The padding of paws caught my attention, and I looked up.
Jamie and Bennett approached, then shifted before us, and putting on some pants an assistant brought for them.
I went to Jamie and hugged him tightly. “Any sign of her?”
“No,” Jamie said sadly. “Not a scent or a sighting.”
“We’ve got soldiers combing the forests north of Ashbluff Castle now,” Bennett. added, trying to be helpful. “If she went into the unclaimed territories, we would find her there as well.”
I choked back a s*b.
Aunt Louisa pointed her little knife at Jamie. “I was just telling Isla that Margot was going to be just fine.”
Jamie winced. “I’m sure she will be, Aunt Louisa. We just have to figure out where
she went.”
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Apha’s Thrice Rejected Mate
“I really could try scrying again,” Freya offered for the second time. “No!” all four of us shouted together.
“I think the cook is still trying to recover,” Jamie muttered.
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Bennett wandered over and gave Freya a hug, patting her on the head. They’d become quite close over the last week, and it would not surprise me in the slightest if the Moon Goddess chose to make them mates one day soon.
“You’re doing so much, Freya. Don’t worry about scrying,” Bennett said patiently.
Freya pouted. “I’m just making some roses come back to life.”
“Yes, and look how lovely they are.” Bennett stuck one of the de-thorned roses in Freya’s hair.
Freya smiled besottedly at him.
Aunt Louisa chuckled to herself, and I could just see her brain working over wedding plans.
Jamie sat down next to Aunt Louisa in the grass, and Bennett sat next to Freya. Jamie picked up a second knife and began helping Aunt Louisa remove the thorns. from the roses.
I went back to seeking out dying roses for Freya to breathe new life into, trying very hard just to enjoy the beautiful day.
I tried, but I failed. All of our forces were searching for Margot. If I was allowed, I would be one of them now. Deep in my heart, I believed that my clever daughter was alive, but what if she was hurt? What if she was being tortured as I used to suffer? I forced myself not to think that way, but I just couldn’t.
It would never feel complete without Margot.
After a few hours, and just as the sun was setting, we gathered up our things and headed back into the castle.
Aunt Louisa began arranging small bouquets of roses here and there in the halls. and various rooms.
Bennett and Jamie finished getting dressed and went into Jamie’s office. I wasn’t sure if it was to talk pack business or figure out more strategies related to Margot, but either way, I knew the two of them had a handle on it.
Freya and I went down to the kitchen to help the cook, who was, indeed, suffering a little PTSD from what had happened to her kitchen before. She grimaced when she saw Freya and shooed her away from her good pots and pans. “You may pound dough,” she sniffed.
“Okay,” Freya said meekly.
The cook let me prepare some noodles but insisted that she and her assistants prepare everything else.
Freya pounded the dough with gusto. Even though we had forgiven her, she was still trying to get back into everyone’s good graces. Especially the cook’s, since she
Alpha’s Thrice Rejected Mate
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had blown up her kitchen while scrying in the sink.
After a few minutes, I pulled a noodle from the simmering water and tested it carefully on my tongue.
“I think the noodles are-” I began.
Freya looked up suddenly, dropping the dough on the floor.
The cook just sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Carmen, could you please start the bread again? It seems we’ve lost the dough.”
Carmen shot Freya a look.
But Freya wasn’t paying attention. Her eyes were faraway and a milky white. “Freya?” I asked, touching her arm.
“There’s another witch here,” Freya whispered.
The cook’s eyes bulged, and she quickly grabbed a cast iron skillet and ran from the kitchen.
“Is… is that a good thing or a bad thing?” I asked.
Freya shook her head. “I don’t know, Isla. She’s approaching through the gardens.” “Carmen,” I said to the kitchen maid. “Please go tell King James to come down with Beta Bennett.”
Carmen nodded and raced from the kitchen.
Soon, Bennett, Jamie, Freya, and I were stalking through the gardens, looking for this witch. Aunt Louisa had insisted on coming as well, and, much to my surprise, the cook with her cast iron skillet.
“I’ll not be losing my kitchen again,” she huffed.
We rounded a corner in the maze of gardens, and there she was. Our little Margot.
I let out a cry and ran to her, sweeping her up in my arms, not caring about any danger there might be.
Luckily, the elderly witch with her just smiled. “It took us quite a long time getting here, but I knew once the war was over, you’d want to see your little girl again.”
“M-Madame Gloria?” Freya stuttered.
Madame Gloria frowned at Freya. “Yes, Freya Hallowshift. And might I say, you’ve been QUITE the naughty girl. And reckless. I will have to stay here just to teach you properly before you end up blowing up the entire castle.”
The cook relaxed at that and dropped the skillet to her side, but I wasn’t really paying attention.
There was only Margot.
My daughter. My precious. My only angel in the world.
Jamie ran up to us both and embraced us, hugging us tightly against him. “Oh, my
Ti**er Hejected Mat
sweet girls,” he whispered. “I love you so much?
D) is des
“I missed you, Marna. I missed you, Daddy, Margot sniffled between us. “Madame Gloria took care of me. She’s really nice. Can the stay for a while
“Of course, darling I said, and Jamie nodded.
“Freya needs a teacher, after all, Jamie chuckled as tears began to crest his eyes.
But then, Margot and I were outright sobbing
“I love you, Mama and Daddy Margot whispered.
I choked on a s*b. “Oh, we love you so much, my darling, My sweet baby girl” Margot wrinkled her nose. “I’m not a baby”
“Of course not, I hiccuped, I smoothed her hair out of her sightless eyes. “You’re my big, brave girl”
Margot puffed out her chest proudly. “I got away! Then I could see! Then I was running through the forest so they wouldn’t find me. Then I fell into the river. Then I saw Madame Gloria’s house and…”
Jamie and I leaned our heads together and continued to sandwich Margot between us as she told us of all her adventures.
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