THE WITCHES OF THE CULLING ARMY

GALLAHAN’S POV

I already knew even before I opened my eyes that Willa was gone. That she had left without so much of a goodbye.

I didn’t know whether to laugh in bitterness or yell in anger. I also didn’t know if I should be grateful that Willa spared me from a direct and personal rejection, or be outraged that she didn’t seem to think I was worthy of a proper one after I had claimed her as mine. Most importantly, I didn’t know if I had wanted her to stay or to actually leave to save us from another fight where none of us would win.

Fuck… Of all people, why did it have to be her?

My hand went to the juncture where my neck and shoulder met, feeling the absence of her bite on my skin.

Damn it.

Our bond was not completed at all. It remained one-sided and would likely stay that way for the rest of our lives.

To my shitty luck, I could feel the tell-tale signs of my rut, sizzling just beneath my skin. A certain feeling, akin to an urge or an itch, began to surge within my veins, and my inner wolf demanded for Willa.

But she was gone. I would have to deal with it all on my own, just as Willa would have to deal with the rest of her heat alone.

I ignored the gnawing worry about Willa’s safety, banishing the thoughts of another wave of heat hitting her while still on the run.

An angry growl roared out from my throat at the mere idea of another man seeing her while she was in a vulnerable state.

‘She’s a fucking warrior,’ I internally reminded myself. ‘She has fought battles against my own army. She can take care of herself. She decided she was well enough to leave, so there is no fucking point thinking about her.’

But I still did. I thought of her as my rut grew worse. I thought of her still as I tried to ease the primal desire of fucking and breeding her until her womb no longer had any space for any more drop of my seeds.

But no matter how my hand worked tirelessly around my cock, how hard I grinded onto the bed, how many times I had taken a deep inhale of the pillow that still smelled so much like Willa, or how vivid I tried to imagine her as I pleasured myself, I could barely feel any relief from my rut.

I was unsatisfied and… unhappy.

So once my rut passed, I poured my attention into deep cleaning the cabin, then left to head back to my army’s headquarters.

“You look horrible,” Zuleika commented as soon as I walked into the conference room that only the officers of the Culling Army had access to.

“Thanks,” I grumbled, plopping down on the deep brown wingback chair at the head of the long rectangular table. “Whiskey, please.”

“You may be our general, Gallahan, but we are no servants,” Maliya shot back from where she sat adjacent to my left.

Still, despite her words, a bottle of whiskey and an empty crystal glass floated out of the drinks cabinet at the far end of the room. The summoned items landed on the polished surface of the wooden table, exactly within my reach.

Zuleika summoned a glass for herself as she changed her seat, transferring from beside Maliya and moving to the chair adjacent to my right.

“What has gotten into you?” Maliya asked, pouring two fingers each of aged whiskey to the two crystal glasses. Then, as she slid the drinks towards me and Zuleika, she said, “A few of our people are upset about you suddenly going missing during the battle in the Ferndell Forest. You broke ranks, and our people ended up retreating.”

“A shame too,” Zuleika added. “They reported that we were dominating the Peacemakers until you suddenly vanished on our people. They were directionless without you, and the morale just plummeted. If you had just stuck to our plan, we could’ve taken over the biggest town of the Kingdom of Agvanda that night. Not even the League could’ve stopped us if you just didn’t disappear so suddenly. After all, we had expected their arrival.”

“Maybe that is why you need to be more active in battles. To have someone else in the chain of command be present during the fights,” I shot back, trying to dodge accountability, even though it was utterly shitty of me to do.

“Don’t turn this on us, Gallahan. We are witches, and you know well enough that this is a war between werewolves.”

“And yet, you are involved.”

“We are here as your strategists and healers, Gallahan. Besides, your army wouldn’t last long with just brawns. You need some working brains.”

I took a big gulp of my whiskey and replied, “My brain is more than fine and more than enough, Zee.”

“Sure,” Zuleika agreed kindly. “For other things. But when it comes to your own cause? That's a different story. You often get too…excitable.”

“What she said. Besides, we can’t let your impulsive ass die in battle,” Maliya added, smirking.

“So you do love me,” I said, forcing a grin on my face.

“Of course we do. You are our private entertainment. Imagine how boring life would be if you go to the afterlife so soon.”

“Thanks. That is quite… assuring. Really. My life is truly a shit show.”

Genuine upset must’ve slipped in my tone because Zuleika and Maliya exchanged worried glances.

“Gallahan, be honest with us,” Zuleika asked, her voice quiet and tender. “Where have you been since you disappeared from the battle in the Ferndell Forest?”

“Banfair,” I answered, finishing what was left of my whiskey.

Then, as I refilled my glass with three fingers more of my favorite drink, Maliya prodded, saying, “What were you even doing in Banfair? Why would you suddenly leave just to be in Banfair for days?!”

“Maliya,” Zuleika warned, shooting her best friend with a glare.

Maliya wilted on her seat with an aggrieved sigh, but she didn’t argue and simply let Zuleika continue the interrogation.

“Go on, Gallahan,” Zuleika gave me an encouraging nod.

Before I dared to admit anything more to my best friends, I emptied my glass once more, throwing my head back to let the drink flow down my mouth and throat as swiftly as I wanted. But the pleasant burn didn’t do anything to mask the dull but ever present ache that had been plaguing me since Willa left.

“I met my fated mate during the battle,” I confessed, letting my glass hit the table with a loud thunk.

“Don’t tell me…” Zuleika said slowly, her eyes wide and her pallor growing paler as her mind worked quickly to put the pieces together. “Oh gods… She is a Peacemaker, isn’t she?”

“Then I won’t,” I replied, slumping against the backrest of my chair. “I shall keep my mouth shut.”

“Was she…” Zuleika attempted to say, but she seemed to be having trouble weaving words together.

And knowing Zuleika rarely got off kilter, her reaction proved how jarring the news was. In fact, I could count with just one hand the times she had been this flustered and out of her depth in the fifteen years I had known her.

But Zuleika’s failure to say anything more seemed to have eaten all of Maliya’s patience because she huffed loudly and took over the conversation, boldly asking, “Was she that bad to be with?”

“No, Mal,” I quickly denied. “She was perfect. Truly, she was… She was beautiful. She had the kind of humor and wit that I appreciated. Her presence was comforting and safe. She…”

I sighed, the puff of breath doing nothing to ease the tightening of my chest as I thought and talked more about Willa.

“She truly was my fated one. I could feel it, and it wasn’t even just a physical attraction. It is how I was with her… I have never felt more at peace, more at home, more right.”

“But?” Zuleika egged on after downing her glass of whiskey. She seemed to have found her composure from the alcohol because she managed to add, “Surely there is nothing else worse than the fact that she is an enemy.”

“That is where you are wrong, Zee.” I forwent using my crystal glass and reached for the bottle of whiskey instead. I took large swigs, ignoring the concerned look from Zuleika and the judgmental one from Maliya. But I didn’t care if I seemed like I was slipping out of sanity as I drank like a parched man who hadn’t had a single drop of any liquid in days.

“Okay!” Maliya declared suddenly, pulling the bottle away from my lips. “It would be embarrassing if you suddenly die of alcohol poisoning and not valiantly in battle.”

I let her take away my drink, putting the nearly empty bottle out of my reach.

“So,” Zuleika chimed in, redirecting the conversation right back on track. “What is it, Gallahan? What is worse than her being a Peacemaker?”

“I am Gallahan Wick, the General of the Culling Army, son of the Alpha King. Meanwhile, she’s… Fuck…” I trailed off, running my fingers through my hair in a harsh frustrated motion.

It was hard to say it out loud. Because doing so would make the fact more real than when it was only in my head and when it was only a secret shared between Willa and I. Thankfully the whiskey was starting to kick in, helping me spit out my next words.

“She is not just a Peacemaker. She’s Willa Coraline Alfiero, granddaughter of our main enemy, Greggory Alfiero. She is also the second-in-command of the Peacemakers.”

Maliya whistled lowly. “Wow. Your beloved moon goddess must hate you.”

“Really helpful, Maliya,” Zuleika chastised with a stern glare.

Maliya only shrugged, not at all apologetic or sheepish. “If it’s any consolation, you are free to have a chosen mate, Gallahan. You are not duty-bound to be with her just because she is your fated mate.”

“About that,” I said slowly, suddenly feeling the need to drink more whiskey. “I bit her.”

“No, you didn’t,” Maliya and Zuleika said at the same time.

“But our bond remains incomplete. I didn’t receive a claiming bite in return.”

I closed my eyes and allowed my head to hit the inside wing of my chair, refusing to see the expressions they wore because of my confession.

“Damn. She hates you,” Maliya wryly said.

“Maliya!”

A bitter chuckle erupted from me without my permission.

“It is true, Zee,” I said, suddenly feeling exhausted from the conversation. Or maybe it was the fucking whiskey I chugged so quickly. “She left after round two.”

“Have you ever considered that maybe you were bad in bed?” Maliya jested.

“Very funny,” I replied, finally deigning to open my eyes again.

“Well… Set that topic aside. I have no desire to discuss anything that may pertain or allude to Gallahan’s bedroom activities… So let’s head back to the drawing board.” Zuleika turned her whole attention to me, meeting my gaze head on. “What do you intend to do about this, Gallahan? You are oddly on the calmer side of the water about this.”

“It’s because I already have a plan.”