Chapter 4 : Accusation

Morgan

What the hell did I say to make the barman leave? I know he’s just trying to help, but I couldn’t afford for him to see me use witchcraft or Shane shift.

“Uh, everything’s okay here,” I say unconvincingly. Shane is still dragging me by the arm. The barman continues to run over to us.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see George, the shoemaker who lives two cottages over, make his way to us. No. I couldn’t have more witnesses. Shane doesn’t notice our growing audience. His only goal is to get me out of this village.

“Shane, stop,” I whisper. He ignores me.

Now, the barman, a shoemaker, and a carpenter are surrounding us.

“Let go of Ms. Morgan!” George yells at Shane.

Shane ignores the man, but they block his path to the woods. So, the shifter turns back around toward my cottage. Five more people have stopped to watch the commotion. No. This is my worst nightmare.

“Everything’s alright, friends. I promise. This thing between us...” I point to Shane and me. “Is a big misunderstanding. I don’t need any help.”

It’s hard to believe my words when Shane still has a hold of me.

“Back up, everyone! I’m taking Ms. Morgan with me no matter what,” Shane yells at the crowd. “Let us through, and no one gets hurt.”

Now I’m his hostage? How am I supposed to keep this situation from escalating? To make matters worse, men are shouting with pitchforks and torches with hot flames. In no time at all, an angry mob has formed in front of my cottage. They have us surrounded from all sides. How has this gotten bad so fast?

“Fellow townsfolk, everything is okay. Shane is just confused. I’m about to make a tonic for him. He’s had a hard day and needs to calm down,” I make up on the spot. I take a small step back, but Shane won’t allow me to move.

“He has her trapped. Get him!” the barman yells.

Someone with a pitchfork lunges at Shane, and the shifter lets go of my arm to avoid getting hurt. George runs forward with his own pitchfork heading toward Shane’s stomach. Shane has no choice but to shift into a wolf and protect himself.

I gasp as I study the giant wolf that Shane just turned into. It has the same huge yellow eyes as the ones I saw in the woods. He is ginormous, the size of two ordinary wolves combined. His fur is the same color as Shane’s hair, a golden blonde. The wolf bares his teeth at the townspeople, and screams of terror shoot through the assembled crowd.

“The traveler is the wolf from the woods!” someone cries.

“He’s supernatural! A freak!” the barman yells.

“Did Morgan know? Has she knowingly put our town in danger?” George asks.

At this point, tears of frustration are pouring down my face.

“No! I had no idea!” I lie, hoping Shane won’t shift back and call me on it.

Shane snaps at the villagers with the fire, which causes them to jump back. One loses control of their torch, and it falls into the pile of hay by my front door. I watch in horror as my cottage quickly goes up in flames. I beg my feet to run and fetch a bucket of water, but panic freezes me to the ground.

To make matters even worse, my magic potions explode because of the fire. Green and purple smoke rises from my chimney. A vial of clear liquid breaks my window and levitates in front of everyone before exploding.

My black caldron takes on a life of its own and rolls out of the house, escaping the unforgiving flames and smoke and heading into the forest. One of my potions must mix with another because an explosion happens over my cottage, creating green and purple fireworks.

The sounds coming from inside are the worst part of it all. My potions are alive somehow, and it sounds like people are being burned alive inside. Screams of terror are coming from my cottage. I feel a motherly instinct come over me to protect my precious potions, my supplies and everything I used to brew my mixtures. The smell makes my head spin. It’s a mixture of lavender, sandalwood, citrus, peppermint, and patchouli. These scents are lovely on their own but mixed together with the heady smell of smoke makes my eyes water.

“No,” I whisper as I watch my life's work go up in flames.

I forget the townspeople behind me. I forget about everything besides the potions, mixtures, and salves that are now ruined. I could care less about my belongings, those can be replaced, but all of my supplies are now ruined. Then, the villagers begin to turn on me.

“Ms. Morgan is a witch!” the baker yells.

“She’s been feeding us poison through the years. Who knows what she’s been putting in those mixtures of hers?!” George screams from the other side.

“Morgan’s been working with the devil! She’s been trying to curse us through the years. She’s why my crops were ruined last fall!” the farmer accuses, pointing his dirty finger at me.

The whole town is now assembled with weapons in their hands, brandishing pitchforks, torches, axes, and hammers. The hunter and his son, James, are even holding their rifles, which they have trained at my heart.

They have assembled an angry mob, and their new target is me. How can my village turn on me so quickly? After all my years of faithful service and all the alignments I’d cured? These people know me. They knew my mother. How could they believe Shane and turn on me?

“No, you are mistaken. I’m not a witch! Those reactions are common when different herbs are set on fire. Please, you know me! I’ve taken care of you for years,” I beg the angry mob. I look at the blacksmith, whom I had just done business with today. “Please, sir. You would have gone blind a long time ago if it wasn’t for my special tonic.”

“Be quiet, witch! How do I know you didn’t put a curse on my eye in the first place?!” the blacksmith points out. Cries of agreement ring out from the townspeople. All I can do is shake my head back and forth in agony as my life crumbles before me.

“Please, listen to me. I am no witch, and I did not know of the traveler being the wolf from the forest. I promise!” I say through my tears. But the people I have known my whole life refuse to listen to me. They continue to advance toward me with hatred on their faces.

“Kill the witch! We need to hang her and burn her body! This is the only way to banish the devil from our town!” the hunter screams. This is the same man who warned me to lock my windows and doors the other night—the same man who was concerned for my safety.

“Also, we need to kill the devil’s mutt!” James adds, pointing his rifle at Shane.

I can’t believe the enmity I am seeing on James’s face. He is a mere child and is suggesting killing another human. With a start, I realize they don’t view Shane or me as human beings anymore. We are monsters in their eyes.

I glance down at Shane, who is growling at the approaching townspeople. At this moment, I genuinely hate him. If it weren’t for him, none of this would’ve happened. I wouldn’t be defending myself to people who’ve known me my whole life.

In a matter of days, Shane has ruined my life. And he wants me to be his mate? Was his plan all along? To make it so my townspeople hate me and no longer trust me? To make the villagers demand my death? To make it so I have no choice but to go with him?

The hunter lifts his rifle and points it at my heart. He slowly puts his finger on the trigger. I shut my eyes and wait for the angry bullet to take my life. I don’t even try to defend myself. Even though Shane and I are supernatural, we have no prayer of defeating a whole village of people screaming for our deaths. At least, the end of my life will be swift.

I feel a furry paw on me, and I’m lifted into the air. I can tell something magical is happening. In the blink of an eye, I can tell I’m in a new location. Even though my eyes are closed, I’m no longer surrounded by the sounds of the screaming, angry mob or the smells of fire and magic. I open my eyes, and I’m met with the familiar view of the forest just outside of my village. But being here does not calm me as it usually does.

Shane is now in his human form, shirtless in only a pair of tight black shorts. However, his body doesn’t distract me like it usually does.

“You…!” I couldn’t think of a word that was horrible enough to call him. “Take me back! Let me meet my fate. Allow me to try and fix the mess you caused!” I scream at him.

Shane is calm despite what just happened. Probably because his life hasn’t been completely ruined, he shakes out his blonde hair and gives me an annoyed expression.

“What, no ‘thanks for saving me, Shane’?” he asks sarcastically. His reaction makes me cry tears of frustration. “I took you away for your safety. Without me, you’d be dead!”

I can only stare at him. Does he not realize if he never showed up, I wouldn’t be in this situation?

“You just exposed me as a witch in front of my whole town, and you want me to thank you?!” I yell.

Shane has the decency to look sheepish.

“Well, that was an accident…” Shane trails off.

I scream in frustration. My hands begin to shake in rage. I’ve lost everything because of this man. I’ve only known him for a few days, and he managed to take everything I hold dear in my life away from me.

Even though I only know a few offensive spells, I will fight him. I will make him beg for me to stop. I raise my hand to cast the worst spell I can think of. And even though I will probably die in the process, I will make Shane pay for ruining my life.