BETA TIM’S POV I saw her land on my face giving me a volcanic eruptive slap before I could even give any explanations. This witch, how dare she slap me? “Mildrid” I muttered, holding my face and looking at her in a state of disparagement. “You don’t keep me a minute late next time. Not even for a second, I will not tolerate that from you” she warned. I had opened the door and walked in and when I saw her, I tried to explain what had happened with Patricia that made me arrive late but before I could open my mouth, her slap has already landed on my face. “You can't slap me” I muttered. Why are soo many bad things happening to me this early morning? “I can do whatever I want with you, weakling. Yet you say your first daughter is a weakling, but who is more weakling than you?” she yelled. “What do you mean? I am the beta of this Pack. The only wolf stronger than me is the alpha’s” I challenged. “It was just a simple task, Tim, it was just to kill her. And what do you do? You messed it up. Can you ever get a thing right?” she asked in scorn. “Get what right...?” I stopped. Did she know what happened between my mate and me this morning? How did she come to know about it? Oh.. wait, it can't be. Was she the strange voice, was she the strange force that had taken over me? This can't be good, I should have listened to instinct from the very start and have nothing to do with this witch. “I am sorry, Mildrid, sorry that I failed you” I apologized. “Sorry, is that all you have to say, is that enough?” she gritted her teeth as she stared at me angrily. “Yes, Mildrid. I am sorry. You have to take away your powers, I don’t need them anymore. And if the people of the Pack feel death is enough for me, then so be it. I am not going to run away anymore or try to cover my shortcomings. I am only human after all, and I felt I was doing the right thing from the start. There are actions and there are consequences. My actions have been wrong, so I accept to be punished accordingly” I said. “Hahahahaha...” she lets out very hysteric laughter. “You are such a scary little kitten, Tim” she mocked, but I don't care anymore. “I accept all of it, take your power and let my fate come to me,” I said firmly. “See you, Tim. Do you think I care about the life of your lovely wife? Or do you think I would need your approval if I want to take it? Yes, I agree I have been a little playful today, but it was just to test you” she revealed. “Test me?” I was dazed. “Yes, Tim, to test your patience. I saw just how you have killed two lads of this Pack in such a short time. You took their lives without even blinking. I may not be a part of this Pack, but I am now one of you. I am a custodian here, remember, and those little lads are my people. I am supposed to protect them. What do you have me do? Seeing just how easy it was for you to end their lives, I became confused. I feared that I have the wrong man working for me. I feared that with you I will be a disaster to the people of Diamond Cut. So I decided to put you up for a test with your wife. And I am glad that you resisted. I was happy to see you resist with everything in you” she walked very close to me and grabbed the neck of my cloth. “Tim, if you had killed or harmed your wife today, I would have personally beheaded you and handed myself over to the alpha” she released her grip. “I am afraid of this power, Mildrid,” I declared. “Nothing to be afraid of. You will remain with me for a few days and I will teach you how to weld it properly” she replied. “I can't continue to stay with you, Patricia is already so angry” I protested. “In whatever way you decide to look at it, you shouldn’t be returning home for a few days. It is common sense. You should allow the heat at home to die down first before you return to appeal to your wife” she said. “Yes... yes... that is true” I stammered. She is just so kind. I wonder what I would have done without her. All I do is doubt her but yet she does all within her power to look out for me. She does not dwell on my shortcomings but treats me as a friend. Mildrid is indeed a true friend. “I would have taught you all of it today, but I still have to watch over your sons. If I want them to be well soon, then I mustn’t ignore them. I must always be by their side” she explained. “Yes... thanks so much, Mildrid, you’ve done so much for my sons. I say you make high demands for your services but yet you never asked for a penny to attend to my sons. You even brought them to the Packhouse just so as to keep your eyes on them” I confessed happily. She leaned close to me that her lips were almost on mine. I felt like devouring her essence right away. I already struggled within me to keep my desire at bay, at least for the meantime. “Treating your sons is a way I confess my love to you. It is my love gift to you” she whispered. She is doing all this because she loves me, and now I love her even more, more than words can express. “You are so kind, Mildrid. I wonder how I did not meet you first. Even though you are not a werewolf, I would have picked you a thousand times over Patricia. Who cares about the mate bond?” I declared. “And that Patricia, she is aware that your sons are here with me at the Packhouse, who does she want to watch over them. She knows that I’ve got other engagements and so should be grateful to you for helping me with taking care of your sons. But what does she do instead?” she lamented. Her lamentation pricked my soul. She does so much for my family and yet not a single gratitude from Patricia. Oh no... I have always known that Patricia would be my doom, but not to worry, I will give her just what she deserves. “That Patricia, I will make sure that she never sees me for a long time. I will only be with you” I promised. “You must still keep her by your side, Tim, we still need her” she replied. She is just so good. Even though she knew just how badly Patricia had talked about her this morning, she still does not wish her bad. She still cares about Patricia. I am the fool here, from now on, I will never doubt Mildrid. She is the only person that watches out for me. I must trust her with all my life. “I have got the young girl, Tim” she announced. “The girl...” I murmured. ”Her soul is already in a bottle” she replied. I know, the young girl, she is about six years. We met her yesterday and Mildrid revealed that she loved her soul. I never knew that she meant to kill her. “Do you have a problem with that, Tim?” she asked. “No, of course, my lady...” I stuttered. “You have to be strong, Tim. Learn to go with your desires. Your desires are not wrong, it is whosoever that stands against your desire that is wrong. Never forget that” she explained. “But... that is like the fifth child” I muttered.“You are right, dearest. I need twenty-one of them, so we are left with just sixteen” she said with a smile. Sixteen just...? Is she going insane or am I the one that is going crazy? “Is there a problem?” she asked. “None, my lady... none” I stuttered. “You will get the rest for me, Tim,” she said coquettishly. “Of... course” I mumbled. “For now, you have to warm my bed for two days” she smiled. Wow... so generous. For a moment I thought she will never ask. “I will do anything you demand, Mildrid, you are the fairest of all” I willingly accepted her demand.