Alpha's Rejected becomes the Lycan's Obsession-Chapter 99: I have a picture

Williams’s hands gripped the steering wheel with an intensity that made the leather creak beneath his fingers. The road from Luminera to Monero stretched endlessly before him, winding like a serpent through stretches of forest and valleys, but he didn’t mind.

His heart thudded with a rhythm of triumph. After all this time of searching, they had finally found Charlotte’s location. The old witch who had disappeared from all radars, hidden by magic and silence, was no longer a ghost in the wind.

He pressed harder on the accelerator, the car engine responding with a growl. His eyes narrowed as the trees rushed by in a blur. Joy bloomed in his chest like wildfire, threatening to consume the cloud of worry that still lingered beneath the surface. It was not just joy over Charlotte—though that in itself was monumental. It was what she represented. Clarity and hopefully, a way to fix what had already gone terribly wrong.

But even as hope surged through him, unease gnawed at his gut. Roman’s issue weighed heavily on his mind. It was a different kind of urgency.

As soon as he got into the car, he had called Trevor. The moment Trevor picked up, his voice had been clipped and concerned, and the explanation he gave... Williams could still hear the words echoing in his head. He cursed under his breath, slamming his palm briefly against the steering wheel.

How had he missed it? How could he, of all people, not have noticed the camera the woman had on her?

He drove for hours, eyes alert, mind racing. The landscape changed gradually as he left behind the populated roads and climbed into more secluded terrain. The east mountain loomed ahead, blanketed in the thick veil of early evening fog.

His car rumbled to a stop, tires crunching over gravel. As he stepped out, the cool mountain air brushed against his face, heavy with moisture and the scent of pine. His boots hit the ground with purpose.

"Alpha," the warriors standing guard greeted him in unison, their heads bowed respectfully.

He didn’t waste time.

"Where’s the cottage?" he asked, voice low and clipped.

There was no space for pleasantries at that moment. He had too much on his mind and not enough time to deal with small talk. The men straightened up and pointed toward the dense fog hanging at the edge of the clearing.

"There," one of them said simply.

Williams turned in that direction, already moving. When they stepped forward, as if to accompany him, he stopped and shook his head once.

"No. I go alone. It could be dangerous if you follow me."

The men hesitated for only a breath before nodding and stepping back. Williams gave the thick wall of fog ahead a long look, then advanced. He circled its perimeter slowly, footsteps quiet against the earth, eyes scanning, senses open.

Then he saw it. A weak spot.

He raised his hand, palm facing outward, and whispered an incantation beneath his breath. The fog shuddered at his command, thinning before swirling aside like curtains pulled from a hidden doorway. A narrow path revealed itself and he stepped through, the magical fog closing behind him silently, as if he’d never entered at all.

The temperature dropped. The air was thicker here, tinged with the metallic scent of old magic. Every step he took felt like walking into a memory, the kind that clung to your skin. Then the fog ahead cleared suddenly, giving way to a small clearing. And there it was.

The cottage. Old, hunched, its wooden frame leaning slightly as though exhausted by time. Moss crept up its sides and smoke curled lazily from the stone chimney. But it wasn’t the cottage that made him pause.

It was the figure standing just outside its door.

She was bent slightly, a walking stick in her right hand supporting her frail form. Long silver hair hung like a curtain down her back, and her pale eyes were fixed squarely on him. Despite the years that had passed, despite her shrunken frame, he recognized her immediately.

"Williams?" Her voice cracked, hesitant. "Is that you?"

He nodded instinctively, though he wasn’t sure if she could see him from where she stood.

"Yes, it’s me, Charlotte," he replied, his voice gentler than it had been in a long time. Then, he added, "Can I come in?"

Charlotte didn’t move at first. Her eyes lingered on him for a long beat before she gave a raspy chuckle that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

"You didn’t ask my permission before breaking my barrier. Now you decide to get permission?"

Her tone was dry, but not angry.

"Come inside," she said, turning without waiting for his reply. Each of her steps was slow, deliberate. She disappeared into the darkened doorway, leaving it open behind her.

Williams followed, bending his tall frame low to step through the crooked wooden door. The cottage swallowed him in an instant. It smelled of herbs, smoke, and something deeper—like memories steeped in time. The interior was cramped and dimly lit, filled with shelves that sagged beneath the weight of old jars and dusty tomes. Dried herbs hung from the ceiling in thick bunches, brushing his head as he passed under them.

Every inch of the space screamed ancient witch. It was like stepping into a different world, one untouched by the passage of time outside.

"I heard your mother passed," Charlotte said as she lowered herself onto a threadbare, single-seater sofa that looked as though it had once been red. "Accept my condolences."

"Thank you," Williams replied quietly.

"Sit down," she said, gesturing to the only other chair in the room. A wooden one with a slight wobble, positioned across from her.

Williams took the seat, settling into it carefully. He didn’t bother easing into the conversation gently. He was ready to go straight to the point, but before he could say anything, Charlotte spoke again.

"I’m guessing you came to find me because of the Sirioni spell."

Williams’s brows shot up. Her words caught him off guard, but they also impressed him.

"That is a really good guess," he said, his tone giving away his surprise.

"It’s not a guess, Williams," Charlotte said, her voice softer now, more tired. "I’ve been expecting you. I was hoping you’d make it here before I join my ancestors."

She gave a small sigh, as though the weight of age was pressing down heavier than before. Then she added, "Casper is awake, so I knew you would show up here soon."

Williams nodded slowly. "If you know all this, then I can believe you have the answers we seek," he said. "You know who performed the spell. And you knew it was incomplete."

Charlotte nodded, the lines on her face shifting with the movement.

"I knew there were only two witches who could perform the Sirioni spell," she said, folding her fingers together on top of her cane. "Your mother. And you."

She lifted her head, her gaze meeting his with clarity that belied her frail appearance.

"But you can imagine my shock when I realized she had it in her."

Williams stiffened slightly. "She?" he asked.

Charlotte nodded again, her eyes becoming distant, as though reaching back into memories she wasn’t sure she wanted to remember.

"She looked so ordinary on the outside," Charlotte said quietly. "An ordinary human. Nothing remarkable. Just another girl who’d been sold to Casper as a breeder."

Williams frowned, his impatience growing. He leaned forward slightly, waiting for her to continue. Charlotte’s words were coming too slowly for his liking, and the need for answers clawed at his chest.

"But I soon realized she had something unique inside of her," Charlotte continued, her voice now tinged with wonder. "It didn’t make sense at first. A simple human girl with the kind of magical powers that should’ve belonged only to the highest bloodlines of witches?"

Her voice trailed off and her eyes flickered to Williams, as if measuring how much more to say.

"Charlotte," he said, his voice low, firm. "Who is she?" Williams asked, having heard enough of the riddles. He didn’t know why but the way the woman was looking at him made him feel like he wasn’t going to like what she would say.

Williams’s hands clenched the arms of the chair, but he didn’t move. He waited, holding her gaze, hoping the name that escaped her lips would be the one piece of the puzzle they’d been chasing.

Charlotte inhaled deeply, the fire crackling in the hearth behind her casting long shadows across her face.

"I don’t know her real name, but she was called Caramel when we were still at Casper’s camp because of the color of her skin. But I have a picture of her. Give me a minute to fetch it."

Williams’ heart skipped a beat. He knew a girl with skin like Caramel. The only girl who had ever meant anything to him. The girl he had sacrificed everything for. It couldn’t be her, right?