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I didn’t panic. I tried to look at the situation rationally without allowing my emotions to get in the way of everything.
She seemed like a fairly intelligent female with a head that might not be screwed on entirely straight because of how she had been raised but that didn’t make her stupid.
I wasn’t judging, simply stating what I had observed.
She was likely overwhelmed by everything that had been coming at her in the past week. She’d said something about not being able to use their magic for whatever reason and being punished when they did.
I looked around the greenhouse with a critical eye. She’d certainly used her magic in here. She was probably scared and hiding somewhere.
Probably in the woods, because that’s what she was familiar with.
I’d be willing to bet she hadn’t wandered too far though because she didn’t seem like the type to just up and disappear on us. She was too loyal for that.
She was likely just scared of what our reactions were going to be.
'“Guys,” I called out, shutting them up. “I bet she’s not far. She’s out in the woods all alone in the dark. Probably scared and worried. Let’s go and get her so we can bring her inside and reassure her that this is okay and we’re not mad about this.”
“You’re right,” Raven sighed as he ran his hands over his face. He looked completely wrecked. The night had definitely taken it’s toll on him. “I’m just worried about her after everything we’ve seen tonight. I can’t handle something happening to her after all that. She’s supposed to be safe here.”
I didn’t think female witches were safe anywhere, but I kept my mouth shut. They didn’t need to hear it again.
“We need to keep her away from Rain,” Scout growled.
I think we were all in agreement there.
I didn’t think the man was capable of ever hurting her. But he could be intense and I could see him pushing her too hard to get what he wanted out of her.
It would cause damage that couldn’t be repaired between him and my coven if he did that. The way Raven was acting about the girl it wasn’t exactly a secret that he considered her ours already.
I wasn’t sure how to feel about that outside of thinking it was a good thing because we could provide her with a safe space while she got her feet steady beneath her.
I wasn’t thinking any further ahead than that. And I didn’t think any of my other coven members were either.
Yes, she was beautiful. There was no denying that. But taking care of her and making sure she was safe wasn’t about that. It was about doing the right thing. And we were all about that and on board with it. We didn’t need to have a discussion to know that.
We left the greenhouse without another word, ready to search for her.
No one knew these woods better than we did. We knew every inch of our property like the backs of our hands.
No stone would be left unturned.
It didn’t take long to find her and when we did my heart broke at the sight of her curled up in a ball on the ground in a pile of leaves against a tree.
I hated that she was sleeping out here in the elements as opposed to the bedroom we had put her in at the house.
I had no idea what was going on in her mind but I planned on rectifying it the first chance I got. I was researching everything I could find about the markings on her body and these forest witches but that wasn’t really going to tell me anything about Autumn as a person. I was going to take the time to get to know her and become her friend so she would have someone to turn to when she felt like she needed to run off on her own again.
I crouched down in front of her and gently shook her shoulder. “Autumn. Wake up. Come on. We need to get you into the house and out of the woods. Come on, beautiful.”
She blinked slowly and stared up at me with those big, round eyes of hers. Her lips parted and she sat up frantically. She shook her head and backed up against the tree. She pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so, so sorry. I didn’t mean it. It just happened. Sometimes it just happens and I don’t think. I just don’t think. Are you going to bring me back to the camp now?”
Goddamn.
She was trembling, she was so terrified.
“Why would we take you back there?” I asked her in a gentle voice. “Because you used your magic? You’re a witch and that’s what we do. Nobody’s mad at you and we aren’t going to make you go anywhere. Come on now, let’s get you inside the house. It’s cold out here and you’ve got to be hungry after using that kind of magic. Let’s get you inside and fed.”
