The Tiger Prince's Witch
Chapter 58 - The Right Thing

Santi stared at the drink in his hand. Astaroth was standing only a foot away from him, watching his every move. How could he get rid of the drink without the demon knowing? He was ready to give in and drink it when there was a noise outside the door. Astaroth glanced in that direction, giving Santi just enough time to dump the liquid onto the dirt-covered ground. He shuffled his feet slightly to cover the stained area with dirt and set the glass on the table. "Send Marcus and Alice back to the wolf pack. I want to ensure there is nothing deceitful going on there. In order for us to be successful, the wolf pack will have to be sacrificed." Santi tried to hide the chill that went through his body from Astaroth's voice.

"Yes, master." He answered before turning toward the door. Santi quickly walked out to find the warlock and witch.

Astaroth watched Santi leave in confusion. Why didn't he pass out when he drank the potion? He should have been able to take over his body, but he can only do it when Santi is unconscious. If he takes over his body when he's awake, he would be aware that many of his actions weren't his own. He hurried and made up a task for him to do so it looked as though he had a reason for Santi to come to him. Next time he would make the potion stronger.

Santi practically ran away from the demon. He could tell Astaroth had been expecting something to happen after he drank whatever was in the glass, but what? He didn't want to think about what happened to him when he lost track of time. Marcus and Alice were waiting for him when he got to the opening that led to Astaroth.

"He wants you to go spy on the wolf pack," Santi said in passing.

"Yes sir," Alice answered in her scratchy voice.

He went back to his bedroom to think. Santi knew he wouldn't be able to keep tricking Astaroth. Eventually, he would be successful in doing whatever he planned with him. Maybe if he could get word to Randal about the truth, he would be able to help from his end. Would Randal believe him? The more important question is how to get the information to him.

There was no way he could send any of the spies to him. Randal already didn't trust them, and Astaroth would know they were missing. Everyone around him worked for the demon. Santi stood up and began pacing. Then he got an idea. The one person who was resistant to helping him and the reason they kept spying on him was Gary. If he could somehow get word to him about the truth, maybe he would tell Randal. They would have to be careful because Alice and Marcus were already on their way to check in with him. Santi decided to contact him the old-fashioned way. He would call him.

He pocketed his cell phone and walked out of the mansion that had been turned into a house of terrors. Santi put his hands in his pockets and walked down the street as though he was getting some fresh air. Outdoors was the only place he was safe from those in the house. There were too many humans around, and they wouldn't want to be noticed.

Santi went to an area filled with humans and sat on a bench at a bus stop. He pulled out his phone and went to Gary's number. He took a deep breath, hoping he could convince the werewolf that he was telling the truth. He pressed the number and waited. However, the person who answered wasn't Gary.

"Hello," the man on the other end answered.

"Can I speak to Gary?" Santi asked, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.

"He's not available right now. Is there something I can help you with?" Santi didn't know what to do. He wanted to talk to the alpha.

"Is his beta available?" He asked. He'd never spoken to him, but he would know everything that was going on.

"This is Joshua, his beta. Who's this?" Santi could hear Joshua's suspicions coming through the phone.

"This is Santi," He waited to see what the response would be.

"Alice and Marcus have already visited us, and now you're calling. Is that really necessary?" Santi heard the fury in the beta's voice.

"That's why I'm calling. I need your help. Are you sure Gary isn't available?" He asked desperately.

"He won't be available for at least a couple of days. What do you need?" Joshua was ready to hang up the phone. Alice and Marcus didn't approach anyone in the pack, but they saw them hovering nearby, watching. He'd mindlinked everyone telling them to act natural. When they left, they figured they had seen whatever they came to see.

"I know this is going to sound unbelievable, but I'm finally getting a clear head. Everything that is happening is not of my hand. A demon has taken over my thoughts and entered my body, making me do things I'm unaware of until someone tells me. He's been giving me a potion that makes me evil, but I've stopped drinking it so I can be myself." Joshua was still doubtful. Was this a test to check their loyalty?

"What do you want from us?" He asked cautiously.

"I need someone to get word to my brother Randal and tell him who's behind this. I know your pack has been resistant to joining forces with me, and now I understand. I have been drugged to make me do evil for many years, and I'm now finally trying to get out of the fog. Are you willing to switch sides and help me fight against the demon who is behind everything?" Santi was pleading with him.

"I can't make any decisions without talking to Gary." Joshua still didn't trust that this wasn't a setup.

"I understand. Just tell him everything I told you and ask him to relay it to my brother. I may not be able to call again because I don't know how long I can resist Astaroth's potion, but I'm going to try. Thank you for not hanging up on me." Santi disconnected the call and sighed. At least he tried to do something to help. Even if he dies when this is over, it would be worth it if his family could remain safe. He got up from the bench and walked back home.

Joshua stared at the phone in his hand. He didn't know what to do. There was no way he would disturb Gary while Shila was in heat, so whatever happened, it would have to be after he was done. He decided to process everything and report to Gary when the heat was over.

Three Days Later

Gary felt like he was on top of the world after his time with Shila during her heat. He was exhausted, but it was well worth it. Since finding and marking her, they hadn't been able to spend any time together. This couldn't have come at a better time. When he walked out of the hidden room, he was whistling. Shila was sound asleep, and he needed to check on things. Gary was lost in thought, wondering if Shila was pregnant with a pup. He was so caught up in his head that he almost ran into Joshua.

"Hey, how're things going?" Gary asked with a smile. He thought nothing could bring him down. However, the look on his beta's face concerned him.

"We need to talk in private," Joshua said quietly.

"Alright, let's go to my office." Gary wondered what happened while he was indisposed. Did an attack take place, and he was oblivious? When they got to the office, he shut the door and turned to Joshua. "What's going on?" He asked.

Joshua quickly explained the visit from Marcus and Alice. He then went into detail about what Santi had said. Making sure to get every detail correct.

"Something about the way he spoke made me want to believe him, but I didn't let him know in case it was a trap. He truly seemed in pain, and he kept begging me like he was desperate. What do you think we should do?" Joshua felt relief flood his body, being able to get this out. He hadn't even told his mate, not wanting anyone else to know about the phone call.

Gary thought about everything Joshua said. He trusted his beta, and if he believed Santi, he would take his word. They would still need to be careful, but he wanted to share this with the king.

"I'm going back to the hidden room to call Kamryn and Anna to let them know what Santi said. We'll let them tell the king and do what they want with it. I'll be right back." Joshua handed Gary the notes he had taken from his conversation with Santi and his phone.

Gary ran back down to the room Shila was in. She was still asleep, so he went into the bathroom and shut the door. He quickly called Kamryn.

"Hello?"

"Kamryn, it's Gary. I have something unbelievable to tell you." Gary went over everything Joshua had said. Kamryn didn't say anything when he was finished talking, but Anna did.

"For him to talk about Astaroth, I believe him. If the demon had put him up to this, he would have kept that information to himself, not wanting to give us the upper hand. I agree with being cautious because he may not be able to resist drinking the potion, so his mind may be corrupt soon. We'll let Randal know. We may not be able to save Santi, but at least he's trying to do the right thing."