“I’ve been at the lab trying to figure that out, and it finally came to me. We’re not just dealing with any normal disease out there. This was specific-it was engineered for…”
“We’re dealing with werewolves, and then it clicked-the reason I’ve been getting all these inconclusive results. It’s because we’re not just dealing with a disease cooked up in a lab. It also has something else added to it: magic,” I tell them.
“No, that’s not possible,” Leo says.
“Think about it. The disease only attacked your pack. All other nearby packs are unaffected. The sludge we found is on your land, and who knows how long it’s been there, slowly poisoning everything-and now, everyone. Someone did this on purpose. So, I guess the question is, who have you pissed off so much that they would want to wipe out your entire pack?” I ask Leo.
“Well, if we’re going to figure that out, we’ll be doing it for a very long time,” Zeo says. “We’ll have more hope of finding a cure.”
“Zeo is right. I’m ashamed of it, but I wasn’t a very good person in the past, and I managed to make a lot of enemies. I knew all this had to be my fault,” Leo sighs, and the pain is evident in his eyes. My body moves to go to him, but I stop myself. That’s not my place anymore.
“So, what do we do now?” Zeo asks me.
“Well, even if I figure out the science of it, I’m still going to need a witch or warlock to reverse-engineer whatever spell was used,” I explain to him.
“So, do either of you happen to have a witch or warlock on speed dial?”
ALPHA LEO’S POV
The moment she said this was planned, that someone did this on purpose, all my fears were confirmed. I had always blamed myself for letting this happen to my pack, for not seeing it coming, and for not being able to find a cure to help my people who were dying. Now Lena had all but confirmed that this was really my fault.
Ever since she said it, there’s been this loud ringing in my ears, and Zeo was now the one asking questions, but I needed to get myself together.
“So, do either of you happen to have a witch or warlock on speed dial?” Lena asks.
“No, Lena, you know how those guys are. They’re as introverted and secluded as they come, plus they hate our kind,” Zeo tells her.
“Yeah, I know. I was just hoping. It isn’t going to be easy to find one, let alone get them to help,” she says, then bites her lip. It’s a habit of hers; she always does that when she’s frustrated.
“I know someone,” I say, and they both turn to look at me, the same shocked expressions on their faces.
“You know a witch or a warlock? How did I not know this?” Zeo asks.
“Because it’s not something I advertise, and it’s not like we’re friends. We’re more like acquaintances. I helped her with something a few years back, and now she owes me one. I never cashed it in… until now,” I explain to him.
“And how did you meet this mysterious ‘she’?” Zeo asks, and I can see Lena doing her best to hold back a laugh.
“Don’t be like that, Zeo,” I tell him.
“Like what? I just asked a question,” he responds.
“I met her during a very dark period in my life. It was after Scarlett left me,” I tell him.
“Oh,” he says, and then I look at Lena, and the laughter has completely vanished from her face.
“So, do you think she’ll help us?” she asks me.
“Yes, but the thing is, she doesn’t stay here,” I tell her.
“Where does she stay?” she asks.
“She stays in New Orleans,” I reply.
“That’s too far, Leo. That’s not going to work. I can’t leave the kids alone for that long,” she says, and I can see how frustrated she is.
“It will just be a day or two, depending on how long it takes to convince her to help us, but I’m sure it won’t take that long. We’ll take my jet, and we’ll be in and out of there before you know it,” I tell her.
She just bites her lip and stares at me for a few moments. “Fine,” she says, then releases an exasperated sigh.
“In and out. You better call her and tell her to expect us. I don’t want to spend any more time than I have to over there,” she tells me.
“Well, that’s the thing. Freya-that’s her name-kind of lives off the grid, so no phone calls,” I explain.
And I swear she looks like she’s about to murder me.
“Then how exactly do you know she’s still there?” she asks me.
“Because she is. You have to trust me on this,” I reply.
“You better be right about this,” she says, and then she proceeds to walk up and down the same path, mumbling to herself. Then, all of a sudden, she stops and points at me and Zeo.
“Both of you are coming to dinner tonight. If someone is attacking you and your pack, there’s no way I’m leaving my kids without knowing that they are protected,” she tells us.
“Lena, you don’t have to worry about the kids’ safety. Nothing is going to happen to them while they’re here,” I assure her, and I mean it.
“You can’t promise me that. I mean, you didn’t even know about what was going on on your land until it got too far. I’m not blaming you, I’m just saying we can’t be too sure of ourselves,” she replies.
I want to shake her and tell her that it will be over my dead body before I let anything happen to our kids, but I swallow my words. Now is not the time.
“You and I will be going to New Orleans together. Zeo will stay behind. Now that we know we have a foe coming after us, we’re going to put security measures in place. While we’re gone, adding to those measures, if it’s okay with you, Zeo can stay with Zoey and the kids until we’re back,” I tell her.
“OK, OK, I like that. But that’s even more reason for you guys to come to dinner today. The kids need to get comfortable around Zeo and also Zoey,” she says, that last part with a smirk on her face.
“So I better go update Emmett, and I’ll be expecting you both at the house, let’s say, around seven?” she asks.
“Yes, seven is good,” I tell her.
She nods and then walks back to her car and drives off.
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