After walking out on Rome, Eden realizes she is just trying to convince herself that it's better not to be mated to Rome. But the real reason that she comes face to face with is the hard reality that she's in love with him, but she's scared. She's petrified actually.
Petrified that he'll cheat again. Petrified that she'll have to be one hundred percent vulnerable, even when she doesn't want to be. And mostly petrified that she can't run when the issues get tough. She'll be expected to stay and work it out because well he's her mate and she has nowhere to hide that he won't be able to tap into and find her.
Coming to that realization scares her more than she'll ever be able to express in words. So rather than have to express it, she finds herself keeping busy with the slain she-wolf mystery and work. All while avoiding Rome like the black plague for the next month and a half. She even gets a helping hand from the universe. When Winter finally calls her back and informs Eden that she and Marguerite will be free to finally come take a look at the suspected black magic tampering.
At the pack house, Eden goes over the plan with Rome briefly.
"So you gonna get her from the airport and then what?"
"For the third time, Rome. Bring them to the morgue to look at the body. Please pay attention."
Shaking her head in annoyance, Eden is dumbfounded when Rome just smiles at her.
"I'm sorry it's just so hard to concentrate while staring at my beautiful mate. After she's been ghostin me for a full month and a half."
Watching her shift her weight awkwardly and softly smile at the ground, Rome smiles fully as Legend pants happily.
"I've missed you, E."
"Rome?" She sighs warningly.
"I'm just sayin I do a lot. But I'll, uh, round everyone up and tell them to meet here."
"Thank you."
Reaching out, Rome cups her cheek and kisses her softly.
"I'll be right here waiting for you."
Not giving her a second to answer, Rome walks out of the kitchen with Cairo in his arms. Blowing raspberries in exasperation, Eden is highly aware of the double entendre that Rome just left floating in the air. Saying he'll be waiting for her, she knows he means literally when she gets back from the airport and figuratively when she finally comes to terms with their mated situation and takes him back. But she truly doesn't want to deal with that, so she makes her way to the airport.
Running over to Winter, Eden embraces her.
"Heeeeyyy booo!"
"Hi my Edee! Gosh I've missed this energy! You look beautiful, mama!"
Playing in Eden's beautiful natural curls, Winter smiles at her.
"Winnie, you look amazing! I can't believe it's been so long!"
Running her fingers through Winter's long jet black waves, she admires her cape sleeved bubble gum pink v-necked suit dress.
"I know pretty girl, too long! Lav and Tati are stupid jealous they couldn' make it, but they send their love!"
"I know! When I got your call I was hoping you would say they could come too! But definitely next time!"
"Hell yes! Girls trip! But Eden, this is my mother-in-law Marguerite."
Stepping to the side, Winter makes room for her stunning seemingly ageless chocolate brown mother-in-law.
"God, you're gorgeous!"
Gawking at the salt and pepper haired woman, Eden takes in her well maintained pencil thin meticulous locs, her flawless physique, and wrinkless skin.
"Why thank you, cher! You're absolutely stunning! Winter has told me nothing but wonderful things about you."
"Awww, Winnie! Well she is beyond amazing, which I'm sure you already know! But c'mon I'll fill you guys in on the way to the house."
As the three file back into the large SUV, they discuss everything on the ride back to the pack house. Even she and Rome's relationship.
"Hold the hell on, Eden Marley Lightfoot?! You've been lyin to me for YEARS?! A WOLF, BOO?!"
Smiling sheepishly, Eden nods at a wide eyed Winter.
"I'm so sorry! I didn't know Laurent's territory rules so I was too scared to say anything!"
"C'mon boo! You know me!" Laughing they nod in agreement. "Laurent does whatever I say. I wouldn't have let him, King, Troy, or any of their flunkies hurt not a hair on that gorgeous little head of yours."
"She's right, cher. If it's one person in this world that his hard headed tail listens to, it's this one!" Chuckling, Marguerite points to Winter.
"Well I owe Nox some money now, so thanks!" Rolling her eyes playfully she waves Eden off.
"Whyyy?! What my boo say?!"
"When he found out I was coming to see you, he said, 'Ohhh the pretty wolf lady?!' So I was like no baby she's a witch. I know they both have w's, but those don't exist. Girrrrlll, he looked at me like I was so dumb!"
"No he didn't!"
"Edee, just like, 'Yeah ok, ma!' So I said what, Lennox?! And he said 'when you find out you owe me $100!' So I took him up on it thinkin I was right!"
"Hell noo!!"
Giggling insanely they finally pull up to the pack house.
"Yes, so I'm out $100 cause Ms.Eden, the wolf lady, been lying to me!"
"His daddy got it!" Eden shrugs freshly.
"You ain't lyin!" Cackling they climb out the car to the little welcoming party of all the men and Lily.
"They all look like this?!" Winter whispers to Eden.
"Ahaha! Those vamps ain't no joke either!" Eden giggles
"God!" Winter shakes her head in amazement ogling the gorgeous assortment of men in front of her.
"That's it I'm completely convinced Eden only knows fine ass females! Goddamn!"
"Stone, you ain't neva lie! Y'all sure she a human?!" Dom inquires.
"Something like one!" Israel laughs.
"Sheeeesh!" Nico responds.
"She single?" Jay hums.
"Y'all shut y'all mated asses up!" Rome laughs.
"Weeeelll I'm single still and so is Jay! Soooo ask Edee wassup wit that wassup!"
"Stone, shut ya thirsty ass up!"
Guffawing Israel has to turn around to hide his laughter.
"You'ont want those problems wit her bloodsuckin ass babydaddy!" Dom reminds him.
"Shiiit, I might!" Sincere shrugs.
"Maaann I'm done!" Cutting the mindlink, Rome laughs and shakes his head as he steps forward to make introductions.
"Thank you for coming, I'm Rome." Giving Winter a warm smile, it turns rather artificial as he greets Marguerite.
"Of course! Edee told me so much about you! And congrats on Cai! And being mated, that's so dope!"
"God her accent is sexy!"
"STONE?!" They shout in unison.
"Ok, damn! Hatin mated assholes!" Cutting the mindlink, Sincere steps forward. "I'm his beta Sincere, damn you're beautiful. And those eyes are to die for."
As her cheeks turn a rosy pink, Winter laughs shyly and shakes his hand.
"Thank you. And they literally are!" Flashing a sly smile, Winter giggles at the story behind her eyes.
"Ohh smooth talker, and she loves chocolate too!"
"Maw?! Stooopp!"
As Winter whips around to face Marguerite, everyone bursts into laughter.
"I'm just sayin, cher! First Nolan, then Khepri. So-."
"No, just stop it! Nice to meet everyone! Can we, um-?! Can we see the body?!"
Leaning her head on Eden's shoulder as she dies of embarrassment, Winter groans.
Laughing through the rest of the introductions, the large group heads to the morgue.
Once they reach the pack morgue, Marguerite takes her time circling the cold steel table that the small, still wolf-figured she-wolf is placed on. Closing her eyes as she circles the carcass a couple of times, she tries to focus her energy. Opening her eyes they quickly frost to the swirling white that Winter has become accustomed to seeing on Âme and now even LJ.
Crouching closer to the remains, Marguerite peers inside. Smiling oddly, she does something that provokes a sickened response from all in attendance, except Winter of course. Reaching out her ungloved hand, Marguerite places her hand in the open chest cavity of the werewolf remains.
"Y'all come look closely." She beckons over the viewers gallery. "Now y'all look at where my hand is. It's emptied. You see the space?"
She points to the area behind where the heart sits in a wolf's chest cavity.
"Yeah so? We know they took the heart."
Answering smartly Rome is skeptical, as Eden shakes her head in disapproval of his tone.
"Please explain, maw Marguerite." Eden smiles apologetically.
Nodding and smiling back, Marguerite acknowledges the unspoken apology.
"No need to be sorry, honey. I know our kinds have a deeply tumultuous past. But in y'alls kind there is an extra heart-like organ. It houses what's called the moon-heart which holds the wolf essence."
As they all audibly gasp, Winter smiles proudly at her mother in law.
"Wait, what? Why-? Why has no one ever told us that?" Eden questions.
"Well because if it was a commonly known thing, all kinds would be huntin y'all down and removing it. Y'all wouldn't be special or feared too much if they could take ya shiftin away. They'd do ya just like open heart surgery and leave you to live an empty half existence. So long long long ago, ya pack doctors stopped documentin it on birth records. They'd just mark complete if you had the ability to shift. If you didn't, they'd go in and mark it as incomplete."
"H-how'd they know?!" Eden gasps.
"Every pup that was born within pack territory, would go through a series of exams and an x-ray to find the wolf's moon-heart. The pack doctors just called them newborn tests. That was to see and journal how many shifters were born, but when they realized it was dangerous to let others know that they stopped the imaging. So they just have to wait now for the wolf to shift or not, to fix the record. But this here connects it to y'all human heart. That's why y'all feel your wolf so strongly. That's how the pheromones get into your blood so quickly."
Holding up a sparkling moonlight beam white colored severed artery, Marguerite shows them the literal moon-heart tether.
"Once that's disconnected you sever the wolf shifter from the human and the heart does one of two things. It can shrivel and release it's essence back to the moon goddess or if taken out and made into a potion with the right incantations can be made into a shapeshifting potion."
"Waaaaiiittt, that's not a myth?!" Eden shrieks.
"Wait, baby you knew about this? Why didn't you say anything when I said it was a myth?" Rome questions.
Especially since she never said anything during their phone call when she found out almost two months ago.
" I-. I thought it was a myth. I'm so sorry. I knew our shaman talked about it. There are even ancient writings, but no one ever confirmed if it was possible to transfer shifting abilities. Even temporarily. It was always said to be frowned upon. Dar-."
"Dark magic." Marguerite nods. "It is. Nothing to be ashamed to say in my presence. But to steal and harness the life force of another for deception and murder them in the process, is dark magic. Now what I do is voodoo shadow magic. A bit different. This is dark magic because in order to make the potion you need to force shift the shifter, sever the moon-heart from its tether, and remove the regular heart as well. It's dark magic to harness another supernatural's ability for ya own gain. To make this specific potion you dry both hearts out, crush them, make the potion, and drink it while reciting the rest of the incantation."
"Ayy Dios mio! So it's a whole process?! Not just like a one day thing?!" Lily shrieks.
"Absolutely, this takes time to prepare." Nodding, Marguerite continues her autopsy.
"Oh my God! But without both of her hearts why hasn't she begun the shift back?"
Eden questions as she strokes the pretty blonde fur of the deceased she-wolf. And just as she is, it starts falling out in clumps. As her hand trembles, the strains of fur fall through her quaking hand like grains of sand. Her mouth pulls down at the corners into a gruesome grimace.
"The dark magic almost freezes the shifting endorphins in the blood for however long the bewitching serum called for. They must be powerful, but new to dark magic for it to have lasted for two months. They must have chosen a stronger strength than what they intended to."
Marguerite explains as she removes her hand from the once gaping hole that was the size of a small melon in the chest and underbelly of a wolf. They all stand in horrified silence as the body of the werewolf figure slowly transforms into the original form of its beautiful bronze colored female human counterpart. The frozen look of terror on her face makes all of their blood run cold. The once partially jovial atmosphere is gone and replaced with a sickening paralyzed unknowing.
"Who-? Who would do this?" Lily asks quietly.
"Someone who is not a natural shifter. Someone that needs to infiltrate your pack. You fixing have ya work cut out for ya, cher."
Washing her hands, Marguerite looks at Eden.
"What do you mean?"
"Depending on how smart the culprit is, they fixin to shift only into this poor little gal here. It will keep ya off their trail. Make it harder for ya to pinpoint the real fraud. If they shift into a person never seen before in town, then they gotta come up wit a back story. But if they stay lookin like her, they can keep family at an arm's length until they have the information they need."
"Wow, I-. I can't thank you enough." Rome voices.
"Of course. Any friend of my Winter is a friend of mine." Smiling Marguerite's fangs show.
"What are you gonna eat while you're here?"
"God, Sincere!" Eden snaps.
Cackling loudly, Marguerite shakes her head.
"Trust me love, I most definitely do not eat wolf blood. I have blood packets. Y'all will not be having no more wolves missin on my account."
"I really am sorry for him!"
"I can't lie Edee, he's hilarious!" Winter giggles.
"See?! Y'all need to get on my new wife's wave!"
Winking at Winter, she is in utter hysterics with Sincere's antics.
"Leave her alone!" Lily laughs as she links arms with Winter and Eden to lead the group out of the morgue.
"Why ya wife hatin on me, Israel?! Winter's single!" Sincere whines.
"Is she thoughhhhh?!" Dom laughs. "That mafucka Laurent will kill ya ass, especially wit her lookin like that! Ye'aint gotta chance!"
"Y'all fuckin haters! Get out my face!" Sucking his teeth, Sincere follows after the women.
Taking one more look back at the corpse, Rome knows their work is really cut out for them.
As the next couple of days go by, Marguerite allows them to watch her commence a voodoo ritual to try and tether the dark magic to a source. Reconvening at the sight of where the she-wolf was found, Marguerite begins.
Gathering around her and the body, they watch her pour ancient bone dust and harnessed hellfire over the corpse.
"Winter?"
"Yes?"
Looking up at a whispering Sincere, Winter smiles.
"Isn't that shit disrespectful to the body? Isn't she desecrating it?"
"No, she's recreating the scene of what happened. Shh, watch!" Smiling playfully, she points towards the ceremony.
"She wants meeeeee!"
Linking the men, they all burst into laughter at Sincere's nonsense.
And just as Marguerite is finishing the last sentence of her incantation, a gust of wind blows through the dark pathway and extinguishes all the ritual candles she had lit. Almost in rewind, the group watches translucent reincarnations of the culprit dumping the body.
As they watch the gory scene play out, Winter and Eden both gasp noticing the same thing. As the body is dumped by what seems to be a large man, a chill runs through Eden's spine. When he pulls the door open, Lily notices a clue. With another large gust of wind the wispy faux figures are blown away and the candles' flames flicker back on.
"How is that helpful?" Sighing Rome is even more vexed.
As all the men seem confused and lost, all the women are flabbergasted by what they've seen.
"You guys really didn't realize what was happening?!"
"Nah, Edee what?" Israel asks.
"There was a witch in the driver seat, a female." Eden speaks proudly.
"And she had a symbol on her wrist." Lily interrupts.
"And the male was definitely a wolf." Winter nods.
"Wait, how can you tell?" Beyond intrigued, Jay asks Winter.
"Um, I don't know if Eden told y'all but I'm the reincarnation of the Egyptian Goddess Hathor. I can sense the supernatural of other beings. It's one of her gifts to know the origin and auras of supernatural beings. And he has the aura of a high ranking wolf. The witch is pretty powerful, but like maw said, she's new to dark magic."
"Damn!" Rome smiles at the three in amazement. "So what now? Lil's what did the symbol look like?"
"Umm, an X with three dots above it and a sun below it."
"Oh no, Maw is that who I think it is?!" Winter gasps.
"I'm afraid so, cher. Y'all that's an ancient witch clan called the Sun's Core Coven. They were excommunicated from the supernatural council hundreds of years ago for this exact reason. Hunting other supernaturally gifted beings, slaughtering them, and harnessing their power and energy." Sighing, Marguerite nods at Winter.
"Like who?! We've never heard of this!" Rome asks indignantly.
"Yes, as supernaturals wolves are seen as the babies of our kinds."
"Why?" Eden chirps.
"Well because y'all have a life expectancy of normally 350 years. Only about two have been known to live to 400, but only because it was during a time of peace. Shifting and y'alls wars take a large toll on your aging process. But they were excommunicated about 500 years ago. Umm, ya ancestor would have know of them, cher." She points to Eden.
"Ada?"
"Yes, oh she was a magnificent wonder. Not just wolf, but being. She would be the last person to know of the Sun's Core Coven and their misdoings. Now that's not to say that others do not know of them, they just would not be fully aware that they should steer clear of them. Anyway, if this witch is part of them, whoever contacted her only meant it for trouble. Now you have to try and see who would want to contact a witch in hiding to harness a shifter's ability. Especially if they themselves are a shifter. That means they're harnessing it for someone else."
"Wow. I never would have thought it ran this deep. Thank you so much for your help. And I apologize for my earlier behavior." Touching her hand appreciatively, Rome smiles at Marguerite.
"Of course, love. And no harm no foul. Like I said the other day. Our kinds have a very checkered past. All that matters is how we move forward in the present. Especially since I can sense I'll be seeing a lot of the Haven family. Isn't that right cher?!" She winks at Winter.
"What?! I literally have no idea what she's talking about!" Laughing nervously, Winter squints at Marguerite. "Unless we open a blood bank location out here, I really don't know what you're talking about."
"Lilith and Hathor do. So that's all that matters. Alright chi-ren, now we go and let the trackers try and find any information they can about a petite little witch with that symbol that may have been spotted in any nearby territories. Human or wolf."
"Yes ma'am!" Nodding, Rome extends his hand to Marguerite to help her carry her things.
As the large group heads to the war room, Rome and all involved debrief the twins and their best tracking team on who to look for. All of their hair is on end as their nerves are shot. They know an act of war is looming, they just don't know when.
_________________
Thoughts?🐺
💗A.J
Guest starring from the "Born Phlebotomist Series:
Brittanie Evans as Winter Hancock
Keisha J (insta: @k_adore) Marguerite Zola Le Fleur Baptiste