Chapter 7 - Klaus
A couple of days later, we made the trip to Troy’s pack.
I was already irritated as it was, and the idea of being around a bunch of witches put me even more on edge.
Aubrey seemed calm, excited even, which didn’t help.
Here I was trying to keep her safe, and she wanted to throw herself into dangerous situations.
The drive was quiet, with neither of us speaking. The house had been extra quiet over the past couple of days. I found she’d dug out some books on shifters and witches. She seemed to be doing her research and reading everything she could find about them.
We arrived in Troy’s pack and headed for their city hall. I shouldn’t have been surprised to see that Elize was outside waiting for us. She waved as we parked, smiling ear to ear.
I took a deep breath, needing this to go smoothly. “I’m making a rule.”
Aubrey paused on her door handle. “You’re joking.”
“No, I’m not. If anything happens, or I feel like this isn’t safe, we are leaving.”
She frowned. “We are in Troy’s pack. What are you afraid is going to happen?”
“I don’t know, but I know witches.”
I watched as Elize tilted her head, her hand dropping now. She looked confused while we sat in the car.
Aubrey frowned. “I think you’re letting your judgment cloud the whole picture here, Klaus. She seems nice, and you know the Alphas. What exactly are you thinking is going to happen?”
I didn’t know. The witches were said not to be trusted. I know that part of that was based on their past. But they were also the reason we were in this situation to begin with. I didn’t know who I could trust. I just knew that I had to keep her safe.
“I think you need to leave an open mind.” She pushed her door open and slipped out. I ground my teeth together, knowing she had a point. We needed answers, and that meant getting along with everyone.
I opened my door and got out. Elize smiled once more as she started down the steps. “I’m glad you decided to come join us today.”
“Well, Aubrey wanted to come and learn about what you were able to do to heal your pack.”
Elize raised an eyebrow and teased. “Just her, Klaus? You weren’t at all curious yourself?”
I grunted, and Elize turned to Aubrey. “I am happy you decided to come. I’ve been eager to meet you.” Elize reached out and took Aubrey’s hand, squeezing it.
Aubrey looked surprised by this. But Elize let go just as quickly. “Troy is in the big meeting room. We figured it was best to have this conversation in private. Some things aren’t for everyone’s ears.”
We headed up the stairs and inside the building. I always found Troy’s City Hall to be a little more welcoming than Riley’s. Troy’s pack was more welcoming in general. Aubrey looked around, taking in the high ceilings.
“This place is beautiful.”
Elize smiled. “Thank you. Troy takes great pride in the upkeep of buildings.”
We went down the hallway until Elize paused at a door. She pushed it open, and inside was a large round table where Troy was sitting, flipping through some papers. But he pulled his gaze up as we entered.
He offered a smile. “Hey, Klaus. It’s been a while. And you must be Aubrey. It’s lovely to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Aubrey’s eyes widened. “Me? What have you heard?”
Troy smiled. “All good things. Mostly about how someone might finally soften Klaus up.”
I scowled. “You’re funny, Troy, and then you wonder why I don’t join the Alpha meetings as much.” His smile remained.
Aubrey and I took a step across from him. Elize walked over, placing her hands on Troy’s shoulders. “Be nice, honey.” She kissed the top of Troy’s head before sitting down next to him.
“So, what brings you here? Seeing you’re the one who called for this meeting.”
“We came because we are trying to find the answers on how you were able to heal your pack.”
Troy frowned. “So, it’s true that your pack is starting to have issues?”
I didn’t like to admit it, but it seemed the council was right. Over the past couple of weeks, I’d noticed a change. We had a couple of guys who were suddenly acting in strange manners. I knew it was just the start. I nodded. “Yes.”
Troy shook his head and pinched at his eyes. “God damn, will this ever end?”
Elize reached over, placing her hand on his. She gave him a soft smile. “We are safe, dear.”
“How so?” Aubrey asked. “Why are you safe exactly?”
They both shook their heads. “We don’t know why. It seems once you’ve cleansed your land, it stays. I worry that it will only last so long before the darkness starts to seep in again. There is so much about this curse and dark magic that we don’t know.”
I tapped my finger on the table. “What do you know?”
“That you need strength to survive this. Don’t let the dark magic pull you in.
The cauldron seems like it’s just like any other, but it’s not.
It uses you and slowly makes you think it’s normal, like it’s a waste of time.
But it’s the source of the darkness. It clings onto you once you let your guard down enough and take control. ”
“Control how?” I asked.
I could see the discomfort in their faces. Elize reached her hand out, placing it over Troy’s. “It turns you into something you’re not. It twists you upside. Makes you think dark thoughts. We don’t know its full potential yet, but we know it’s where our problems lie.”
Elize looked at Aubrey, her eyes scanning her over. “You smell like something.”
Aubrey blushed. “I do?”
Elize nodded. “Yeah, sweet. I can’t put my finger on it. It’s like… I know you.”
Aubrey’s face went darker, and she shifted in her chair.
“How many men have been affected in your pack?” Troy asked.
I looked back toward him. “A few. But I’m hoping to get a handle on it.”
Troy shook his head. “It’s not that simple. It seems it gets stronger with each pack. More violent. Have you visited the cauldron?”
Aubrey nodded. “Yes, nothing happened. Was something supposed to happen?”
Troy frowned. “You didn’t feel anything?”
“It’s not that simple,” Elize stated, her eyes still looking at Aubrey. “Have you… Do you have magic?”
Aubrey shook her head. “No, I don’t. Or at least, I don’t think so.”
Elize waved a hand. “This smell. I know this smell. I just can’t put my finger on it.”
Elize looked toward Troy. “I should have her visit, Victoria.”
“No,” I snapped. “We aren’t visiting any other witches. We came here to meet with you, and that was it.
Elize frowned. “Troy, I understand your wariness toward witches, but if what I’m smelling is correct, Aubrey could have magic.”
“Wouldn’t we have smelled that?” Troy asked.
Elize shook his head. “No, not when it’s being suppressed.” Elize looked back toward me. “Trust me on this. I know you don’t know me that well, but I would hope you could trust me a little.”
Aubrey looked at me, hopeful, and I couldn’t say no. I reminded myself that this was all for the pack. “Fine.”
Elize smiled. “Great. I know the healing center is open, so we can just walk down. It’s just down the block from here.” Elize popped up, a skip in her step.
Troy hooked Elize’s arms and pulled her toward him. He whispered something in her ear that made her blush. Troy let go, and Elize turned to us. “Come on, I’ll take you. It shouldn’t take long.”
We followed Elize out of City Hall and down the block. I couldn’t help but notice the number of witches that were out blending in with the rest of the pack. I expected the air to feel tense, but it didn’t.
Aubrey elbowed me. “You’re staring.”
I shook my head. “I’m just taking it in.”
“I thought you’d been here before.”
“Klaus hasn’t been here since the convent moved in,” Elize added. “And it took time for the pack to accept them. This didn’t happen overnight. But they have blended in pretty well, I’d say.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, why is it that shifters and witches don’t get along?”
Elize glanced at me before she looked back towards Aubey. “Just a long line of history where they didn’t. I think at this point we’ve all been doing it so long it seems more normal than liking each other.” Elize glanced at Klaus. “Right, Klaus?”
I watched as a little girl walked across the street. You could smell the magic on her. She ran toward a group of shifter children who smiled at her. It was different from how I grew up.
“Right.”
“Dark magic is created, not born,” Elize added. “And for the longest time, shifters didn’t acknowledge that.”
We rounded the block and stopped at a large building.
It had a sign that read Healing Center. I could smell spice from outside.
Elize popped the door open, and we stepped inside.
Elize took it down the left hallway until we got to a room.
There were a couple of desks pressed against the wall with a small round table in the middle.
An older lady sat at the table, flipping through a book while she scribbled something down in a notebook.
“Victoria,” Elize chirped.
The woman held up a finger, her eyes not leaving the book. The room remained silent while she finished writing. Once she was done, she pulled her gaze up to us.
She instantly looked at Aubrey and tilted her head. “You smell sweet like Vanilla.”
“You smell it as well?” Elize said, sounding happy. “I knew I wasn’t insane.”
“I smell?”
Victoria nodded her head. “Magic has a scent that follows you. Each is a little different, but underneath it all is something sweet like honey.”
“So, you’re saying I have magic?” Aubrey asked.
“It would seem so.”
Aubrey looked stunned, and I stared at her, soaking the words in. She wasn’t human but possibly a witch.
I stepped outside, needing air while Aubrey asked questions. I leaned against the wall, taking in the surrounding area. I watched the way the pack members blended with the witches I didn’t see an altercation or anger. There was no one moving across the street to avoid another person.
“This took time.”
I turned as Elize stepped outside. “This peace. It took time.”
I nodded. “Did you answer all of Aubrey’s questions?”
She nodded, and I pushed off the wall. “Well, then we should be heading home.”
“You know you don’t have to do this alone. We have all been through what you’re going through, Klaus. We can help. You just have to accept it.”
The door opened again, and Aubrey stepped out. She had a skip in her step. “Are we leaving?”
I nodded, glancing at Elize once more. Aubrey smiled at Eliza. “Thank you so much for all of this.”
Elize nodded. “Of course. You can always reach out if you have more questions.”
We headed home, and Aubrey relaxed in her chair. She held a soft smile on her face as we drove. “Well, that went well.”
I nodded, keeping my eyes on the road.
“I think it’s crazy that I could possibly have magic. I’m still trying to wrap my head around shifters and witches, and to have this thrown at me as well now.”
I nodded. The space fell quiet, but not like it was before. It was more comfortable now.
“I do think it was nice of them to offer to help me.”
I glanced at her. “Help with what?” Had I missed a part of the conversation? This must have been when I stepped outside
“Well, Elize was explaining that they could be able to pull it out if I wanted. I think it’s a smart idea. She said that it could be blocking my ability to help the pack.”
I ground my teeth together. “No.”
She frowned. “What do you mean, no? It sounds like it’s what I need, Klaus.”
I shook my head. “I mean, no. You don’t need to go traipsing around wasting time when we need to keep our heads focused or worse, getting hurt.” I had too much on my plate as it was. I couldn’t worry about her trying to learn magic and it backfiring.
“Klaus, this could be a step toward figuring the answer out. I have to do this.”
“Or it would be a complete waste of time. They could be wrong. You could possibly have no magic.”
Her lips formed a tight line. “You don’t know that. Why are you getting upset? This is a good thing. If they can get my magic to come out, I can help. I will actually be able to do what it is you need me to do.”
Because I needed to focus, and I was having a hard time doing so with her around.
I couldn’t do my job if I were constantly wondering if she was okay.
“You know what? Do what you want, but when you end up hurt, don’t come crying to me.
I’m too busy as it is to deal with any crazy idea you and the witches decided to come up with. ”
She fell quiet, and I could see instantly that whatever walls had come down went up. She stiffened in her chair and looked outside the window.
“I’ll be fine,” she muttered before falling silent.
I knew I’d misspoken. It wasn’t that I didn’t want her to try, because I did.
But it seemed everything we were doing was just turning us in another direction.
I didn’t want her to spend all this time on this and end up disappointed when it didn’t work out.
I just wanted a straight answer rather than feeling like I was running around in a maze.