6 - Maeve POV
1495 Words
"Hey! Where did you disappear off to?" I mockingly chastise Adelaide as she reappears in front of me, Faye, Tina and Clarke.
"Oh, just checking up on my latest patient." Adelaide shrugs as she levitate another cupcake towards me.
"You mean, Willow?" Clarke leans down to look at Adelaide in the eye before he slowly takes a bite from the cake, never breaking eye contact as he does.
"Uh, get a room you two?" I swat them both, trying to break their lusty gaze at each other.
I go to turn to Faye but her eyes are clouded over. Few seconds later and she is back in the room, turning her gaze towards the three of us. "Boss man wants us in his office."
"You guys go. I have a handle on it here." Tina ushers us away as she turns to hand out more food to the pack.
"Well, let's not keep him waiting then." Although I did wonder why Colt needed us at this moment in time. Thought he and Abby would be celebrating their pregnancy by seeing if they can turn it into multiples. I know that's not how it works but there are very rare cases.
I link my arm through Faye's and drag her towards Colt's office with Adelaide and Clarke in toe.
Not even bothering to knock, I turn the handle and make my way in. "Colt, my Alpha amigo. Where is my girl? Thought you would be celebrating." I raise my hands a loft as I smile at him. He grants me a chuckle in return before I am pulled to the chairs by Faye.
"Maeve, remember to have some etiquette. Knock before you enter." Chastised by Adelaide, again. I should keep a tally of how much she does that.
"Not like him and Abby were going at it. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been called for." I retort back with a cheeky grin before we turn back to Colt.
"Abby is not in the mood for any celebrating. She is emotionally drained from the day and so is resting in our room."
"She still not excited about the pregnancy yet!?" Cos I am, if you couldn't tell - I am going to be an Auntie.
"No time limit on these things, Maeve." Adelaide side eyes me from her seat. "Do you need us to sit with her for a bit?"
"No, thank you, Adelaide." He offers a soft smile before it drops, replaced with a serious expression. "What I need is not about the pregnancy. It is about her family; more precisely, her father."
Oh no. I don't like where these questions are going. Judging by how hard Adelaide is tightening her grip around the arm rests, neither does she.
"Ladies..?" I don't think Colt expected this much of a reaction as I start to inhale and exhale deeply to try and control our emotions.
"My love, what's the matter?" Clarke cooes in Adelaide's ear as he strokes her hair and back.
"M, you OK?" Faye rests her head on my shoulder and looks up at me, her arms wrapping round my body to give me a squeeze. Trembles ran up and down me and my sister whilst goosebumps started to emerge on our skin.
"What... do y-you.. want to.. know?" Anger, surprise at the question, panick ot a mixture of all three, but Adelaide eventually managed to get out the question on the tip of our tongues. Sadly, we both knew this line of enquiry was not going to be a pleasant one.
"Well, this." Colt gestures towards the two of us. "Why are you so afraid of him? What is it about Edward Stanton that makes you so terrified?"
"W-why..?"
"If this man is going to become a part of my life, I need to know if he is just being over protective of his family when it comes to strangers or if he is a danger. Currently, I am leaning towards the latter." His tone, whilst he maintained a placid tone, you could hear the edge to his words. "So please, tell me why do you guys consider him a threat?
Adelaide and I share a glance with each other. I was still struggling to speak as my shakes were getting more violent, despite Faye's best efforts to calm me down. Adelaide, let out a sigh before she turned towards Colt. "We... can't."
That left the wolves in the room stunned. "What do you mean you can't?" Colt questioned us.
"We... can't." Adelaide repeats herself.
"My love, you are safe here. If he has done something to you, we can help. Just tell us." Clarke wipes some of the tears from her eyes as they begin to fall down her cheeks.
"We can't!" Adelaide protests back. I knew she hated keeping this but we didn't have a choice. I could feel my anxiety reach my breaking point, the last of my resolve the only thing holding it down. Why can't they take this answer? They need to take this answer.
"Ladies, he is clearly a threat to your lives. Now, I've asked as your friend but now I am asking as your Alpha - tell me. Now!" His fists are now balled up on his desk as he leans forward, rolling out his Alpha aura as Faye and Clarke both start bow their heads in submission.
Adelaide shakes her head vigorously. Being witches, we don't feel the effects of his aura the same way wolves do - we can feel it in the atmosphere but it doesn't compel us unless it is laid on thick. "Please... we can't." Adelaide pleads with him.
"You have five seconds before I unleash it all." And Colt holds out his hand. Slowly lowering a finger as he counts down to zero.
This isn't going to work and there was only one way to show why, but it is gonna hurt like hell. Moon Goddess, give me strength.
"You want to know why we can't say?" I interrupt his count as he was about to lower his last finger. "I'll show you."
"Maeve! No!" Adelaide goes to reach for me but it is too late.
"ABBY'S FATHER IS A- MMMMMMMMMMM!" An electrical burning sensation erupts from my mouth as it seals shut, causing my body to spasm and convulse as I crumble to the floor.
"MAEVE!" My eyes are clamped shut as I try and control the pain coursing through my veins but I can sense that they are all standing over me.
"My god! What is that over her mouth?"
"It's sealing her lips whatever it is."
I slowly creep my eyes open as the pain begins to subside. I can see Faye hovering over me with the others not so far away. "Honey, you OK?" I slowly nod as I move my head to rest on her lap, feeling my lips to feel the restraint that formed across my lips slowly fade.
"This is why we can't say." Adelaide shakily responds as she lowers herself down to the ground and stroking my hair. "We have sworn a magical oath to not say. If we do, it causes us extreme pain."
"Christ, Maeve, Adelaide, I'm so sorry. I didn't know." Colt kneels down next to me and places a hand each on mine and Adelaide' shoulders.
I place my hand on top and give it a squeeze. "It's OK. How were you to know unless you saw it?" I manage to croak out.
"So if you can't speak it then are you able to write it down or even use sign language or something else." Clarke brings everyone back round to the issue.
"No, any form of communication causes pain. Talking causes a magical seal across the lips, anything involving the hands gets them clamped. etc." Adelaide lists off.
"What about if we ask someone else? Anyone else you know that maybe able to answer our questions?"
I shake my head in response. "No witches or wizards at least - our whole coven took the oath."
I was met with wide eyes from Colt, Faye and Clarke as they processed what I had just said. "How has one man, a human at that, can be such a threat to an entire coven?" Clarke states the question they were all thinking.
"I have my suspicions and have already set Jason and Nicole put on discovering more. Just wanted to see if Maeve or Adelaide could provide us with any insight." Colt stood and walked back towards his desk. "I am sorry, again, ladies. Please let me know how I can make it up to you?"
"Well, there is one thing..." Adelaide says as she slowly helps Faye get me to my feet. "Just look after our Abby."
He gives us a smile and dismisses us from the room. I give him one last glance before I left the room.
If only they knew what they are really getting into.
- Writer
