Page 21 of BeWolfed

"I was wondering when you two would come find me." Oscar stood in the doorway, impeccably dressed as usual. "Please, come in."

The office beyond matched the man—organized and tastefully decorated with supernatural artifacts and ancient texts. A massive desk dominated one wall, while comfortable seating near the windows suggested a space for longer discussions.

"We're here about Rose," I said.

"Of course you are." Oscar gestured to the seating area. "And about the blood magic corruption. And about the full moon ritual planned for tomorrow night. Please, sit."

We exchanged a glance, surprised by his forthright acknowledgment of the very issues we'd come to discuss.

"We saw you," Elowen said as we sat, keeping her voice steady despite the anger I could feel through our bond. "At the southern quarry. With Rose."

"Yes, I expected you might have." Oscar moved to a cabinet, retrieving an ancient-looking book bound in leather so dark it appeared almost black. "What you didn't see—couldn't see from your vantage point—was what I was actually doing."

"Which was?" I prompted, skepticism clear in my tone.

Oscar placed the book on the coffee table between us. Its cover bore no title, only a series of symbols that made my wolf instinctively recoil. Blood magic, old and powerful.

"Weakening the crystals," he said simply. "Altering their resonance patterns to diminish their channeling capacity. Small changes, undetectable to those who don't understand the deeper principles of blood magic. But enough to ensure the ritual won't achieve its intended purpose."

Elowen leaned forward, studying the book without touching it. "Rose's note said you know the truth. That you know what's really happening."

"Rose is a remarkable woman." Something like genuine admiration crossed Oscar's features. "Brilliant researcher, exceptional witch. She recognized the pattern long before anyone else—the systematic corruption of supernatural bonds across multiple communities."

"And you?" I couldn't keep the challenge from my voice. "What's your role in all this?"

Oscar's gaze shifted to me, assessing. "I've spent decades studying blood magic corruption. Not to use it—to counter it. To understand how natural supernatural bonds can be twisted and how to prevent that corruption from spreading."

"That doesn't explain why you're working with the people who kidnapped Rose," I pointed out.

"I'm not working with them. I'm infiltrating them." He sat finally, his movements precise and controlled. "When Rose discovered the pattern of corrupted pack bonds and missing witches, she contacted me. My research was well-known in certain academic circles, though not my... personal interest in the matter."

Through our bond, I felt Elowen analyzing his words, weighing them against Rose's notes and our observations. Her natural skepticism was balanced by her analytical approach, searching for the explanation that best fit all available facts.

"Rose's note mentioned a greater power behind the alpha," she said. "Someone controlling both the pack and the blood magic. Who is it?"

Oscar's expression darkened. "Not who. What." He opened the book carefully, revealing pages covered in sigils that seemed to writhe on the paper. "Blood magic this sophisticated doesn't originate with wolves or witches. It comes from somewhere older. Something that feeds on corrupted bonds."

"Something like what?" I pressed, growing impatient with his cryptic answers.

"There are entities," Oscar said carefully, "that exist in the spaces between realities. Beings that hunger for power derived from supernatural connections. They can't access our world directly, but they can influence those susceptible to promises of power."

"And the ritual tomorrow night?" Elowen asked.

"Is designed to open a doorway." Oscar turned a page, revealing a diagram nearly identical to the ritual circle we'd seen at the quarry. "Seven witches to channel power, nine wolves to direct it, one leader to control the flow. Enough corrupted energy to create a temporary breach between worlds."

The implications were staggering. Not just a power grab within the supernatural community, but something far more dangerous—a potential invasion from beyond our reality.

"Why are you telling us this?" I asked, still not ready to trust his apparent candor. "If you're infiltrating them, why risk your cover?"

"Because I need your help." Oscar closed the book, his expression grave. "Tomorrow night, I'll be in position to disrupt the ritual from within. But I can't free Rose and the other witches alone. The alpha and his enforcers will be watching me closely."

Elowen leaned forward. "You're proposing a coordinated effort. You sabotage the ritual while we extract the captives."

"Precisely." Oscar nodded. "I've already reached out to certain trustworthy faculty members, and Miss Evers has been invaluable in helping prepare countermeasures."

At the mention of Charlotte, I felt Elowen's surprise and concern. "Charlotte is involved in this?"

"Only peripherally. She's been researching protective magic with remarkable insight for a human." Oscar's tone softened slightly. "She doesn't know the full extent of what's happening, but she's helped develop spells that can temporarily neutralize blood magic effects."

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