Page 28 of BeWolfed

Oscar stood amidst the destruction, his carefully maintained academic demeanor finally showing cracks. For just a moment, something else showed through—something ancient and powerful that had nothing to do with his human disguise. Then it was gone, the facade restored as he methodically began checking the fallen pack members.

"Come on," Rose tugged my arm, drawing my attention away from the enigmatic professor. "Questions later. Safety first."

We reached the western exit where Rudy waited with the other witches and several of Lola's wolves. The relief that flooded through our bond when he saw us approach was overwhelming — his joy and pride at our success washing away the lingering effects of the corrupted energy.

As we retreated into the forest, leaving the quarry and its ruined ritual behind, I felt something shift in the fabric of reality around us. Whatever had been trying to break through had been thwarted—for now at least. The boundary between worlds had been maintained, though not without cost.

Rose walked beside me, leaning slightly on my arm as the adrenaline of escape gave way to exhaustion. But her eyes were clear and alert, her mind already processing what had happened and what it meant.

"You have quite a story to tell me," she said quietly, glancing meaningfully at Rudy who walked ahead of us, constantly scanning for threats.

"Several stories," I agreed, feeling the weight of everything that had happened since her disappearance. "But they can wait until you're safe."

She smiled, squeezing my arm gently. "I'm already safe. Thanks to you and your unexpected wolf."

The simple acknowledgment meant more than I could express. Rose had been my anchor since my parents' death, my teacher despite my magical inconsistencies, my family when I had no one else. Having her back, knowing she approved of the unexpected turn my life had taken—it settled something deep inside me that I hadn't realized was still unsettled.

Through the bond, I felt Rudy's response to my emotional shift, his warmth and support flowing back through our connection. Partners in this as in all things.

Whatever challenges waited ahead—the pack's recovery from corruption, Shadow Valley's ongoing struggles, the mysterious entities that had nearly broken through, Oscar Katz's true nature—we would face them together. As a family, chosen and forged through crisis but continuing by deliberate choice.

That, I was beginning to understand, was the strongest magic of all.

Epilogue

Elowen

Two weeks after the failed ritual, Rose's bookstore maintained a cautious normalcy. The damaged books had been repaired, the shelves reorganized (at least three times, thanks to Daisy's evolving system), and the protective wards reinforced to levels that would make most supernatural beings think twice before attempting any mischief.

But outside the safety of those wards, Midnight Creek remained a town divided.

I noticed it as I restocked the mythology section—the way customers carefully timed their visits to avoid encountering certain species. A vampire left hurriedly when two witches entered. Later, a werewolf family waited outside until a coven member had completed her purchase.

"The prejudices shift but don't disappear," Rose observed, joining me after the werewolf family finally entered. "The ritual's failure may have prevented catastrophe, but it didn't address the underlying disease."

"I thought things might improve after what happened," I admitted, shelving a rare volume on forest spirits. "After everyone saw what blood magic corruption leads to."

Rose's expression turned wry. "Fear can unite people temporarily against a common threat. But once that threat recedes..."

"Old prejudices resurface," I finished, thinking of the cold stares Rudy and I had received at the Silver Flask just last night—from both wolves uncomfortable with his choice of mate and witches who considered me a traitor to my kind.

Our bond was a reminder of the complicated political position we now occupied. Neither fully accepted by either community, yet connected to both.

"The books sense lingering corruption," Daisy announced, floating past with an armful of ancient texts. "Not the obvious kind from the blood ritual, but something more insidious. Older. Patient." Her opal eyes swirled with troubled patterns. "The romance novels are particularly concerned about it."

Before I could question this cryptic observation, the bell above the door chimed as Rudy entered. Through our bond, I felt his tension from navigating the increasingly chilly reception onMain Street, though his expression remained neutral as several customers watched his arrival with thinly veiled disapproval.

"Lola sends an update," he said, joining me by the mythology shelves. "The pack is stabilizing physically after the blood magic exposure, but the politics are... complicated."

"Meaning?" Rose asked quietly.

"Meaning half of them think working with witches to stop the ritual was necessary but temporary, while the other half think any cooperation was a betrayal of pack interests." His jaw tightened. "The alpha's disappearance has created a power vacuum, and those most resistant to interspecies cooperation are gaining influence."

The news wasn't surprising, but it was disappointing. I'd hoped that jointly facing an existential threat might have created some lasting bridges between communities.

"And Shadow Valley?" I asked.

"Even more isolated than before. The Glitter & Stone is one of the few establishments still serving mixed clientele." A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "Though Mr. Cash claims it's purely business, not principle."

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