~ Quill mansion ~

Tessa sighed as she looked at Adeline's bedroom. It was so weird to not have her around after so long. They were close to finishing a year with her becoming Adeline's guardian and for the first time when she went to Adeline's room in the early morning it was empty.

"I can hear you sighing all the way from my office. What is the matter, my love?" He kissed her temple softly.

She shook her head as she stared longingly at the bed which was empty of her niece. "It feels weird not to come up now and not have her around."

Korr smiled. "It's just for a few days. It can only stretch up to a week or two but after that they would come back home. Hopefully, better."

"Hopefully," she nodded and felt another kiss on her temple.

Tessa and Korr in a matter of three months had grown much closer than they were ever before.

Adaline's depression was a major factor in this. They have spent considerable amounts together and unlike what happened in Tessa's world these things were given major importance in this realm. Family and health were two top things where one could get a leave any time they wanted but that was also within reason.

Korr had been a constant support in this. He had been there with her for Adaline shoulder to shoulder.

Tessa turned around to leave the room when her eyes landed on a flower pot. She squinted her eyes at it before walking towards it. She did not remember buying these particular flowers and placing them in Adeline's room.

"Violet flowers?" Korr frowned, "these flowers are for the royalty which I do not object to because they are in Adeline's room."

" See that's the thing," Tessa spoke up, "Adeline does not like real flowers in her room. In fact she does not want flowers in her room, the only thing you can make her agree on is the plastic ones."

"Why?"

Tessa shrugged, " it is something about them dying early. At least in soil they continued to live on for a long time. And I do not remember buying violet flowers for the house."

"I could be a gift." Korr offered.

"We are girls," Tessa rolled her eyes, "if Adelene got flowers from someone then I assure you she would have told me."

Tessa took the flower pot. There was no use of flowers in a room of someone who did not appreciate keeping them here. Teresa knew that Adeline would be much more happy if she planted these flowers in the garden.

She looked at the flower pot as she walk down the stairs with her mate. Something seems to be very odd about this flower pot.

It smelled.

Was that even possible?

Maybe it was the water inside that had not been changed for a long time.

Korr patted her bum as he parted ways with her going back to his office and Tessa continued on her way to the backyard. She puts the flowers out only to gag.

It smelled rotten. It was worse than what a dead animal with smell like. It was much, much worse.

She almost vomited as she dropped the flowers and the pot and walked back inside only for the butler and her mate to come out.

"What is that!" Korr growled and pulled her behind me. He glared at the flowers.

Tessa was about to ask How could they smell something from the back yard but then she remembered their highlighted senses. If the smell was bad to her then it was to be the worst thing they had ever smelled.

Javis stepped forward. "It's the flowers, my lord."

"It is," Tessa confirmed, in a high pitched voice as she had pinched her nose to avoid the smell. "I put the flowers out of the flower pot and that disgusting smell wafted everywhere!" She gaged again. It was too much.

Javis pulled out a handkerchief and please state on his nose as he neared the pot on the grass.

Tessa grimaced. The smell must be too much for him to bear yet he was nearing it. He was struggling.

Javis stopped right in front of it and picked it up only to turn its mouth to the grass. He poured out the black water out of it and then watched as something fell out.

Tessa stared at it with mixed feelings. Fear ruled the race of them.

Javis most his food around in the puddle of Black water and tossed the small item that had fallen out of the vase. He moved over to where it went and stood over it.

"What is it?" Korr asked as he continued to stand in front of her. "Javis,"

Javis glanced back at his master with her hesitatance clear in his eyes. "I think it would be better if you come here and see for yourself, Master Quill."

For a quick second, Tessa thought that Korr might take offence to how the butler had address him but none of that happened as the man walked to the butler without any questions. She remained behind.

It was no brainer to know why his Butler had called him near. It was obvious that Javis did not want to know what it was.

"What?" Korr asked as he neared.

"Something that should never have been here," Javis said with a grim voice, "it is very unfortunate to state that this looks like a foetus. A barely 12 to 18 weeks old. You cannot even see the skin yet, my lord."

Korr stared at the little human. . .of a small peice of mass, it seemed. There was no telling to whether the baby would turn out to be a shapeshifter or just human but he knew as soon as he looked at it that it was a foetus.

A baby.

"A dead foetus in Adeline's room," Korr murmured as he stared at the small mass, "this cannot be good."