Hayden took another sip of her coffee and sighed. “Alright, now that we’ve all have a drink and some time to process, how are we feeling?”

“Still a bit hazed, but I can form sentences again,” Sebastian answered.

Edmund nodded. “Yeah, I think I’m fine now. The more I think about it, the more obvious it really was. Especially since the Emporium is basically a magic one stop shop.”

“Best in the territory,” Persephone boasted. “I am kind of surprised it took Seb so long to figure out.”

Sebastian groaned. “Can we not talk about that?”

Hayden nodded. “We need to get back on topic. Edmund, you probably haven’t been approached yet, but I’m sure once someone catches on at school, then the Wiker Pack will try to recruit you.”

Sebastian blinked. “The what?”

“The Wiker Pack. The wolves that own this territory. They'll want to recruit Edmund as soon as possible so he doesn’t turn rouge,” Hayden explained. “Honestly though, I’m not sure how good it would be to join them.”

“Yeah, there are plenty of bonuses to being in a pack, but then you’re stuck under Lance.” Persephone grimaced.

Edmund raised an eyebrow. “And Lance is...?”

“A jerk, most of the time,” Seph quipped. “He's a decent alpha and all that, but the way he leads is rather... cult-esque. And not in the fun way.”

“There’s a fun way?”

“There's a fun way to do everything! But, the Wiker pack is very strict. If you join them, then you would have to report to the pack house every day, give your spare money to the pack fund, run drills and, depending on your rank, you may have to do combat training.”

“Combat? Who are they fighting?” Seb questioned.

“No one. That’s what makes the Wiker pack a bit... odd. They have long standing peace treaties with territories from all sides of them, but they still train like an army anticipating war.”

“Could I turn them down?” Edmund inquired.

Hayden shrugged. “Yes, and no. You can turn them down, but then you would need to either move to a different pack’s territory or fight for your own.”

Sebastian felt his heart drop. “Is- is there any way to change him back? Make him human again?”

“In Edmund’s case, no. If he’d been cursed or bitten then it would be a different story, but when it’s something as naturally apart of you as your DNA then there’s no changing it.” Hayden explained solemnly. “Your best course of action, I'm afraid, is to find a different pack.”

“No, I can’t leave here. I haven’t even finished school and there’s no way my dad will let me just disappear to God knows where, even if I explain the situation to him.”

“Ed, the Wiker Pack is not something you want to mess with. Staying here too long will make them come after you and anyone close to you,” Persephone warned.

“Remember what Lydia said about fights you can’t win?” Seb added.

“What if it’s a fight I can win?”

“They’re trained fighters.”

“So, I’ll train too.”

“You can’t train that fast.”

“I have no other choice.”

“You can choose to leave.”

“I’m not leaving you,” Edmund snapped.

There was a beat of silence as Sebastian processed those words. It was a promise. An old one, but the same reliable vow that kept them together for nearly a decade. Those words meant the world to Seb, and it was much the same for Ed. Breaking it now would break them both.

Finally, Seb found his voice again. “I’m not asking you to. But I’d rather know you’re safe somewhere than lose you completely.”

There was another beat of silence before Hayden cleared her throat. “I may have a way to buy you time. I can’t say it’ll be long, or even work in the first place really, but time is everything.”

Edmund nodded. “What is it?”

“Scent neutralizer. You’d need to apply it regularly and try to avoid being in close proximity with anyone who may be from the Wiker Pack, but it’ll give you time to really go over your options.”

“...Would I owe you anything for it?”

Hayden smiled. “Consider it a favor from a friend. While I work on that, Persephone can answer any other questions you might have about... everything, I suppose.”

Persephone nodded excitedly. “To be honest, I only know a little about werewolves. They keep most of what they do to themselves honestly. But I’ve been around long enough I could answer any questions you have about the supernatural as a whole.”

“Does Lydia know about this stuff?” Sebastian asked.

“Well, of course. Wouldn’t make sense if they didn’t, seeing as they’re a ghost and all.”

“Lydia is a ghost?”

“Yup. They’re an older soul so they can easily interact with the physical world and all that, but they’re still an undead in the end.”

Sebastian shook his head. “How did I miss that I’ve been working alongside two dead people since I was fifteen?”

Persephone shrugged. “Beats me. We’re not exactly subtle. You've literally seen me drink blood from a chalice.”

“I thought that was wine.”

“I’m actually not fond of wine. Most of it’s too bitter.”

“Sorry to derail you guys, but can we talk about what you do know concerning werewolves? Like, am I going to start craving human flesh?” Edmund questioned.

“Gods, no. Not unless you turn rouge.”

Sebastian frowned. “You mentioned that word before. What exactly is a rouge?”

“In short, a broken soul. They are a wolf who has been rejected from their pack and left with no purpose. Driven mad by their need for community and belonging. Being without a pack is every wolf’s greatest nightmare, but the dangers that a rouge creates are arguably scarier.” Persephone explained with a far-off look. She was quick to shake herself from that state however and smile once more. “You don’t have to worry about that though. You’ve only just turned, so you’ll have time to find your pack and purpose.”

“A pack and purpose,” Edmund echoed. “That sounds... like a lot.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it. You have a strong character, Ed. Whatever your fate may be, you’ll rise to the challenge.”