Researching the Facts

Scarlett
I slammed the book shut before laying my head on it as it throbbed. Osprey’s arm tightened around my waist as he turned his head to press a kiss against my shoulder. I sat up to relax back against him, enjoying having my old Osprey back. Ever since he attacked me, things between us have been a little awkward, to say the least. He had reverted back to the boy he was before his freshman year in high school, doting on me like we were prepubescent children again. As much as I loved his affection and adoration, it was too much. He had been shirking his alpha duties and training, and I knew that everyone was starting to doubt our ability to lead the sleuth, but Osprey didn’t care. The only thing that mattered to him was me. Not that I was complaining. I loved being with my mate, but we had to think about the sleuth too.
“Are you alright, Letti?” Osprey asked softly, sliding his hand across my belly.
“Yes. I’m just tired. There’s nothing in that book or any of these other books,” I answered, waving my hand at the dozen other books laying on the table, “about what is in the vial. There’s nothing. Not one single thing.”
Osprey put his chin on my shoulder, sighing. “You’re right. We need more help.”
I shook my head. “We don’t need ‘more’ help. We need the right help. We need Annie,” I told them. “She would know exactly what that was and what it was for.” I turned to look at Logan, who was watching my exchange with Osprey curiously. “Do you understand just how special Annie is?”
He leaned back in his chair, studying my face. “No, I don’t. Why don’t you tell me? I think we could all use a break.”
I smiled as I nuzzled into Osprey. “Annie has always been a chosen favorite of the Goddess herself. She was granted the ability to speak to not only the animals in the forest but the very plants themselves. She even gets to speak to the Goddess through her bond with the vines. There have been times when she’s disappeared on runs only to be found playing with the vines under the ground.” I stopped talking to look down at my stomach. “When she was born, the vines nurtured her for a while before she was given to Mom.” I pinned both Logan and Giselda with an intense look. “She is more than just our little sister. She is one of the most important people in our sleuth. She is such a sweet soul that needs to be protected. If you can’t do that, then you need to let her go. Mate or not.”
“Now, now, Scarlett, that’s no way to speak to a fellow alpha,” Mama Tasha chuckled as she sat down at the table next to us. She pulled my book over to her, glancing at the title before sitting back in her seat and tapping her fingers on the table. Her head whipped around to glare at me and Osprey. “You know, your fathers and I are still the alphas of our sleuth. You are up to something and have yet to say a word to us about what you are doing.”
Osprey’s arms tightened around me again, and I knew he was about to fly off the handle at them again. He always did when they wanted to be involved with his siblings’ mate relationships. I smiled brightly at her.
“Actually, Mom, we were just trying to educate ourselves on the vines and their importance to the sleuths,” I lied smoothly.
“Mhmm. And what vial are you researching?” Mom said.
“There is no vial,” Osprey growled.
“This vial, Alpha Sow Natasha,” Giselda said, placing the vial in the middle of the table, earning a warning growl from Osprey.
Mom slowly reached out to take it, freezing just above the vial before her hand touched it to look at Logan. “May I?”
He shrugged. “If you think you can help, you can try, but be careful.”
Mom beamed at him. “Annie told me everything. Since Annie is not here to help you guys herself, I will do my best.”
She picked it up, immediately popping the cork off. She waved it under her nose, inhaling deeply as she moved it before recorking it and smiling at us. “That, my dear children, is a special concoction that the vines created to make auras ineffective. How did you get it?”
Osprey tensed below me. “Excuse me? It does what now?”
“It’s given to deserving people who need to be immune to another’s aura,” Mom repeated.
“Of course! That’s it!” Giselda exclaimed excitedly, clapping her hands. “I never knew something like this even existed.”
“Because if it was common knowledge, then people would start to abuse it and start harming the vines in order to obtain it. This is something that is only given to the most deserving people.”
“Like Annie?” Giselda asked.
“Yes. Annie would have no issue getting it,” Mom said slowly before her head snapped up to glare at Logan and Giselda. “Did you take this from her?”
“No! It was given to Giselda on our run today,” I told her.
“Hmmm, so this must have been given to you to break whoever’s aura on you,” Mom informed us.
“So, how does it work? Do we just take it and imagine whoever’s aura we need to fight?” Giselda asked.
“No. You need to find a way to get their blood. Then you mix it with the potion and take some. Then you become immune to their aura,” Mom said.
“Is there a way to make someone who used this to once again become affected by the aura they became immune to in the first place?” Osprey asked.
“Yes. It’s an easy antidote. And I do mean to make and use. After it’s made, all you have to do is take the blood from the person whose aura was affected and take it. With that being said, I can whip it in a little less than 24 hours. If the vines give me the most important ingredient,” she answered. “But I’m sure if I tell them that it’s for Annie, they would provide it without question.”
“You would make us the antidote?” Osprey inquired. “Why?”
She stood up, sliding the vial back toward Giselda. “Because believe it or not, Osprey, I only want to help. I know you still blame me and your fathers for getting in the way of you and Scarlett’s relationship, but all we want to do is make sure that you and your siblings are happy. Fuck the sleuth. Fuck the alphaship. But most of all, fuck the expected roles of your life. Sometimes being alphas won’t even play a part in decisions we make. This one is only about being your parents. If Annie needs us to help you so that she can achieve her happiness, then we want to help. Please forgive us for our mistakes in the past, Osprey. We won’t make them again.” She took Daddy Falcon’s hand. “Anyway, we just wanted you two to know that we should get back to our sleuth. I have surgery to perform.”
As they walked away, I glanced around at the others. “Okay, so now we have that handled. Here’s the next question. How do we get him to take the potion? We all know that he won’t do that willingly.”
“Ummm. I’m sure I can handle that. That is if Osprey agrees to give us his blood to use,” Giselda said, flushing as she looked at us.
“He will,” I agreed for him as I took his hand. “Osprey was always stronger than him. We need Osprey to be able to use his aura. Are you sure you can get him to take the antidote?”
“Yes. I, ummm, I can. It’ll,” she cleared her throat, “be easy.”
“Absolutely not!” Logan growled. “I do not want you to be alone with him. It’s dangerous!”
She turned toward him. “I don’t have a choice. We need Osprey as much as we need you to not be affected by his aura. Come to think of it, maybe we should make all of us immune to his aura. That way we stand a better chance.”
Osprey buried his face in my neck, breathing deeply for a moment before looking back up at Logan. “I think that is a great idea. I already want to kill the bastard for making me hurt my mate. If we can’t control him, then I will kill him on sight.”
Sadness crossed Giselda’s face, and I leaned across the table to take her hands. “It’s going to be okay, Giselda. If you want him, all you have to do is say so.” I glanced over my shoulder at Osprey. “He’ll allow him to live for you. Just say the word.”
“No. I don’t think I can ever forgive him.”
“It’s okay. You don’t have to decide now.”
“Thank you.” She grabbed her phone when it dinged to read the message before cursing loudly. “Fuck!”
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
She set her phone down on the table, and we all leaned toward the center to read it.
*‘Does Annie know you’re fucking her man?’*