"Not exactly."
"I only told her that you had interest in the folktale about the empath," Rafe said quietly. "I thought it might be better if you and Trevor told your story in your own words."
I watched Adalwolfa's fingers twitch slightly on the leather-bound book at the wordfolktale. I took a step closer to the table, straining to make out the words embossed in faded gold print. It was German but, of course, I spoke the language, so that wasn't a problem. Before she saw me looking and covered them, I made out a single word -Prophezeiung.Prophezeiung? A prophecy? What the hell?
"Please, sit."
Something about the concern etched in the lines on her weathered face told me that Adalwolfa knew more about the situation than she was admitting to. I nodded and pulled out a chair, seating Trevor before claiming the one next to him for my own. Later it would occur to me that he had accepted the gesture without theunconscious irritation that seemed to radiate off of him every time I was near lately. Taking a deep breath, I opened my mouth, but the old woman shook her head.
"Trevor is the key to this," she said firmly. "I need his thoughts."
Trevor looked up from the spot on the table that he'd been staring at, eyes wide. "But I don't know what's going on." He looked from her to me and back. "Clint didn't even tell me why we were coming here. He only said that you might be able to help with some of the confusion I've been having."
"I understand," Adalwolfa soothed him. "Do you trust me?"
"Of course," Trevor responded immediately. When she turned to me, my own nod was slower to come and somewhat forced.
She reached her bony fingers across the table toward Trevor. "Let me have your hand."
The air in the room was thick and heavy, even after Colby coerced one of the sticky wood-framed windows into opening. We sat in silence as Trevor and Adalwolfa stared into each other's eyes, unblinking and statue still. When they finally emerged from the near trance, Trevor seemed almost relieved, but Adalwolfa's expression was, if possible, grimmer as she turned to face me.
"Your Omega is suffering from Interspecies Claim Dysphoria," she announced. "In laymen's terms, his human half is rejecting the claim."
I stared at her in shock. I knew that the situation was serious, but I hadn't expected it to be a medical issue.
"Why? How did this happen?"
"I can't be sure." She stared at the wall behind me for several long moments as she worked through what she wanted to say. "It could be related to the fact that he went through the change from human to were with the same bite that you claimed him with," she said quietly. "Or it could be related to an outside source."
I narrowed my eyes at that. "What kind of outside source?"
"A food allergy, possibly. Or," Adalwolfa huffed in irritation, "outside interference." When I didn't respond, she clarified. "Magical interference."
"Are you fucking serious?" I snarled. "You think someone hexed him?"
"Clint!"
I ignored Trevor's hushed admonishment at my curse.
"I can't be sure." She sniped back. "The only clue I can find in his mind is that the Alpha who sold him at the auction was very angry. If he found out that Trevor was capable of being bred, after all, it's possible that he could have had Trevor cursed in the hopes that you would return him." She shrugged. "It's a stretch, but it is probably worth looking into."
"I can send a couple of men to his old pack," Rafe offered. "Have them poke around."
I nodded my agreement even though the idea seemed absurd. I wasn't much of a believer in her magic, regardless of how much I had seen with my own eyes.
"Is there a solution?" I asked through gritted teeth. "Other than cutting off the witch's head?"
Trevor and Colby gasped at the rudeness of my question. Rafe gave a resigned sigh. The bog witch just rolled her eyes.
"As if a lowly werewolf could take out a witch," she snorted, unimpressed by my irritated snarl. "Regardless of the cause, there is only one solution that I am aware of."
We all waited in silence.
"There is a claim balancing spell," she said hesitantly, waving me to silence when I started to speak. "There are no guarantees that it will work, though."
To my surprise, Trevor spoke up. "If itdidwork, would I go back to normal?"
Adalwolfa shook her head slowly. "Let me explain how it works, and then you and the mutt can discuss it."
