“You okay,” Allyson asks as she steps out of her shower stall dressed in a black pencil skirt with a bright blue, long sleeve silk top, snapping Katherine out of her musings.
“Lost in thought is all,” Katherine replies as she realizes she had missed the water stopping in Allyson’s shower. Quickly pulling on her white sandals, Katherine stands up to look at Allyson as she pulls her blond hair back into a tight bun once more.
“About?” Allyson says, linking an arm through Katherine’s and leading the younger doctor out of the locker rooms and towards the exit of the medical center.
“Bits of everything” Katherine replies somewhat evasively, as they exit and walk towards the main pack house. The morning sun brightened the summer sky as the pack moved about to begin their duties.
Allyson gave Katherine a tight smile, knowing how her protege was affected by the death of patients and why. “What isn’t based on guilt?” She asks, trying to focus Katherine away from the adverse thoughts that would only cause her to withdraw from the world instead of working through her emotions properly.
Katherine frowns slightly, looking for a commonality within her musings. “The focus is on what more can be done to stop the deaths. I just wish Uncle David would talk to the other Alphas to see if they are being affected as well, or if it's just our pack. We also need to be proactive in finding the source of the poisonings. If we know what it is they are using in the poison we can create an antidote before we lose them.”
Allyson grins at Katherine as they stop in front of a three story house that was the Fox River Pack’s main housing; large enough to house both the Alpha and Beta families and a decent amount of rooms left for guests and administration. Tan brick made up the first three feet of the outer walls as it rose from the ground, grey siding covering the rest to the black shingled roof. A large porch sat behind medium pine trees, a lattice style railing running the perimeter. Hidden behind the pines, Katherine knew, sat a wooden swing that she often enjoyed sitting on, to read in her free time.
“Then we need to push on Alpha David to get in contact with the other packs. I already talked with him about having some of the Cappas focused solely on the investigation, but knowing if we are the only targets of these forays would help. Especially if others have been able to find a more effective treatment.” Allyson observes when Katherine does not continue the thought.
Katherine sighs, “So how do we convince Uncle David to contact them? Valorie tried a month ago to get him to contact at least the Blue Moon Pack but he refused.”
“Apparently Blue Moon thinks like you and reached out first.” A deep, bass voice called out of the shadows of the porch.
Katherine subconsciously calls a breeze to bring the scent of the person to the startled doctors, suddenly racing hearts calming as they recognize Katherine’s uncle’s moss flower scent, along with the granite and hyacinth scent that belonged to Valorie. Walking to join them on the porch, Allyson looked sheepish, knowing it was unusual for a pack member to talk about convincing an Alpha to go against his decisions, despite the fact if anyone had the right to push him for a different one it was her and Katherine. Most of the time, they didn't feel a need to challenge David’s opinions on reaching out for aid from the other packs. After years of fending off Blood Moon’s Alpha, who believed that the Fox River Pack was an easy target for a takeover after David had killed his father for the Alpha position, David shied away from contacting the other packs concerning anything to do with his pack.
When Katherine told him about the aura differences and about finding from the data that there is a form of poison when testing each patient’s blood, he had locked down the whole pack. When the poisonings continued despite the safety measures built into the lockdown, David had allowed the pack to move more freely, but had still refused to ask for help, even from Fox River’s certain allies like Blue Moon. He felt it was his job to protect the pack and since one Alpha turned on him and after the loss of his brother, David refused to share with other packs so the Fox River Pack’s issues would not be seen as weaknesses, even if the issues occurring were more attacks than anything else.
Katherine hugged David, who was dressed in jeans and a black t-shirt, and Valorie in greeting before sitting on the porch swing with Valorie, whose bright green eyes, brought out even more with her simple, forest green dress shirt, flashed in laughter at Allyson’s expression .
“They have found cases of poisoning as well?” Katherine asks.
“Yes. In fact, their Omega saw the same thing you did, and they found the same poison markers as well in blood tests. The only difference between what we are facing and their situation is that they have only had one case of these poisonings. The Omega had somehow kept him alive. The poison is actually no longer showing up in his blood after the Omega used her powers to help him through the worst of it.” David shares, his giant form leaning against the high railing on the porch.
“How did they stop the poison?” “What do you mean they saw the same thing?” Allyson and Katherine rushed over top of each other, excited as much as shocked with this new information.
Valorie laughed as David blinked in confusion as to who’s question to answer first, slapping her jean covered thigh, her long dark red curly hair bouncing around her head, crimson-rainbow aura flashing brightly with her amusement, “Seems the Blue Moon Omega is a Hybrid of some sort like you are Katherine. They thought they had a Rogue Syndrome case for the first time in sixty-eight years, and called her to come and help with the patient. Only they realized, as she made her way to the medical center, that it wasn’t fitting into the stages as expected. The poor man when from normal to Manic in only a few hours.”
Allyson frowned at this new information. “We’ve seen that as well in the last two or three cases, healthy to suddenly being Manic Rogue. But nothing we’ve done has even slowed the poison down.”
David shrugs, “Blue Moon’s Alpha told me her Omega had to be in the room for a week, as in, the girl could not even leave to use the restroom or take a shower, or progress of the patient would regress, and she would have to do even more to regain the improvement of symptoms.”
Katherine plays with the end of her braid as she puzzles through the information, “What races make up her ancestry,” she murmurs softly.
“They didn’t share that information. You can ask when we arrive there.” David grunts out.
Katherine looks up in shock at her uncle, “What?”
“Alpha Mason is calling for a full Supernatural Council Meeting and is asking for all the Omegas to come with their Alphas so they all can work out a strategy to counter the poison more effectively,” David explains with a sigh.
“But her Omega was able to counter it,” Allyson interjects, “Shouldn’t they just share how they were able to do so and leave the council to figure out the who and why behind the attacks?”
“It could be her ancestry that is allowing her to counter the poison more effectively than I have,” Katherine replies with a shrug before frowning at her feet, a few tears rolling down her lightly tanned face. “If I’m not even matching her then the other Omegas may be struggling even worse. We aren't even keeping our afflicted alive.”
Allyson nodded, watching as Valorie hooked an arm around Katherine’s shoulders, “It may be that no one even noticed it was poison before patients started acting outside of the normal symptoms for Rogue Syndrome. Your being able to see the aura change gives us more time to try and stop the poison from spreading.”
“I take it we lost Travis already?” David asks, moving forward and lifting Katherine up, taking her seat and placing his emotional niece onto his lap at Katherine’s doleful nod. “The Moon Goddess will watch over him as she does with the others then.”
Katherine rubs her cheek against her uncle’s shoulder in a self-soothing manner. “I just wish I was stronger.”
“Katherine, you are strong. Stronger than anyone can ever imagine. You and the Blue Moon Omega are the only Hybrid Omegas that have ever been accounted for in any supernatural historic archives I’ve pored over, through the years” Valorie puts in. “Omega rank already causes a person to stand apart in power from normal Were ranks. Add in the Wiccan powers, or whatever the Blue Moon Omega is for the powers of her other side, and you both stand out even more.”
Katherine gives her aunt a small smile before looking up at her uncle. “So we both are going to visit Blue Moon for the council meeting?”
“Yes, but since Valorie is in the miscarriage stage and my wolf instincts are not willing to leave her behind. Nancy is going to go as well since it will fit well in her training as my heir. Richard will be able to handle things here well enough being Beta and knowing all the safety procedures for the pack.” David explains just as Nancy walks through the door to join the group on the porch.
Having heard the last bit of her father's explanation she nods her head having been told about the council meeting already by her father; her shoulder- length, dark, wavy, auburn locks framing her face as her chocolate-colored eyes flashes in excitement, the amber aura flowing gently around her five foot eight form. “It will be fun, like going on a family vacation.”
“It's not a vacation. We are going to be in discussions much of the time” David reiterates in confusion, causing Valorie and Katherine to burst out laughing.
“Dad. The whole family is going, I guarantee there is going to be some downtime. It's a family vacation.” Nancy teases, earning an eye roll from her father.
Allyson smiles and shakes her head before asking “When is the council meeting? I want to send our findings along with Katherine so the other Omegas can be aware of what we have found so far.”
“Next week for the Omega meeting and a couple days after that for the full council,” Nancy replies, “We’ll need to start towards Blue Moon by Friday to get there in time for the Omega meeting.”
“I’ll start on gathering the data tomorrow then. I’m going to head home before Philip starts worrying.” Allyson says stepping off the porch before turning back to address Katherine. “Katherine, I do not want to see you at the medical center until you return from the meeting. Pack for the trip and de-stress. I’ll bring the data over for you tomorrow night on my way home.”
Katherine sighs but gives a nod of understanding to Allyson’s orders. Allyson smiles back at her before waving goodbye and walking away from the pack house towards home. Valorie stands to her full five foot height and pats Katherine’s and Nancy’s shoulders before heading into the pack house. David gives Katherine a firm hug before placing her back on the porch swing. Kissing Nancy's head as he passes her, he follows his mate inside. Nancy moves to the swing and sits beside her cousin who is looking out to watch the people passing by.
“Do you think Alpha Mason will remember you?” Nancy asks suddenly, drawing Katherine’s gaze to her.
“I would be surprised if she doesn’t,” Katherine says, smiling as happy memories of living in the Blue Moon Pack begin to rush through her mind.
Though not the troublemaker that Kaycee was, Katherine would often be drug into her twin’s harebrained schemes. She usually could not avoid a visit to Alpha Mason’s office with her twin for a reprimand of some sort for more than a week at a time. Alpha Mason had always had to hide a grin at the sight of the defiant Kaycee and sheepishly guilt-ridden Katherine. Calling Kaycee, “A’testhazeve”, “Her troublemaker”, and Katherine, “Saulari”, or “Sweetness”, Mason would, more often than not. struggle to hide her amusement before telling the girls to not cause trouble and left the actual discipline for Gloria or Jonathan. But she gave both girls gifts of coloring books and crayons, making sure to focus on the interests of each girl. It made Katherine feel included, despite knowing that Alpha Mason felt more of a bond with her younger twin.
“Cause of Kaycee?” Nancy asks sheepishly, knowing it was hard for Katherine to talk about Kaycee at times, but feeling the need to ask regardless.
“She might do a double take since your mom insists I look like a darker haired version of my mom, but Mason knew me and Kaycee very well. She used to be able to tell Kaycee and I apart at a glance without first checking our eyes.” Katherine smiles, only a hint of sadness in her eyes.
Nancy smiles back and wraps her arms around the older girl. Katherine hugs her cousin, breathing in the other girl’s dogwood scent, and looks once more out at the people moving through their days. She wondered if going back would be hard, not just for herself but for those who knew her as a child. Would they even recognize her without her twin or would they feel pain in seeing only her without her twin? Shrugging off the melancholy thoughts, Katherine hugs her closer and lets the warmth of the summer day rush over her to redirect her thoughts to reason behind the trip itself, happy that action was being taken so no one else would die from the poison.
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