A year passed before everything finally calmed down enough to be a tad less chaotic. Thanks to the chair I held, witchcraft had solidified itself in our society. While we still struggled against prejudice, it seemed like things were changing for the better.
Even in these peaceful times, our lives were hectic. We juggled our children with work, leaving little space for anything else. Usually, we ended the day exhausted, so we barely had time for each other.
There still were no leads that hinted at where Edna had gone, yet we didn't give up. She was playing the long game, but we would be ready for her next move this time. After work, I usually fell asleep earlier than Fenris, leaving me to wake up when he was gone.
Changes were happening in Cerberus that needed his attention, as did the push to open airship ports in all the major cities. This kept my wolf busy, along with Ben and Liam, who were always behind him.
Even with Amelia's constant help, taking care of four babies was overwhelming for me. At this point, they were learning how to walk, which triggered a baby-proofing of the entire manor. Melody, who usually would help, had recently given birth to her baby girl, Sofia.
Of course, Liam was the child's father, and they also got engaged soon after the pregnancy. Yet, because of the hectic pace of everything, their wedding, much like ours, hadn't happened. They conceived the night we came back from Celestelia—the same night I passed in discord with the babies and Fenris.
We were all trying to adjust to our new standard even though work didn't give in to my desires. I was desperate to find time alone with my wolf recently, especially since Amara gave me the okay.
It took an entire year for me to heal all the damage the spell had done to me. The trauma of the birth left me battered, even though Amara tried her best to help me through it with her magic. It took a long while for the bleeding to stop.
Thankfully, I already felt better, and my only pains were from taking care of my energetic quads. They were becoming more than a handful—something Amelia attributed to her brother's genes. It appeared Fenris was much like them when he was young.
Even Shade tried to stay strong when they treated her like a stuffed toy. Usually, the worst perpetrator was little Rem. The little luma was ruthless, leaving the feline constantly complaining about her treatment, but I could tell she loved every minute she spent with the babies.
"This little brat doesn't realize I'm a god-like being! Pulling my tail and ears like I'm a plush! Lily! Do you hear me?!" She usually would be heard whining, yet she never pulled away from her.
While Rem was a troublemaker, the twin boys didn't stay behind, testing the limits of this. They were the most robust next to Rem. Vera was calmer than her siblings as she usually watched them cause mayhem.
From this point, I knew the ones who would cause me more trouble in the future. However, today was a special day. They finally acknowledged me as the witch's chair in the council. Leaving my little ones behind, I headed towards the council with Liam.
He got me instead of Fenris, who was reviewing some reports that had come up with Ryker. However, Edna was still nowhere to be found, and there were no signs of Alijah either. However, what was more worrisome was Liam's appearance.
I had never seen him appear so out of it. There were deep dark circles under his eyes, thanks to baby Sophie's crying at night. Even so, he couldn't stop commenting on how cute his baby girl was—something Fenris shared since he could be heard gushing about his babies to people he was with.
This continued to Cerberus, where I was met by Aria, a witch who had become my right hand in the last year. She was an asset in helping me deal with the witches and warlocks while I recovered. This new friend I met was essential to helping me manage the negligible amount of time I had between raising my little ones and trying to lead our kin toward peace.
She had beautifully dyed amber hair and vibrant green eyes. She was older than me, which made her wiser in many of the dealings that had to be done. With her by my side, the meeting itself went well.
Most members accepted me after I proved my loyalty, thanks to my actions and the peace we had acquired. This happened when I banished Alijah for the foreseeable future, saving the lives of those in that forest that day.
In their eyes, I had bought us time to figure out what to do when he returned. We could only hope, but that black wolf was something else entirely. This new ruling stabilized the witchcraft users in society, although not everyone was glad about that outcome.
After everything we endured, some still wanted to be paid in blood—something I denied them at every turn. That alone was stressful. However, that didn't stop me from devoting myself to working on a cure for the new wolfsbane variant.
Stella called it Iris. The irony is too much. Mom, your name shouldn't have been placed onto something meant to be the death of others.
We had found this detail in my grandmother's grimoire that we got from her dead body. Edna didn't care if we had her grimoire, leaving it behind for us to find. She didn't leave anything but a note behind for me to read.
I never planned to bring Wolfsbane back in such a disastrous way. Sadly, my power also brings chaos into this world. It sometimes blinds me to what actions are right and wrong. I didn't see how much hatred that woman had for the wolves, so I played my role in her downfall.
So, I gave her a gift to you from me, little witch. Live your life and leave Alijah to me. If you or your children stand in my way, I'll have no choice but to retaliate. This fight is more significant than you realize.
Ultimately, it appeared my grandmother played both sides before being cast away as a pawn by her friend.
A more significant fight than I realize. Just what are you doing, Edna?
Like the message, the book taught me how Stella made the new variant. In honor of my mother's name, she used witchcraft to combine the iris flower with wolfsbane, giving birth to a new species—one easily harvested while carrying the potency of the original.
Sadly, there wasn't a way to know how many Iris carried this new threat. Even with that helpful hand given to us by a dreadful witch, it would take me three more years to find an antidote. Unfortunately, it had to be taken minutes after the poisoning to be effective, and it was hard to produce.
Cerberus had negligible quantities in stock, and even then, I continued to try to find better ways to prevent it from being used. Still, it was a major blow to our peace, especially when Stella's last gift for us was that she spread the plant all around Celestelia.
Hybrids had them in droves, making it dangerous for Lycans to go near the place. However, that was something soon to come. Amelia noticed my recent mood change on the same day as my confirmation to the council.
She approached me and said, "Let me take the pups for tonight. I heard Fen is on his way back already, and I bet you two have a lot to talk about."
"Amelia… I don't want to cause you more trouble. You're already with them most of the day." I mumbled, unsure of how she noticed.
Was I sulking?
"Oh, I enjoy the little pups. It's no problem at all." She simpered, gesturing for the maids to come collect the little ones.
"Is it just me who feels like they can be little gremlins?" I sighed.
"Nope! They are!" Shade huffed from the side, watching the maids pick them up.
"Hahah, that's because you're cranky and missing Fen's affection." She giggled, taking a sleeping Aiden into her hands.
"I…" I trailed off.
It was true. The lack of moments together was starting to get to me.
"Look, days like this will come and go, but please enjoy them to the fullest when they happen. Fen isn't like dad, but work can create wedges in any relationship. Please make sure to always make time for him and yourself." She bowed her head as the maids took the little gremlins away for the night.
"Thank you." I smiled, triggering her to respond the same way.
"Any time, please don't hesitate to ask for help. Oh, and please make sure the clothes in that box the maid left." She bid farewell, leaving me alone in the room.
I hadn't seen my wolf since the council meeting ended, but he would return soon. Turning to the item left behind, I opened it and saw only lingerie inside it. For a moment, my mind popped as I realized what she meant for me to do.
Amelia!
Shade snickered, pawing the underwear, "You should wear it. The little wolf will love it."
A soft sigh left my lips, "Can I? My body isn't…"
The pregnancy had a heavy toll on my body. I had stretch marks that decorated my scarred body. It didn't help that I also had loose skin around my belly. Amara had told me these changes were expected, but I had never felt comfortable in my skin.
Perhaps this is why Fenris isn't looking my way.
"Oi! Remember what he told us!" She huffed.
A real man will love the mother of his children no matter what shape or form.
"Exactly." She smirked, "He'll love it, or I'll rip his balls!"
"Arg, fine," I mumbled, putting the black lingerie on before hiding it under a gown.
Magic could've fixed all my insecurities, yet I never wanted to modify my body. However, there were other reasons I never did. The first was that I didn't know what Edna did to me the day my babies were born.
Thanks to her intervention, my magic was more unstable than ever. Even a brief burst of casting incantations ended with my nose bleeding, leaving me using my magic for research purposes alone. Even though I was free of the spell that wouldn't doom the world if I perished, that didn't sever my connection with the realm.
My fate would always be connected to the gate of shadows, which shifted my focus on trying to understand why it existed. We knew it was a prison, but why it was created would take most of my life to figure out, yet that didn't stop me from trying.
After all, this was something my children would have to deal with, too. While I waited for Fenris to come home, Shade rested in her new, more enormous tower that Amelia had gotten for her. Fenris's sister had been coming around with us more since the babies came into the world, and it was lovely.
I never thought our relationship would turn friendly enough for her to buy me lingerie, but here we are.
This would be the first nap the little feline had without babies around to stop her. When Fenris arrived, he appeared dead inside. Even though he always slept next to me every night, today, he seemed more tired than usual.
Then again, I usually was out cold by the time he came back, but this evening, he was early, and I had my hopes up.