Joseph arrived back at his pack to see chaos all around him. As he stepped out of his car, he could hear the panicked voices of his pack members. He quickly made his way to the hospital where he was informed that 12 of his highest-ranking people were sick.
When he arrived at the hospital, he saw his people were writhing in pain, their bodies covered in white blisters. He had never seen anything like it before.
"What's happening here?" he asked the head doctor.
"I'm not sure," the doctor replied, shaking his head. "This disease is unlike anything I've ever seen or heard of before. We're doing everything we can to keep them sedated, but the sickness seems to be progressing faster than we can treat it."
Joseph was shocked to hear the news, but he knew that he had to stay strong and keep his pack together during this crisis.
As he walked through the hospital, he saw that his beta, the second in command, was the most sick. He was covered with white blisters and struggling to comprehend anything. Joseph was heartbroken to see his friend in this state. The other sick pack members were in similar conditions, constantly turning into their wolf and back into human form.
Joseph felt a knot forming in his stomach. He knew he had to find a way to stop this disease from spreading. He called a meeting with his top advisors, including the pack's healer, the cook, and his second-in-command's wife Sally that was the only one of the pack leaders that didn't get sick.
"We need to find a way to stop this sickness from spreading," Joseph said, his voice full of urgency. "We need to keep the infected isolated and figure out what's causing this disease."
The cook shook his head. "I've never seen anything like this before," he said. "It's like nothing I've ever encountered in my years of cooking. I don't know what to do."
Joseph turned to his second-in-command's wife "Can you tell us how did it start?"
"Um... We were all in the conference room when it started... We were just having meeting as always discussing the border control. We didn't really managed to get that far in the meeting... John, the gamma was the first one it happened to, then was his wife, then my husband..." She started crying "I am sorry Alpha, I am just so worried. After Ben... I don't really know I run to him and was trying to help then I called the pack doctor and by the time I looked around the table all of them were infected..."
"Except you?"
"Yes..." she responded and then was blowing her nose loudly
"What did you do different?"
"Nothing... I... I... I don't know..." she stuttered in response
"Ok, has there been anything unusual during the meeting? Did anyone called or visited? Any letters? Threats?"
"No, Alpha"
"Anything suspicious on the borders?"
"No... Nothing like that"
"Ok, so what did you do before the meeting?"
"I was late... I just found out I am pregnant this morning..."She started sobbing again, but calmed herself down to continue. " When I arrived they were already there having some coffee and biscuits, I got so upset that they eaten pretty much all the biscuits, leaving just the ones with custard, which I really don't like.."
"Oh, ok... Don't worry Sally, we will sort this out." Joseph said calmly while putting an arm on her shoulder to calm her down a bit. "Why don't you go and lay down a bit. All this stress is no good for your pup... And congratulations on your pup, I am sure Ben is going to be thrilled when he finds out." Susan nodded in agreement and left to her room.
Joseph looked at the cook and the healer as if hoping they had anything helpful to say.
"Alpha, I am sorry, you know that my area of expertise its food, ask me about the menu next week or how to prepare a juicy roast chicken, but this?... This mushroom looking sickeness? What can I tell you? " The cook rambled on as usual. Joseph responded
"Thank you Brian, you have stood up to the challenge, when needed. I appreciate it. You are a true asset to our pack. Your culinary skills are exquisite and now we also know that in times of an emergency you know how to step up. Thank you."
"Oh..." the cook didn't know how to respond, lost for words.
"Its ok, I know you have things in the kitchen to worry about. I am back now, so you can do what you do best."
"Ok Alpha, thank you..." He responded and as he was heading to the kitchen you could hear him talking to himself "...exquisite... stepped up..."
Joseph's eyes landed on the healer.
"I don't know what to say Alpha, I wish I could have an answer for you... But I think that Brian might be on to something, compering the sickness to a mushroom."
"What do you mean?"
"Although it seems unlikely, there's a possibility that certain spells, such as love spells, can have unintended consequences if cast incorrectly. For instance, if a love spell was cast on someone who was already in a mate bond and wasn't supposed to be affected, but still somehow came into contact with the spell or potion, an external growth might form. This is because the magic is unable to penetrate the heart that has already been bonded, causing it to manifest on the outside of the body. However, it's puzzling that both males and females were affected. Additionally, why would someone cast a love spell in the first place?"
"I understand if someone wanted to attack they would surely use a much more powerful spell" Joseph responded. "Thank you Karen. I am going to look around now and see what else I can gather." Joseph said as he headed towards the conference room.
As Joseph walked into the conference room, his heart sank. He saw chaos, with chairs turned over and cups of coffee and tea scattered across the table. He noticed some plates with half-eaten fruit and biscuits. But what caught his eye was a basket, the same one Lisa had given him before he left to search for Elena. Joseph knew it had contained some baked goods, which were now all gone.
Curious, he picked up the basket and took a sniff. He noticed a strange, sweet aroma emanating from it. Suddenly, he remembered the conversation he had with Karen about the possibility of a love spell being cast on his pack. He immediately decided to show the basket to the healer, hoping that it would provide some clues.
The healer examined the basket and immediately confirmed Joseph's suspicions. It was indeed the source of the love spell that had affected his pack. The healer explained that the baked goods in the basket had been infused with a powerful love potion that caused those who consumed them to fall in love with the first person they saw. Joseph's heart sank even further as he realised the severity of the situation. He was shocked and angry.
***
Joseph had always known that Lisa had a bit of a crush on him. She would blush and stutter when he was around, and her eyes would light up whenever he would talk to her. But he never thought that her feelings would lead her to go so far as to use a love spell on him.
Lisa was a special visitor in Joseph's pack, as she had a connection to a high-ranking family in the magic community. Layla, who was the leader of the Blood Sisters Covenant, asked Joseph to look out for her during her stay. Lisa was a mix of a witch and a werewolf, and she was struggling to fit in with her own pack.
Joseph was more than happy to take Lisa under his wing. He saw her as a promising young woman with a lot of potential, and he wanted to help her realise it. He spent a lot of time training her, teaching her about the ways of the pack, and helping her understand her unique hybrid nature.
As time went on, Joseph noticed that Lisa seemed to be developing feelings for him. He didn't think much of it at first, as he had always known that she had a bit of a crush on him. But as her advances became more and more obvious, he started to feel uncomfortable.
Joseph didn't want to hurt Lisa's feelings, but he also didn't want to lead her on. He tried to gently discourage her, but she seemed to be more persistent than he had anticipated. He never expected her to take things as far as slipping a love spell into his food, which had now caused chaos in his pack. As he thought back to all the times they had interacted, he realised that he had missed the signs. He remembered the way she would linger a little too long when giving him a hug or the way she would always volunteer to work on projects with him. But he had never thought much of it, thinking that it was just Lisa being friendly.
Now, as he stood in the conference room looking at the evidence of her actions, he couldn't help but feel a mix of anger and sadness. He knew that Lisa was a kind and caring person, and he couldn't understand why she would do something so reckless and dangerous.
But as he thought more about it, he realised that he also bore some responsibility. He had never been clear with Lisa about his feelings towards her, always trying to keep things strictly professional. He knew now that he should have been more honest with her and had a conversation about their boundaries.
With a heavy heart, he picked up the empty basket and made his way to the hospital. He needed to find a way to reverse the effects of the love spell and put an end to this chaos.
***
Lisa walked briskly down the hallway towards Joseph's office, her heart racing with excitement. She had always looked up to him as a mentor and a friend, and the fact that he had summoned her made her feel special. She put on some extra perfume and makeup, wanting to make a good impression.
As she entered the room, her excitement quickly turned to fear. Joseph sat behind his desk with a scowl on his face, and she could feel the anger radiating off of him. Her instincts told her to run, but she stood her ground and tried to compose herself.
"Lisa, did you put a spell on the baked goods you gave me?" Joseph asked, his voice firm and accusing.
Lisa's mind went blank for a moment, and she struggled to find the right words. She knew that he had discovered the love spell, but she didn't want to admit to it. "I...I don't know what you're talking about," she stammered.
Joseph's eyes narrowed, and Lisa could tell that he didn't believe her. "Lisa, you have to be honest with me. Did you put a spell on those baked goods?" he demanded.
Lisa took a deep breath and decided to come clean. "Yes, I did," she admitted, feeling ashamed.
Joseph's expression softened slightly, but Lisa could still sense his disappointment. "Lisa, you know that using magic on people without their consent is wrong. You caused a lot of harm with that love spell," he scolded.
Lisa hung her head, feeling guilty. She knew that what she had done was foolish, and that she had put the entire pack in danger. "I'm sorry, Joseph. I just...I had feelings for you, and I didn't know how else to express them," she explained.
Joseph sighed, feeling conflicted. He had always known that Lisa had a crush on him, but he never expected her to go this far. "Lisa, I appreciate your honesty, but this is a serious matter. I'm going to have to ask you to leave the pack," he said sternly.
Lisa's eyes widened in shock, and she felt tears welling up in her eyes. "What? But Joseph, I...I can't leave. This is my home," she pleaded.
Joseph shook his head, his resolve firm. "I'm sorry, Lisa. But I can't risk having someone in the pack who uses magic irresponsibly. You'll have to go back to your old pack or find a new home," he said, dismissing her from his office.
Lisa walked out of the room in a daze, feeling lost and alone. She knew that she had made a huge mistake, but she couldn't believe that Joseph was kicking her out of the pack. As she walked back to her room, she couldn't help but wonder what would become of her now that she had lost everything.