Wendy pulls Ethan out of his chair while Grace listens to Thompson speak. Grace pulls Lucy toward the door, urging them to leave. They appear outside the village, with Ethan walking behind the women. He worries about Wendy and Lucy, hoping the blast did not cause irreversible damage to their ears. He knows that Lucy has sensitive ears. He vowed that the Skinwalker would pay for this.
Penny and Shaw rush to them. As they enter the Inn, Miley spots Ethan leaving her doll on the ground where she is playing. Laughing with joy, she runs into Ethan's arms. Miley sniffs him, pulling a face as she does. The scent of the fire and smoke lingers on their clothes. Lara speaks to Penny, and they go upstairs. Grace sat beside Ethan, and Wendy and Lucy sat on the benches near their table.
Maple fusses over them like a mother hen over her chicklets. Lara comes down the stairs and speaks to Grace, looking at them with a big grin. As Grace takes Wendy and Lucy, Maple takes Ethan's hand, leading them upstairs. The water is drawn in the bath, and steam rises from the tub. The women undress Ethan with a combined effort, and then they follow suit.
For two hours, they were in the bathroom, moaning and giggling from behind the closed door. Shaw knocks on the door.
"Lunch is served."
Twenty minutes later, they walk downstairs in fresh clothes and sit down to steak strips in a Prego sauce, fresh butter bread, and spiced wine. Sophia spoke in Ethan's mind.
"Alas, Wendy says the paper that Thompson gave her indicated that the Skinwalker was spotted in the library stealing another book from the forbidden section on forbidden alchemy."
"Alas. Thank you, Sophia. It is good to hear your voice. My ears stopped ringing when Maple gave me the vile medicine."
"Alas, Ethan, we want to spend quality time with you when you can."
Ethan realised he had been focusing on the five in this realm, neglecting his wives on the mountain.
"Alas, I miss all of you as well. See you tonight."
Ethan relaxed against the soft backrest of the bench. The Skinwalker had stolen another dangerous book. It could not have set the bomb or detonated it as it was at the library. Why would the Skinwalker help him? Who placed the bomb in the cafeteria? He thought his head would explode from all the questions. He could feel something move between his legs. Two tiny hands appeared from under the table. Ethan lifted Miley into his arms, seating her on his lap. Melisa brought her little sister a small mug of milk. The blue mug had a cow with a red hat on the outside.
Miley lay her head on his chest, sighing with contentment. Her tail wrapped around his arm, which meant she would soon fall asleep. Shaw moved the benches against the wall and the tables. The big screen shows a man and a woman talking as Ethan sits between Wendy and Lucy. Miley, sleeping in his arms. The semifinals of the Magus trials had begun, and patrons entered the inn ready to watch the event.
Dinner came in a blink of an eye as the Magus trials ended. Ethan had never felt this content in his life. Tomorrow, they will search for leads and catch this murderer. As the evening progressed, he could hear muffled sounds. Maple's concoction worked well. By tomorrow, they will have their hearing back. The regeneration power will heal them completely. He took Lucy's hand, kissed it, and brushed his hand gently over her ears. Lucy's eyes widened, and she hugged Ethan. She realised that he had worried about her sensitive ears.
That evening, Ethan returned to the mountain. The ladies slept in his room; Penny and Lara had made a large family bed. Ethan made love to his ladies for hours before dawn, and he returned to this reality early in the morning.
Ethan felt around under the blankets for Wendy and Lucy. When he opened his eyes, they were gone. He could see that he might be late for breakfast, as Penny stopped serving breakfast by eleven. He flexed before the mirror, and he had gained muscle. His six-pack had turned to an eight-pack, the muscle well-defined. Rushing down the stairs, the top of his robe rolled down his white shirt, skintight.
The women were watching replays of the trials drinking hot chocolate. Grace turned to Ethan.
"Good morning, Master."
Ethan kissed all the women. Miley was waiting at the end of the table, her small lips pressed together, waiting for her kiss. Ethan lifted her into his arms and pecked her on the cheek. Shaw placed a plate of Monster meat with vegetables and bread before Ethan. Wendy fed Miley a piece of meat from his plate.
"Hail, Ethan, we chased the wrong suspect."
"Alas, I was blinded and did not consider another suspect could have done this."
"Alas, everyone, starting with Lara. I want to hear your sweet voices."
Ethan had them tell him a story, and he listened as they spoke.
It was Maple's turn. She had been the last sitting at the end of the table across from Ethan.
"C-C-C comes now; our voices cannot be that amazing."
Maple tried to get out of storytelling.
"Alas, Maple, everything concerning you and my five women on the mountain is amazing."
Maple blushed shyly.
"W-W-W, we could go upstairs if you want."
Ethan walked around the table, kissing Maple's neck, then whispered.
"Alas, I truly wish we had time, but we have a killer to catch. You're delicious in the morning; you know that, right?"
As Ethan kissed her cheeks, Maple turned red, trying to hide her face. He finished his food before Miley ate it. The women went to their homes while Ethan, Wendy, and Lucy left to talk to Thompson about the new information. Thompson waved them in as he kissed one of the officers before she left his office. She waved at them as she passed.
"Good morning, team; that was Suzy. At the end of the month, she will receive a promotion for her hard work and dedication."
Thompson closes the door and places a device on his desk.
"Good news, we have a lead. Listen to this."