My blood ran cold.

Kerberos wasn't threatening me. He was simply offering me a choice between losing Nessy's songs and doing things myself.

"You've established yourself as an Alpha," Kerberos continued, his gaze flicking to where Nessy clung to me. "You claim this husky is your 'mate.' Are you prepared to fight for her? Or will you delegate her salvation to an authority you so clearly despise, and hope my… methods are gentle?" He added darkly. "Because, I assure you, they are not."

This wasn't a choice. It was a test. Another one.

"The trip to Omnithornia is a reward for demonstrating the capability of your entire team," Kerberos said smoothly, linking everything together in one neat, manipulative package. "Once there, you will be contacted by Omnicorp Agents who might wish to… acquire your services. As your Omnid Guardian, I will advertise your team to the other Omnids, make sure that you are not taken advantage of."

"No lifetime contracts," I said. "We work together as a pack."

The girls nodded.

"I will make sure that you're only offered part time work as a group then," he said. "Now, show me you are worthy of my interest, Mr. Foster. Show me you can solve a problem… surgically. You have a talented Binder on hand to unbind whatever Astral essence it is you wish to retrieve from the well. I do not. You have an Astralscope while I have a nation-cleaving hammer." The half-Omnid pointed at Candace and then at his Corpse Seeker. "Show me that you can wield your Binder like a surgeon's knife."

I looked at Nessy's sky blue eyes. She stared back at me with absolute trust and my decision solidified. There was no other path.

"Fine," I said. "We'll do it." I mentally summoned up the Quest from the Principal and accepted it.

"Excellent." Kerberos beamed. "I do so enjoy a well-motivated student. Do try not to disappoint me. I find disappointment so… inefficient. Barrier off."

The absolute barrier shield faded away, revealing the damaged shop.

With a final, chillingly pleasant nod, the Principal and his crystalline horror turned and walked back into the distorted opening of the glider. The vehicle's panels sealed shut, the eldritch seams vanishing as if they had never been there. With a silent hum, it lifted from the plaza and disappeared into the twilight sky, leaving unnerving silence in its wake.

For a moment, we all just stood there, the reality of what had just transpired washing over us. The last of the crowd had vanished, leaving only my pack, the professors, Sage, Vivianne and Strand sisters staring at us with wide eyes.

"Nessy," Sage began, looking at the husky through his round magisteel frames now missing the glass lenses.

"No. Screw off," Nessy growled at him. "Just fucking screw off, Sage! If you're too stubborn to understand that I've chosen Alec as my mate, I'm done being your friend."

"Kristi," Katherine began. "You have to bring that glider and gun back home. Dad will…"

"Don't give a flying fuck," Kristi snapped at her sister. "Fuck off, Kat."

The raw fury in her voice seemed enough to make Katherine fall silent for a moment. This wasn't the usual sibling rivalry; this was a line being drawn in the sand.

Vivianne, however, wasn't so easily deterred. She pushed past Sage, her aquamarine eyes pinning me with a look of raw… something, some edge of recognition.

"What did you mean?" she demanded, her voice tight. "'I buried you.' 'I thought you were my friend.' What the hell was that about, Foster?"

I met her eyes, seeing not just anger, but a deep, unsettling fear. She didn't understand, and a part of her was terrified of what the answer might be.

"I'm not really sure," I said. "It's like... this isn't the first time any of us have been here." I looked from her to Nessy, then back again. "Maybe we were friends before. Maybe you both died in my arms in the Superstore. All I know is that when I saw you today, standing there, I felt, remembered awful grief, a terrible loss. Another life before this one, perhaps."

Vivianne stared at me, her tough gunslinger facade cracking. For a moment, I saw the vulnerable girl beneath—the one who had tried to protect her best friend in the only way she knew how. She opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it. With a sharp, frustrated fox-growl, she grabbed Sage by the arm. "Fine. We're leaving."

"But Viv—" he started to protest.

"Now, Sage." Her words were final. She pulled him toward the chewed up LoomCo storefront, not looking back.

Katherine, never one to be ignored, tried to regain control of the situation. "Kristi, I'm serious! If you don't return that glider—"

"Katherine Strand." Professor Fern said. The Instructor strode toward the raptor sisters, one burning eye fixing them with a glare that promised nothing good. "This is no longer a school matter, or a family squabble. Team Foster is now operating under the direct authority of Ferguson's Administrative oversight of the Pradavarian Senate Executive representative Archmage Amadeus on a matter of critical importance to town security. Your presence here is no longer required."

She didn't raise her voice, but her words carried the weight of absolute command. It was a masterful move, framing our temple-raiding quest as an official, sanctioned mission, effectively shielding us from further interference.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Fern continued, "I suggest you and your packmates return home and reflect on the day's lessons. Unless you'd like to discuss your multiple failures in today's practical with me personally."

That was enough. Katherine shot me a look of pure venom, but she knew she was outmaneuvered. With a final, disgusted snort, she gathered her remaining sisters and stalked away, their retreat a storm of resentful muttering and ruffled feathers.

"Everyone," I called out. "To the TA's glider."

Marlena, who had been observing the entire drama with a placid, almost detached curiosity, gave a cheerful bark and popped open the hatch-door to her massive glider. "All aboard the fun tugboat!" she chirped.

I helped Adelle get the wobbling, exhausted Candace inside, helping her sit down on one of the bench seats. Nessy climbed in after, pressing close to my side.

"What a fucking day," she murmured against my shoulder.

"It's not over yet," I replied grimly, watching as Kristi's black Nemesis glider and Fern's utilitarian bike lifted off, taking up flanking positions on either side of us. We rose into the air, three vehicles moving as one, leaving the Moonshard Plaza behind.

"So, where are we going, Captain?" the seal asked, turning to me.

"Moonshard Inn," I told her.

"Got it," the TA nodded, spinning her ship's wheel. The crowd of Elementals followed us like a sinister cloud.

"So," Candace said with a yawn, breaking the tense silence as we soared over the town. "We're really going to storm a temple full of magic mushroom monks and a soul-eating well?"

I looked at Nessy, whose head was resting on my chest, her breathing finally starting to even out. I looked at Candace now resting on Adelle's lap. I thought of Kristi's fierce, protective rage and Adelle's loyalty.

This was my pack. My responsibility. My family.

"Yes," I said, my voice leaving no room for doubt. "We are."

. . .

Marlena picked up a magitek microphone, amplifying her voice outside of her ship. "Feel free to land on my deck, you two. We've got things to discuss with our Captain."

Fern and Kristi landed their gliders on the wide deck of Marlena's flying boat, dismounting and heading inside.

"You know, Alec dear," the seal girl turned to me, "you were quite something in my body. Very decisive! That steamroller maneuver was inspired! And that punch you gave poor Ignis? An absolute knockout!"

"How did you even know what I did?" I wondered.

"Watched the Astralcast of the whole thing with Fern and Kerb," Marlena replied. "Absolutely hilarious. I give your piloting of my physical form a solid nine out of ten! You lose one point for not honking while you flattened everyone with my bod. Honking is key to psychological warfare."

"I was Arfing," I said.

Marlena barked a laugh.

"Which reminds me," she added, "I do believe this quest makes this pack an official team of seven now, doesn't it?"

We all stared at her. "Seven?" Adelle echoed.

"Well, of course!" Marlena declared. "There's you four, your lovely human Alpha… with whom Ignis is totally smitten now. Plus me, as I go wherever Igni goes as her TA. Yay, learning!"

"You can't just declare yourself part of our pack," Kristi commented as Ignis stiffened where she stood.

"Why not?" Marlena chirped. "I'm fun at parties! I always wanted to be in a pack, but people are too scared of how big I am. Ignis might not look it, but she's definitely pleased to be part of the big action! Perhaps not a lifetime pack, but I'm totally down for a temp pack just for today to obliterate the Astral parasite infestation."

The thought of the fearsome pyromancer being "pleased" about anything was a strange one. "Wait," I said. "Kerberos was chatting about Omnids in front of you. Are you going to Omnithornia with us too?" I asked.

"Heck yeah I am!" Marlena confirmed. "Got my golden ticket from the old dog and everything. The principal was giving us the grand tour of his 'Omnid Superstate' PowerPoint presentation when your call came through. It was all very... corporate. Lots of boring charts about genetic compatibility and interdimensional trade agreements. I was about to fall asleep. Thanks for saving me from dying of boredom! I for one am mega-excited to pulverize some monks."

"I vote we keep the seal," Adelle commented. "She makes a good couch."

The Moonshard Inn's landing tower loomed ahead, its soft lights a welcome beacon. Marlena expertly guided her tugboat glider to a gentle stop on the main docking platform.

. . .

A few minutes later, we were all crowded back into the hotel suite.

"Before we go assaulting any temples, I need noms," Candace declared. "Much carbs. And possibly something deep-fried. And mana wine. Gonna order takeout. Let me know what you all want. Ness, crown me so I don't pass out."

Nessy took the dragonheart laurel from her head and put it onto the fox. I saw the silver fire return to the fox girl's eyes as she absorbed the artifact's mana.

Everyone listed their food of choices as Candace pulled out her phone, her thumb a blur as she navigated the Pawber Eats app. "Deluxe pizza platter, six raw steaks, three orders of dragon wings, garlic knots, and a case of Eldrossi wine."

While we waited for our noms to arrive, a new, more focused energy settled over the room. Adelle claimed a spot next to me and Nessy. Candace sat on my lap. Kristi sat behind me and wrapped her feathery hands around me, resting her chin on my shoulder. In minutes I was completely engulfed by prad girls.

Marlena let out another deep, barky laugh at us. "Ah, such possessive love!"

She and Fern took seats on the opposite couch.

"Alright," Fern said. "The Omnid Administrator gave us a mission. We need a plan to breach the Krishna temple, navigate its defenses, neutralize its... leadership, and retrieve whatever was stolen from Nessy's soul. All without getting ourselves killed."

"Sounds easy enough." Marlena pulled a small bag of salted fish from a pocket in her hexasuit and offering it around. "Who wants a snack?"

Adelle immediately accepted the salted fish, chewing on it thoughtfully.

"How much time do we have?" I asked.

"If we want to surprise them, we have less than two hours," Nessy said. "The book sale was supposed to end at sunset, at eight PM, then the cleanup would take 'bout thirty minutes."

"What else?" Ignis asked.

All eyes turned to Nessy. "The temple has several levels," the husky said. "Ground floor is public and has the refectory, meditation halls and gardens. The upper floors have the dormitories and libraries. The Well... the Well is deep below the sub-levels. In the heart of the catacombs."

"Wards?" Fern pressed.

"No idea," Nessy said.

"Probably enough to hold off an army," Candace said. "They've been fermenting in Ferguson for a while since the Slayer's church moved to a new, more modern building from that old, citadel-style temple fortress that eats mana like no tomorrow."

"How do we get in?" Addie asked.

"We can pretend to require a cleansing after a traumatic event in town," I said. "Let the monks take us to the well."

"Ah," the cheetah nodded. "And once we're there we begin punching. Got it."

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