Cross stared at his phone.

She was dead.

"Who's dead?" Selig asked, his arms crossed at his chest. His family stood around the bed Rowena laid in.

Cross must've spoken aloud. He cleared his throat and answered his brother, "The hexing witch who was supposed to help Rowena. My contact at PUN just texted me."

Winona made a clicking sound with her mouth. "Hexing witches are rare."

"They generally have a short life span," her husband, Bruce, added.

"Dad," Abby hissed, jerking her chin to Cross before pantomining herself zipping her mouth closed.

"Your Father is right," Winona said. She frowned at her son. "Are you sure you want her as your consort and mate? You may be setting yourself up for heartbreak."

A growling sound emanated from his chest. "Mother!"

She raised her hands in surrender. "I know, I know. She's the only one for you but I'm your mother and this just seems like a bad idea."

"Cross loves Rowena," Abby reminded her mother.

Winona sighed. "Thats exactly the problem." She turned to stare at Rowena. "I do admit, I feel a bit sorry toward her knowing how dreadful her family is. I've never met such awful people."

"Do you know why they're so hateful?" Bruce asked.

"Some people are just haters," Selig answered with a shrug.

"Her family was born with gifts," Cross explained. "Except Rowena. They thought her mother had an affair so she resented her daughter for a while. Then Rowena was the outcast in her family. They're not all as cruel to her as the three at the restaurant."

"But they don't stand up for her either," Abby muttered.

"So, Rowena just recently came into her powers?" Winona asked.

Cross nodded. "She was wrecking her ex-boyfriend's car with a baseball bat when she made her first hex."

"Your wolf, Reed?" Bruce asked.

Again, Cross nodded. "At the time all his neighbors were watching."

Bruce made a humming sound. "I've heard that some witches come into power once they're around other paranormal beings. All their energy activates their magic."

"Like some sort of magical switch?" Liam asked. He was sitting in a chair next to Rowena's bed.

Matt smiled. "Are you saying our pack activated Rowena's magic?"

"This isn't a good thing," Cross said. "You heard my parents. Hexing witches don't have a long lifespan."

"Well, we need to make sure Rowena lives a long life," Selig interjected. He pursed his lips together. "Your source at PUN didn't know any other hexing witches who could help Rowena?"

Cross shook his head. "The only other hexing witch they know of is hard to reach. Apparently, she has a coven of vampires after her."

"Vampires!" Abby screeched, giving a shudder. "What did the poor girl do to have vampires after her?"

"If you do find her, it might not be a good idea to have her come her," Bruce suggested. "Our kind doesn't exactly get along with bloodsuckers."

Selig leaned over Rowena. "Maybe I should giver a kiss to help her wake up. Like Sleeping Beauty."

Cross shoved his brother away from Rowena. "I know you can't help it, but back off!"

"Stupid Fairy Princess," Abby growled. "Selig, you should've let me rip her head off while I had the chance."

"No," Selig snapped. "She will get what's coming to her but not by you."

A ding from his phone stole Cross' attention. His eyes widened. "Someone got a hold of her. She's going to try and help!"

"Who is?" Rowena asked in a tired voice.

Cross rushed to her side and sat on the edge of the bed. He tucked her hand in his. "Baby, you fainted and just about scared the life out of me. How are you feeling?"

Her eyes drifted to the rest of the people in the room before landing on Cross. "Like I got hit by a Mack truck carrying Ding Dongs."

"She's being weird so she must be fine," Winona mumbled.

Bruce shook his head and tugged his wife into his side.

"What happened?" Rowena asked.

"You hexed Carmen to be nice to you until the pageant was over," Liam reminded her. "Then you fainted."

"You should've at least made her nice to you for the rest of her life," Abby added.

"Like that would work," Rowena said, with a frown on her face. She struggled to sit up.

"I don't know, Rowena. She had a large get better bouquet delivered here," Matt shared. "Along with a singing telegram. I would've recorded it for you but Cross forbade him from coming inside."

A meowing sound from the floor stole Rowena's attention before her calico cat jumped on the bed.

"Kitty," Rowena whispered before petting her cat. "I bet you were worried about me."

The cat purred before sitting on her lap. Rowena rubbed her back.

"Lucky cat," Selig said, winking at Rowena.

Matt smacked the back of his head.

"I remember seeing the new assistant manager at the restaraunt," Rowena told Cross. "What if she was spying and had something to do with Karen's murder? What if she killed Karen for her job?"

He shrugged. "I don’t see anyone resorting to murder for a job at a home goods store. I'm sure her being there was just a coincidence."

"Did your source say if the other hexing witch was going to help?" Selig asked.

Cross looked back at his phone. "They gave her my address. If she shows, she'll help. They said she's a bit of a character and only travels at night."

"That's odd," Abby noted. "Shouldn't she travel by day so the bloodsuckers can't get her?"

"Maybe she needs to be awake to stay vigilant at night," Matt suggested.

"Well, it's midnight so maybe she'll show up," Winona said. "We need to figure out why Rowena fainted."

Rowena's eyes bulged and she drew her head back. "Are you worried about me?" Her eyes darted around the room. "Am I dying?"

"No, you aren't dying," Cross insisted.

"I'm sorry," Winona said softly. "I'm still not sure about you being my son's future mate because running a pack of wolves requires strength. Strength I didn't think a human could have. I didn't know your family members were evil. Clearly you had no choice but to be strong around them so you should be fine in the pack." She glanced at Cross for a moment before mumbling, "Even if you aren't a wolf."

"Did I just witness a miracle?" Rowenas asked Cross. "Your mother actually loves me now?"

"I didn't say that," Winona corrected her.

Rowena gave her a nod before turning back to Cross. "Your mother adores me!"

"I didn't say that either," Winona insisted.

"Not with words," Rowena said, ignored the laughter around her. "But I could see it in your eyes. You love and adore me. I'm like a second daughter to you now."

Winona gasped. "I did not--"

Before Winona could finish her sentence, a puff of red smoke filled the corner of the room. A woman with curly red hair and dark eyes appeared. She was wearing a black velvet cloak over a neon yellow dress and matching Converse.

Growls filled the room.

The petite stranger raised her hands in the air. "Calm down. I'm here for Rowena."

"Are you her?" Cross asked. "Are you the hexing witch?"

She grinned. "Yes, but you can call me Poppy."

"Your name is Poppy?" Selig asked. "Thats a sexy name for a sexy woman."

Poppy's grin fell. "No, it isn't. Now, are you Rowena?"

Selig stepped forward. "Maybe we can get to know--"

Poppy raised her hand. "Stop. I can tell you have no control over yourself but try. I don't have a lot of time."

Selig grimaced before stiffly moving to the side.

Rowena nodded. "That's me. Are you really going to teach me how to be a hexing witch?"

"Of course," Poppy said. "It's really simple. When you're about to hex someone..."

Rowena leaned forward. "Yes?"

"Don't," Poppy finished before clapping her hands together. "Well, that was easier than I thought."

"What?" Rowena asked. "That's all you have? Just don't hex people."

Poppy's head tilted to one side. "Yes. What else could I tell you?"

"More than that," Rowena yelled, causing Kitty to jump from her lap.

"Hexing is a bad power for anyone to have but especially humans. It's too powerful," Poppy said. She glanced at a red watch on her wrist. "Well, this wasn't fun but I've got to run."

"No, don't leave," Abby cried. "Rowena fainted after her last hex. She needs guidance."

"And I gave her that," Poppy argued.

"No, you said for her not to hex anyone," Abby snapped.

"So?" Poppy shrugged. "It's the best advice I can give her. Now I really have to run before--"

A rock the size of a baseball came crashing through the window.

"Poppy, we know you're in there," a rich voice crooned from outside.

"Who is that?" Abby asked as Liam and Matt rushed to the window.

Poppy sighed. "The vampires."