"How's he doing?" Chance asked as he joined his twin, Thierry, Arianna, and Taranna in the silent vigil of the Omega merman who was lying down in bed.

"Showing signs of improvement," Arianna remarked, nodding at the sight of Marithe twitching slightly in pain. "The potion we gave him has more than enough juice left to make sure that the job is done. Not only that, the gods and goddesses are doing their magic as we speak with him."

"Let's hope so," Chace commented. "With Mendez not backing down on her plans of making sure that we become hers by choice or force, we can't take any risks in making sure that we erase all traces of Marithe's former Alpha aura from his body and soul."

"There won't," Taranna replied. "The potion that we- my twin cousin, Thierry, our fellow covens, and I made- have ensured that the ingredients we used would have a lasting impact to give Marithe a submissive approach to his new life."

"Good to know, but what are the chances that the potion will wear off and Marithe will realize the truth?" Eric, who recently arrived with his mate, asked. "Won't that complicate things more?"

"No, and the potion won't wear off," Thierry, who had remained quiet until now, said firmly as he watched Marithe twitch a few times. "I'll give my ex-mate one thing, he could put up one hell of a fight for what he believed in. Not that I want him back or anything. It's just that he was so...humble when I first met him back at Sammons Falls and I was a mere human back then. I originally thought that he was like the jocks back at Andrews-Carter High- ready to use and abuse me in every possible way, hence my plans to keep away from him."

"What made you think otherwise before he rejected you?" Chance wanted to know as Lyle came into the room.

Thierry sighed, steeling away the memories that he once treasured. "I guess you can say that it was how he saw the best in me," he said. "He knew that I was destined for greater things even before I believed it myself. He knew that I carried myself with grace and dignity even when my late family had treated me like trash before. I actually thought that he and I were meant to be. Now? I guess you can say that it's a learning curve that's a reminder of how I can't change what had happened but I could look forward to the future."

"Did you ever regret meeting him after the comments he made at the town hall meeting?" Arianna asked softly.

Thierry shook his head. "Not at all, but maybe he regretted meeting me," he replied. "If not for me, he might've settled with either Kylie or Crystal, seeing that they might've been perfect for him. Still, you live and learn."

"That's for sure," Lyle agreed, coming to his mate's side. "So what happens now?"

"We can only wait and see," Chance intoned, keeping his attention on the still-twitching Marithe, who let out some groans while a tear fell from his closed eyes. "This is a drastic move that needed to be done. After today, there's no going back."

*******************

Meanwhile, in downtown Covington Springs...

"I can't believe that it's been only three days since the engagement party when Marithe drank that potion," Lachlan said as he sat down to his lunch with Velvet, Aquilla and her cousin Anita, Candide, and Electrique at a sandwich shop. "I'm still surprised that Marithe didn't oppose to drinking it in the first place."

"Well, he did and he's still being reprogrammed," Velvet replied, pausing to bite into her garden salad. "Child, things might've been hella complicated if he didn't accept that potion from Mendez and mixed it with his wine. Can you even imagine what might've happened if he followed through with a different plan to revert back to Matthieux and raised hell back in Massachusetts?"

"Total anarchy," Aquilla replied.

"Thank you," Electrique remarked. The transgender mage paused to sip on her bottle of iced tea before facing Lachlan. "How are you feeling now that you're soon to wed the twins?"

The Omega merman sighed as more of the witches, feys, and sparks soon arrived. "Honestly? I'm still taking things in small strides," he replied. "Even as Luciane, I knew that the mating bonds were no joke and I was lucky enough to be paired with a moon wolf, the last one from Druscilla Herself, even if it was only for a short period before Matt screwed things up when we were Alphas. I wanted a love that could last through time and space, transcending against naysayers and all the uncertainties of life. Even though things can never be as they were, I still wish for Thierry to have the best in life. Now that he has Lyle as his second-chance mate, he can have that and more."

"What about you?" Honey asked. "You're now mated to the twins AND Marithe, so you four could have a lasting relationship provided that you remain true to Druscilla's new path and all."

"Definitely," Craven piped up, the twin mermen nodding silently in assent. "You came a long way from being locked up in Brownsville, Lachlan, and you initially took the opportunity to redeem yourself, submitting to the magic from us, our leaders, and Thierry alongside the gods of the supernatural. That shows that you can mature and be willing to change."

Lachlan hummed, letting the magic that he was bound with hum freely as he felt the love from Amalia. "True," he agreed. "I just don't want to think about the consequences of what might happen should things go wrong with Marithe and-"

"No use thinking about what might go wrong, child," Candide said, wiping her mouth after biting into her sandwich. "Marithe has to go through his trials just like you and everyone else. Sure, it's easy to count your blessings now before things go down to hell, but sometimes you have to let yourself be in the moment and live each day like it's your last. Who knows what can happen in the future? For all we know, life on this planet could end before I could finish this sentence."

"That's the tea and shade right there," Summertyme drawled. "Marithe didn't understand that because he was living in the past and harboring on to so much hate. Now that he's being reprogrammed, he'll start singing another tune."

"That is, after he wakes up," Sagittarina said. "It's been three days and he's still fighting the effects."

Lachlan snorted, popping a potato chip in his mouth. "I wonder if Amalia and the other gods and goddesses are talking with him right now," he mused.

"They are," Snow replied. "They're using their magic alongside that from the potion he drank to enhance the changes as we speak."

Anita smirked at Lachlan. "Bet you're glad that you decided to humble down, aren't ya?"

"Don't I know it?" Lachlan agreed, which made everyone laugh.

Just then, Velvet's phone rang. "Excuse me," she said as she pressed the ANSWER button. "Hello? Hey, boss, we're at lunch. Uh-huh. Uh-huh."

"What's going on?" Lachlan asked.

Velvet held up her finger, her face warping into one of surprise. "Oh, wow. Are you sure? Okay, we're on our way. Bye. She pressed the END button. "We gotta head back to Gold Fin right now!"

"What happened?" Lachlan said as everyone collected their things as a waiter arrived.

"Marithe's awake," the mage intoned, eyes lit with glee. "And that potion did quite a number on him in more ways than one!"

Gentle reader, one can only imagine what was to come and what went on in Marithe Deinos' mind. But all would be clear in due time as Lachlan and the witched left the restaurant in hopes of seeing a new version of the now-awake Omega. After that, nothing would be the same.

Well, folks, you may be wondering what went down in Marithe's mind. Don't worry, you'll soon know...but not after we check in with Ceceillia Mendez as her world's coming unglued and she's plotting her revenge in the next chapter. Don't miss out!

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