Chapter 84─Planning a kidnapping

“Who were you just talking to?” Mabel asked, right next to Jean.

“Oh, uhmm, a friend, why?” Jean responded with a frown, pretending to be confused.

“I heard you talking about abducting a witch’s granddaughter. Are you thinking of doing it with Theresa?

Because, I can already tell you that the wolf leaders are keeping a watch on her from now on. Apparently, someone complained about her,” Mabel remarked with her arms crossed as she watched Jean’s reaction.

“Then I assume it’s her grandmother. But, how can she get in touch with the leaders of the pack when she’s a human?” Jean asked, frowning at her aunt suspiciously.

“Maybe she has a friend who’s in touch with the pack. How do we know? There are so many possibilities,” Mable responded with a shrug.

“That’s strange, but anyway, I won’t cause trouble for anyone,” Jean responded as she turned away from Mable.

“I said that I will help to turn Bruce in your favor, but you want to target the girl that he apparently admires? You will only get into trouble and find yourself even further away from Bruce than ever before,” Mable warned.

“It might even be Bruce who complained about Theresa’s stalking. Do you know how bad that would be for you?” Mable asked, looking at Jean’s back as she walked away from her.

Jean turned around abruptly at this. She then walked back to Mable.

“Do you really mean that he could complain about Theresa for her idea of following that girl around? Won’t that be like turning against his own kind?” Jean asked. She held her breath anxiously while waiting for her aunt’s response.

“Bruce has a noble character, that’s what you don’t understand. He won’t have you harassing humans out of mere jealousy. Do you really still think that he’s your match? How can you be so different then?

Your relationship won’t be peaceful, especially if you force it,” Mable responded with a heavy sigh.

“But your way of doing things is so slow. I want to be seen at his side, not that blonde girl.

I wonder if she feels the same way about him?” Jean remarked frowning with her hand cupping her chin.

“I don’t know about that, but if he likes her then you can’t change how he feels. You can’t do it on your own. You need help, but if she feels the same way about him then you have yourself a problem. You can’t break a true bond of affection, even if they’re unequal as a wolf and a human,” Mable remarked looking into Jean’s eyes with concern.

“I will never believe that. It sounds like a fairy tale. It’s just not possible,” Jean responded, shaking her head.

“What if you’re wrong?” Mable asked in a lower tone of voice.

“I will fight it with all my might,” Jean responded with her chin tilted high.

***

Myrtle had her testing mixture ready.

“They should put this into that man’s drink if he comes to the ball tonight. He will pass out soon afterwards and I can have him sent far from here,” she muttered to herself as she stood in front of her work table in the basement nursery.

“Where’s Ivan, when he said that he would be here on time to give me more ideas and advise?” she asked herself as she began to look around again to see if he was perhaps hiding somewhere in his cat form.

“I must just make sure that Mishka doesn’t stick to his side tonight, otherwise I will never get him to be on his own. She will keep me away from him because I’m family. She won’t do it to other people,” Myrtle told herself.

“Oh, I’m a little bit late,” a voice said behind Myrtle and she whipped around to see who it was.

Ivan was standing behind her, tall in his magician form.

“Oh, I didn’t see you change. How long have you been standing there?” Myrtle asked. She felt disturbed because she had been lost in thought temporarily, but long enough for Ivan to sneak in through the window and change from a cat to a man.

“Long enough to change,” Ivan responded with a broad grin on his face.

“That was long, but you will understand why I’m lost in thought. I’m planning something important,” Myrtle responded as she studied the potion in the bottle again.

“Yes, I know. You want to stop your granddaughter from falling in love,” Ivan remarked in a nonchalant tone of voice.

He took his white handkerchief out of his pocket and waved it around.

“Oh, stop that! There’s no time for magic tricks. I don’t want an enchanted rabbit running around here,” Myrtle declared with her eyes resting sharply on the handkerchief.

“Oh, but I was thinking that I could come up with a magic partner for Mishka to fall in love with, then all your current problems will be solved,” Ivan remarked with one eyebrow raised comically.

“You’re still not taking this seriously. I told you that I want that man kidnapped,” Myrtle retorted with a stomping of her foot.

“And I told you that I would do some research on him,” Ivan responded, shaking his head in disbelief at Myrtle’s lack of patience.

“And, what did you find out that will stop me from going ahead with my plan of abduction?” Myrtle asked, staring at Ivan across her spectacles which had slid down onto the bridge of her nose.

“Well, he’s not just any werewolf guy,” Ivan responded as he dusted imaginary dust from his jacket.

“Yes, Rose told me that he’s important. Rich, I think, but he isn’t human,” Myrtle responded.

“Well, he’s not only successful. He’s also quite famous, so, if anything happens to him the authorities are gonna move heaven and earth to defend him. They will track you down in no time,” Ivan responded.

“But, all the same, you promised to help me,” Myrtle insisted with her chin held high as she glared at Ivan.

“And I will try my best, but I don’t want to be involved with the police,” Ivan responded in a warning tone.

“As if the police can prosecute a cat!” Myrtle responded with a laugh.

“They can easily find me in my human form and lock me up as a human,” Ivan responded with his brows raised in concern.

“Well, you can change into cat form and escape in time,” Myrtle responded, shaking her head.

“Then they will really chase me down for being a wicked sorcerer,” Ivan responded with a straight face.

“Are you really afraid of being caught?” Myrtle asked as she stopped laughing.

“Yes and so should you. You’re not young enough to deal with a prison sentence,” Ivan remarked as he began to pace up and down the nursery.

“Are you saying that you will give up and confess about my role in the kidnapping?” Myrtle asked as she stared at Ivan with a worried frown on her brow.