Chapter 271: Reconnection
Chapter 271: Reconnection
It had been just over twenty days since the public execution of Anna and Jane Spellman.
The sentence had been carried out successfully, but not without consequences.
The demonic attack left eight dead, several seriously injured, and large sections of the Council courtyard destroyed by the explosions and the fierce battle that followed.
Since then, the war had intensified.
Far from retreating after the blow, the Spellmans increased the pressure on all fronts.
More and more attacks began to emerge in small normie towns like Shadyside, Jericho, etc.—towns with only a few thousand inhabitants became targets for vampires, cultists, and other threats.
There was also the issue of traitors infiltrated within the Council.
Thus, the Council had to deal with three fronts simultaneously:
First, the battles against the Spellmans, their allies, and the demons they controlled.
Second, the internal purge of traitors.
Third, the attacks from neglected outcast groups who, emboldened by the chaos and the Spellmans’ influence, began launching raids on normie towns. These reckless acts caused growing tensions with the normie governments.
Despite everything, the Council’s side maintained a slight advantage.
Thanks to their numerical superiority and the fact they had won the most critical battles, they still held the initiative. These victories included the assassinations of Mortimer, Aldric, Margaret, and Vespera, now joined by the elimination of another ancient demon, taken down in a lightning-fast operation led by Luke and backed by Fester and Stalin.
Luke shone every time he set foot on a battlefield or a town plagued by mad outcasts, demons, or Spellmans.
His supersonic speed gave him exceptional mobility to repel threats. His presence was synonymous with victory.
His strength grew daily, forged in battle and training. His arsenal of powers, combined with Eclipse, made him nearly invincible. He only had to avoid being caught in a trap facing several ancient Spellmans at once, and even then, he didn’t fear it. Unless it was all the demonic Spellman Elders plus Edward coming at him at once.
Since the execution interrupted by the explosive Morraks, his reputation had skyrocketed.
People now spoke of him with reverence. A prodigy. A monster. A living weapon.
An unstoppable legend.
But he wasn’t the only one shining: Wednesday and Enid also stood out.
Wednesday, in particular, had taken on the role of a ruthless strategist.
Cold, logical, methodical…
She dismantled ambushes, neutralized Spellman supply routes, and led the internal purge with surgical efficiency.
Without mercy, without hesitation.
Enid, for her part, showed remarkable growth. No longer just a fierce fighter in wolf form, her intelligence, initiative, and ferocity made her a key piece of the team.
But not everything was victory.
There were also casualties on the Council’s side.
And with the attacks on normie towns, relations with human governments grew dangerously strained.
A total rupture was narrowly avoided, maintaining a kind of truce held together by fragile diplomacy and veiled threats from the Council: warnings that if the normies turned against them, they’d be giving neutral or good-aligned outcasts more reason to join the Spellmans.
Amid all this, Luke, Wednesday, and Enid lived together in the Addams Mansion.
The three of them, in the chaos of a war, explored their polyamorous bond with an almost eerie calm.
Their missions together, their training, the nights they shared, when they weren’t out on a battlefield or assignment.
They had strengthened their bond.
Wednesday, as always, remained composed, keeping an eye on Luke and Enid as their connection grew, because she wanted this to work, and the results were promising.
Luke found himself surprised by the resurgence of feelings for Enid, emotions he thought long buried.
Enid, brave, tender, and determined to win him back, step by step. And she was succeeding.
Living together helped. So did sharing danger during missions. With each battle they survived, their bond grew stronger.
However, there was a painful loss that left this reconquest by Enid in the background: Andrew Sinclair.
Enid’s older brother. A Nevermore graduate from two years ago. Experienced, strong, loyal. He died two days ago in combat.
The news shook everyone. Including Luke, who had known him. They had been teammates during Luke’s first Poe Cup at Nevermore, the same year as the assassination attempt on the island.
Back then, Luke had a good relationship with Andrew.
Since Enid got back together with him, Luke had reconnected with the Sinclair family as well. At first, they were wary, understandably so, given the hurt he had caused Enid, but they soon accepted him again, including Enid’s mother.
All of them being werewolves, they understood the importance of a Mate.
Of course, it hit the Sinclairs the hardest. Especially Enid.
Yesterday was the funeral. It was small and private. A few Nevermore professors, Andrew’s friends, and family attended.
Enid didn’t say a single word during the entire ceremony.
Luke and Wednesday stood by her side.
Today, one day after the funeral, though Enid tried to stay strong, her pain was obvious.
She didn’t cry in front of anyone. Not even Luke or Wednesday.
She didn’t complain. Didn’t speak of it.
But it was clear, her energy was low, her eyes dim. The sadness and weight of loss clung to her.
Thinking about the funeral the day before, Luke stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around his shoulders and his hair still damp.
He had trained with Wednesday and Enid just an hour ago. They had performed well, though Enid hadn’t been at her best.
As he walked into the hallway, he saw Wednesday waiting for him, her back against the wall, arms crossed. Her expression unreadable.
“She’s sad,” Wednesday said bluntly. “Go to her.”
“A command, strategist?” Luke asked, raising an eyebrow with a faint smile.
“A request… I’m not good at that,” Wednesday replied without hesitation.
“That’s not true,” Luke countered, stepping closer as he dried his neck a bit. “You’ve comforted me more than once.”
Wednesday stared at him without blinking. “You’re different.”
“Different?”
“With you, I can comfort you in… physical ways. A kiss, a caress, a hug, or simply sharing silence under the same blanket. I don’t need chatter, and I know myself, I’m not the best with supportive words,” Wednesday explained.
Luke nodded, understanding. Wednesday and Enid were friends, she couldn’t comfort her in the same way she did with him.
“I wouldn’t know how to do it without it sounding fake,” Wednesday admitted.
Luke stepped closer and gently placed his hand on Wednesday’s waist, drawing slightly near.
“You don’t have to force it. You’re already doing what you can. And trust me… just knowing you’re there is enough for her. Even if she doesn’t say it.”
Wednesday leaned into him, resting her head on his chest and placing her pale hands over his, still resting on her waist.
“Leave it to me. You go shower or rest before we have to head back out or something…” Luke said, leaning down to kiss her gently on the forehead.
“Alright. Thanks. Go,” Wednesday nodded, dipping her head slightly and pulling away from him.
Without another word, Luke walked down the hallway toward Enid’s room.
With each step, however, something stirred in his stomach. A tension he wasn’t used to. Nerves. Rare for him.
These past days with Enid had been good. Very good.
They had trained, fought side by side, laughed. Shared little things like before. And he knew it, she had done the unthinkable: rekindled something inside him that he thought was lost.
Affection. Tenderness… the love he once felt for her.
But they hadn’t kissed. They still hadn’t crossed that invisible line.
There had been gestures, long glances, a touch held a bit too long. But nothing more.
Besides, he wasn’t exactly an expert at comforting either. He and Wednesday shared that flaw: an emotional ineptitude masked by strength or sarcasm.
’Let whatever happens, happen…’ Luke thought, sighing inwardly as he stopped at Enid’s door.
He knocked twice, softly.
Knock, knock.
A few seconds passed. Then, from inside, a muffled voice replied, “Come in…”
Luke turned the doorknob and opened the door. The room was dim. The lights were off, with only a small lamp in the corner casting a soft, warm glow.
The decor was typical Enid: pink tones, cute-shaped pillows, a fluffy blanket at the foot of the bed, posters and trinkets that clashed completely with the rest of the Addams mansion.
But the cheerful energy that normally pulsed through Enid’s room was gone.
On the bed, completely covered by a pastel-colored blanket, only the tip of Enid’s head was visible. Just a strand of her blonde hair with pink highlights peeked out from under the sheets.
Luke carefully closed the door behind him and began walking toward the bed, moving silently.
He sat down gently, feeling the mattress give under his weight. Enid, sensing his presence, slowly turned over, giving him her back. As if she didn’t want to be seen.
Luke lowered his gaze for a moment. He took off his shoes, and calmly climbed onto the bed. He leaned against the headboard, stretching his legs out slowly.
Then came silence. At that moment, an image came to Luke’s mind.
A memory from a few days ago, before Andrew’s death.
Enid and him. In the garden. A long conversation, filled with small smiles.
They had drawn close, almost without realizing it, and their faces had ended up just inches apart. They almost kissed.
But at the last second, he stopped. The image of Wednesday had flashed through his mind like lightning, and he pulled away.
Enid hadn’t been upset. On the contrary, she smiled, as if that “almost” had been enough. As if she saw it as a win.
Luke shook the thought away and looked at Enid, still facing away from him.
“Are you okay?” he asked softly.
The moment the words left his mouth, he felt stupid. Of course she wasn’t okay.
That was the best opening line he could come up with? A cliché, empty phrase.
Several seconds passed. Then Enid replied, in a dry tone, still not turning around, “Yes.”
Luke tilted his head, sighed, and said, “That ’yes’ makes me want to throw myself out the window…”
Not the best joke. Not even close.
In fact, the moment he said it, he regretted it. He closed his eyes for a second, pinching the bridge of his nose, as if trying to turn back time, but unfortunately, he had no such ability.
Enid didn’t reply, and silence filled the room once more.
Then, without saying a word, Luke let himself fall to the side and lay down behind her.
He carefully extended his arm and gently wrapped it around Enid, holding her from behind.
His arms encircled her through the blanket that still covered her completely. He only touched her through the fabric.
Enid flinched slightly. Her body gave a small, involuntary jolt.
Not because she didn’t want it, but because she hadn’t expected it.
Little by little, her breathing slowed. She didn’t speak. She didn’t turn around, but she didn’t pull away either.
“Enid… I love you,” Luke said, breaking the silence after a few seconds.
Enid’s breathing seemed to stop. She had expected those words even less than the hug.
“I just wanted to say it,” Luke added, and then fell silent again.
After a few seconds, Enid turned around, looking at Luke from just inches away. He could see her eyes were red from crying.
“Really…? You’re not just saying that to cheer me up?” Enid whispered.
“Of course not. I just wanted to tell you because it’s how I feel… and I thought you should know, you know, for the…” Luke replied, not finishing the sentence.
“The reconquest?” Enid completed it for him.
“Yeah, the reconquest,” Luke said with a small smile at the term. “You can consider the reconnection mission a success.”
“I’m telling you so you can lean on me… I want you to trust me, you know? I don’t like seeing you sad and shutting yourself away,” Luke added.
Enid gave a small nod, feeling a warmth in her chest. She opened her blankets, hugged Luke tightly, and began crying into his chest.
Luke simply held her and stayed silent, letting her release everything, and not do it alone.
After a long while, Enid stopped crying. She pulled back slightly from Luke’s chest and looked into his eyes.
“I… love you too… I think you already knew that.”
Luke smiled softly, “Yeah, but it’s nice to hear it from you,” he said as he gently wiped away a few tears from her cheeks.
They stared at each other for a moment, until Luke leaned in slowly and finally kissed her.
When they pulled apart, Enid looked at Luke but said nothing. She curled up against his chest again and hugged him tightly, falling asleep in silence.
Luke stayed by her side, not letting go.
…
The following days gave no respite.
The war continued with great intensity. Every victory brought an ambush. Every traitor uncovered revealed another.
Wednesday maintained a firm grip on the strategic board, while Enid slowly regained her energy.
The reconquest was complete.
One night, a typical mission arrived. A normie town up north, near the Canadian border. Barely five thousand residents. Roughly 2,000 kilometers away.
Recent disappearances. Local police patrols that never returned.
There were reports of blood-drained bodies, houses marked with strange symbols, and people claiming to have seen shadows walking across rooftops.
Luke volunteered without hesitation, “I’ll handle it,” he said calmly.
Wednesday frowned. Enid looked up from the map, “You could take us,” she said, not demanding, just offering.
“No. You two should rest. I’ll be more than enough,” Luke replied.
Noticing Wednesday’s usual skeptical look at his confidence, he added while meeting her gaze, “If things get complicated, I’ll break your father’s and uncle’s stones.”
“You better,” Wednesday said with a nod.
No matter how strong his track record in battle was, she always worried about Luke’s safety.
And with that, Luke set off.