Chapter 7: The Blue-Blooded Frog Prince
The next few days were a blur of training with Kathleen, coffee-making, and the ever-present hum of Portland's supernatural underbelly. Adam was getting stronger, faster, his senses sharper. He could feel the subtle shifts in the air when a Wesen was near, the faint scent of their woge, the almost imperceptible tremor in the ground. It was like the world was finally coming into focus, every detail amplified.
Then, the call came. Nick's voice was tight with urgency. "Adam, we've got a bizarre one. A guy was found in a park, completely disoriented, covered in some kind of… blue slime. And he's got a wedding ring on his finger, but his wife is missing."
Adam immediately recognized it. The Danse Macabre case. The Ziegevolk, the "frog prince" Wesen who used pheromones to seduce and then drain their victims of their life force, leaving them as withered husks. And the worst part? They usually targeted people in love, especially on their wedding day.
"Ziegevolk," Adam stated, his voice calm. "They're pheromone manipulators. They make people fall in love with them, then they suck them dry. Literally. And if I'm not mistaken, they usually target couples right before or after their wedding. Check the wedding announcements, Nick. Look for anyone who fits the profile, especially if they're rich and recently married."
Nick paused. "How do you keep doing that?"
"It's a gift, Nick," Adam said dryly. "And a curse. Mostly a gift, though. Look, we need to find the wife. The Ziegevolk will keep her alive for a while, draining her slowly. We need to move fast."
They met at the precinct. Hank was already there, looking bewildered by the latest case. Monroe arrived shortly after, his usual nervous energy amplified by the mention of a Ziegevolk.
"Ziegevolk?" Monroe wrung his hands. "Oh, they're… they're quite charming, actually. Until they're not. Their pheromones are incredibly potent. Even Wesen can be affected."
"Which is why we're going to be careful," Adam said, his voice firm. "We're not going in blind. I have a pretty good idea of where this guy operates. He likes secluded, romantic spots. And he probably has a lair. A very… slimy lair."
Adam, using his knowledge of the episode, directed them to a series of high-end wedding venues and secluded garden estates. It was at a lavish, but currently empty, mansion on the outskirts of Portland that Adam felt a faint, sickly sweet scent in the air.
"This is it," Adam said, his nose twitching. "I can smell him. Or rather, his… cologne. It's not Chanel No. 5, I can tell you that much."
They entered the mansion cautiously. The air inside was thick with the cloying scent, and Adam could feel a subtle pressure, a faint urge to relax, to trust. It was the Ziegevolk's pheromones at work. He resisted it easily, his enhanced Grimm senses and system acting as a natural shield. Nick, however, looked a little woozy.
"Ugh, what is that smell?" Nick muttered, shaking his head.
"That's the smell of 'don't trust this guy, he's basically a walking date-rape drug'," Adam replied. "Stay focused, Nick. This guy's dangerous."
They found the Ziegevolk in a hidden cellar, a grotesque, woged figure with bulging eyes and slimy skin. He was hunched over the missing wife, who was weak and pale, but still alive.
The Ziegevolk turned, its eyes glowing with a smug, predatory satisfaction. "Grimms. You're too late. She's almost… perfect."
Adam stepped forward, his voice dropping to that deep, resonant tone that commanded involuntary obedience. The Aura of the First Grimm flared, cutting through the Ziegevolk's pheromones like a hot knife through butter. The creature recoiled, its smug expression replaced by one of confusion, then terror.
"You will release her," Adam commanded, his voice echoing in the confined space. "Now. And you will tell us every single person you have ever drained. Every victim. Every location. And you will tell us the truth, without a single lie."
The Ziegevolk whimpered, its slimy skin glistening with sweat. Its woged form flickered, and it began to revert to its human guise, a pathetic, trembling figure. "No… I… I can't…"
"Oh, yes, you can," Adam's voice was like a hammer blow, crushing its will. "You will."
Under the relentless pressure of Adam's aura, the Ziegevolk spilled everything. Names, dates, locations. A chilling list of victims, some still alive, barely, others long gone. Nick and Hank listened, horrified, as the truth unfolded.
While the Ziegevolk was confessing, Adam moved, swiftly and decisively. He subdued the creature, pinning it against the wall, ensuring it couldn't escape or harm anyone else.
[System] Wesen Defeated. Wesen Type: Ziegevolk. Extracting... Alchemical Vial Created: Ziegevolk Potion.
[System] The Ziegevolk Potion grants a minor increase in charisma and a slight resistance to pheromones.
A new vial, this one a murky, greenish-blue, materialized in his hand. He quickly pocketed it.
Nick, having secured the now-free wife, looked at Adam with a new level of awe. "Adam, that was… incredible. You just… made him talk. And you saved her. So quickly."
"Efficiency, Nick," Adam said, a faint smirk. "It's my superpower. Besides, who needs a polygraph when you have a Grimm with a really intimidating voice? This Ziegevolk Potion, by the way, might be useful. Minor charisma boost, resistance to pheromones. Could come in handy if you ever decide to go into politics. Or if you just want to avoid dating a literal frog."
Monroe, who had been watching the entire exchange with wide eyes, finally spoke. "I've never seen anything like it, Adam. Your aura… it's truly unique. It's like… the First Grimm himself is speaking through you."
He's not wrong, Adam thought, a flicker of pride. That's the whole point. And with each vial, I'm getting closer to that ultimate power. And closer to making sure this world doesn't go to hell in a handbasket.