AUTHOR'S POV |Three days later
Three days have passed since the family dinner with Lily Barlowe, the hands of time seemed to have dragged every tick around the clock. Stanley still recovers in the hospital after a massive heart attack. Constantly surrounded by the Devlin siblings, the old man, on his lucid moments, assures everyone that the full moon will bring his old self back. And the moment his sickness kicks back in, Reina would burst into tears. Damon would just sit quietly in a corner of the room. Sebastian would rush the doctors, and Scott would leave.
Tonight, the full moon will return.
Scott puts on his suit as he stare at the mirror. He wore his watch and caught a glimpse of the date, along with the moon phase turning full. For a while, he has been jittery and too triggered not because of the wedding that is rushed the next day but because of the moon bath the night before. The moon in all its glory was supposed to bring him peace. A certain calm to wash over him as he replenish his strength under the moonlight. Lamentably inevitable, it's no longer the same as before. "You won't turn tonight", he chanted in the mirror. "You won't turn tonight".
For weeks, sleep was never kind to him. The noises at the bars every night didn't hinder his amplifying unrest. He did buried himself in work, attended meetings he barely heard. The papers laid on his table everyday blurred together. All the same, the silence and solitude that comes after is worse. The memories of the last full moon plagued him. It just comes and goes, but when it grips his thoughts, he is reminded of the fated tragedy that awaits him. Nothing made a perfect excuse not to look at the calendar, counting down the lackadaisical nights. The closer the date crawls to the moon bath, the less his eyes get heavier.
He thought coming home to the Devlin mansion would drift him back to his comfort - the familiarity of his room, the home cooked meals and the warmth of the people in there. Even so, food still tasted like paper. The household's welcoming nature wasn't warm enough to thaw his cold heart. His room felt small. Ultimately, the liquor burned less than it used to. The cigarettes came one after another until smoke permanently lingered on his clothes. Depraved, he was unbecomingly aware of himself.
Lily's company fell short for him to forget Diana. Actually, her presence made him remind of her even more - their differences in the simple things, and everything in between. Her role was supposed to fill in a spot that's never hers. It was too forceful, she doesn't fit. But it has to work, and make everyone accept that she have replaced the Luna. That way, he would easily accept it too - easier to tear apart the bond he has with Diana, and save his true Luna who is doomed to die in his hands. However, Lily was a bitter pill that was hard to swallow. Another source of headache who clings to his arms and fill the spaces between his fingers all the chance she gets. She kept babbling about the wedding preparations, nonstop. He even gave her a black top tier card for all of her wedding expenses just to stop annoying him. But still. Bothersome, as what he thinks of her.
On Scott's way out of his bedroom, he come across his wolf necklace resting on an ebony plate by his side table. The one Diana gave him. He stared at it for a while. A deep pensive lingering feeling loomed over him, along with Diana's face flashing before his eyes. Scott hesitantly reached for it but then, he stopped midway, turning his hand into a fist. In the end, he still went for it. Stretching his fingers, he touched the necklace and quickly withdrew at the fiery prickle of the silver. It was realization that truly pained him. A cruel reminder of what the imprint has really brought to him.
Going down the stairs, he caught a sight of his siblings sharing breakfast at the patio. He rushed towards them, thinking it is the first distraction he'd get for the day. Everyone gathered around the round eucalyptus wood table for eight, immersed in their own little world despite sitting together. What Scott noticed first was not the massive western breakfast spread spinning on the lazy susan in the middle of the table, but the two empty seats between Reina and Damon. Even though the morning meal looked full, it did felt hollow.
"Good morning", Scott sat beside Reina, who appeared to have just arrived earlier than him. The butler immediately served his meal on the plate, poured a glass of juice, and placed a crystal ashtray with with turquoise base beside him as if it was already rehearsed. "Morning", a short greeting escaped Damon and Reina, while Sebastian continues to flip the pages of the newspaper with a headline of Scott Devlin and Lily Barlowe tying the knot.
Scott pulled out his phone and dialed a memorized number.
Priscilla.
None of them ever stopped contacting her.
Most of their calls go straight to voicemail. Strangely, it was never turned off. But whenever any of them reach Priscilla at any time of the day and night, it either ends on a busy tone or it is answered by an automated message. Naturally, it worried the siblings. Priscilla never ignores any calls. Also, she never stay away from home for too long. "I talked to her last night", Damon surprised his siblings. The sound of knife scraping the plate clinked less than those words that he dropped like a bomb. It made Sebastian spill his water on the table, and halt Reina sending text messages on her phone. "She says, she'll be back on the moon bath tonight", he cleared that it was just one random and lucky call attempt he made last night. Scott just sat there, listening to Damon, watching him carefully slice his waffles topped with whipped cream and strawberries. "This is good", he nods as he take another large bite.
It was good news, but the siblings weren't relieved at all.
Eyes were stuck on Damon, eating scrumptiously. "That's good. I believe we'll see her tonight in the islet", Reina says, eyeing Damon pouring more honey on his waffles. "Ain't that already sweet? That's gonna cause another toothache".
"Of course not!", Damon wolf on another bite, quickly melting in his mouth. "Wait, Islet? I thought I have made myself clear on that? It's not a good idea spending the moonbath there. Like come on, don't we always go back to the town every full moon?", Damon have constantly made reasons to avoid going to the islet.
"Why not?", Sebastian folded the newspaper, putting it down. He didn't felt going silent this time. He has been conflicted with his brother being connected to Diana's disappearance after his ring was found in her home. An utter denial causing him to keep Roman's eager claws calm at the moment, but surely, not for long. "It's not like it will be the first time", he says.
Damon kept eating, chewing loudly as if he missed Sebastian's words.
"Answer the question, Damon", Scott crosses his legs, eyes forward at the cornered sibling. He's been trying to understand his brother's unusual circumstances. It wasn't the letter from Reina about being concerned on the Priscilla and Damon's secret meetings. It was the rowing to the islet beyond the dark lake water from dusk until dawn, and not missing a work day at the office. It was too idealistic that it was almost unlikely Damon. Scott looked more into him when Lucas told him to observe his brother for anything. Lucas was not very particular but, something in his pressing urges provoked his curiosity. One day, Scott and Reina once followed Damon to the islet. Apparently, they found him meditating in the grass, finding solace under the stars, and savoring the peace in the symphony of the outlying islet itself. Being very unlikely of him. "Why not in the islet?".
Looking at the eyes pinned on him, Damon felt the pressure, as he laugh nervously. He wiped his mouth with the navy linen table napkin, rolling his tongue on his sticky lips. "Well, looking at you all right now... I guess, I don't have much more reasons to oppose", he leans back with his elbow on the back rest of the chair. "If you insist the joy of having the moonbath in there, I wouldn't be much of the devil's advocate anymore.", he says, smiling. "Tea, brother?", he pours Scott a tea that smelled of something that was too fragrant for the Alpha not to skip.
Scott took the teacup, smelled the steam coming off, and sipped a little. "Then get those boats ready for tonight", Scott says, sipping a bit more.
"I'm down for it, brother. Cheers!", Damon answers eagerly, gulping some orange juice, before getting more waffles. Reina found it odd, for the many times that she asked Damon about rowing to the islet, he constantly argued. And here is, suddenly in approval of the situation."These are fire, guys!", he exclaimed.
"I'll have the other preparations ready too", Reina said as formal as she could get, like she is in a meeting.
"You should, you still have a wedding to prepare for tomorrow", Sebastian quipped, while Scott finishes his tea, unbothered of his brother's sarcasm. Sebastian then shifts his gaze from Damon, who hungrily finishes the whole plate of waffles, and then to Reina, who's been on her phone all throughout the meal. Again, he glanced at Scott, who despite sits there with a teacup in his hands, had his eyes looking very distant somewhere beyond that breakfast table. Sebastian let out a heavy sigh. They shared breakfast, passed honey and salt, but they did not have deep conversations that no one in that table knew how to have anymore. They were like strangers forced to sit together to somehow appear normal.
LATER
It was almost eight in the morning when Scott arrived at the Devlins' building. The breakfast at the patio with his siblings ended like a perfect distraction after all. He couldn't get Damon off his mind. He couldn't figure out which one is wrong, but none about his brother seemed right. As the elevator open to his office floor, he could already hear the boisterous laughs thundering across the corridor. Suddenly, his mind warp off to a different headache. With a sharp exhale, he sauntered across the hallway to his office.
The laughs sounded fun.
Every step closer to the door made him ponder if he would still have those good times with his friends. Hear their complains in life. Get random checks day and night. Drink until they are sober again. Live like there's no tomorrow. Scott stopped at the door, listening at each of the voices from inside the room. He could hear Lucas' leading the conversation about a recent encounter with a hot woman, who had a strange kink that's too hard for him to handle. Allen says Lucas' deserved the bed torture, as it speaks for the multiple women he dated at the same time. Austin laughs out loud with Lucas's painful wild night, considering he should do it again. Cory seemed sick, sneezing a couple of times in between his WTFs and tell me mores. And David, he's just there.
Each of them were more like his brothers. Brothers by pack, brothers by choice. Scott opened the door and found five grown men cozily seating together round the table, making his office appear suddenly full. Lucas sits on the couch, while Cory lays down beside him, almost dying from colds. Allen and David sits on their solo thrones, while Austin makes his coffee over the nook. "It's been a while", Lucas beamed, as he put sugar in his coffee.
"I told you we'll meet at the boardroom", Scott stands at the open door, knitting his brows. By the look of how settled his pack are in his office, it seemed like not one of them is willing to move anymore.
"I'm allergic to the new smell in there", Cory sneezes twice in a row, snorting a little bit, rubbing his already red nose. Lily, apparently, have occupied the boardroom with a spread of the wedding plans, wedding favors, and all things wedding. Seeing her makes him feel nauseous. Something he doesn't deny.
"Same", David agreed, nodding.
"We don't mind talking here anyway, just like the old times", Allen lifts his coffee cup to Scott, inviting him to join them already. "Coffee or tea, Sir?".
"I already had tea", Scott closes the door behind him, then walks across the room towards his table. Even without a word, somewhere along in the weight of his steps, and dullness in his eyes felt heavy. It wasn't similar with how Diana being gone. It seemed a lot more deeper, and daunting. "What 's the matter?", Austin was the first one to notice, sitting on the arm rest of the couch near Cory. "Is it... the full moon?".
They all knew what's coming, and they all knew what it wants. It's not only Scott who has been tormented with the upcoming full moon. The pack, and even the entire clan fears the upcoming lunar peak. They could still remember how hard their hearts drummed inside their chest, the pain in their legs as they run to safety, and the blood they shed to survive the night. It wasn't the growls of the lycan that shook them most. It was the sound of their desperate voices calling each other, fighting for their lives. All to protect the Luna.
Cory pinches his nose, avoiding another sneeze not to miss Scott's answer. Everyone else shifted their gazes at random things, not wanting to show how agog they all have been to hear Scott's inside thoughts. Scott heads over under his table and pulls a long padded hard travel case. He returned to his pack dropping the bag in front of them. Hitting the floor, the heavy bag settled with a soft thud and rattling of metal inside. "Tonight, we go the Devlin's islet", Scott said calmly. The islet remained the best option for Scott. Surrounded by water. Far from the mainland. Far from Diana. There's nowhere for the lycan to run. "If the lycan in me emerges, and attempt to leave the islet", he crouches down, opens the bag and revealed a few pieces of slender spears of silver. "Stab me with silver through my heart", he says, taking one out showing the sharp end.
There was complete silence in the room that was once rejoicing in laughters. The smiles slowly faded into a fine line. Each of their gazes shifted from Scott, then to the bagful of weapons. Then, a nervous laugh from Cory forced out of his itchy throat. "You have completely lost your mind", he chuckled uneasily, coughing a little.
"You can't be serious.", Allen gave an anxious smirk, giving David a hard tap on the chest. "He can't be, right?".
"I don't like violence that much", David says, shaking his head.
"May I have some water, please", Austin asked, despite the water is already right in front of him on the table.
"Alright, how about rock, paper, scissors? Who wins, stabs Scott", Cory lifts his hand on a fist, glancing at everybody.
No one moved an inch.
Scott triggers a button on the mid-part of the metal body of the spear. Four spikes near the sharp end spontaneously appear. "This will lock under the lycan's skin, and wolfsbane will go off from it. Reina will have it ready tonight, and hand them to you", he says, looking at the disapproving frowns of his friends.
All the smiles have complete faded on their faces.
Cory's hand retreated slowly . He was about to sneeze again, but he didn't. David felt suffocated, sitting very still on his chair. Austin froze with his coffee cup in his hand. "You're joking, aren't you?", Lucas have already lost his craving for his bitter cup after hearing what Scott just said. With a timid smile, Scott shook his head then, puts back the spear inside.
"Oh this is serious..", Lucas leans back, groaning.
"Man.. I'm gonna throw up", Austin drinks his coffee a little bit too fast, not minding how hot it is.
"You don't have to come if you're afraid of the lycan", Scott zips up the bag. "My siblings will be there anyway. They can do the stabbing job. They would understand the pack is too afraid to do it", he stands up with a smirk, crossing his arms.
Five heads snapped toward him, even Cory who's feeling sick sprung up from the couch. "No way Damon could do it", Allen says.
"Sebastian would pretty much miss the shot, even on the third try", Cory added.
"And Reina? She would trip doing it, might also break a nail while at it.", Austin said. "So, I'll do it", he says, with a sharp intake of breath.
"No, I will do it", Allen looks at Austin,
"I'll...", David took a deep breath. "...be there", he nodded. With everyone's turned on him, they all answered, "Got it".
Honestly, curiosity weighed heavier than their fear. Scott have accepted the presumption that he turns to a lycan after one blurry night. And this time, he faces it with a brave decision to die, instead of letting the monster in him devour his Luna. In that moment, they knew why exactly Scott is the Alpha. He may have made decisions the pack couldn't justify, but then, he'll never be the coward Alpha who can't face death.
It was settled then. Scott went back to his desk, reaching for the phone. "Scott", Lucas called. At the sound of it, Scott paused midway, turning to Lucas. This time, all eyes are back on the Alpha. "What about Diana?", her name settled over the office like dust. For weeks, they have avoided saying her name. But this time,
"What about her?", Scott asked. He was not triggered like he always have. It looked like as if he missed hearing it.
"You know what we're asking", Lucas met his gaze. "What happens if she comes back?".
Everyone in the room waited. This is the very first deep conversation they've had without the need of beers and hard liquor. Sober, their minds are clear, and their thoughts are calm... that it's almost difficult to take everything all in. Scott felt an unpleasant twist inside his chest. He knew his plans clearly, but getting close to it was never easy. "The... rejection ceremony will proceed. And so is the wedding with Luna tomorrow", he answers, spitting the words that tasted rotten.
Cory forgot his sneezes. Lucas no longer have anything clever to say. Austin forgot to fidget with his half empty coffee cup. Allen comforts David a shoulder rub, with both of them looking defeated. Scott's answer was simple, clear and dismissive that nobody argued and asked more. While it sounded like his truth, it was hard for the pack to believe it. "If that's... what you say. Then, we'll be in our suit", Lucas says.