Throughout breakfast, Marcus's gaze remained fixated on Ethan, his mind preoccupied with Darius's cryptic words from the previous night. He pondered the possibility of his brother sharing similarities with Darius, yet the elusive nature of Darius's responses left him grasping at shadows. Despite the temptation to divulge Darius's secret to his father and gain favor, Marcus hesitated, unwilling to betray Darius—at least not yet.
Viktor, his recovery nearing completion, interrupted the tense atmosphere with news of a vampire's presence in Blackwood. Isabella's panicked reaction echoed through the room, her voice trembling with fear. "A vampire in Blackwood? Oh my God. Are you certain it's only one?"
Viktor's reassurance, though tempered with caution, alleviated Isabella's immediate distress. "We cannot be certain of their numbers," he admitted, "but we will ascertain the truth soon enough. There is no need to panic; we have handled such threats before, and we will do so again."
Relief washed over Isabella at her husband's words, her anxiety momentarily quelled. Meanwhile, Celeste remained mostly silent, her thoughts consumed by Ethan and the 'hushed tone' interaction he had with Taran the previous night.
After breakfast, Ethan made his way to the backyard where Taran remained bound in chains, ready to share the remaining scraps of their meal and revisit their plans for tonight. As he approached, the sound of Taran's bones cracking reached his ears from afar, prompting Ethan to voice his concern. "What's happening? I thought you could only transform during the full moon?" Taran is amazed at how Ethan could hear his bones crack from a distance, his response was tinged with a sense of foreboding. "I'm not transforming; it's just a sign that tonight will bring a full red moon. It's a rare occurrence, happening only once or twice every decade. It occurred four years ago, but its reappearance tonight is peculiar." Ethan's brows furrowed with worry. "I hope this won't disrupt our plans. I have this gut feeling that if we don't act tonight, you'll be stuck here in a way worse condition, indefinitely." In that moment, Taran felt the urge to confide in Ethan about his mother's involvement in his rescue plans, but he hesitated. Revealing such information would only fuel Ethan's curiosity about his mother's unexpected assistance, so Taran chose to keep it to himself.
While casually munching on his meal, Taran posed a question to Ethan, inquiring if he would be interested in visiting Coleridge after their eventual rescue. Ethan's thoughts immediately gravitated towards Mara, the wild girl who had been occupying his mind incessantly since their last encounter. He couldn't shake the image of her innocent, beautiful face, capable of luring anyone into underestimating her, only for them to face dire consequences. Just as Ethan was about to respond to Taran's query, a familiar scent wafted towards him from behind. Though he didn't need to turn around to confirm, he did so anyway, flashing a smile as he greeted Marcus, "Hey, Marcus. I heard about what Father told you this morning, so it's official – I'll have the whole room to myself."
Marcus returned the smile, albeit with a hint of tension, replying, "That's not why I'm here." Ethan furrowed his brow in slight confusion, while Taran remained indifferent to the exchange. Ethan then quipped, "So, what brings you here, wayward son?" Marcus chuckled at Ethan's jest before getting straight to the point, "That was a good one, but I'd like to know how you knew I was coming. As soon as you sensed my presence, you stopped talking."
Perplexed, Ethan sought to deflect Marcus's probing question, replying with a touch of humor, "You're one to talk – you've been staring at me all morning. What's that about? Suddenly find me attractive? Because you know that would be incest."
Marcus's patience wore thin as he snapped, "Shut up! Just shut up!" Ethan visibly recoiled at his brother's outburst, but before he could gather his thoughts, Marcus stepped closer, his tone demanding, "What are you? You're not normal. Tell me what you are."
Caught off guard by Marcus's intensity, Ethan responded honestly, "I don't know. I'm just your brother."
But Marcus wasn't convinced, pressing further, "You're more than that. I've been willfully blind to the things you do – like how you can pinpoint the location of a deer from miles away, or how you never seem to get injured. There's not a single scar on your body. How is that even possible?"
Ethan hesitated, grappling with the weight of Marcus's inquiries. The truth loomed before him, a truth he had long sought to know himself. Yet, in Marcus's unwavering gaze, Ethan found a someone who is taking out his frustration on him. He asked what must be going on in his brother's mind for him to ask me this question.
As the scene unfolded in the backyard, Isabella's attention was drawn to the commotion, prompting her swift intervention. "What's going on with you two?" she inquired, her tone laced with concern. "Do you want to fight?"
Marcus, standing his ground, offered a calm response. "No, there's nothing going on. Just exchanging words with my brother. Or is that not allowed?"
Ethan, sensing his mother's worry, exchanged a reassuring glance with her, silently conveying that everything was under control.
With Marcus retreating into the cottage and Ethan seeking out Celeste, Isabella found herself alone with Taran. Her blue eyes locked onto his, she pressed for answers. "Can you shed some light on what transpired between those two?"
Taran's response carried a weight of speculation. "I believe Marcus is intrigued by Ethan's abilities. I think he suspects that Ethan may be a werewolf."
Isabella's expression betrayed her unease at Taran's revelation. "Great, that's just what I need right now. He better not figure it out, not today at least. Perhaps tomorrow, but not today." Her words held a sense of urgency, the gravity of the situation weighing heavily on her mind.
Concealed behind the bushes enveloping the backyard, Celeste eavesdropped on her mother and Taran's conversation. Every word uttered reverberated within her, sending shockwaves through her core.