Silence enveloped the night like a heavy blanket as all eyes turned towards Thorne. He strode purposefully towards Ethan and his companions, his words hanging in the air like an unspoken truth. "I understand your confusion," he began, his voice carrying a weight of certainty, "but what I speak is not mere rhetoric. It is the undeniable truth." Ethan, his curiosity piqued, dared to inquire, "Truth? What truth?" Thorne, unfazed by the skepticism, met Ethan's gaze squarely. "Young man, you are the Lupus Dei, the king that was promised, the Alpha King."
Marcus, unable to contain his disbelief, erupted into laughter, his skepticism echoing through the night air. "I get he might be a sorcerer, but a werewolf? Come on, that pretty boy isn't one." Meanwhile, Taran, Mara, and the twins maintained a stoic composure, their suspicions about Ethan's extraordinary nature confirmed. Mara and the twins remembered how fast his wounds heal, and Taran couldn't stop thinking of the night Ethan tamed him back to his human form after transforming during a full moon. "No one was capable of doing that," he mused aloud.
Celeste, observing the unfolding scene with a mixture of confusion and concern, turned to her mother, seeking clarification. "Who are these people around you? And most importantly, who is this crazy man?" Isabella, grappling with the sudden upheaval of her plans for discretion, felt the weight of uncertainty settle upon her shoulders. She realized that life was about to take an unexpected turn, and her attempts to maintain normalcy were futile, tonight her truth might eventually come out.
Celeste, undeterred by her mother's evasiveness, persisted in her quest for understanding. "Who are these people, mother?" she pressed once more. Isabella, masking her apprehension with a facade of composure, replied, "They are friends, Celeste. They are here to help Ethan." Sensing an opportunity to elucidate their mission, Gabriel, who had remained silent until now, stepped forward. "We are here to ensure Ethan's safety," he explained, his voice tinged with determination. "To take him away from Blackwood before the transformation occurs. He deserves to live among his own kind, free from persecution and fear." Ethan is instantly perplexed by Gabriel's words, he thought to himself "were suspicions true? Am I really like Taran?"
In that moment, Celeste's gaze sharpened as she scrutinized Gabriel's features, a flicker of recognition igniting within her. "Gabriel the trader!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with astonishment, "are you one of them?" But Gabriel, unwilling to confirm her suspicions, averted his gaze, leaving the question unanswered, shrouding his true identity in a veil of ambiguity.
Thorne breaks the silence that has kept everything on a standstill "Common, I know there is a lot to explain, but young girl," Thorne looked at Celeste. "We can't do all the explaining here. But one thing is certain your brother has to come with us to a where he can fully embrace his destiny and power,"
Ethan, still reeling from the revelation of his lycanthropy, interrupted Thorne with a firm declaration. "I don't care about anything you just said. All I'm interested in is making sure Taran leaves Blackwood."
Before Thorne could respond, Celeste interjected with a note of realism. "That will be pretty much impossible. The guards are patrolling the entire area, searching for that vampire."
Thorne's brow furrowed in frustration at the obstacle before them. "You mean this vampire?" Aria's voice cut through the tension, her finger pointed accusingly at Darius, who watched the unfolding drama with a hint of satisfaction.
Darius couldn't resist taunting Aria, relishing in the opportunity to unsettle her. "She-wolf, I'm sure you thought I was dead. Well, sorry to disappoint you, but your vervain-drenched blades were no match for my thousands of years of experience." His smirk only intensified as Aria's glare bore into him with the intensity of a thousand suns.
The revelation of Darius's true nature elicited a visceral reaction from Marcus. "Vampire! You're a vampire?" Marcus recoiled in horror as Darius approached him and said, "well you had to find out some way,"
the realization sinking in like a lead weight. Enchanted by a bloodsucking creature, Marcus struggled to reconcile his newfound knowledge with his past interactions.
Taran, sensing the urgency of their situation, took command of the conversation. "We need to get moving, now! The red moon will soon rise, and when it does, none of us will be able to control our transformations, not even you, Gabriel. We have to go."
Darius looked at everyone, who's gaze has now shifted a bit from him as soon as he was outed as a vampire and focused now on Taran, and said to them "I will leave Blackwood," he declared, his voice steady, "but I will be departing with the boy." With a subtle gesture toward Ethan, he emphasized, "He is the true purpose of my presence here. Do not resist; simply allow me to take him, and I shall trouble you no longer."
Marcus bristled at Darius's words, a surge of indignation coursing through him. Was he nothing more than a pawn in Darius's scheme, a mere means to an end? The thought gnawed at him, stirring a tempest of conflicting emotions beneath his fragile stoic exterior.
Aria's voice pierced the tension, a defiant cry echoing through the backyard. "Over my cold, dead, freezing body would I allow you to lay a hand on him," she retorted, her words dripping with venomous resolve.
Darius met her challenge with a dismissive smirk, his tone dripping with disdain. "Oh, she-wolf, cease your incessant barking," he chided, his eyes glinting with mocking amusement. "If I harbored intentions of ending your life, rest assured it would have been done long before now. A lot of opportunities have presented themselves."
Throughout the night, Fantine remained silent, her gaze drawn to Ethan as if entranced by his presence. It was apparent that this was the first time she'd seen him. Turning to Darius, she broke her silence with a firm declaration, "Darius, you must have forgotten me. My name is Fantine." The revelation struck Darius with a profound sense of astonishment, marking the first time in decades that he had displayed such emotion. Despite the wrinkles etched upon her face, he recognized her unmistakably. "Is this truly you?" he questioned, unable to conceal his disbelief. Fantine affirmed, her voice steady with resolve, "Yes, Darius, it's me. And that boy you want to take away is my grandson." The weight of her words hung in the air, casting a shadow of shock over Ethan, Celeste, and Marcus, who were stunned by what the old lady just said.