《No Matter What》 0 | Awakened ¡°No offence Eddie, but you need a new ride.¡± ¡°My truck is perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, perfectly fine. Like an abandoned toy left to haunt a playground.¡± ¡°What kind of idiom is that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But back to the point, you need to get a better car.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need a car, Seb. This baby is a classic; built to last. There¡¯s no way it¡¯ll give out on me.¡± ¡°Alright. Just don¡¯t complain when I turn out to be right.¡± ¡°Speaking of cars, when are you going to learn to drive?¡± ¡°Why should I. That¡¯s what I¡¯m friends with you for.¡± ¡°As much as I love taking you wherever, I can¡¯t be your chauffeur all the time.¡± ¡°That¡¯s when I get a ride from mum or Nick.¡± ¡°You¡¯re impossible.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Just then, the pair arrived at Sebastian¡¯s house. It was a modest sized home just at the edge of town. With a lovely white picket fence, pale yellow walls that contrasted the bright blue roofing, and a cosy little porch enclosed by fly screens to keep bugs away. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay for the night since your dad is on patrol?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been home alone before, Seb.¡± ¡°Just because you¡¯ve done it before doesn¡¯t mean you have to do it again. Mom and Nick love having you over, you know. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re imposing or anything.¡± ¡°Are you worried about my truck breaking down?¡± Sebastian laughed. ¡°Maybe. At least promise to text me when you get home?¡± Edmund huffed. ¡°Sure. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Bye!¡± Seb said as he got out and then ran over to his front door. Edmund watched him go inside of the house before starting up his truck again to drive home. He and his dad lived out of town, in the woods a good distance from anyone else. Their house was much bigger than Sebastian¡¯s, and far bigger than two people needed, but Ed¡¯s dad refused to part with it. It had been built by his great grandparents and passed down through the family since then. It was admittedly a rather nice place and Edmund never imagined leaving there either. Even as a kid, he imagined staying here always in his little home town. He¡¯d never had any dreams of leaving. Instead, he wanted to settle down and have a family. Perhaps it was silly for a child to think of but it was something he wanted. A nice family, with lots of kids to run around the house and fill it with joy and laughter. He wanted to make it feel like the warm lovely home it had been in his childhood. He could imagine it now. Playing with his kids in the yard, teaching them to use a bow and arrows like his granddad had showed him. He¡¯d joke and laugh with them, tell them stories from his own childhood, show off his favourite places to play as a boy. Perhaps he could even be a house husband and take the role of main caretaker. Then he would have his kids with him all day. Of course, he¡¯d have to do plenty of household chores like cleaning and cooking and what not, but that didn¡¯t faze him. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He would have his family. Him and- A sudden sputtering from the truck pulled him back to reality and Edmund cursed under his breath as it suddenly decided to quit on him. ¡°Damn it, Sebastian, why do you always have to be right,¡± He muttered lowly to himself as he got out to check the engine. His head was under the hood when he hears a twig snap. It gave him a bit of a fright, but he managed to keep himself calm as he pulled his head out to look at his surroundings. He didn¡¯t see anything hiding in the trees which grew thick on either side of the road. There was still a possibility of something lurking just beyond his line of sight in the shadows. As he was about to return to the truck, he heard a whimper from nearby. It sounds like an injured dog. Acting on emotion before his logic could kick in, Ed stepped towards the sound. He¡¯d always been a damn softy when it came to animals so of course he couldn¡¯t ignore a potentially wounded dog. Once he was close enough to see the animal though, he realized it was a wolf. It had silver fur with a blue tint. Well, apart from its stomach which seems to be stained red with blood. Edmund¡¯s heart felt like was in his throat as his mind was torn between empathy towards the wolf¡¯s situation and fear that whatever did this was still nearby. Then its eyes opened and his blood felt like it froze in his veins. Those eyes were so full of despair, pain, and blue. God, they were very blue. Like a sky on a clear sunny day. So bright and intense. The wolf whines again, breaking Edmund out of his frozen state. He slowly approached it, hands up to show he means no harm as he moves to check it¡¯s wound. There¡¯s so much blood -too much- and he can already see the light fading from the wolf¡¯s eyes. He reached out to touch it gently. Desperately wishing to comfort the creature. The wolf seemed to appreciate this. Its eyes looked a bit less pained, but it was still slowly slipping away. It closed its eyes and Ed felt as its final breath go from its lungs. The forest seemed far too quiet now, as Edmund cried silently for the wolf in front of him. Eventually, he pulled himself together, and decided to give the creature a proper burial. He wasn¡¯t exactly sure why but it felt like the right thing to do. He was glad that he had a shovel in his truck. He couldn¡¯t remember why, but all that mattered was he had it to help him dig the grave for the blue-eyed wolf. He got some blood on himself as he lowered the body into the hole but he didn¡¯t worry about that. After the dirt was replaced over the body, he looked for something to serve as a head stone. It seemed like a silly thing to do. Especially for a wolf he had barely just met. But still, Ed found a stone, and used the screwdriver part of his pocket knife to engrave a little cross into it. He stood for a few moments beside the grave before he leaving. He decided the truck was a lost cause, for now anyways, so he walked home. Keeping the shovel with him just in case he needed a weapon. What he just saw left him feeling deeply disturbed. Anxiety was clawing at the edges of his mind as his imagination pictured horrors lurking in the shadows. Specifically, the horror that managed to kill that wolf. Moonlight beamed down from above, breaking through the clouds like a shining silver hero, and illuminating the area around Ed much better than before. He felt a bit calmer without such dark shadows around him but he also felt¡­ something else. It¡¯s was so strange, but so subtle at first that he didn¡¯t notice it. It was something inside of him. There was a tingling, a warmth, spreading quickly through his veins. Something was forming inside him; or rather it was waking up. His breathing was getting shallow and his eyelids felt suddenly heavy. He was so tired, absolutely exhausted, that he just barely pushed himself to get home. In fact, once he got to the house, he didn¡¯t bother with going to his room. Instead, he collapsed onto the couch. His mind was aware enough that he remembered to lock the door and text Sebatian that he got home alright. But there was a heat that took over all his senses. Blurring his thoughts far worse than even the exhaustion. He felt hot -so hot- so He stripped down. That didn¡¯t help him any though. He whimpered with desperation, tossing and turning on the couch. Suddenly his eyes open wide. Glowing with an unnatural light. Clear blue like the sky. That¡¯s the last thing Sebastian remembered before waking up to the sound of a loud howl. 1 | Goodmorning <3 Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. 2 | Morning Sickness If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. 3 | Confusion Continues Sneaking out of school was far too easy, but neither of the boys would complain about that. Once they were outside again, Edmund seemed to improve a bit and insisted on driving despite Sebastian''s protests. They were on the road in a matter of minutes and defiantly not driving towards Hayden¡¯s clinic. Sebastian had a terrible sense of direction but he knew the way to the clinic from school. ¡°Where are we going?¡± ¡°Mac Donalds.¡± ¡°What the-- Why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡°You just vomited barely ten minutes ago.¡± ¡°Yeah, and now I need to eat again. Come on, aren¡¯t you a bit hungry too?¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°I guess a milkshake won¡¯t hurt.¡± He was beyond confused at this point about how Edmund went from being perfectly fine one minute, to spilling his guts, then back to fine, and apparently hungry. Ed ordered a large burger, two large fries, two milkshakes. Then they parked in the parking lot to eat the food, or rather while Sebastian was lazily sipping at his milkshake, Edmund was devouring the burgers and fries like he hadn¡¯t eaten in days. ¡°Feeling better now?¡± Seb asked once all the food was finished. ¡°Much. I don¡¯t think I even need to see Hayden.¡± ¡°Nice try, but we made a deal, Eddie.¡± Edmund rolled his eyes. ¡°Fine. But let¡¯s go back to your place for a bit first? The clinic doesn¡¯t take walk-ins until after midday.¡± ¡°Yeah, okay. I need a nap anyways.¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s unusual for you. Did you have one of those weird dreams?¡± ¡°I did have a weird dream but this one was... different.¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°I saw you. Your truck broke down¡± -Edmund tensed- ¡°and then when you got out, there was this injured wolf... it died, bleeding out right in front of you.¡± ¡°That... is a crazy dream.¡± ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m probably just paranoid because you refuse to buy a proper car.¡± ¡°Are you really brining this up again?¡± ¡°Are you going to get a better car?¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Fuck off.¡± ¡°Right here? That¡¯s a cheeky idea, Eddie.¡± Edmund shoved him playfully as he laughed at the flustered expression on his face. Soon enough, they reached Sebastian¡¯s house. His mum and Nick would be at their office until later that evening, so it was just them and Bruce in the house. Bruce growled at Ed again when he came in, but this time Seb just put him outside so they could have a bit of peace. The pair sat down together on the couch in the living room and turned on a TV show. Sebastian couldn¡¯t remember which one, because he was out like a light within five minutes. When he woke up, his best friend was absent from beside him, a blanket was gently laid over him, and a heavenly smell was wafting in from the kitchen. He followed his nose to find Edmund baking in the kitchen. It was a rather domestic sight. Ed was wearing an apron and had a bit of flour in his hair. He had some soft music playing that Sebastian didn¡¯t notice before. It was an upbeat tune that had him tapping his foot along and dancing a bit with his shoulders here and there. He was completely engrossed in the process of making... whatever it was he was making. Seb couldn¡¯t tell the difference between pancake batter and cake mix. He only knew there had to be some difference since they were two separate foods. Instead of saying anything to interrupt the moment, Sebastian leaned against the doorway and watched as Edmund¡¯s dancing became a bit more fluid as he moved around to pour the batter into a tin and then place whatever it was in the oven. Brownies then. Or a cake. Seb was craving the former over the latter so he really hoped his first guess was right. ¡°Geez, don¡¯t do that!¡± Edmund exclaimed when he turned around and noticed Seb¡¯s presence. Sebastian laughed lightly at him. ¡°Hungry again?¡± ¡°Well, I had a bit of cereal, so no. I just got bored so I decided to make something.¡± ¡°I guess you really are feeling better then?¡± ¡°Much. Maybe breakfast just didn¡¯t agree with me.¡± ¡°Maybe. Better not tell Nick though. He¡¯d be devastated.¡± The pair both laughed at that. They knew Nick wasn¡¯t so sensitive about his cooking skills. The man could put a five-star restaurant to shame, and he knew it. He¡¯d tried teaching them both when they were younger, but apart from helping Edmund to discover a passion for backing, he had not been very successful. Sebastian sat down at the kitchen table. ¡°So, what are you making?¡± ¡°Your favourite brownies. They¡¯re already in the oven though so don¡¯t even think ab- OW!¡± Edmund yelled and pulled his hand back from the silverware drawer. Sebastian quickly rushed to his side. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Edmund muttered, frowning at the red mark on his hand. ¡°Did you burn yourself?¡± ¡°In the drawer?¡± Sebastian looked from the mark on Edmund¡¯s hand to the drawer and frowned in confusion. Ed was right, there was nothing there to cause him to burn like that. ¡°Did you burn yourself before you touched the drawer?¡± ¡°No. This only just appeared after I touched that spoon.¡± Edmund said and pointed at the offending object. Cautiously, Seb picked up the spoon. ¡°Nothing happened...¡± ¡°To you. Meanwhile, my hand is still twinging with pain.¡± ¡°Today is not your day.¡± ¡°No kidding. Whatever, can we just forget it?¡± ¡°Forget you burning yourself on a cold spoon?¡± ¡°Well can you explain it?¡± ¡°No. But it¡¯s pretty clear something weird is happening here,¡± Seb said, examining the spoon. ¡°Like, seriously dude, you have been off all day.¡± Edmund sighed. ¡°I know but I don¡¯t want to think about it. I just want to ignore everything.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t talk about it then if you don¡¯t want me to.¡± ¡°Thanks. Can we just go back to watching TV?¡± ¡°Sure. What were we watching again?¡± ¡°The Great British Bake Off.¡± ¡°No wonder I fell asleep.¡± Edmund snorted a laugh and Sebastian smiled. His friend may be going through something weird, but at least he could still make him laugh. If that was all he could do to help right now, then so be it. 4 | Persephones Emporium
Edmund worked at the coffee shop two doors down, but always parked behind the emporium thanks to special permission from Persephone. Once the truck was parked, the friends went their separate ways for work. Seb entered the shop through the back door only to be ambushed by Hayden¡¯s Great Dane. ¡°Spot! Get off him!¡± Persephone yelled from inside. Sebastian laughed as the dog licked his face. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I¡¯m happy to see you too, buddy. Hi Seph!¡± ¡°Hi, kid. Sorry about the dog.¡± ¡°You say that, yet you make no effort to teach him not to do that.¡± Persephone shrugged with a grin. ¡°Not my dog, not my job. Last time I tried to teach him something- well, let¡¯s just say it didn¡¯t go so great.¡± ¡°You say he isn¡¯t your dog, but he spends more time with you than at the clinic,¡± Sebastian pointed out. ¡°Still not my dog kid. You¡¯ll understand when you¡¯re older.¡± ¡°I¡¯m seventeen.¡± ¡°Good for you.¡± Sebastian rolled his eyes but smiled fondly all the same. Persephone Violet was a bit of a mystery and tended to act rather odd, but it honestly added to her personal charm. There were plenty of things she said that Sebastian didn¡¯t fully understand which she always claimed he would ¡®when he was older¡¯. She carried herself with a grand elegance yet still talked as casually as any ordinary person. She often wore sunglasses despite being inside the majority of the time and always carried around a fancy glass of some sort, usually a silver chalice she claimed to have gotten from France. ¡°Ready for the monthly rush?¡± she asked as Seb got up from the ground. ¡°That¡¯s today then?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Well, we should be prepared. I checked the stock twice yesterday.¡± Much like its owner, Persephone¡¯s Emporium was its own kind of unique. Around town, it was simply knowns as the antique shop, but Sebastian personally knew they stocked more than just usual antiques. There were the normal things- fancy furniture, old jewellery, vintage decor- and then there were the special stuff. Stones that looked like they had scales, leatherbound books with strange symbols on the cover, bottles of oddly coloured liquid. Basically, everything you could want for a magical aesthetic. Sebastian didn¡¯t know how Persephone got this stuff, let alone why she sold them, but he was paid good money to keep the store clean and help customers. He wasn¡¯t going to ask unnecessary questions. All he needed to know was which vials and herbs needed to be stocked every thirty days for their busy period. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Seph, I need help out he- Sebastian! Perfect timing, get your ass out here and help me,¡± Lydia commanded before ducking their head back into the shop. Sebastian grimaced but quickly replaced the look with his customer service smile before following after them, with Persephone right behind him. As usual, there were quite a few people in for the monthly rush, and all three emporium employees were slammed with work. From his usual place behind the register, Sebastian saw to the customers who were checking out. There was one woman, a regular who was always accompanied by her three-legged cat, held up the check-out line for a couple minutes to complain about the quality of the herbs. Someone else brought their kid, who decided it would be fun to drink from the grey vials; that did not end well. But the worst customer of the day had to be this one guy who insisted on trying to pay with acorns. ¡°Sir, you can¡¯t pay with acorns,¡± Sebastian tried to explain for the umpteenth time. ¡°Son, I¡¯ll have you know that these are not acorns.¡± ¡°Right, they¡¯re high-quality ember oak seeds, but we don¡¯t exchange for those either.¡± ¡°Come one, these are genuine, unicorn-rare kinds of seeds, you could make a fortune from them.¡± ¡°Then why are you trying to trade them in for a cheap wooden owl?¡± The man huffed. ¡°May I speak to your manager?¡± ¡°Like he said, we take cash or credit, and that¡¯s it,¡± Persephone stated as she appeared behind Sebastian. ¡°Percy, come on, it¡¯s me!¡± Persephone grimaced. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter, Malcom.¡± ¡°Percival-¡± ¡°Her name is Persephone, Sir,¡± Sebastian corrected with narrowed eyes. Malcom frowned. ¡°Percy and I go way back kid. I don¡¯t need to use that name.¡± ¡°Yes, you do. And if you don¡¯t, then you will be removed from the premises.¡± ¡°By who? You?¡± ¡°No, by me,¡± Lydia declared, making sure to stand to their full height at the man¡¯s side. Sebastian had a rather lanky kind of build that didn¡¯t really intimidate well. Lydia on the other hand had the body of a pro-wrestler. Their muscles were well defined underneath the usual black shirt they were wearing, so Malcom was easily convinced not to try his luck. Instead, he childishly huffed and promptly left the shop, muttering under his breath about something Seb couldn¡¯t hear, though he assumed it had to do with them. Once he was out of sight, Sebastian and Lydia turned to Persephone with concerned expressions. ¡°You alright, Seph?¡± Lydia inquired. Persephone smiled. ¡°I am now that he¡¯s gone.¡± ¡°Who was that guy anyway?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Do we need to ban him from the store?¡± ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry about him. He¡¯s just an old acquaintance who I haven¡¯t had any contact with for a while now. Really though, guys, It¡¯s fine.¡± Lydia narrowed their eyes. ¡°He deadnamed you.¡± Persephone¡¯s smile faltered and she sighed. ¡°Yeah... he isn¡¯t a very intelligent man, unfortunately. He¡¯ll be smart enough to stay away though.¡± ¡°So, he¡¯s banned then. I¡¯ll make a note of that,¡± Sebastian said, pulling the banned book out from under the counter. ¡°What¡¯s his name again?¡± ¡°Malcom Echos. Thank you both for standing by me.¡± Lydia nodded. ¡°Of course. You''re our boss, but also a friend and fellow trans person. Even if this guy is ¡®an old acquaintance¡¯, he¡¯s not getting off for treating you like that.¡± ¡°Exactly. And if he¡¯s banned, I defiantly won¡¯t have to argue the worth of those damn acorns.¡± Persephone laughed at Sebastian¡¯s addition and patted him on the back. ¡°Again, thank you both. And while I wish we could stop our working with idiots there, we need to get back to work for just a bit longer.¡± ¡°Okay then- huh? Looks like that weirdo dropped one of his precious acorns,¡± Lydia said, picking up the object from the floor. ¡°Oh, well, finders-keepers.¡± Persephone grinned. ¡°I¡¯ll take that to the storeroom then. I have no use for an Ember Oak, but I could probably give this to a squirrel while Hayden and I are out walking.¡± With that, the trio returned to their normal work. Just another normal day in the Emporium. 5 | Always When Edmund entered the shop after finishing his own work at the caf¨¦, it was more than clear that everybody was tired. ¡°Hey, guys, busy day?¡± ¡°Of course. It¡¯s that time again, after all,¡± Sebastian bemoaned before collapsing onto his friend¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I need a nap.¡± Ed laughed lightly and gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. ¡°Again?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be mean.¡± ¡°Hi, Ed. Seb, you still need to finish your shift,¡± Lydia reminded. Sebastian groaned and pulled himself away from Edmund. ¡°Save me?¡± ¡°Sorry, but there is no way I can take on Lydia.¡± Lydia laughed. ¡°Smart. Never pick a battle you know you¡¯re not going to win.¡± ¡°What if you end up fighting one you know you can¡¯t win?¡± ¡°I said never pick one. You¡¯re less likely to get into that kind of situation when you don¡¯t go looking for it.¡± Edmund shrugged. ¡°I suppose you have a point.¡± ¡°I also have work to do. And so does sunshine here.¡± Sebastian grimaced. ¡°I hate that nickname.¡± Lydia grinned. ¡°I know.¡± Edmund snickered in amusement, stopping when he noticed Persephone watching him oddly. ¡°Hi, Persephone.¡± She seemed to break out of her daze and smiled in her usual casual fashion. ¡°Hey, Ed. How was work today?¡± ¡°Same as always. Do you mind if I use the TV?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± Persephone answered, watching as Edmund went into the back of the shop where the breakroom was located. Sebastian raised a curious eyebrow. ¡°Is something wrong Seph?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°You just gave Edmund a weird look.¡± ¡°Uh, everything¡¯s fine. I just was surprised to see him in a sweater, is all.¡± ¡°He wears sweaters quite often.¡± ¡°True. He always seems to layer himself like it''s winter,¡± Lydia commented. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he get hot?¡± Sebastian shrugged. ¡°You would think so, but he¡¯s just always been like that.¡± ¡°Well, I meant the sweater he¡¯s wearing today specifically. It looks a lot like one that I bought Hayden for our last anniversary. She spilt wine all over it the same night,¡± Persephone said with a giggle. Stolen story; please report. ¡°Oh. Did she get the stain out?¡± Lydia inquired. Persephone hummed. ¡°No clue. She hasn¡¯t worn it again to my knowledge.¡± ¡°Excuse me, can you please show me where the mirrors are?¡± A customer asked, cutting the conversation there. Later, when Sebastian¡¯s shift had finally ended, he¡¯d forgotten all about the odd look. He went to the break room where Edmund was waiting. Or rather where he was sitting watching TV with a Great Dane half on top of him. ¡°Spot, get down. You¡¯re not allowed on the furniture.¡± The dog whined pitifully. ¡°I''m not falling for that, you big oaf. Get off my friend,¡± Seb said as he gently shoved the Great Dane off of Ed/the couch. Edmund laughed. ¡°You know, we don¡¯t have to scold him for being on the couch.¡± ¡°You and Persephone might think it¡¯s silly to teach him manners, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to leave everything to Hayden. The Great British Bake Off again? Don''t you get tired of this kind of thing?¡± ¡°Unlike you, I can appreciate the art of cooking.¡± ¡°I would appreciate a good meal. Speaking of, are you coming over for dinner tonight?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Friday, so that mean¡¯s Nick is making pizza, right?¡± ¡°Yup.¡± ¡°Then do you even need to ask?¡± Sebastian laughed. ¡°Let¡¯s go then.¡± The pair went out by the back door and got into Edmund¡¯s truck. The engine took a minute to start up, but then seemed to be running smoothly. ¡°Don¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to... but, maybe you should get the truck checked out if you refuse to get anything better than this ¡®classic¡¯.¡± ¡°This was my dad¡¯s first truck. And mine. I can¡¯t just abandon her.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not saying to ditch it somewhere like it¡¯s nothing, but you can¡¯t have a car that breaks down suddenly and leaves you stranded somewhere.¡± ¡°Where am I going to get stranded? I only drive to your house, school, work and home. We¡¯ve never left town or anything.¡± ¡°What if it breaks down while you¡¯re driving home. Then you¡¯ll be stuck in the woods, in the middle of nowhere.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s always been safe before. Remember we used to play in the forest all the time as kids.¡± ¡°Not at night,¡± Sebastian pointed out and Edmund tensed. ¡°What if you get stuck out there at night, huh?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. On the unlikely chance that I do though, I¡¯ll protect myself. You really don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°Doesn''t matter if I don¡¯t need to, I will. So, make sure to keep yourself safe. Alright?¡± ¡°Alright then. Enough talking about me, how was work today?¡± ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary. Oh, except this one guy tried to buy a wooden owl with acorns.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if he was high or what, man was just straight-up insane to talk to. One of the most entitled customers I¡¯ve had to deal with yet, really.¡± ¡°An acorn? Are you lying?¡± ¡°I wish I was. But he actually called them Ember Oak seeds. What the hell is an Ember Oak anyway?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s probably not from this area. You¡¯d be more likely to know than me though since you¡¯re the one who listened most whenever Nanna talked about that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°Yeah. When are your grandparents visiting again, by the way?¡± ¡°No idea. Oh, I have a souvenir mug I¡¯m supposed to give you. This one is from Switzerland.¡± ¡°Oh! I¡¯ll have to try that hot-cocoa recipe they sent last time.¡± ¡°Hmm, now I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°Again?¡± ¡°Shut up. You¡¯re hungry too.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t eat half a tray of brownies before going to work today.¡± ¡°I could just leave you somewhere. I don¡¯t have to drive you back to your place. Nick will probably still give me pizza even.¡± Sebastian hummed thoughtfully. ¡°Probably. But you can¡¯t leave me really. Your conscience wouldn¡¯t allow you to abandon me like that.¡± ¡°You sure.¡± ¡°Yep. You and me, forever and always. No matter what.¡± ¡°Promise?¡± Seb raised a brow at the sudden seriousness of Edmund¡¯s voice. Looking over at him, he noticed a tenseness in Ed¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I promise. I¡¯ll be here Eddie. There¡¯s nothing that¡¯ll get rid of me.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Edmund nodded, grinning the next moment. ¡°Then we¡¯re mutually stuck with each other.¡± ¡°Oh shit. I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± Ed laughed loudly at the exaggerated expression of shock/horror on Sebastian¡¯s face. Seb began laughing too shortly after. And quietly in his mind, he wished that they really would always be like this. Always together and happy. No matter what. 6 | Something in the Air The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. 7 | Dreams and Questions This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. 8 | What happened last night?! This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. 9 | Too Many Questions
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. 10 | Answers? ¡°I¡¯m having second thoughts,¡± Edmund announced as he brought the truck to a stop. ¡°Too bad we¡¯re already here then.¡± ¡°What if she thinks we¡¯re crazy?¡± ¡°We are crazy. We just need a second opinion.¡± ¡°Sebastian.¡± ¡°Okay, bad joke. I just want to help you loosen up,¡± Seb said, putting a comforting hand on his friend¡¯s knee. ¡°This is Hayden we¡¯re talking about though. She¡¯s known us for almost our whole lives. She¡¯s got a medical degree and is a responsible adult, so whatever the hell is going on, she¡¯ll help us in the right direction even if there¡¯s nothing else, she can do herself.¡± ¡°I know but...¡± ¡°But you¡¯re feeling really weird about everything?¡± Edmund sighed. ¡°Yeah. Everything is so overwhelming. The sounds, the smells, the colours. I feel like it¡¯s all trying to drown me.¡± ¡°Are the sunglasses not helping?¡± ¡°They¡¯ve dimmed the brightness of everything, yeah, but I¡¯m still very aware of the sound of your heartbeat right now.¡± ¡°Right. Well, at least we know she won¡¯t have any other patients. And the Emporium is normally empty after a rush day, so it will just be Persephone and Hayden inside. Think you can handle that?¡± Ed shrugged. ¡°As long as Spot doesn¡¯t try growling at me or anything, I should be fine.¡± ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go inside before you overthink then, hmm?¡± As Sebastian had predicted, the Emporium was pretty much abandoned, even Persephone was missing from behind the register. When the pair entered, however, a bell had rung above the doorway, and Seph emerged from the back moments later. ¡°Well, to what do I owe this unexpected visit?¡± Seb smiled. ¡°Hey, Seph. Is Hayden in?¡± ¡°She¡¯s upstairs, but what do you lads want with my wife?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit hard to explain. Do you mind if we go up to see her?¡± Persephone shrugged. ¡°Be my guests.¡± The boys went into the back room and up the stairs into the living room of the homely little apartment that Persephone and Hayden lived in. Spot, who had been lying in front of one of the sofas, got up and enthusiastically greeted them. ¡°Gah, my face!¡± Seb shrieked while Ed laughed. ¡°Sebastian?¡± Hayden peeked out from the kitchen, ¡°and Edmund too. Spot, stop that.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Spot gave a whimper in protest but went back to where he¡¯d been laying before. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you pair today. Please tell me you¡¯re both healthy?¡± Edmund nervously scratched the back of his neck. ¡°Well, we think so...¡± Hayden raised a brow and Sebastian sighed. ¡°It¡¯s... we think that Edmund might be a werewolf.¡± ¡°Ah-ha!¡± Persephone exclaimed. Seb and Ed both turned to see her standing behind them, looking triumphant, then awkward when she noticed their confusion. ¡°I mean, what makes you think so?¡± Sebastian narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why did you say ¡®ah ha¡¯ like that? Like you know something we don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Technically I know a lot of things you lads don''t, but in this instance, it was just me being proud I noticed the scent change yesterday,¡± Persephone explained with a shrug. Edmund frowned. ¡°Scent change?¡± Hayden sighed. ¡°I think that we all have a lot to talk about. Shall we sit?¡± Everyone nodded and took a seat. Persephone looked proud of herself, Hayden seemed intrigued, and both Edmund and Sebastian were beyond confused at this point. They had known these two for nearly as long as they¡¯d known each other; that was pretty damn long. While Persephone had always been odd and mysterious, Hayden seemed like a perfectly normal person. She was calm and stoic, with a caring nature that had always made her friends and patients feel safe and understood. Yet she didn¡¯t look at them like they were crazy for thinking Ed was a werewolf and that seemed like it shouldn¡¯t be something she understood. ¡°So, you think that you¡¯re a werewolf?¡± Hayden asked once they were all settled. Edmund nodded. ¡°I- I turned into a wolf last night.¡± ¡°During the full moon,¡± Hayden noted. ¡°You haven¡¯t been bitten, I assume, or you would have come sooner.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Do you know how the change happened?¡± ¡°I- not really.¡± ¡°Okay. Around when did your senses heighten.¡± ¡°Yesterday morning, I think.¡± ¡°And did you encounter anything strange the night before?¡± ¡°...I saw a wolf, but it died.¡± Sebastian tensed. ¡°It died?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t kill it. My car broke down, and when I got out to check the engine I heard it,¡± Edmund explained. ¡°It was just lying there not too far from the side of the road. It died soon after I found it, so I buried it where it was.¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°They didn¡¯t scratch or bite you?¡± ¡°No. It was in too much pain to do anything, I think.¡± ¡°When you buried it, did you get blood on yourself? Possibly near a wound of your own?¡± ¡°Uh, yeah, I had a cut on my hand that¡¯s completely healed.¡± ¡°Well then, there¡¯s no doubt about it. You¡¯re a werewolf.¡± Sebastian narrowed his eyes. ¡°How are you taking this so well?¡± ¡°Well, Seph could already smell it yesterday. Though I thought it might just have been a lingering scent from someone else. Now that you¡¯ve confirmed it though, there¡¯s no denying that he¡¯s a werewolf. By mixing blood, even unintentionally, he could have woken his werewolf genes.¡± ¡°Hold on, werewolf genes? Wouldn''t I need to have been born with werewolf blood to have werewolf genes?¡± Edmund questioned. ¡°That''s where it gets complicated. Some half-breeds either end up as wolves or humans, though the humans do still carry the genes. So, your parents or even grandparents could have been half-breed, which means that you inherited that same un-activated gene. That¡¯s the simplified version of it anyway.¡± ¡°How do you know all this. Are you guys werewolves too?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Nope. I¡¯m a vampire,¡± Persephone stated, with a grin that showed off her un-retracted fangs. ¡°And Hayden is a wizard.¡± Edmund gapped. ¡°I- what- you- she... has the world gone mad?¡± ¡°No, but I might have,¡± Sebastian muttered with a blank stare. ¡°Werewolves, vampires and wizards...¡± Persephone leaned over and stage whispered to Hayden. ¡°I think we broke them.¡± Hayden gave her a tired look, then turned her attention to the boys. ¡°How about we have some coffee? That might make things a bit... easier to digest.¡± ¡°You¡¯re a magician,¡± Edmund said, still gaping disbelievingly while Sebastian continued to blankly stare into space. ¡°No, I¡¯m a wizard. Magicians work with deception and charm, while I can actually cast spells.¡± ¡°You''re a wizard, married to a vampire.¡± ¡°Gods, we really have broken them.¡± 11 | Wolves, Wizards and Vampires- Oh My Hayden took another sip of her coffee and sighed. ¡°Alright, now that we¡¯ve all have a drink and some time to process, how are we feeling?¡± ¡°Still a bit hazed, but I can form sentences again,¡± Sebastian answered. Edmund nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m fine now. The more I think about it, the more obvious it really was. Especially since the Emporium is basically a magic one stop shop.¡± ¡°Best in the territory,¡± Persephone boasted. ¡°I am kind of surprised it took Seb so long to figure out.¡± Sebastian groaned. ¡°Can we not talk about that?¡± Hayden nodded. ¡°We need to get back on topic. Edmund, you probably haven¡¯t been approached yet, but I¡¯m sure once someone catches on at school, then the Wiker Pack will try to recruit you.¡± Sebastian blinked. ¡°The what?¡± ¡°The Wiker Pack. The wolves that own this territory. They''ll want to recruit Edmund as soon as possible so he doesn¡¯t turn rogue,¡± Hayden explained. ¡°Honestly though, I¡¯m not sure how good it would be to join them.¡± ¡°Yeah, there are plenty of bonuses to being in a pack, but then you¡¯re stuck under Lance.¡± Persephone grimaced. Edmund raised an eyebrow. ¡°And Lance is...?¡± ¡°A jerk, most of the time,¡± Seph quipped. ¡°He''s a decent alpha and all that, but the way he leads is rather... cult-esque. And not in the fun way.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a fun way?¡± ¡°There''s a fun way to do everything! But, the Wiker pack is very strict. If you join them, then you would have to report to the pack house every day, give your spare money to the pack fund, run drills and, depending on your rank, you may have to do combat training.¡± ¡°Combat? Who are they fighting?¡± Seb questioned. ¡°No one. That¡¯s what makes the Wiker pack a bit... odd. They have long standing peace treaties with territories from all sides of them, but they still train like an army anticipating war.¡± ¡°Could I turn them down?¡± Edmund inquired. Hayden shrugged. ¡°Yes, and no. You can turn them down, but then you would need to either move to a different pack¡¯s territory or fight for your own.¡± Sebastian felt his heart drop. ¡°Is- is there any way to change him back? Make him human again?¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°In Edmund¡¯s case, no. If he¡¯d been cursed or bitten then it would be a different story, but when it¡¯s something as naturally apart of you as your DNA then there¡¯s no changing it.¡± Hayden explained solemnly. ¡°Your best course of action, I''m afraid, is to find a different pack.¡± ¡°No, I can¡¯t leave here. I haven¡¯t even finished school and there¡¯s no way my dad will let me just disappear to God knows where, even if I explain the situation to him.¡± ¡°Ed, the Wiker Pack is not something you want to mess with. Staying here too long will make them come after you and anyone close to you,¡± Persephone warned. ¡°Remember what Lydia said about fights you can¡¯t win?¡± Seb added. ¡°What if it¡¯s a fight I can win?¡± ¡°They¡¯re trained fighters.¡± ¡°So, I¡¯ll train too.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t train that fast.¡± ¡°I have no other choice.¡± ¡°You can choose to leave.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you,¡± Edmund snapped. There was a beat of silence as Sebastian processed those words. It was a promise. An old one, but the same reliable vow that kept them together for nearly a decade. Those words meant the world to Seb, and it was much the same for Ed. Breaking it now would break them both. Finally, Seb found his voice again. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to. But I¡¯d rather know you¡¯re safe somewhere than lose you completely.¡± There was another beat of silence before Hayden cleared her throat. ¡°I may have a way to buy you time. I can¡¯t say it¡¯ll be long, or even work in the first place really, but time is everything.¡± Edmund nodded. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Scent neutralizer. You¡¯d need to apply it regularly and try to avoid being in close proximity with anyone who may be from the Wiker Pack, but it¡¯ll give you time to really go over your options.¡± ¡°...Would I owe you anything for it?¡± Hayden smiled. ¡°Consider it a favor from a friend. While I work on that, Persephone can answer any other questions you might have about... everything, I suppose.¡± Persephone nodded excitedly. ¡°To be honest, I only know a little about werewolves. They keep most of what they do to themselves honestly. But I¡¯ve been around long enough I could answer any questions you have about the supernatural as a whole.¡± ¡°Does Lydia know about this stuff?¡± Sebastian asked. ¡°Well, of course. Wouldn¡¯t make sense if they didn¡¯t, seeing as they¡¯re a ghost and all.¡± ¡°Lydia is a ghost?¡± ¡°Yup. They¡¯re an older soul so they can easily interact with the physical world and all that, but they¡¯re still an undead in the end.¡± Sebastian shook his head. ¡°How did I miss that I¡¯ve been working alongside two dead people since I was fifteen?¡± Persephone shrugged. ¡°Beats me. We¡¯re not exactly subtle. You''ve literally seen me drink blood from a chalice.¡± ¡°I thought that was wine.¡± ¡°I¡¯m actually not fond of wine. Most of it¡¯s too bitter.¡± ¡°Sorry to derail you guys, but can we talk about what you do know concerning werewolves? Like, am I going to start craving human flesh?¡± Edmund questioned. ¡°Gods, no. Not unless you turn rogue.¡± Sebastian frowned. ¡°You mentioned that word before. What exactly is a rogue?¡± ¡°In short, a broken soul. They are a wolf who has been rejected from their pack and left with no purpose. Driven mad by their need for community and belonging. Being without a pack is every wolf¡¯s greatest nightmare, but the dangers that a rogue creates are arguably scarier.¡± Persephone explained with a far-off look. She was quick to shake herself from that state however and smile once more. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that though. You¡¯ve only just turned, so you¡¯ll have time to find your pack and purpose.¡± ¡°A pack and purpose,¡± Edmund echoed. ¡°That sounds... like a lot.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry about it. You have a strong character, Ed. Whatever your fate may be, you¡¯ll rise to the challenge.¡± 12 | Safety and Sightings This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. 13 | Take Caution The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. 14 | Scents Intertwined
The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. 15 | Luke
A woman running for her life. She looks exhausted, but her fear keeps her running. ¡°Sebastian?¡± A child hiding underneath their bed; ironic considering most fear a monster being there. This kid though knows the monster is outside. ¡°Sebastian?¡± A man trapped in smoke. He looks familiar but his face is obscured. ¡°Sebastian!¡± Lovers embracing with tears in their eyes. Holding each other with all their strength they have. ¡°Sebastian Maple.¡± The sudden use of his full name caught Seb¡¯s attention so that he finally looked at his teacher. ¡°Sorry, what?¡± Miss Green sighed but didn¡¯t seem too mad. ¡°I asked if you were paying attention. Is that my answer?¡± A couple of the other students chuckled and Sebastian felt himself getting hot with embarrassment. ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°You can make it up to me by paying attention now,¡± the teacher said before continuing her lesson on¨C child development? What page was that on? Sebastian tried to figure it out for himself by leafing through the book before his deskmate softly tapped his shoulder. Seb glanced over to Luke, who gestured to the page number he was searching for. Sebastian mouthed thanks and quickly corrected his textbook. Home Economics was the most relaxed class that Seb took. Miss Green, unlike every other teacher in school, used the students'' first names and treated them like the young adults that they were. And the other kids were all more mature as a result, in Sebastian¡¯s opinion. Even Luke, who was three years below Seb, was kind, understanding and professional. Although that also had to do with the lad¡¯s personality really. He¡¯d been much more reserved when Seb first met him of course, but the two had gotten along great as the year progressed. When the bell finally rang, Miss Green sighed. ¡°Well, guess we can continue this on Monday. Enjoy your weekends everyone!¡± Some of the students cheered but most simply rushed to pack their things up to leave. Sebastian decided to rather just lean back in his seat and wait for Edmund. He¡¯d promised to come here after class and Seb was too tired to consider meeting him halfway. ¡°Are you okay, Seb?¡± Sebastian turned his head to Luke. ¡°Hmm, why?¡± Luke shrugged. ¡°You seem really distracted in class lately.¡± ¡°Oh. Yeah, I haven¡¯t been sleeping well.¡± ¡°Studying?¡± ¡°No. Nightmares.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡®For almost three weeks now,¡¯ Sebastian mentally added. Well, technically it was only a few days. The first two weeks had been fairly calm. Some nights Seb would wake up a bit less refreshed than others, but the dreamcatcher seemed to be doing its job. Then Sebastian had woken up screaming after the same nightmare form before replayed. Even his mom, the heaviest of heavy sleepers, had woken up and come running with Nick to see what happened. Even Edmund, who was sleeping at his own house, had woken up sensing something wrong and called Sebastian. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. It wasn¡¯t until the morning that he found the dreamcatcher. It was in absolute shreds. He thought Bruce had gotten to it or something but Persephone later explained that it had been the nightmare. Obviously, whatever this dream was had been too strong to hold back. So, for the past five days, Sebastian had been dealing with that dream haunting his subconscious. It was exhausting to deal with and really starting to affect the people in his life. His parents tried talking to him about it but he couldn¡¯t without revealing a whole mess of things. Edmund was able to just comfort him and listen, but Seb was scared of giving all the details to even him. ¡°Are they recurring?¡± Luke asked. Sebastian nodded. ¡°It''s pretty much the same thing every night.¡± ¡°It could be a message then. Or, warning, if it¡¯s really disturbing you that much.¡± ¡°A warning?¡± ¡°Yeah. I- you don¡¯t need to listen to me. I only know some stuff from- well, my mom kept a couple books,¡± Luke explained nervously looking away. ¡°I think you might be right. Do those books tell you meanings of stuff?¡± ¡°For some reoccurring signs and themes, yes. I- I could look up some stuff for you?¡± Sebastian smiled. ¡°Really?¡± Luke nodded. ¡°That would be great. Thanks, Luke.¡± Luke smiled too. ¡°My pleasure. If you can just write down the things that stand out most then I¡¯ll find out their meanings and text you those.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Sebastian quickly took out one of his notebooks to jot down the things he felt were relevant. Once he finished and handed the note to Luke, they exchanged goodbyes and the younger teen left through the door just as Edmund arrived. ¡°Sorry for taking so long. I made a bit of a mess in class and the teacher wouldn¡¯t let me leave until it was cleaned up.¡± ¡°No worries. I got to talk to Luke and apparently, his mom has some dream interpreting books.¡± Edmund raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is his mom...¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s something.¡± ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t feel a need to interpret anything.¡± ¡°Well, after the past few nights, I think we can both agree something needs to be done,¡± Sebastian said with a shrug. ¡°Anyway, it can¡¯t hurt anything.¡± ¡°I guess not. Well, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always hungry.¡± Edmund childishly stuck his tongue out at that and Seb just laughed. Since the last full moon, everything and nothing seemed to change for the boys. With the neutralizers at hand, Edmund was able to evade notice from the Wiker Pack so far, and they came up with a few ways to deal with his powers too. Minty mouthwash under the nose helped with strong smells, earplugs helped to dim the millions of background sounds and matching Sebastian¡¯s stamina in PT kept him from standing out. After school is a bit different. The boys still had their respective jobs at the coffee shop and emporium, but now they were far more aware of the supernatural happenings that occurred at Persephone¡¯s. For example, customers seemed to either buy the ¡®ingredients¡¯ needed for their potions or the enchanted items like spell journals. They weren¡¯t sure what the divide between potion makers and spell casters was, but there seemed to be some kind of conflict there. It became a sort of game to guess which category each customer fell into. Though they could only play it on the days that Sebastian was working at the register. Other days, after Edmund finished with his work, he¡¯d come over and use the back room to privately practice his shifting. He¡¯d gotten good at it but still wasn¡¯t confident enough for their confession/explanation plan. ¡°Does Luke ever seem... Jumpy, to you?¡± Edmund asked when they were in the truck. Seb frowned. ¡°Not really. He used to be rather reserved but he¡¯s decently confident with me now.¡± He always seems to shrink away from everyone. ¡°Whenever I come by near the tail-end of your conversations, he acts... scared.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s intimidated by your senior-ness.¡± ¡°That''s not a word. And you¡¯re a senior too.¡± ¡°Then maybe it¡¯s because he¡¯s unfamiliar with you. I¡¯ve done a handful of class projects with him and we share notes pretty often. He knows me well enough that I¡¯d call us friends.¡± ¡°Does he have any other friends?¡± ¡°I... I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen him interact with anyone else, now that I think about it,¡± Sebastian said with a thoughtful frown. ¡°Maybe I should start paying closer attention.¡± Edmund nodded. ¡°Do you want anything from the drive-thru?¡± ¡°No thanks. Not all of us have incredible metabolisms to keep us eating, you know.¡± ¡°Okay. But don¡¯t steal from my fries.¡± ¡°Steal? Me?¡± Sebastian asked with feigned innocence. Edmund narrowed his eyes. ¡°I mean it.¡± ¡°Sure, you do.¡± ¡°Jerk.¡± ¡°You love me.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°I love you too, Stingy.¡± 16 | Normal Problems
Sebastian frowned thoughtfully at the screen of his phone. It defiantly seemed logical but nothing about this really was logical, to begin with. As he began fidgeting with the string of his hoodie, Lydia came over. ¡°Dude, are you okay? You keep on spacing out.¡± ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Then why did you rest your elbow on that sticky paper again.¡± ¡°What, oh, gross,¡± Seb winced as he pulled the paper off his elbow. ¡°As entertaining as it is to watch, you¡¯re worrying me bud.¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°You and everyone else, apparently.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°With the whole nightmare situation going on, I seem to just be worrying people. One of my classmates even noticed I was off and offered to interpret my dream for me.¡± ¡°You have a classmate who can do that?¡± ¡°Well, actually, his mom collected some books on the subject, and I told him about the things that stood out in my dreams that could possibly be interpreted. He doesn¡¯t really have all the facts but he was able to give me an interpretation of sorts.¡± ¡°Oh? So, will that help?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. The whole thing was a shot in the dark but...¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°But I think he might be on to something. With this interpretation.¡± ¡°Okay, so what¡¯s the problem that¡¯s got you staring off into space for answers?¡± Sebastian hesitated to answer, rubbing the back of his neck almost embarrassedly. ¡°Seb?¡± ¡°It¡¯s stupid.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s really bothering you, then no, it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°...what if it doesn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°The interpretation?¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Then you¡¯ll figure out something else.¡± ¡°And if nothing works? What if I¡¯m stuck in this cycle of nightmares?¡± ¡°That won¡¯t happen. And until this is over, you¡¯re not alone at least. You¡¯ve got your parents, Edmund, Persephone, Hayden, and me, and I¡¯m sure there are plenty of other people in your life who¡¯d support you.¡± If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°But it keeps on getting worse. My parents keep on waking up to my screaming and Ed has barely gotten any sleep this week because he can sense when I¡¯m feeling restless. I feel like I¡¯m going crazy and taking them down with me.¡± You¡¯re not. Your parents probably don¡¯t like waking up to the screams, but they comfort you afterwards, right?¡± Seb nods in confirmation. ¡°They want to be there for you. The same with Ed. He can sense how you¡¯re feeling because he¡¯s close to you. The unique bond you both share means he can feel what you¡¯re feeling, for better or worse.¡± ¡°That is not making me feel any better.¡± ¡°Well, look at it this way. He¡¯s also feeling all your positive emotions.¡± Sebastian paused. ¡°I... I hadn¡¯t thought about that. How come you know so much about this kind of thing?¡± Lydia smiled almost sadly. ¡°It¡¯s a long story, but I¡¯ve had experience with similar stuff, so to speak.¡± Seb wanted to dig deeper, but before he could, Persephone burst in from the back. ¡°I found it!¡± ¡°Found what exactly?¡± Lydia asked. ¡°That damn acorn.¡± ¡°The ember okay seed that weird guy was trying to use in place of money?¡± Sebastian recalled. ¡°That¡¯s the fucker. Well, look at this thing now,¡± she said, holding up the acorn, which had a weird reddish-black sprout growing from it. Lydia tilted their head to the side curiously. ¡°Is that... normal?¡± ¡°For a regular Ember Oak, no. For a Shadow-Ember however, yes!¡± Persephone cackled. Sebastian frowned. ¡°What the hell is a Shadow-Ember?¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s this thing. An Ember Oak seed that¡¯s been messed with will sometimes have weird mutations. In this case, it evolved into a Shadow-Ember Oak seed, which can grow at an accelerated rate in dark places.¡± ¡°Which means...?¡± ¡°I can sue Malcolm for trying to sabotage my business,¡± Persephone declared with a bright grin. ¡°These things are highly dangerous and I have evidence he was trying to trade it in my shop. Malcolm is known for his horticulture skills; that, along with the insulting insistence of using my deadname, will count towards a malicious act that can evict him from the clan.¡± ¡°The clan?¡± ¡°My clan. Or the one I was adopted into after turning. That was literal centuries ago though. I still have contact with them and my oath keeps me from turning away its members, but since I have this evidence, I can properly be rid of that Mal-dumb.¡± Lydia snicked. ¡°Mal-dumb? That¡¯s your best insult.¡± Persephone remained grinning. ¡°Laugh all you want; nothing will ruin this moment for me.¡± ¡°Congratulations on your discovery, Seph, but what are you going to do with that thing?¡± Sebastian inquired, eyeing the sprout. ¡°You just said it was dangerous?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. If it was left in the storeroom during the upcoming full moon, it would have absolutely ruined things. Now that I¡¯ve found it though, I¡¯ll just burn it and bury the ashes later.¡± ¡°Right, the full moon¡¯s coming up. What are you and Ed going to do?¡± Lydia inquired. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Seb asked. ¡°He hasn¡¯t told his dad, right. And your parents don¡¯t know either. Where¡¯s he going to shift?¡± ¡°Shit, I didn¡¯t think about that. I don¡¯t think he did either.¡± ¡°You better decide on something soon then. The moon is going to be full in just 9 more days,¡± Persephone declared. Sebastian buried his head in his hands and groaned. ¡°Why is my life like this? Couldn¡¯t I just have normal problems?¡± Lydia smirked in amusement. ¡°What are normal problems?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Bullies, school grades, styling my clothes so that I don¡¯t look like an awkward weirdo.¡± ¡°Well, guess you¡¯re just one of the gods¡¯ favourites. Now, who wants to burn this thing with me?¡± ¡°Persephone, you can¡¯t burn that thing inside the store.¡± ¡°Says who?¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to make things smell like smoke.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°So?!¡± Sebastian watched silently as the pair argued about burning the acorn and decided maybe life wasn¡¯t so bad. Sure, he had plenty to worry over, but life hadn¡¯t changed all that much. He still had his best friend, his job, and all the people who made his life special. He catches sight of his phone again however and remembers Luke¡¯s earlier message: This dream is defiantly a warning, but also a call to action. There is something that you need to embrace/accept to move on in your life. Something that will lead you to a huge change. 17 | Planning This dream is defiantly a warning, but also a call to action. There is something that you need to embrace/accept to move on in your life. Something that will lead you to a huge change. A call to action. ¡°What action? I¡¯ve been doing just about everything I can think of since this started,¡± Sebastian lamented to Edmund when they were driving home that evening. ¡°Talking about it, using a dreamcatcher, I even enlisted Hayden¡¯s help in making a sleeping potion that would keep the dream at bay.¡± ¡°When did you do that?¡± ¡°Three days ago.¡± ¡°It didn''t work then?¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°No. And this isn''t working either.¡± Ed shrugged. ¡°Maybe Luke got it wrong. You couldn¡¯t exactly give him the full details.¡± ¡°I know but...¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°There''s something about those words that seem... right? I¡¯m not even completely sure,¡± Seb groaned. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s just the sleep deprivation talking. I feel like my brain is making a corkboard of clues and linking everything together. The moon, the wolves, the people- it feels familiar yet distant. The way it¡¯s so persistent and those garbled words at the end defiantly feel like a warning. Take caution- is that the action? Or is it to touch the moon? Ugh. This is hopeless.¡± ¡°Hey, we¡¯re not hopeless just yet. After the full moon, we can contact Persephone¡¯s friend, and then they can fully interpret your dream.¡± ¡°Right, the full moon. What are we doing?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re just going to transform at your house, or mine for that matter. Our parents still aren¡¯t clued in on things yet.¡± ¡°I know, I... I¡¯m not sure I¡¯m ready to tell them yet.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°That¡¯s alright, but we need to make a plan... We haven¡¯t gone camping in a while.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Are you really going to come with me?¡± ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t exactly transform into a wolf under the full moon. You could stay at home with no troubles.¡± ¡°Yeah, but if your dad found out you were out in the woods alone after he¡¯d warned you against it, then at the very least you¡¯d get an hour¡¯s worth of scolding.¡± Edmund winced. ¡°Ah, I see your point. If we¡¯re both out then everyone would be less likely to worry.¡± Seb nodded. ¡°And, like I said, we haven¡¯t gone camping in a while. It might be nice to spend the night under the stars.¡± ¡°It would be nice. I can¡¯t remember where I put the camping stuff though.¡± ¡°I thought you kept it in your room?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like how crowded and messy it looks sometimes, so I moved a bunch of the stuff that I wasn¡¯t using a few months ago.¡± ¡°Don''t tell me you put it in that labyrinth of an attic.¡± ¡°The attic isn¡¯t that bad. Plus, I¡¯m eighty percent sure it¡¯s somewhere near the front.¡± ¡°Eighty percent sure, wow,¡± Seb sarcastically praised ¡°Do you not remember the time we got lost up there for over half a day.¡± ¡°That was when we were ten. I think we¡¯d be tall enough to find our way out at this point.¡± ¡°You need to organise that place.¡± ¡°By myself?¡± ¡°So, you admit, it¡¯s a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯m only admitting that I can¡¯t clean decades of disorganised shit all alone.¡± ¡°You could get your dad¡¯s help. He¡¯s been telling your gran that he¡¯d do it for long enough. It would make for a nice surprise when she and your grandpa come to visit again.¡± ¡°Hmm, you do have a point. I guess that¡¯s what you and I are doing this weekend then.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who brought up the cleaning.¡± ¡°Only because you decided to dump the camping equipment there.¡± ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t give me those wolf-puppy eyes, you little shit.¡± ¡°Pretty please.¡± ¡°Ugh, fine.¡± ¡°Yay!¡± ¡°But I want brownies afterwards.¡± Edmund laughed. ¡°Alright, I think that¡¯s a fair trade. Speaking of baked stuff though, what kind do you want for Wednesday.¡± ¡°Wednesday? Isn¡¯t that specific.¡± ¡°Well, it is your birthday.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you forgot your own birthday.¡± Sebastian looked away in a flustered manner. ¡°I didn¡¯t, I just forgot that it was so close.¡± ¡°Alright. Then what do you want as a gift?¡± Seb shrugged. ¡°Socks?¡± Ed gave him a flat look. ¡°That is not a birthday gift.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what I want, how about you just surprise me.¡± ¡°There isn¡¯t anything that comes to mind?¡± ¡°Well, nothing safe for work.¡± ¡°Sebastian!¡± Seb laughed at the flustered state Edmund was suddenly in. ¡°I¡¯m joking, I¡¯m joking. Seriously though, what could I want for?¡± Ed calmed himself down and shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking in the first place.¡± ¡°If I think of anything later, I¡¯ll tell you.¡± ¡°Alright, then... who¡¯s car is that?¡± Sebastian followed Edmund¡¯s gaze to where a blue sedan was parked in front of his house. Seb¡¯s parents hadn¡¯t said anything about company this morning and he didn¡¯t recognise the car either. Looking over to the front door though, he saw Nick talking with a silver-haired woman. Even from where Sebastian was, it looked like Nick was tense from being near her. Edmund parked behind the sedan and frowned. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t have any extended family?¡± Sebastian frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Then why does that woman smell like you.¡± ¡°...wait, what?¡± 18 | Secrets If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. 19 | Objects of Interest
20 | Moonlight Affinity This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. 21 | New Details
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. 22 | What To Do You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. 23 | Feelings
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. 24 | Emergency The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. 25 | Everything is (Not) Okay If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. 26 | Its all fun and games until...
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Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. 29 | Dryads Circle Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. 30 | Battles End Odilia seemed to have been caught off guard by the sudden determination Edmund attacked with, and just barely got away with her shoulder grazed. She growled lowly and made an attack of her own, but this time Edmund met her head on and just knocked her aside. The fight had gone from Ed dodging like a bullfighter to both parties lunging and snapping at each other like a real fight. As they got rowdier Sebastian couldn¡¯t keep track of their movements. The dust clouds didn¡¯t help and had Seb squinting as he stepped back to avoid it getting in his eyes. It all came to a head when Edmund got a hold of Odilia¡¯s neck and threw her out of the ring. A stunned silence settled over them all. There wasn¡¯t even a whisper from the Wiker Pack members, but Sebastian could see some of them were looking scared. Especially when they glanced at Lance for his reaction. The Wiker alpha had looked stunned, then angry, and finally settled on a cold, dark expression that went beyond anger. ¡°Well then, that seems to be the end of it,¡± a voice beside Sebastian said, breaking the silence. Seb nearly fell backwards out of shock when he turned and saw the dryad who¡¯d been perched in the tree was now standing beside him. They gave him a smile that seemed apologetic then went back to addressing Lance. ¡°Your champion has lost. The omega and the land now belong to the Kingsley pack. The new borders will be enforced by sunrise and the omega¡¯s belongings should be moved to his new home.¡± ¡°I still hold parental rights over my son,¡± Lance growled. The dryad frowned. ¡°What makes you believe such?¡± ¡°The alpha is underage. He can¡¯t take custody of anyone.¡± ¡°No, but this one can,¡± the dryad replied, pointing to Sebastian who blinked in confusion. ¡°Wait, what?¡± The dryad made a motion with their hands and conjured up a manila folder. ¡°Here. You are at the age of majority ¨C which means the parental rights for the boy can be transferred to you, and he can peacefully join your pack. You should know by now, Lance, I don¡¯t like doing extra work.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Sebastian looked at the papers. They seemed like legitimate adoption papers, signatures and everything. ¡°How did you...?¡± ¡°Darling, I¡¯m a dryad,¡± they replied with a bright grin. ¡°Now, I believe you should take care of your alpha. Here''s a blanket for modesty¡¯s sake.¡± Too shocked to really say anything, Seb accepted the soft green blanket and over to where Edmund was still in his wolf form. He was standing and had been watching everything, and once Sebastian covered him with the blanket he shifted into his human form. Eddie grinned with pride at Seb and pulled him into a semi-awkward hug as he did his best to keep himself covered. Their happy moment however was broken by a sickening snap. They looked up and Sebastian gasped as he saw Odilia¡¯s limp body at Lance¡¯s feet. The Wiker pack was watching in silent fear. Seb looked over at the truck where Luke was sitting, shaking in fear while he stared at the corpse. He immediately felt the need to go and comfort him, but then Lance shouted at Edmund. ¡°You¡¯ll be next, boy. Mark my words, I will see you die a slow painful death for this.¡± Edmund simply held Sebastian tight and growled at the man. ¡°You can try, Fucker.¡± Seb worried another fight would break out, but Lance just turned around and stormed off into the woods. His pack seemed to follow after him quickly and silently. Only a few seemed hesitant to move before they ran after their packmates. The dryad walked over to Ed and Seb and said, ¡°He¡¯s angry, but not a threat. For now.¡± Edmund raised an eyebrow at them and they shrugged. ¡°You just took away their only omega. Adjusting to life without a single caretaker won¡¯t be easy on them.¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you...¡± ¡°Quiver,¡± They introduced. ¡°And don¡¯t thank me. If you¡¯d lost, I¡¯d have just stood by and let them tear you to shreds. Congratulations on your win though. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I have a corpse to clean up.¡± Sebastian and Edmund were stunned to silence for what felt like the hundredth time that night, but this time what broke them out was Luke tackling them for a group hug. ¡°Thank the moon you¡¯re alive!¡± They all laughed in an almost hysteric relief. They had come so close to dying tonight but it was finally over. For now. Sebastian couldn¡¯t have been more grateful as he mentally thanked whatever had given them this incredible moment. Of course, things were far from perfect. Luke had basically been kicked out of his home, the Wiker pack was now hyper-aware of their presence in the town, and eventually, they¡¯ll have to face Lance again, but holy shit they¡¯re alive! They''re alive and whole and, with a territory of their own, Sebastian and Edmund won¡¯t have to worry about leaving behind their home. For now, that was more than enough. 31 | Safe The ride back to Sebastian¡¯s house was quiet but not in the tense way that their ride to the circle had been. Sebastian had taken a closer look at the papers Quiver had given him, which were difficult to understand at first, but he was able to get the point of them. Not only did the folder contain papers that gave Seb guardianship over Luke, but there was also a map that showed the span of their new territory. Luke had helped him with the map, explaining how the different coloured lines told them where the borders for their personal territory were as well as areas which were considered neutral. Thankfully, their borders included Persephone¡¯s Emporium, the caf¨¦ where Edmund worked and both of their houses. The school was on neutral ground, so they¡¯d still be able to attend there too. ¡°How do these borders work exactly?¡± Edmund inquired. ¡°Well, they act like a light sort of barrier. Any rogues or wolves from different packs will feel resistance when trying to cross into your territory. You will also be altered once they do cross, something like a sixth sense warning you there¡¯s outsiders in your space,¡± Luke explained. ¡°This is dryad¡¯s circle, right? What does the border surrounding that mean?¡± Seb asked. ¡°That colour means holy land; in a sense. Dryads can create contracts involving supernatural beings, that paired with their usual neutral attitudes, make them perfect judges for fights or contests. Wherever their tree is located is the only area they can move within and marked as land that simply can¡¯t be touched unless you wish to face heaven¡¯s wrath.¡± ¡°Okay, so that¡¯s Quiver¡¯s territory, basically?¡± Luke shrugged. ¡°Basically.¡± ¡°Alright. Now onto the tougher questions. How the hell am I your guardian? I¡¯m human.¡± Luke frowned. ¡°I- I''m not sure. The only person who could give you a full answer is Quiver, but if the documents are all in order, then you are a part of the pack. I¡¯m not sure how it works for bitten-Alphas, but some born alphas will have a best friend who is automatically bonded to them as a beta, gamma, or sometimes even a delta.¡± Seb looked even more confused. ¡°Alpha, beta, gamma- what''s the Greek alphabet have to do with this?¡± ¡°Those are the names of pack ranks. Alpha ¨C the leader and protector, Beta ¨C the alpha¡¯s second in command, Gamma ¨C the combat training head, Delta ¨C members of the pack without specific roles, and Omega ¨C the pack¡¯s caretaker and peacekeeper. There¡¯s also the Luna, usually the Alpha¡¯s partner, who also works as a caretaker in the pack, but in more of a pack mother sense.¡± ¡°Okay, so, how do we tell what I am?¡± ¡°Um, only Edmund can really tell us. As the alpha, he would be the one to understand what roles are assigned to who.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how to do that,¡± Ed said with a frown. ¡°Could I learn?¡± Luke shrugged and began fiddling with his shirt again. From there, the group just sat in silence till they arrived at Sebastian¡¯s house. He had never been happier to see the pale-yellow walls and picket fence. Once the three of them got to the front door, he could hear Bruce inside trying to get to them. He smiled as he put the key into the door but then paused and looked at Luke. ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know how Bruce will act around you. He was a bit standoffish with Edmund after he turned.¡± Luke nodded understandingly and Ed, after a look from Seb, moved slightly in front of the boy to protect him, just in case. Once Sebastian opened the door though, Bruce greeted him in his usual cheerful manner, and seemed more curious about the newcomer than anything else. He also seemed decently scared of Edmund and avoided stepping anywhere near the teen¡¯s personal space. Honestly, it was a bit of an improvement from how he¡¯d cowered from Ed since that night in the yard. After passing Bruce, the trio went into the living room and collapsed onto one of the couches. With the danger over and their moment of victory past, the group felt absolutely exhausted. Sebastian sat in the middle of the couch, Edmund unceremoniously laid his head in Seb¡¯s lap, allowing his own legs to dangle over the arm of the couch, while Luke sat curled into Sebastian¡¯s other side. Bruce had gone back to his bed in the kitchen once he realised the group was too tired to give him pets. ¡°Are you guys... okay?¡± Sebastian asked softly, almost scared to break the delicate silence. Edmund closed his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Luke nodded. ¡°I... I think I¡¯m better. At least I know I¡¯m safe with you guys.¡± Edmund opened his eyes again and looked at Luke. ¡°Does your- Does Lance often do that thing where he just kills his pack members?¡± ¡°He... It¡¯s- he¡¯s always been... strict with his punishments.¡± ¡°Punishments?¡± Sebastian echoed. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like weakness,¡± Luke almost whispered. ¡°He refuses to allow any in his pack. That¡¯s why we¡¯re all trained in combat and loyalty. And killed if we deviate from our training.¡± Sebastian could practically feel the anger radiating from Edmund. He felt angry too for everything Lance had done, to his pack, his wife, his own fucking son. But above all, he felt heartbroken because now it made sense why Luke would never speak against his bullies, why he was so quiet with others and avoided speaking about home. He¡¯d been living in a constant state of fear, likely even before his mother had died. ¡°You¡¯re safe now,¡± Sebastian promised, and Edmund nodded in agreement. ¡°We¡¯ll never let him near you again.¡± Luke started crying again, but this time in relief. Seb held him the whole time and Ed brought them all hot cocoa once the tears had subsided. They fell asleep on the couch. Edmund had his upper body on the couch, head supported by a throw pillow, feet propped up on the coffee table. Sebastian was laid across the couch with his head on Edmund¡¯s chest, and Luke was in his arms a little bit squished between him and the back of the couch. In the morning, Sebastian was roused by an incessant knocking at the front door. He was still exhausted and a bit stiff from how they¡¯d all slept, but it seemed that the knocker wasn¡¯t going away so he had to extract himself from Luke and Ed, who somehow were still out cold. As he made his way to the door, he muttered to himself about mornings being shit, and just barely registered that Bruce was at the front door in a defensive stance. He wasn¡¯t growling, but his behaviour was enough to help Sebastian sober up. He checked through the peephole who the hell was beating down on the door and nearly did a double take when he saw a frazzled Lydia, Persephone and Hayden outside. ¡°What the hell-¡± he asked as he opened the door, cutting himself off when he saw the box in Lydia¡¯s hands. The box that contained the artefact. The artefact that was glowing with a soft blue light. ¡°We need to talk.¡± 32 | Positive If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. 33 | Arte Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. 34 | Just for a Moment Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. 35 | Friends and Allies The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. 36 | What Next Sebastian blinked in confusion as Edmund practically shoved him into his own room and closed the door behind them. He decided to sit down on his bed, back against the headboard, legs bent a bit so that there was enough space for Ed to sit at the foot end directly in front of him. Instead, however, Edmund chose to sit next to Sebastian, body angled to face him, so Seb turned to face him too. Ed stared at his face for a long moment, then glanced down at his chest and frowned. ¡°Do you need to wear that thing?¡± ¡°My shirt? We have company downstairs Eddie.¡± The flustered reaction he got from Edmund was so funny that he laughed even as Ed swatted at him reproachfully. ¡°Why do you keep making these jokes?¡± ¡°Because you look adorable when flustered.¡± Edmund rolled his eyes. ¡°I was talking about that necklace, but the way. Do you really need to wear it?¡± Seb sighed. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Oh, wow, you sound so confident, sorry for asking.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sass me, you weirdo.¡± Sebastian said, swatting at Edmund. ¡°Why don¡¯t you like me wearing it anyway?¡± Ed looked away from Seb. ¡°Because.¡± ¡°Because¡­?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± Sebastian gave him a look and Edmund sighed. ¡°Because I really don¡¯t want you getting hurt. And that thing is an unknown.¡± Seb¡¯s demeanor softened as he realised what Edmund meant. Ed had always been the protective kind, and something like this, where he wasn¡¯t sure how to protect Sebastian, was probably killing him. Seb took his hand. ¡°Okay, I know that it¡¯s still an unknown, and you feel it could be dangerous, but¡­ you trust me, right?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°So, trust me that it¡¯s safe. I¡¯ll be okay, Eddie.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°No, but I¡¯m trusting my instincts. So, can you trust me?¡± Edmund sighed but nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you. That wasn¡¯t entirely why I pulled you up here though...¡± Sebastian motioned for him to continue. ¡°Something is bothering you, and don¡¯t even try denying it, because I can tell there¡¯s something.¡± ¡°Okay, there is something,¡± Sebastian admitted. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Luke. Last night we all slept in the living room, but that¡¯s not going to work out in the long run. He can stay here but I don¡¯t know how my parents would react when they get home. Or there¡¯s your house, and you certainly have the room, but your dad is another person who¡¯s out of the loop, and I don¡¯t want you to feel pressured about coming out to him.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Well, he already knows I¡¯m gay.¡± Sebastian laughed. ¡°You know what I mean, dummy.¡± Edmund smiled softly. ¡°Yeah, I know what you mean. And I don¡¯t feel pressured, I promise. If anything, I feel like that¡¯s the next right step. To tell him about everything.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°So, when then?¡± ¡°I was thinking tonight, over dinner. I don¡¯t know how you and Luke would feel being there for that, but maybe he¡¯ll freak out less with guests around.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think your dad will freak out on you. He might be shocked and confused, but he wouldn¡¯t like shout or anything.¡± Edmund nodded. ¡°Alright, so then, tonight...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡± ¡°I want to.¡± Sebastian nodded an squeezed his hand reassuringly. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there with you then.¡± They fell into a companionable silence. The familiarity of being in his own room with Edmund was nice. Really nice after spending the last couple of hours going in and out of panic mode. ¡°Do we have to still go to school?¡± Edmund asked, breaking the silence. Sebastian chuckled at the dejection in his voice. ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to, but I have a test in chemistry that I don¡¯t want to miss.¡± Ed sighed. ¡°Guess we¡¯re going then. What about Luke though?¡± Seb bit his lip thoughtfully. ¡°We¡¯ll let him decide. We can also ask about him joining us for dinner at your house tonight, but we should do that now.¡± Edmund nodded in agreement and they got up together and left the room. Downstairs, they found Hayden and Lydia had taken the task of cleaning up after breakfast, while Persephone and Luke were still sitting at the kitchen table talking about the pancakes. Persephone looked over to Edmund as they entered and said, ¡°Luke agrees with me, your way of making pancakes is inferior.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± Luke squeaked. ¡°But you agreed they were too thin.¡± ¡°Yes, but I meant it was like a crepe. Your way was more like a flapjack.¡± ¡°She just calls all of those pancakes because they¡¯re flat and made in a pan.¡± Hayden interjected. Edmund¡¯s jaw dropped. ¡°What? That¡¯s like calling a muffin a cupcake!¡± Persephone frowned. ¡°What''s the difference between those two?¡± ¡°Everything!¡± The following argument was entertaining to watch, but Sebastian decided to take Luke aside when he saw it wasn¡¯t going to let up any time soon. ¡°How are you feeling about school today? If you¡¯d rather not go, you can just wait here till Ed and I get back.¡± Sebastian offered. ¡°You sure?¡± Luke inquired. ¡°What if your parents come home?¡± ¡°You can tell them that I¡¯ll explain it when I get back. They will understand.¡± Luke nodded, though he didn¡¯t seem fully convinced. ¡°I think... I think I¡¯ll rather go. It''s a bit of normalcy and, well, I don¡¯t want to lose my attendance record.¡± Sebastian chuckled a little. ¡°Okay then. Do you want to borrow some clothes for the day?¡± Luke blinked at him. ¡°Are you- are you sure?¡± ¡°Yeah, man. It''s just clothes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your clothes though. They¡¯d have yours and Edmund¡¯s scents.¡± ¡°Oh. Would that be a problem?¡± Luke shook his head. ¡°No. Uh, my old pack was just conservative.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°Well, Eddie and I have no idea how any of that works. I just see sharing clothes as something you do with people you¡¯re close to. Like borrowing a jacket to your friend.¡± Luke nodded again, eyes sort of wide like he was hearing about something wonderful. Sebastian was reminded yet again of how the boy had been living in a house that was barely a home. To think that something as simple as sharing clothing made him happy was kind of sad. Seb hoped he and Edmund could do more to show Luke happiness, but for now, he was determined to find something for him to wear that would make him feel good during school. 37 | Outsiders Point of View This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. 38 | Something is Wrong The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. 39 | Explanation? Magic! This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. 40 | We Need More Magic Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. 41 | Unconditional Love Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. 42 | Origins of Arte This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. 43 | We Havent Even Had Breakfast Yet ¡°Bas, it¡¯s time to get up.¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Come on, breakfast is waiting.¡± Sebastian opened one eye. ¡°How badly is it burned?¡± ¡°Only slightly. I got up before dad had time to make more than toast.¡± ¡°Hmm... still no.¡± Seb decided, burying himself deeper under the comforter. Edmund rolled his eyes. ¡°You can¡¯t just say no. We have a lot to do today.¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get started then. We still have to go back to your place and pick up Luke remember.¡± Seb sat up. ¡°Fine. Do you think he slept well last night?¡± Ed shrugged. ¡°Your room is full of our scents, so I¡¯m hoping that brought him a bit of comfort. Maybe he even needed a bit of space to process everything that¡¯s happened in the last two days.¡± ¡°Ugh, time if weird. This time last month, neither of us were aware of the supernatural. Now you¡¯re a werewolf and I¡¯m a magic user.¡± ¡°Well, when you say it like that, it sounds crazy. But at least my family isn¡¯t from an alternate elven dimension.¡± ¡°Maybe not, but this artefact had to have come from someone in your family.¡± Sebastian pointed out, while physically pointing to himself. Edmund frowned. ¡°I still don¡¯t know if I trust that thing.¡± Seb smirked. ¡°Protective much?¡± ¡°Of you?¡± Ed purposefully caught his gaze, so their eyes were locked on each other¡¯s. ¡°Always.¡± Sebastian felt a flutter in his chest as if his heart was about to soar from joy. But at the same time, he was frozen to his place. Trapped under the influence of those captivating warm brown eyes. With how they were currently positioned in bed, either one could lean forward, just slightly, and close the distance between them. Seb licked his lips at the thought, and Edmund¡¯s eyes glanced down at the action, then up again as if... as if in question. But the moment was broken by the loud beeping of a fire alarm from downstairs. Both teens practically bolted out of bed and downstairs to the smoke-filled kitchen where Garret was. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°Dad!? What happened?!¡± Garret coughed and then smiled sheepishly. ¡°Uh, you boys were taking a while, so I tired keeping your food warm... on the stove...¡± Edmund sighed while Sebastian just barely managed to hold back a fit of giggles. ¡°Breakfast at my house then?¡± ¡°Guess so. Are you coming with us dad?¡± ¡°Ah, I already ate, so I think I¡¯ll head to the store to get us some groceries since we¡¯ll be hosting more people for the foreseeable future.¡± Garret answered with a smile that quickly turned into a frown as he looked back at the kitchen. ¡°Perhaps though, I should air things out first...¡± Ed and Seb both chuckled at the man¡¯s forlorn expression before retreating upstairs to get dressed for the long day ahead of them. The moment from before was all but forgotten. As Sebastian allowed his mind to wander though, he couldn¡¯t help psychoanalysing the whole interaction. If the smoke alarm hadn¡¯t sounded, what would have happened? Had Edmund meant to glance down at his lips? If Seb had somehow shown his own desires, would he have reciprocated them? Would he have leaned forward and kissed him? Unfortunately, now wasn¡¯t the time for such thoughts. Especially not when Edmund¡¯s stomach decided to growl loudly to remind the pair why they needed to leave for Sebastian¡¯s house ASAP. The drive was comfortably quiet as Sebastian messaged his parents and Luke that they were on their way over. They all asked about how things went with Garret, and Sebastian gave them a summary that equalled to ¡®All¡¯s good, we¡¯re free to use the house¡¯. His parents sent thumbs up emojis in return, but Luke said, Luke: Bruce is hiding under the back porch Seb: why? Luke: I don¡¯t think he likes all the strangers around Luke: Obsidian is also very intimidating Seb: the dragon? Luke: Yes Seb: Are you intimidated by the dragon? Luke: They are a *dragon* Seb: fair. I don¡¯t think my parents would let them hurt anyone tho Luke: no offence but your parents are human Luke: I don¡¯t think they can go against a DRAGON Sebastian pursed his lips. While he did have faith in his parents, Luke did have a point. But he still didn¡¯t want to make the younger teen worry. Seb: have you had breakfast yet? Luke: Nick is making waffles Luke: he has asked if you and Edmund want some Seb: yes please Seb: also, don¡¯t worry about Bruce, he¡¯ll come out once he feels better Luke sent a thumbs up emoji and Sebastian looked up to see that they were now nearing the edge of the woods/Sebastian¡¯s house. From where they were, they could see Luke waiting patiently outside, still on his phone. He was wearing his own clothes now and looked slightly better rested than he had yesterday. He was smiling widely as Edmund and Seb parked. When his eyes caught something across the street however, his smile suddenly dropped. Ed and Sebastian followed his gaze and saw- ¡°Quiver?¡± The dryad waved with a grin that made Sebastian slightly uneasy. ¡°What the fuck are they doing here?¡± Edmund asked. Sebastian shrugged and got out of the truck. Edmund followed his lead and stood beside the older teen as the dryad approached. ¡°Good morning gentlemen. You have a problem.¡± Edmund narrowed his eyes. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a rogue in your territory.¡± 44 | Another Average Morning Sebastian knew that the keeping calm was hard for Ed right now, he could feel the tension practically radiating off him. And the fact that Luke was trying to make himself as small as possible on Seb¡¯s other side just seemed to solidify his beliefs. After all, the younger werewolf could likely smell Ed¡¯s upset in his scent. While moving their impromptu meeting to the living room had eased some of Sebastian¡¯s anxiety, he couldn¡¯t help feeling tense in this setting. Especially since Sid had decided to stand menacingly beside the mantle, again, since Quiver had stepped into the house. Quiver seemed to be the only calm person out of them all. Even Emily seemed on edge, if the way she was loitering in the hallway with a duster was anything to go by. Seb wondered why she didn¡¯t decide to simply sit in the living room with them. But noting how she kept glancing back to the kitchen as frequently as she glanced into the living room, he guessed that this way she was near enough to run and help if anything happened. Though he honestly didn¡¯t know what would happen. ¡°So, how exactly are you sure there¡¯s a rogue in the territory?¡± Edmund asked. ¡°I can feel their presence, albeit faintly. They¡¯re using a charm to keep from being found out. So, I can¡¯t tell their exact location, but I can tell you they¡¯re hiding out closer to the neutral area of the territory.¡± Quiver explained. ¡°Are they a threat?¡± Sebastian inquired. Quiver shrugged. ¡°If you make them one, I suppose. Far as I can tell, they¡¯ve been hiding out for some time. Which is honestly aggravating because now I have more paperwork to fill. Unless of course you deal with the rogue before the end of next week.¡± Edmund narrowed his eyes in suspicion. ¡°What do you mean by deal with?¡± ¡°Run it out of the territory, bring it into your pack, kill it; your choice really. I just have to put them on file if they¡¯re still here a week following the full moon.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯ve come to tell us about them. Because you don¡¯t want extra work.¡± Seb said, and the grin he got in reply told him he was absolutely correct. ¡°Anything else we should know?¡± ¡°Well, I was going to warn you about the dragon, but it seems you have already met.¡± Quiver replied, eyeing Obsidian with mild curiosity. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be hibernating?¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you be watching over your tree,¡± Sid replied with a glare. ¡°I am. This is simply a projection of my awareness. Only saplings need to be fully present with their trees.¡± Quiver answered before getting up from their seat. ¡°Though, I suppose I should be heading back. I hope you¡¯ll deal with that little problem swiftly. Bye!¡± The dryad snapped their fingers and suddenly all that was left in their place was a small pile of old leaves. Obsidian muttered something about ¡®damn tree people¡¯ and picked up the leaves. He set them on fire in their hands and glared at the flames. The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Hey! No fires in the house, take that outside,¡± Emily scolded. Obsidian rolled their eyes but left the room with the pile of flaming leaves in his hands. Emily sighed and turned to the boys with a tired smile. ¡°Dragons and dryads don¡¯t normally get along.¡± ¡°Is that why you were acting like Quiver was a threat?¡± Sebastian inquired. Emily shrugged. ¡°Kind of. I¡¯ve only dealt with a handful of dryads in my time to be honest, but they¡¯re never on your side, even if they cooperate with you. It¡¯s better to handle them with caution that trust.¡± The boys nodded and Ed sighed. ¡°I think we need to have a proper meeting with everyone to figure things out. Today, if possible.¡± ¡°Perhaps we should all have breakfast first, before Emily eats all the waffles herself.¡± Nick proposed from where he was, somehow hearing them speaking so softly. ¡°Hey! It''s not my fault your food is addictive.¡± Emily protested with a pout directed towards the kitchen. Sebastian smiled softly. It was nice to see his parents acting so normal, even if life these days was anything but. Listening to them bicker about breakfast was almost crazy, considering they were eating with a group of elves, two werewolves and a dragon. Speaking of, as Edmund got up to go to the kitchen, he looked over to Seb, then pointedly glanced at where Luke was still curled up with a blank expression on his face. Sebastian frowned and motioned with his head for Ed to go ahead. Edmund nodded and left the pair alone. They seemed to have an understanding that Seb needed to be the one to talk to Luke. Edmund was a fellow werewolf and pretty good at comforting people, but Sebastian had known the younger teen for the longest and had a better understanding of what he needed. He really wasn¡¯t an expert in this by any means, but he was going to do his best. He was legally Luke¡¯s guardian and his friend. ¡°Hey, are you okay?¡± Luke looked up with wide eyes and nodded. ¡°Sorry, I just...¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to apologise.¡± Luke nodded again. ¡°I just... it¡¯s stupid but Edmund... for a second there it reminded me of my father.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not stupid, Luke. You¡¯ve just gotten out of a traumatising situation at home, so it¡¯s understandable you¡¯d have these kinds of reactions.¡± ¡°But you guys are nothing like them. You¡¯re actually nice to me. As proven by asking after me now instead of ignoring me until you want something.¡± Sebastian grimaced. ¡°Did they... they ignored you?¡± ¡°I- yes, but honestly that was better than not being ignored.¡± ¡°What happened when they didn¡¯t ignore you?¡± Luke got a faraway look in his eyes and Seb mentally scolded himself for asking the question. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t have to talk or even think about it if you don¡¯t want to. If and/or when you do, I¡¯m here. You don¡¯t need to push yourself, okay?¡± ¡°Okay. Thank you...¡± Sebastian smiled and gave Luke a hug before leading him to the dining room where everyone else was eating breakfast. The tense atmosphere had changed into something far calmer, even if it wasn¡¯t completely relaxed. Seb wondered to himself if this could ever become his normal and relaxed. It seemed that he¡¯d gotten used to the supernatural, more or less; but he wasn¡¯t sure if he¡¯d ever feel as at home about it as his parents seemed. Then again, there was something about it he felt he could get used to. Having everyone gathered at the table, eating waffles and chatting companionably; it was nice. He could see that Luke was far more relaxed and Edmund seemed to be enjoying it immensely. Of course, Ed had always talked about wanting a big family. For a moment, Sebastian pictured a different kind of morning. One where the dining table had more kids who looked like himself and Edmund. He quickly brushed away that idea and focused on his waffles. 45 | Camping The weekend had been long and busy, even if it felt like they¡¯d done nothing in the end. At least everyone was more or less, on the same page after getting together on Friday and talking through their plans. Things were still... tense for everyone, honestly. Sebastian¡¯s grandmother and the four members of her court (ex-court?) kept mostly to themselves. Obsidian acted with cold hostility to anyone who wasn¡¯t Nick, and that had Lydia and Luke anxious most of the time. Nick, Emily and Garret seemed to be trying to make the best of a tense situation, but it just felt... awkward. Hayden also did her best to act civil with everyone, but she had to spend most of her time wrangling Persephone, who was the complete contrast to her kind-hearted soft-spoken wife when it came to interacting with certain people ¨C cough Sid cough. Lydia had trouble maintaining her solid form while around such a tense atmosphere and Luke was still hiding away whenever he could since he didn¡¯t feel all that safe with the others. They had all gathered to talk about what they should do though. How they were going to move forward in dealing with the territory and the rogue situation. Everyone seemed to have an opinion but at most they were all passive aggressively debating the topic instead of really talking through things. So, yeah, Sebastian felt as if they were getting nowhere. It was Sunday now, the night of the full moon, and he was more than relieved to go camping for the night with Edmund and Luke. Perhaps though, they should have listened to what Garret said as they were leaving... ¡°Perhaps you boys should stay nearby the house for tonight.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, dad. Luke helped me check the territory earlier and the other pack isn¡¯t likely to attack us so soon.¡± ¡°What about that rebel thing?¡± ¡°Rogue. It hasn¡¯t attacked before and doing so on a full moon seems kind of stupid since that¡¯s when Luke and I would be at full strength.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean they¡¯re also at full strength.¡± ¡°Yeah, but there¡¯s two of us.¡± Edmund pointed out, but Garret¡¯s worried frown remained. Sebastian stepped forward with a reassuring smile. ¡°Luke and Ed have the advantage if anything happens since this is their home territory, but it shouldn¡¯t come to that. You¡¯ll see. We¡¯ll be back by morning to help you air out the kitchen after attempting breakfast.¡± Garret laughed at that. ¡°Maybe I should just get bagels tomorrow. Does that sound good to you, Luke?¡± Luke straightened his posture and nodded. He still wasn¡¯t used to people asking his opinion on things, let alone authority figures like Garret. But Sebastian took it as a win that he wasn¡¯t tensing up whenever the adults addressed him. ¡°Now I¡¯m hungry.¡± Edmund declared. Sebastian chuckled. ¡°You¡¯ll have to wait until we make camp. I¡¯m not letting you touch the food until then.¡± ¡°But I was the one who packed it.¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°And then you gave it to me to watch. So maybe quit complaining and let¡¯s get going!¡± The boys said their goodbyes to Garret and began hiking to the spot that Sebastian had decided on. It was a good distance to walk, but completely worth it. The area was a small clearing beside a stream, with tall trees all around for as far as you could see. It felt like the rest of the world didn¡¯t exist when you were there. As if it existed in its own little pocket. But, again, since it was far away, there was a lot of walking to get there. Almost too much in Seb¡¯s opinion. ¡°My lower body really hates me right now.¡± He muttered as they came to a slightly upward inclined area. ¡°I still feel like I want to run.¡± Ed replied. Luke giggled. ¡°That¡¯s your wolf. Since it¡¯s a full moon day, you¡¯ve got tons of extra energy.¡± ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s why you were acting like a restless puppy last time.¡± Sebastian grinned, even as Edmund pouted at him. ¡°I didn¡¯t act like a puppy.¡± ¡°You did zoomies around the track in PE!¡± Sebastian laughed. ¡°You did what during PE?¡± ¡°That was not zoomies!¡± ¡°That was totally you doing zoomies.¡± Sebastian was practically breathless with laughter at this point. He began to sober from his amusement however when he noticed Ed¡¯s pout had been replaced with a mischievous smirk. ¡°I have an idea.¡± ¡°I am concerned.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t even heard my idea yet.¡± ¡°Your eyes are telling me I won¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll love it.¡± Sebastian frowned doubtfully, but Ed then turned his attention to Luke. ¡°How about having a race to the camp site?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know where the camp site is though.¡± ¡°Can you hear the water up ahead?¡± Luke titled his head to listen and nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll say the bank of the stream is the end point. First one there wins.¡± ¡°Okay, but what about Seb.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll carry him.¡± Sebastian froze and frowned. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Whoever wins gets first pick of the snacks,¡± Edmund added. Luke considered the offer then grinned. ¡°Alright. You¡¯re on.¡± ¡°Guys, I don¡¯t ag¨C ah!¡± Seb shrieked as he was swiftly pulled off his feet into Edmund¡¯s arms bridal style. ¡°On your marks, get set, go!¡± Ed yelled and they were off. The gold, brown and green colours of the forest around them became nothing more than a blue. Sebastian could feel the wind against his face as if he were racing down a highway, which gave him a feeling of simultaneous horror and ecstasy. When they finally came to a stop, Seb¡¯s body nearly launched forward into the stream from the built-up momentum, but Edmund held him back and laughed loudly. ¡°Guess you get first pick then Luke. Well done!¡± Ed praised and Luke grinned. ¡°Yes, congratulations. You two can set up, while I go back and look for my stomach.¡± Sebastian grumbled as he was set back down on his own feet. Edmund laughed louder at that and even Luke joined in with hysterical giggling. Sebastian glared at them for all of thirty seconds before he smiled too and laughed. After their amusement had subsided, the trio split work between themselves: Edmund gathered firewood and kindling, Sebastian set up the tent, and Luke cleared an area for the campfire. They got themselves fully set up just as the sun began to set, painting the western sky with hues of orange, gold and rose, while the eastern sky began to allow stars to shine through the atmosphere. Sebastian could already see the moon overhead, shining as bright and beautiful as ever. With dusk fast approaching, he noticed his friends grown more and more restless. Okay, we should eat dinner before you two go off running. I¡¯ll get started on the meat. Seb declared. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like cooking.¡± Luke inquired as he watched Sebastian take out the things they needed for grilling. ¡°Grilling is different from cooking. The same way Ed¡¯s good at baking, but both of us are still disasters in the kitchen, I¡¯m good at grilling meat.¡± ¡°Yep. We could barely boil an egg between us-¡± ¡°To be fair, we didn¡¯t know water could rise like that.¡± ¡°-but he cooks sausage to perfection and I¡¯m an ace with pastries.¡± ¡°Wait, what happened with you guy¡¯s and the boiled egg?¡± Luke asked. Sebastian grinned. ¡°Like I said, we¡¯re disasters.¡± The pair proceeded to tell Luke about their attempts in cooking while Sebastian grilled dinner for them. With the world being so peaceful and bright, they allowed themselves to let their guard down as they talked. So, as a nearby nose caught onto the smell of sizzling meat, the trio were completely unaware. Until it was too late... Bonus Story | That Oh Moment He was eleven years old when he figured out what was wrong. It hadn¡¯t exactly been an urgent feeling ¨C not like his visions or dreams ¨C but there was an uncertainness in his heart whenever he was addressed by his name. A strange disconnect whenever he heard someone talking about him using female pronouns and honorifics. An uneasy feeling whenever his mother talked about the ¡®incredible young woman¡¯ he would grow up to be. He hadn¡¯t expected anything to happen when he cut his hair. He¡¯d been wanting to try a shorter style for years now. Then he saw himself in the mirror, his dark curls cropped, and- oh. Oh, it felt like he was looking at himself ¨C really seeing himself ¨C for the first time ever. He¡¯d felt overwhelmed by joy, only to be crushed with fear as he realised what it meant. He¡¯d been born a girl. He¡¯d lived as a girl. He¡¯d been seen and addressed as a girl for all eleven years of his life. But looking at himself with his hair cut short in a masculine style, he realised his soul had always been a boy. And the thought of what it could mean scared him. His parents were so proud of their ¡®little girl¡¯. How would they feel knowing ¡®she¡¯ never really was a girl? What if his friends didn¡¯t like him as a boy? What if everyone turned their backs on him? What if they ignored his words and called him a girl regardless? A million other thoughts like that ran through his mind and left him curled up in a terrified heap on his bed. He wasn¡¯t sure what time it was, but he was eventually pulled back to reality by a knock on his door. ¡°Nicky? Are you awake?¡± ¡°Come in,¡± he weakly replied. Tristan opened the door quietly and then closed it behind himself. He looked concerned but kept himself calm as he approached the bed. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Your mom said you¡¯ve been in here since you got your haircut. Are you regretting your decision?¡± Nick didn¡¯t answer. He couldn¡¯t think of how to answer. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I think it looks good. It suits you.¡± Nick looked up at Tristan properly. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah. It suits you.¡± "You said that already." Nick giggled. Tristan grinned. ¡°It¡¯s a true enough fact. You look quite handsome.¡± Nick smiled shyly and averted his eyes to the floor. Tristan always knew just what to say. He was the best best-friend anyone could ask for. Nick wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d do without him. ¡°I like the haircut.¡± He confessed. Tristan nodded. ¡°But...? ¡°I might like it too much.¡± Nick braced himself. ¡°Because it makes me look like a boy...¡± Tristan was quiet as he absorbed the meaning of those words. ¡°Do you... like that?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still you Nicky, and I love you whether you¡¯re a girl, a boy, both or neither.¡± Nick felt the tears spill from his eyes then. ¡°Thank you.¡± They hugged and, in that moment, he felt as if the world was finally okay. There were of course many times when Nick felt as if the world was against him. But with Tristan, and later Emily, he felt strong enough to face whatever obstacles were thrown at him. When the trio had settled down and become parents, Nick had been worried about what kind of a parent he would be. All his worries were shattered though when their little bundle of joy spoke his first words. ¡°Ni! Ni!¡± Nick felt so happy, he never wanted the kid to call him anything else. Their situation wasn¡¯t exactly normal, so it didn¡¯t matter that he went by his first name instead of an honorific like dad or papa. Nick was a parent and nothing else really mattered. He was so proud of his kiddo. The kid who was kind to everyone and joyful, bringing smiles with him wherever he went. He liked stars and stories and hugs. He brought out Emily¡¯s softer side and giggled along with Tristan¡¯s terrible jokes. They were quite a happy family. And Nick had nearly forgotten about that moment from long ago. Until he saw his son looking in the mirror with that same expression he¡¯d worn long ago. Tristan had tied back his long hair so that it wouldn¡¯t get in the way while they were baking. Now that they were in the bathroom cleaning their hands, the kid could see himself, and he was staring with that same recognition that Nick remembered feeling years ago. ¡°Nick?¡± ¡°Yeah, buddy?¡± ¡°Can we cut my hair?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± It took some time to figure things out, but eventually they found clothes he liked and a hairstyle that matched who he was. They had even helped him pick out a new name. Sebastian; a nod to Emily¡¯s late brother. Some of his teachers and classmates didn¡¯t understand. But then Seb found a friend in the woods who called him Bas and was as wonderful as Tristan had been all those years ago. Nick couldn¡¯t be happier. Or more entertained by his husband¡¯s pouting. ¡°They¡¯re only seven!¡± ¡°Exactly, we don¡¯t have to worry about him running off and getting married just yet.¡± Emily said with a fond eyeroll. Tristan however seemed to just panic at that statement. ¡°Marriage? No, nope, never. We¡¯ll move to England, find one of those castles with a tower.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t lock him up forever, dear.¡± ¡°Says you.¡± Nick just smiled and sipped his lemonade. Whatever happened in the years to come, they would face it together. And everything would be okay... Promise Poster This week, I created some art, but since I am not sure how to post it here, I will instead leave a link to my tumblr where I have posted the art. https://at.tumblr.com/nova-dust-stories/image-description-a-poster-with-five-different/6r5ppoa7rub7 [Since the chapter must be at least 500 words long, please don''t mind the next bunch of random words I am adding to fill in the required amount. Thank you.] The princess is on a quest to save the dragon being held captive by a knight. As the prophecy foretold! The princess has encountered a sorceress. The sorceress is on a mission to get back her father''s stolen sword, from the knight who is keeping the dragon captive. The princess and sorceress have joined forces. As the prophecy foretold. The princess and sorceress have come to a great river. To get across, they will need to get help from an enchanted boat. The boat wants them to solve a riddle before it takes them across. The princess is trying her hardest to solve the riddle. She takes three hours, and still can not figure it out. The sorceress finally takes pity on her, and uses a spell to make the boat take them across without answering its riddle. The princess is upset but glad to be done with this hurdle. As the prophecy foretold. The princess and sorceress have met a distressed woman. She tells them her son was kidnapped by a giant. They pause their quest to rescue the boy. They climb up a huge tree to find the giant''s palace nestled amongst the clouds. They reach the boy, but he makes a fuss about leaving with them. the girls are confused, until he explains that he was not kidnapped - he ran away from his mother because she was forcing him to steal things so they could live a fancy life. The princess and sorceress return to the mother and chew her out for lying to them. As the prophecy foretold. The princess and sorceress continue their journey and finally reach the knight''s tower. Unfortunately, the sorceress''s magic can''t be used inside the tower, so she can only help the princess by enchanting her armour before she goes inside. As the prophecy foretold. The princess goes inside and battles her way through the many levels of monsters under the knight''s evil power. When she reached the final level, she finds the knight and the dragon having tea. This was not in the prophecy. The princess discovers the dragon is under the knights enchantment. She can not attack the knight without having to fight against her dear friend. She does not know what to do. Until she remembers the sorceress gave her a potion to cure anything that had been done against the dragon. As the prophecy foretold. The princess cures the dragon, they both fight the knight, then go down to present the sorceress with her father''s stolen sword. The princess marries the sorceress, with the dragon as her best-man, and they live happily ever after. The End. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Bonus Story | End of a Golden Age (Part 1) There was a time that this world has all but forgotten, an age when magic was in abundance, and all realms connected someway somewhere to the one known as Earth. Those days when dragons, gryphons and pegasi shared the skies, when merfolk and selkies swam in plentiful pods, when elves nurtured the land, werepacks roamed freely and fairies made mischief. These days are all but forgotten by the present. This time is no more than a whispered myth to us now. But it was as real as you or I. I¡¯m sure you must wonder what happened to change our world. Who closed the gates and sealed the magic? Well, in truth, the answer isn¡¯t all that simple. But the beginning of the end happened when three powerful souls first met. The Warrior who fought against the way of the world. The Seer who wished to change the fate to which he¡¯d been born. And the Mage wondered for life outside the traditions of his tribe. Did they know they would irreversibly change history? Yes, but if they hadn¡¯t, there would be no world today. Kerkenstar ¨C Elven Stronghold ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± Seer asked Mage as they descended the dark stairway. Mage looked at him with a smirk. ¡°Doubting me already?¡± ¡°No, I... What if she says no?¡± ¡°Then she¡¯s surely a fool we can do without.¡± ¡°But we can¡¯t do without her.¡± Mage paused and took hold of Seer¡¯s hands. ¡°I know you¡¯re nervous, I am too, but if we don¡¯t at least try then we may as well give up the whole idea now.¡± Seer sighed and nodded, then they continued down the winding stairs till finally they reached the dungeons. The dungeon master was absent, as usual, so the two were able to walk without hinderance to the cell that held who they¡¯d come to see. Mage slid back the small window in the door to peek inside, and there she was. Sitting alone under the weak light of a lux flower. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. When she heard the window opening, Warrior looked up and dangerously narrowed her eyes. Even as bruised as she was, she looked like she could give him a hell of a fight. However, he didn¡¯t hesitate to step back and open the door so he and Seer could step inside the cell. Warrior was immediately on guard, standing up so the men had no advantage over her. Seer held his hands up in a surrendering manner. ¡°We¡¯re not here to harm you, we swear.¡± Warrior scoffed. ¡°Then what are you here for?¡± ¡°Your help,¡± Mage answered. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you where they went.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re referring to that group of humans you smuggled in, that¡¯s not what we¡¯re here about either.¡± ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Seer took a moment to brace himself before asking, ¡°Do you know how to find the Gatekeeper?¡± Warrior blinked in surprise. ¡°What do you want with him?¡± ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s difficult to explain, but the fate of all realms depends on finding him.¡± Warrior leaned back against the wall. ¡°At least try explaining. It seems like a big deal but I never do anything blindly.¡± Seer nodded understandingly. ¡°Well, I had a vision of the end of the world. There is a terrible creature awakening in one of the younger realms, and once it is strong enough, it will devour everything within its own realm, and the connected realms besides. The only way to save everyone is by sealing the creature, and only the Gatekeeper can do such.¡± ¡°So, you want me to tell you where the Gatekeeper is.¡± ¡°We want you to lead us to him,¡± Mage clarified. ¡°In exchange, we¡¯ll help you escape from here.¡± ¡°And how do I know this isn¡¯t some faye trick?¡± ¡°Faye- How dare you.¡± Warrior smirked. ¡°Have I struck a nerve?¡± Mage glared at her. ¡°We are not linked to those tricksters. Though, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if someone like you were.¡± ¡°Someone like me?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not fight, please,¡± Seer begged, stepping between the pair. ¡°We don¡¯t have to be enemies.¡± Warrior stared at them both consideringly then shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ll work with you. But I won¡¯t give you my name.¡± Mage huffed. ¡°Then we won¡¯t give you ours either.¡± ¡°We can all go by nicknames then,¡± Seer decided. ¡°But we should agree to work together.¡± Warrior nodded. ¡°A vow then, by the light of our lady.¡± Mage nodded as well. ¡°That¡¯s acceptable. By the light of our lady, we vow to help you escape the stronghold.¡± ¡°And in return, I vow to take you to the Gatekeeper.¡± And with those words, their fates were sealed. Peaceful Poster Art Time! still don''t know how to post that here, so instead I shall provide a link in the notes, to Tumblr where I have posted the art. [Since the chapter must be at least 500 words long, please don''t mind the next bunch of random words I am adding to fill in the required amount. Thank you.] The princess is on a quest to save the dragon being held captive by a knight. As the prophecy foretold! The princess has encountered a sorceress. The sorceress is on a mission to get back her father''s stolen sword, from the knight who is keeping the dragon captive. The princess and sorceress have joined forces. As the prophecy foretold. The princess and sorceress have come to a great river. To get across, they will need to get help from an enchanted boat. The boat wants them to solve a riddle before it takes them across. The princess is trying her hardest to solve the riddle. She takes three hours, and still can not figure it out. The sorceress finally takes pity on her, and uses a spell to make the boat take them across without answering its riddle. The princess is upset but glad to be done with this hurdle. As the prophecy foretold. The princess and sorceress have met a distressed woman. She tells them her son was kidnapped by a giant. They pause their quest to rescue the boy. They climb up a huge tree to find the giant''s palace nestled amongst the clouds. They reach the boy, but he makes a fuss about leaving with them. the girls are confused, until he explains that he was not kidnapped - he ran away from his mother because she was forcing him to steal things so they could live a fancy life. The princess and sorceress return to the mother and chew her out for lying to them. As the prophecy foretold. The princess and sorceress continue their journey and finally reach the knight''s tower. Unfortunately, the sorceress''s magic can''t be used inside the tower, so she can only help the princess by enchanting her armour before she goes inside. As the prophecy foretold. The princess goes inside and battles her way through the many levels of monsters under the knight''s evil power. When she reached the final level, she finds the knight and the dragon having tea. This was not in the prophecy. The princess discovers the dragon is under the knights enchantment. She can not attack the knight without having to fight against her dear friend. She does not know what to do. Until she remembers the sorceress gave her a potion to cure anything that had been done against the dragon. As the prophecy foretold. The princess cures the dragon, they both fight the knight, then go down to present the sorceress with her father''s stolen sword. The princess marries the sorceress, with the dragon as her best-man, and they live happily ever after (until they died). The End. Stolen novel; please report. 46 | Rogue The change in the air seemed instant. One moment, the boys were all happy, laughing at one of their stories, then Edmund went quiet and tensed up. Sebastian and Luke noticed immediately and did the same. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Seb asked. Ed¡¯s eyes turned blue. ¡°Rogue.¡± He was up and between the others and the forest within seconds. Luke¡¯s eyes began to glow too as they widened in fear. He and Sebastian stood up just as the sound of rustling began. Edmund growled towards the sound, causing it to stop. But then something began growling back. Sebastian felt his heartrate begin to rise. As a mere human, he had no idea how many foes they were facing right now. And while they had talked a big game earlier with Garret, Seb wasn¡¯t so confidant in their fighting skills as of now. The growling rogue finally decided to stalk out form the shadows. It looked slightly smaller than Odilia¡¯s wolf form had. But what it lacked in size it seemed to make up for in nightmarish features. Their golden eyes glowed yet somehow appeared dull and haunted. It was so skinny that you could nearly count its ribs, even with all the fur. The fur itself was matted with dirt and dark dried blood. Sebastian didn¡¯t even want to think where that had come from. As it came closer, Edmund began to inch forward. Sebastian realised that he wasn¡¯t going to let them get any closer than necessary. These two were going to fight and fuck- there was nothing he could do. Even if this wolf was smaller than Ed, Seb felt like a fight would not end well for either party. He needed to do something. Think- fuck, think. The rogue suddenly lurched forward and Seb moved his hand up before he even knew what he was doing. The ancient forgotten words went from his mouth as naturally as English. There was a quick flash of blue and then the rogue was down. Lying unconscious on the ground. Still a good few inches away from Edmund. Sebastian blinked owlishly. Had he done that? Fuck yeah, he had. The spell worked and- shit what do they do now? Seb looked at the others. Luke was staring at him with a sort of awe. He had seen what Sebastian did. Edmund on the other hand was still staring in shock at the unmoving wolf. The silence that followed was thick with tension as they all absorbed what happened/was happening. Sebastian finally broke the silence with a nervous laugh. ¡°Well, that was anticlimactic.¡± ¡°The fuck just happened?¡± Edmund yelled, not angry but defiantly confused and loud enough to make Seb wince. ¡°So, remember how Arte¡¯s been teaching me magic while I sleep.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°You just magicked the rogue into a nap?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think magicked is a word.¡± Edmund started to giggle, which caused Sebastian and Luke to exchange a worried expression even as it morphed into a hysterical laugh that left them slightly unnerved. ¡°You sleeping-beauty-ed a fucking rogue.¡± ¡°Okay, while I understand the situation is ridiculous, I don¡¯t think you need to laugh that hard.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know what else to do!¡± Ed snapped. Luke physically recoiled from the harshness of the words, but Seb stood his ground. ¡°Breathe, calm down. We can take a moment before figuring out our next step.¡± ¡°Except we already know the next step. We¡¯ve been talking about it the whole fucking weekend. Either kill them or expel them from the territory.¡± ¡°Eddie, calm do-¡± ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Sebastian grabbed onto Edmund¡¯s shoulders and forced him to look him in the eyes. ¡°Breathe, just breathe.¡± Edmund hesitated only a moment before following the instructions. Seb nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Now, tell me five things you can see.¡± Edmund looked around. ¡°Tent, river, Luke, stars, trees.¡± ¡°Good. How about four things you can feel?¡± ¡°Uh, the wind, my pants, your hands on my shoulders, my heart beating out of my chest.¡± ¡°Three things you can hear?¡± ¡°You. Everyone¡¯s heartbeats. The water running down the stream.¡± ¡°Alright, two things you can smell?¡± ¡°The fire burning and the forest around us.¡± Sebastian nodded. ¡°And anything you can taste?¡± ¡°Burnt marshmallow.¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t know why you eat it like that.¡± ¡°Because you shouldn¡¯t just waste a good marshmallow!¡± Edmund declared, laughing more naturally now. ¡°Thanks for calming me down.¡± Sebastian nodded then turned to look at Luke. The younger boy gave him a weak smile answering the unasked inquiry of how he was doing. He gestured for Luke to come closer anyway and put a hand on one of his shoulders as a way of giving him physical reassurance that everything was okay. Or it would be. ¡°Sorry for scaring you man. I lost it for a second there.¡± Edmund sighed. Luke shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. This isn¡¯t exactly an easy situation.¡± ¡°No kidding.¡± Seb remarked as they all looked down at the sleeping rogue. This time, the tense silence was broken by Luke. ¡°Why did you learn a sleeping spell?¡± ¡°Well, I wanted to learn some basic defensive magic and aside from barrier, this was what Arte taught me. It¡¯s a spell that uses less magic than a barrier and is therefore better when you have only one or two enemies.¡± ¡°How long does it last?¡± Edmund inquired. Sebastian pursed his lips. ¡°It should hold till sunrise, but I don¡¯t know for sure. We should secure them somewhere until we decided what to do.¡± Ed sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think the tent could hold them.¡± ¡°The basement back at the house would be reinforced enough.¡± Luke proposed. ¡°So, we have to pack up camp then?¡± Edmund groaned. ¡°Or you two can take them there and then come back.¡± Seb suggested. ¡°You need to exercise your wolf forms soon enough anyhow.¡± Luke frowned and Ed narrowed his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re not leaving you alone after we¡¯ve just been attacked.¡± ¡°You would have the rogue with you.¡± ¡°What if there are more?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll sleeping-beauty them too.¡± Sebastian sighed. ¡°I know you¡¯re worried, and for a good reason, but I¡¯ll be okay Eddie.¡± Edmund looked him dead in the eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°I also don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll pass physics, but I have the knowledge I need for Thursday''s test. I just need to put it to use.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t physics class.¡± ¡°Which is a good thing, because I¡¯m much better at magic than maths.¡± Seb grinned before sobering his expression once more. ¡°I will be okay, Eddie. I promise...¡± 47 | A Moment in the Moonlight The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. 48 | Personal Promise The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. 49 | Cursed Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. 50 | Survivor Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. 51 | Information and Preparation ¡°That went smoother than I thought it would.¡± ¡°Gah!¡± Sebastian, and everyone else, turned their attention to the corner where Quiver was standing with an amused expression at their shock. ¡°How long have you been there?¡± Quiver shrugged. ¡°Not too long. I just came to drop off this paperwork.¡± They crossed the room and handed Seb a manilla folder, just like the one he¡¯d gotten after the fight at Dryad¡¯s Circle. ¡°That should be everything you need to avoid further complications.¡± ¡°I''m sorry, who are you?¡± Garret asked. Quiver grinned. ¡°Just someone who really hates paperwork. Bye!¡± ¡°Wait¡ª and they left another pile of leaves. Damnit.¡± Sebastian muttered. ¡°What the hell?¡± Garret whispered. ¡°That was Quiver, the dryad,¡± Edmund explained with clear annoyance in his tone. ¡°What¡¯s in the folder?¡± Sebastian skim read the contents and felt his heart drop. He glanced over to Daisy, who was looking at him as curiously as everyone else, then looked back at the folder as he spoke. ¡°Same stuff that he gave us for Luke. So, no need to worry over any legal matters yet. Hey, Seph, did you get in contact with your clan and/or Onyx?¡± ¡°Hmm, yes and no. The clan was easy to call but I couldn¡¯t get through to Onyx. I think they may have moved since we last talked, so it¡¯ll take me a while to track them down if they don¡¯t make contact first.¡± ¡°Alright, so what happened with your clan?¡± ¡°A lot,¡± Persephone groaned, ¡°That bastard Malcom has gone into hiding. So, some other clan members are wary of moving their lives just yet.¡± ¡°Why? Is he that much of a danger?¡± Emily inquired. Hayden shook her head. ¡°Not exactly. You see, until they¡¯re able to physically disown him he¡¯s still technically a part of the clan. That means he¡¯s able to come into their homes without invitation.¡± ¡°It¡¯s easier to defend a home that¡¯s already been established. Especially when you have neighbours who will alert you if a stranger is sneaking around.¡± Persephone elaborated. ¡°However, we have gotten interest from two clan members.¡± Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Edmund nodded. ¡°That''s better than none, I guess. What are they like?¡± ¡°Well, Elliot is an eccentric little shit,¡± Persephone declared with an amused huff. ¡°He¡¯ll be a loyal ally if he settles here though. Patricia on the other hand, well...¡± ¡°She¡¯s suspicious.¡± Hayden cut in with more distaste than Sebastian¡¯s ever heard in her voice. Persephone however shook her head at the statement. ¡°Darling, you are the only one who is suspicious of her.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t know her very well. She¡¯s one of the youngest members of the clan.¡± ¡°Elliot¡¯s pretty young too. And honestly, I¡¯m more suspicious of him. He has a well-established identity in his current location. Moving is likely to lose him business.¡± ¡°What does he do exactly?¡± Garret inquired. Persephone became oddly flustered. ¡°Ehem, well, he runs a... nightclub, of sorts.¡± ¡°A nightclub?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a front for a blood den.¡± Hayden explained, with an amused smirk towards her wife. ¡°Somewhere vampires can easily feed. They can also cater to the ¡®needs¡¯ of all kinds of beings.¡± Sebastian couldn¡¯t help raising an eyebrow at that. Whatever ¡®needs¡¯ were being catered seemed to be more of what was causing Persephone¡¯s distress more so than the feeding part. Now he was really curious about what exactly this kind of nightclub offered. ¡°Okay. I guess I can see why it would be hard to move that kind of work. Does Patricia have a business?¡± Edmund asked. Persephone gratefully latched onto the change in conversation. ¡°She¡¯s an art teacher. She works at classes for both the local high school and college if I remember correctly. Although she may not have as many connections, she¡¯s as worthwhile an asset as Elliot.¡± Edmund nodded. ¡°Do you think our small town is a good enough place for them to decide on moving?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t really be sure, but they''ll be visiting in a week¡¯s time to check things out.¡± ¡°They''ll want to meet with Edmund at least once during that time, to pay their respects similarly to Daisy here.¡± Hayden stated. Edmund nodded again. ¡°Right, well, I guess we can do that. If that¡¯s everything else...¡± he paused and Hayden nodded, so he turned his attention to Nick. ¡°You said you had something to share?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I found a spell that can give us insight on what happened with Kerkenstar, and possibly how to restore it.¡± Sebastian perked up. ¡°That¡¯s good, right?¡± ¡°It¡¯s... complicated.¡± Nick sighed. ¡°The spell needs to be performed by three seers and a witch on the night of a new moon. Technically, we have three seers. Myself, Sebastian, and Aurora. The problem is we don¡¯t know any witches.¡± ¡°Well, there¡¯s plenty of time before the new moon to look for one.¡± Persephone stated. ¡°Since it was just the full moon, the shop will be quiet for a bit, but I know a few regular customers who might be interested in helping if it gets them a deal on their purchases.¡± Nick¡¯s shoulders sagged in relief. ¡°That would be wonderful. Thank you.¡± Sebastian wondered how stressful it must be for him to be investigating all this. It had been a long time since Nick had left the pocket dimension, but that didn¡¯t change the fact it was once his home. It probably didn¡¯t help that everything to do with that place was tied to the memory of Tristan. Seb decided then that sorting out the whole dimension collapse fiasco should go up on his list of priorities. But before he got to that... He glanced over at Daisy and internally sighed. He needed to talk to Edmund about what was in her file. 52 | Never a Dull Moment If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. 53 | Triggered
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. 54 | An Old Friend This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. 55 | A New Concern The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. 56 | And Even More Weirdness This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. 57 | Hearts and Home If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. 58 | My Everything This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. 59 | New Recruits The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. 60 | Curious Kit If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. 61 | The Reedworths Sebastian winced as he heard the voices from the study rise once again. He really didn¡¯t envy his werewolf companions in this instance, since he was sure that the heightened hearing ability would drive him up the wall right now. Edmund, Daisy and Luke seemed to be doing alright though. The four of them, plus Elsie, were sitting in the living room doing their best to focus on some cups of tea instead of the argument raging between Kit and her grandfather. When they had arrived, the older man had been very kind and courteous, and requested that they wait a few moments so that he could speak with his granddaughter. Apparently, Michael Reedworth was none too pleased with Kit¡¯s stunt; if the shouting match they¡¯d begun once they were out of sight was anything to go by. Elsie had done her best to play a welcoming hostess. But even she stared with tired disapproval in the direction of the shouting. ¡°They¡¯re not always like this, really. Kitten¡¯s been a bit unruly since we decided to move and Dad¡¯s patience has been running low since he¡¯s also exhausted from the trip.¡± She explained. ¡°Guess moving anywhere is hard. How are you doing with the move?¡± Edmund inquired. ¡°Honestly, it¡¯s not so bad for me. I¡¯d have moved somewhere next year to start college. I¡¯ve been taking it easy since graduating high school last year, and most of my friends from school have moved on in their education or decided to ¡®find themselves¡¯ through life experience.¡± ¡°Do you have something in mind you want to study?¡± Sebastian asked. Elsie shrugged. ¡°Eh. That¡¯s another reason I took the gap year, to be honest. What about you two? You¡¯ll be graduating high school end of this year, right?¡± Before either of the boys could answer that question, the door to the study banged open and Kit stormed out. She disappeared upstairs and another door banged after she likely had reached her room. Luke was tense, but after comforting looks from both Ed and Seb, as well as Daisy scenting his arm, he calmed down a bit. Michael wheeled out of the study a few moments later. He looked tired but schooled his features into a neutral expression, before parking his chair beside the armchair that Elsie had taken. ¡°I apologise for my granddaughter¡¯s trespassing so close to your den, Alpha Kingsley.¡± Edmund looked quite uncomfortable with the formal title, but made an effort not to offend the older man. ¡°Um, it¡¯s alright, sir. I understand she was just curious.¡± ¡°She¡¯s reckless. Though I suppose those aspects often go hand in hand. When my grandson came to tell me about your pack, I had thought of meeting with you properly to inquire about the current layout of the territory. Though, I suppose I can infer from your visit that our family home falls within your own area?¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Yes. We have a map of the official layout of the territory that we can show you, but I can tell you for sure that this house is within our area. The school and university are in neutral territory between ours and the Wiker¡¯s territory if that helps to give you an idea of things.¡± Michael nodded. ¡°That does help. I would like to look over the map as well, if you would be so inclined as to let me see it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure we can bring it over for you. Or maybe even have a copy made.¡± ¡°You are quite a courteous alpha, especially given your newness to the position. Most wolves are not so understanding towards families like ours.¡± Edmund titled his head curiously. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but I don¡¯t quite follow. What do you mean by a family like yours?¡± ¡°One that¡¯s moved into the territory without the alpha¡¯s permission. Not only is it suspicious, but the fact that my granddaughter was discovered spying near your den makes us appear disgraceful.¡± ¡°Well, if you thought the territory was still under Lance¡¯s influence, I can understand your secrecy in moving. And, like I said, Kit¡¯s curiosity wasn¡¯t so much a problem as it was worrying for her own safety.¡± Ed shrugged. ¡°Her intentions weren¡¯t malicious and she didn¡¯t hurt anyone. Although, I would like to know what your intentions here are?¡± ¡°Of course. We only wish to live as we have before. Lorelei are naturally linked to the rivers, and there is a river nearby this house which we would use. Other than that, we would exist as normally as any other family in the town really.¡± Michael explained. Edmund nodded. ¡°Well, so long as there is nothing harmful being done, then you¡¯re quite welcome to settle here and use the resources within our territory.¡± Michael bowed his head appreciatively. Before their conversation could continue in any way however, arguing voices once more pierced through the air. ¡°I¡¯m not taking the fall for your shit.¡± ¡°Good thing it¡¯s your own shit you¡¯re dealing with then. Cause this sure as hell isn¡¯t mine.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re going to openly deny dating the bitch.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not a bitch!¡± Everyone turned to look at the front door as the voices seemed to approach. When the door opened to reveal two unfamiliar young men, no one said anything. It was unlikely they would have gotten a word in edgewise with the way that the pair were verbally going at each other. They hadn¡¯t even seemed to notice the collection of observers until they were standing in the middle of the living room itself. ¡°-and for the last time I-... who the hell are you?¡± the taller of the pair asked, looking in confusion at the four strangers on the sofa. Michael cleared his throat. ¡°These are our guests. And it¡¯s quite rude to bring such a heated argument into the house while they¡¯re here, don¡¯t you boys think?¡± The taller man became sheepish and quiet, while the shorter man flushed a little in embarrassment. ¡°It¡¯s his fault.¡± ¡°It is not!¡± ¡°Nevermind who¡¯s fault it is, why are you idiots arguing in the first place?¡± Elsie cut in before they could properly start up again. The pair became sheepish and silent again before the shorter one answered. ¡°There may or may not be vengeful water demon in the river¡­¡± 62 | No Regrets This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. 63 | Tense Discussions Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. 64 | Stubborn Hearts The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. 65 | Wisdom of the Artefact The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. 66 | Training Begins A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. 67 | His Promise If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. 68 | Wrong Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! 69 | Screaming, Pain, and the Spiritual Plane Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. 70 | The Wolf and the Monster If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. we?¡¯ 71 | Safe Again Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! 72 | No Matter What Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.