Nicole Robinson:
We went for a drive to the diner near town to have our breakfast, Jax was supposed to come along but he had to cover for someone on the training grounds. "A duel." We sat at the window seat and I could see more customers were stopping but most of them were old men driving a truck - humans.
"Why do you think a duel could solve what they did to her?" Mason asked as he took a bite on his Croque madame, the delicious yolk flowing down the sandwich as he cut them into bite-sizes. "Here's your hashbrown, deary. Call me if you need anything else." The middle-aged waitress send our last menu with a friendly smile and walked away to take orders for the new customers. "I believe this duel is just a show." He commented. "To tell everyone how low have the Alphas become. Succumb to greed and lied to them while they cheered for everything their leader did."
"The big twist to their happy lives." I could see the wicked glint in his eyes, he's behaviour sometimes resembles the witch.
"Can you please just not think of something so despicable of the Peterson's family. I believe they did this as revenge for what they did to Elly." He smirked at my answer. "Well, it could be that or both. But by the end of the day, there is one important outcome."
"The whole pack will know that Elly is their Luna and Kyle almost killed her for another woman." He then took the last bite. "Then, get ready for war"
"Even if there are only two days left, the people have already started to whisper and the winds will soon travel to the other packs and soon to her." This was going to be a serious problem on our side. "Your life would be in danger once she hears the news." I bit my nails and the food I've ordered no longer seemed appetizing.
"What should we do?"
"Do you think we can stop the duel if we wake up Elly?" Beads of sweat started to form on my forehead. My fingers tapped the table continuously and my food was left cold. "It won't stop the duel from happening but it could obstruct it."
"But people will still talk about it and they might actually find out what happened."
"They might find out that their Alpha almost tried to kill a warrior but not their relationship. Those who only know about them are us, the Peterson, their friends, and Walters."
"But they might actually announce the wrong deeds they did and why or they would announce about the curse and everything." My hands were cold and I was starting to blabber the possibilities of being found out.
"Nicky. Look at me." He took hold of my hands and slowly my eyes went to his face. His eyes are unwavering to the likelihood of being exposed. It was as if he knew of the outcome.
"Breathe slowly." I followed his breathing and soon the warmth from his hands became mine. "Trust me. I promised to not let anything harm you. I will find a way to stop the truth from going to her." I nodded.
"How do we wake her up?"
"I need to find a witch that can get into people's minds." He looked at me with meaningful eyes as if I knew the answer to his quest. "I don't know any."
"Nicky, think this through. You know the answer." After some thought, the only witch I have met here besides Hunter's family is Maya's friend. His eyes lit up at seeing my expression and he soon smiled. "I did a background check and it seems she's able to read people's minds."
"That's not all, take a look at this." Jax suddenly arrived and sat beside me. He handed Mason a paper folder and took a bite at my breakfast. "Cold." He dropped the fork. "This just makes everything muddier than it has already become," Mason commented. "We need to move with caution." Jax agreed.
"Since those friends have been coming and visiting Elly every day it would not be a problem to find them and do what's needed." Mason was clenching the file in his hands. "All we need is Roxy to make this work."
"When should we do this?"
"Before the duel because I'll need to make them shut up."
"Thanks for this. I'll call you when I need something again." He smiled and Jax just scoffed at his attitude. "I'm not your lackey that you can just call me whenever you need help." Breakfast went back to normal and we waited for Jax to finish his food while those two debated about the duel between the two families.
"Here's something for you." We were going our separate ways when Jax handed me an envelope. "Thank him later." Mason was paying for our food and his firm body hidden by the plain navy shirt. He went back to the pack while I waited inside the car and staring at the envelope. Somehow, I have a strong feeling of what it is and my heart wouldn't stop pounding.
"Next time, Jax's footing the bill. His food caused more than both of us bind together." He switched on the engine and went I wasn't replying, he glanced at me. "Do you want to go somewhere?" Sensing, I needed space for myself to read this letter, he drove away from the pack. My heart breaks at my son being a secret from my family. I always imagined them openly loving him and he would smile every day.
"Soon." I whispered and kissed the unopened letter.
We were outside of the pack's border when he drove into the forest, the trees opened for vehicles to enter as if it was made with this purpose. However, the invisible road looked untouched. We went deeper until what we could see was ruined everywhere and everything was already covered with moss and vines. No trace of recent human activity nor the scent of werewolves.
"Where are we?" We came to a stopped in front of what used to be a humungous building. "It's where history started." He went out of the car and the cold wind lodged inside as if it seeks warmth. "I saw a picture of this place once. This is the pack house." He pointed to the building in front of us. "Pictures and frames were deemed to be lost forever. I could not find anything worth investigating." He sat down on the rocks of what used to be cemented as a building where pack members gather.
"Welcome to the Sunset Pack or of what it has become after years of being abandon." He gleefully introduced the place despite the history of what happened for it to become like this.
"Go look around to find the perfect spot to read the letter. I'll be right here, waiting." He smiled encouragingly and soon took out the diary. It took me almost half an hour to find a nice spot to settle in because I was roaming anywhere that my feet could take me, it was astounding to be standing here and seeing what war did to them. "A tragic ending." I touched the moist building but was restricted with the vines enveloping them like snakes.
After setting myself comfortably on one of the rocks, my hands trembled at the excitement of being to feel my son's presence. It didn't take long before my eyes blurred with tears at the sight of the clumsy handwriting from the colourful markers.
________________________________________________________________________________
Dear mommy,
I made spageti with grandmama and grandpapa. Daddy helped but grandmama was angry went daddy keept eating everything. Daddy had to leave the kitcen. Grandpapa and me laughed because it was so funny when grandmama made the spageti fly in the air and fight with daddy. He lost and ran away.
We eat with everyone but grandpapa said that vawmpiere do not eat like I do. But because they love me very mush they eat with me everyday.
I miss you mommy and I love you mommy.
________________________________________________________________________________
The second piece of the letter had drawings of spaghetti dancing in thin air while a man tries to run. There were also a woman in a bun and aprons behind the floating spaghetti and two other people at the counter - laughing.
It was such a happy photo of a good memory for my son. At least, they're treating him right and loving him in my stead. I hold the letters dearly to my chest and a sob escaped from my mouth.
