Protecting Peyton

Chapter Three

Colton

I stand in the office of Markus Greene, commander of the Blood Moon Troops. His yellow eyes are cool and calculating and his skin is even darker than his grand, mahogany desk. He leans back in his office chair and regards me with a nod.

"Mr. Barnes. Your family has been a godsend in these troubled times. Sharing resources and warriors whenever possible. Providing solace to the families of the fallen. Working as lookouts for the planet in this time of uncertainty. The Blood Moon Troops extend our deepest gratitude to the Stone clan. But now there have been whispers of a prophecy. Word has been received that an Empazod will come to power in the near future, then that Empazod will have a baby. We only know that this baby is the key to peace, we're not sure how- we don't have the whole prophecy-but we do know this prophecy must be fulfilled soon. I was hoping you could help."

"How can I help?"

"By helping the prophecy fulfill itself. Find a new Empazod and do whatever you can to fulfill the prophecy. I have people working on the rest of the prophecy, but I'm afraid we don't have the time to waste. We'll have to work with what we have for now."

"Wait, you mean..?" I trail off, trying to process what Mr. Greene has said.

"Do you need a diagram, son?" Mr. Greene jokes.

"No sir," I reply with a blush.

"Good. And Mr. Barnes,"

"Yes, sir?"

"This must happen soon. The Kurtev Klan has been spotted around Sharp Rock territory." Mr. Greene warns. I look at him seriously. The Sharp Rock pack was a very small pack of werewolves on the outskirts of Westbrook. They are in alliance with Satan's Scorpions, a rebel group known for their ruthless violence in the war. This was becoming very serious.

The war had started before I was born. It is all I have ever known. But I've heard my family members talking about how they miss the peace and prosperity they had before the war. They say life was easier then. Everyone helped each other out. Everyone trusted each other. Everyone felt safe. Now we all live in fear of how much worse this war could get. We take the small victories as they come, but we are always waiting for the worst to come from right around the corner.

If there is any chance to ensure peace, I'll take it. I am willing to do anything if it means my family and this Earth will be safe once again. If that means finding an Empazod and getting her pregnant, fine. If that means I may be in danger, fine. I don't care as long as everyone else is safe. I nod in acknowledgment before leaving the mansion.

Now to find an Empazod. I head to Arty's house in Northbridge, just five minutes from my home in Tisbourne. Arty has an ability to sense any supernatural being within range. He also happens to be a skilled hacker and a modern Macgyver. When he opens the door he simply looks at me then walks back inside without bothering to look back. I follow him into his dimly lit computer room where he plops down in a rolling chair. He grabs a pizza box from behind him and holds it out to me. I politely refuse. I state my dilemma and he tells me he is more than willing to help.

"Know a Peyton Fontaine? Cause that's your girl," Arty states. He is typing away at his computer distractedly.

"Thanks, Arty," I pat his back and leave him to his work.

Peyton Fontaine? The wallflower? She is the Empazod that is going to end this war? I knew Arty was reliable intel, and if he says Peyton is the girl, Peyton is the girl, but I could never have dreamed it would be Peyton. I leave Arty's house with a new determination.

***

I take a deep breath as I walk into school. This can't be too difficult. Rebekah Smith was throwing a Saint Patrick's Day party tonight then a bunch of her friends were staying the night at her house and hanging out all weekend. It seemed like a good idea given the circumstances. I wouldn't get an opportunity like this again for a while. I find Peyton in the cafeteria eating breakfast before first hour. I see the book in front of her. Her eyes drift across the page as she distractedly lifts her fork to her lips. Am I really doing this? How do I...? Why...? What if....? My mind swims with doubt. I take a deep breath. Just ask her to Rebekah's party tonight. I sit down across from her at the empty table.

"Good morning, beautiful," I greet.

"Mornin'." She barely looks up from her book.

"What are you reading?"

"The Unforgettable Vampire by Bailey Ziehmer. I just started it, but it's so cool!" She finally looks at me.

"So, you like vampires?" I ask. She probably thought I was just making conversation, but in reality, I was trying to gauge her reactions so that I was better prepared when this whole prophecy thing went down.

"I guess so. I guess I like all that supernatural stuff. To think that there is so much more to our world than we know. Admittedly, I was pretty disappointed when my letter from Hogwarts never came," she laughs and lowers the book slowly.

"Really? So you want to be a wizard?"

"Well, not really. I wouldn't want the extra baggage it came with. Ya know, saving the world, everybody wanting to kill you, just not my thing," she shrugs. Shit. Peyton, I wish I could tell you. I shake the thought and keep talking. There's something about Peyton, the way she talks, the way she smiles, everything about her. It's amazing and wonderful, and I just wanna talk to her as much as possible. Especially because she'll probably hate me after this weekend.

"So you wouldn't be a hero with cool powers?"

"I just want a simple life, what's wrong with that?"

"Nothing, if you're a muggle," I tease.

"You take that back!" Peyton gasps.

"Hmm. I'll take it back if you come to Rebekah Smith's party with me tonight," I say, surprising myself with my smoothness.

"What?" She asks incredulously.

"It'll be fun. We can dance, drink, talk some more, whatever you want," I encourage.

"Fine. I'll meet you there. Just text me the address and everything," She takes out a pen and rips a piece of paper from her notebook. She writes down her number and hands it to me.

"See you tonight, Peyton," I go to class with a triumphant smile.

*

The party is in full swing when I get there. I find Peyton leaning up against the wall with her eyes closed and head leaned back. I go up to her and say hi. I bring her to the middle of the floor to dance. Everyone is looking at her in envy or lust. I offer her a drink and she follows me to the kitchen. Arty gave me something he says will ensure the prophecy is fulfilled. I felt bad for taking advantage of Peyton, but I had very little choice in the matter. I had to protect everyone, this was the best way to do that. The drugs start taking hold and I take Peyton upstairs. She seems to like it, and I take solace in that fact. Really, Colton? You drug the poor girl,  and she doesn't totally hate you fucking her, so you feel better?!  I hate myself, but I try to rationalize that it was a necessary evil.

When we finish, I offer to take Peyton home. She assures me she's alright, so I leave with caution. I go back downstairs then decide to just go home. My mind is clouded with thoughts. Please work. Please let this turn out okay. How could I do that? Peyton doesn't deserve this. Is the prophecy even true? What if this doesn't work? This is the chance I must take for the salvation of our world.   

So, what did ya think? When I originally started writing LTS, the guy that knocked Peyton up wasn't supposed to have a name or any real significance to the story beyond causing the pregnancy. Then he got a mind of his own, wormed his way into the main plot, and got his own POV chapter. To say I was conflicted when this happened is an understatement. I didn't want to justify what Colton did, and I honestly don't. What Colton did is wrong, but I don't know that he could've done things differently and had better results. Not to mention this is fiction, so I can do what I want *sticks tongue out stubbornly* Feel free to sound off in the comments!

Catch ya later!