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𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏

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SYRETIA had gone home the following morning after waking up on the couch with Darrin snoring loudly. He had been up most of the night, she kept waking up seeing him pace around the living area before he'd go outside. She'd doze off again until he'd return, his heavy footsteps thundered against the hardwood floor never failing to wake her up.

She was currently sitting in her small kitchen, sipping at a small mug of coffee. Syretia wasn't a big fan of it, but it was helping her feel more awake and alert. She couldn't help it as her mind continued to wander to Ettore. There was a dull, painful feeling in her chest, almost like she had lost something of importance. But she didn't have anything to lose to begin with.

Syretia lifted the mug to her mouth, inhaling the scent of the dark brown liquid; she loved the smell of coffee. She took another sip, welcoming the burning sensation that assaulted her mouth. She set the mug back down before standing up and making her way over to the partially opened window; it was cold. Usually, she enjoyed the cold breeze that made the billowing curtains sway in the early morning, it made her wake up faster. She slammed the window shut, the curtains instantly falling into place with just a small sway to them until they stilled.

She let out a long, loud aggravated sigh. She didn't understand what was going on. She was still wrapping her head around the whole werewolves being real thing. And now for some reason she was experiencing heartache over a man she barely knew. She'd never experienced that feeling before, sure she had had boyfriends in the past but they had never made her heartache. It was a foreign concept and it freaked her out. She shuffled back over to the table about to grab the mug of coffee again when her phone rang.

"Hello?" Her voice was groggy and strained.

"Syretia! Where are you!?" Welma's concerned voice erupted in her ear. Syretia pulled the phone away from her ear a bit before replying.

"At home, why? Did something happen?"

"Darrin took off with the other warriors, another presence broke through the border of our territory."

"Do you want me to come? I can be there in, like, twenty minutes," She asked, fiddling with the mug's handle. She wasn't sure why she asked, she didn't even think she'd be of any help. She was only human. But it ended up coming out of her mouth anyway, word vomit.

"No! Stay there, it isn't safe!" Then the line cut off. She figured something urgent came up so she just stuffed her phone into the pocket of her sweatpants and made her way into the living room. She flopped down onto the couch, a fuzzy blanket soon became her cocoon as soon as she nestled into the plush cushions.

Comfort, warmth, security.

She closed her eyes, letting out a satisfied hum before opening them again and turning on the Roku box. She scrolled through Netflix, deciding on a movie she had watched a gazillion times. Pretty In Pink. She was just Syretia; at home; in her comfies; enjoying a good movie. She wasn't going to let her mind dwell on werewolves because their business was none of her concern.

VINDICATIO leaped over a small gully as the others had before him, where they stumbled with their landings he landed perfectly. He couldn't help but lift his head and swish his tail in a braggadocios manner.

Chaska, feeding into his jealousy, lunged at him, sharp teeth digging into his neck. Vindicatio let out an enraged snarl at the male's audacity. He felt his form shifting, altering. Until he stood tall on two legs, towering over the others, Chaska still hanging onto his neck with lockjaw. Odessa, Talise, and Moki wore the same expression on their wolfish faces. Shock, terror, submission. They all craned their necks as Vindicatio ripped Chaska from his own, like a measly tick, sending his blood flying in different directions. Chaska was tossed effortlessly onto the ground, his body bouncing along a few times from the force. Chaska lay still for a moment before his side began to rise and fall from labored breaths as he was undoubtedly shaken. His big blue eyes took in Vindicatio's lycan form, a whimper escaped his blood coated lips as he weakly craned his neck like the others.

Unlike the others in wolf form, in his lycan form, Vindicatio could speak.

"I can trust that you won't fall out of line, right?" He growled out as he stormed over to Chaska, picking him up by his neck. "Pathetic," he spat. Chaska let out a yelp as Vindicatio dropped him again. "No more petty interruptions, am I clear? You're to take me back to the sanctuary and that's an order. I've followed you for long enough and I have yet to attack you out of jealousy." Chaska stood up on wobbly legs, his large head nodding up and down before he took lead again, a slight limp in his step. Talise and Moki remained silent, following after Chaska, their tails lifeless and slightly tucked as they trotted along. Odessa's wolf looked almost mesmerized by Vindicatio's lycan form, she watched as the others disappeared into a thicket before slowly making her way over to him. He watched as she circled him, looking him up and down, she had never seen such a gorgeous beast; a lycan. She returned to the front of him before letting out a small howl before she too disappeared into the thicket.

Vindicatio sniffed the air, able to locate them effortlessly as his form took on a quadruped stature again. They reeked of honeysuckle and pine. Two scents that stuck out from the wet, dewy earth, cedar trees, and moss. He broke into a sprint finding them near a familiar log that stretched across the expanse of a raging river, the water crashing against the eroding sides with exposed boulders and tree roots.

Chaska stood next to the log, head lowered as Vindicatio stepped past, head held high as he leaped up onto it easily. The mist from the rushing water accumulated on his fur and nose. He sniffed the air, the scent of normal wolves filling his nose. He jumped back down and was about to shift when a group of four wolves charged from the other side. He instantly recognized the light gray one with piercing silver eyes. The male that caused this chain of events. He snarled.

He was too stupid to realize that he was the true cause of it all or rather, Ettore was when he had fled out of jealousy.

The light gray wolf came to a halt at the bank of the river flanked by the other three. Chaska, regaining a burst of confidence made his way to the bank of the river and began growling and snapping his jaws instigating them. Soon Talise and Moki joined in running up and down the bank followed by two other wolves on the other side. Odessa stood next to her brother, calm and collected, not bothered in the slightest by the commotion around her. 

Suddenly, Chaska jumped to the side plowing his smaller sister over and onto the ground as he joined in with Talise and Moki who were still antagonizing the other wolves. Odessa let out a surprised yelp as she laid flat on the muddy bank, a stunned look in her giant brown eyes. She regained her composure and got to her feet, her right side caked in mud. She lunged at her brother taking him down, snapping her jaws at him. Everyone stopped what they were doing to watch. Vindicatio kept his eyes locked with the familiar silver ones before he ripped his gaze away and jumped between Chaska and Odessa snapping his jaws at both of them. Chaska narrowed his eyes before walking over to Moki and Talise who were now silent. Odessa flattened her ears back snarling at Vindicatio for interrupting her fight.

Darrin watched the odd scene unfold from the other side, he was vigilant and calculated. He recognized the massive wolf on the other side. He didn't carry the same scent as the werewolves. He believed him to be Ettore. He watched as the massive wolf shifted into an unfamiliar human form. A tall young man with bronzed skin and dark hair. The man turned his gaze to the group of wolves and thanked them before looking over his shoulder, his eyes connecting with Darrin's once again. A shiver ran down Darrin's spine, he had never seen eyes so menacing. So animalistic.