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𝐌 𝐀 𝐒 𝐎 𝐍

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"They've got to already be inside," Liam said as he and Dax ran in. Dax used his speed and pulled Liam with him. They arrived after Gerard shot the old guy Dax didn't know. Dax placed himself between the gun and Scott and Liam.

"This just isn't my day," The man who was shot groaned as he fell to the floor.

"This is a surprising alliance, Scott! You and Deucalion?" Gerard chuckled as Dax growled at him.

"You better hurry up and shoot me if you want to live," Dax snarled.

"And a killer, Scott? I thought I'd never see the day... How long have you been planning this clever little double-cross?" Gerard asked. He still had the gun aimed at Scott through Dax.

"Not as long as he and I have been planning this one," Argent said as he stepped forward. He tossed the cane to Dax who caught it.

"What are you doing?" Gerard snapped at Argent.

" I knew when I brought you back, it would never be about saving lives... Only about immortalizing your own," Argent and Gerard raised their guns at one another at the same time, "Scott, go... Go now!"

Dax ignored Argent and hit the old guy in the face sending him to the ground unconscious, "You can decide what to do with your own father, but if he ever threatens someone I care about again, I will take care of it."

Dax didn't wait for a response as he jogged off to catch up to Liam and Scott.

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"Scott, I'll do it," Liam said as he looked down at the cane which was in Scott's hand.

"Liam," Scott said with a concerned look.

"It should be me... I-If you get me close enough, I'll do it," Liam reached for the cane but Dax grabbed it before he could.

Dax shook his head as he looked Liam in the eye, "We're not killing our best friend. I'm not doing that again."

"That belongs to me," Sebastien said; snapping the three boys out of their conversation, "It's a family heirloom. I'd like it back please."

"Aw, you asked so nicely," Dax cooed before his face fell and he looked at Sebastien as if he were the dumbest person on planet earth, "What do you want a treat?"

"It's all yours if you give us Mason," Scott spoke up as he took a step further.

Sebastien shook his head, "Unfortunately, I would not know where to begin... And while I benefited from his memories, I don't have much use for an altar ego."

Dax, Liam, and Scott exchanged glances and gave each other small curt nods. The three of them showed their true faces, "Want it? Come and get it," Scott growled.

"Aderit murum," Dax muttered. The cane flew up to the ceiling and stayed there. Sebastien's eyes lit up bright blue. Dax smirked as he stared at Sebastien, but his smirk was wiped off his face.

"Aren't you going to do something?" Liam asked slightly concerned as shadows engulfed Sebastien.

"It's not working," Dax responded, "His bones should be breaking."

"I don't think they're breaking," Scott said before dodging an attack made by the beast. Dax landed a hit on the beast while Liam was hit back into the wall. The beast stumbled slightly before hitting Dax away.

Dax sucked in a break as he impacted the wall. He was still not fully healed from the night's previous events. Dax pushed himself off the ground. The beast hit the ground with such force that a shock wave sent Liam and Scott flying. Dax managed to use enough magic and tribrid strength to stabilize himself and not fly away like a feather.

The beast tilted its head and tried to his Dax, but Dax dodged his attack. Dax landed a well-placed kick into its chest and sent the beast staggering back. He knew it was dangerous and that it might not even work, but he had to take his chance. He dodged the beast's arm and lept up onto its shoulders. He placed his hands on the temple of the beast and tried to invade its mind and it left him vulnerable.

Sadly, his mind was not strong enough to invade the Frenchman's. He couldn't get his friend out. He disorientated the beast, but not enough to stop it from using its claws to impale Dax. Dax choked on his own blood as the beast threw him into the wall.

His neck snapped on impact due to his weakened state and the force the beast threw him with.

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Dax woke with a gasp as he launched himself up. He was surrounded by Kira, Lydia, Liam, Scott, Mason, Parrish, and Corey. He pulled Mason into a tight hug. His mouth still had his own blood in it since his lungs had been impacted by the beast's claws before his neck snapped.

"I'm so sorry," Mason muttered as he returned the hug.

Dax snapped out of his moment of bliss, "Shit, Brett," Dax muttered before using his vampire speed to get out of the tunnels and to the surface. He didn't care that it was pouring rain outside. He ran to the house, but Brett wasn't there. Dax cursed quietly to himself. He ran a hand through his hair as he let out a string of curses.

He took a deep breath and focused as much as he could on his hearing. The moment he was able to pinpoint where the screaming was coming from he bolted. He got there as fast as he could, but he was too late.

The body was laid out in the ground. It was a woman in her mid to late thirties. She had brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was wearing a stereotypical mom outfit. A blue sweater with a pink undershirt and white pants. Her neck was ripped open and her blood was covering her. It was all over her neck, in her hair, and all over her clothes.

Brett was next to her. His knees were drawn into his chest with his arms wrapped tightly around his legs. His head was buried in his knees as he rocked himself back and forth softly. He was crying. The sight broke Dax's heart.

Dax didn't hesitate. In an instant, he was by Brett's side and pulling the younger boy into his chest. Brett looked up to Dax with teary eyes, but they were different. They were bright blue, instead of yellow, and they were surrounded by red due to his vampire status. Blood covered his mouth.

"Hey, it's okay," Dax hummed as he hugged Brett tightly, "It's okay."

"I-I'm a monster," Brett muttered as he cried, "I-I couldn't help it. She scraped her knee... and I- I- I just couldn't... I couldn't stop."

"I know," Dax muttered, "It's okay."

"But it isn't," Brett cried harder as he buried his face into Dax's chest. Dax couldn't help but feel the guilt pile up and crash down on him. Brett didn't deserve that. He never wanted to hurt anyone. Dax hated himself for what he did to Brett. He knew he deserved Brett's hate, but he really hoped he didn't have it.

"I'll take care of you. I got you," Dax whispered, "You'll learn."

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"No, I don't want them to see me like this," Brett shook his head vigorously as he pulled his knees into his chest.

"Brett," Dax said softly as he pushed the hair across his boyfriend's forehead, "It doesn't matter to them. They're your family."

"Just come up with something. I can't face them," Brett answered as he turned away. Dax frowned but he didn't push it. He quietly put Brett to sleep since he knew he couldn't leave the younger boy on his own. It was too risky at the moment. He took a deep breath as he looked up to the house and bit his lip as he had no idea what to say.

He slowly pulled himself out of the car and up to the front door. He continued to chew on his lip as he knocked on the door. He kept his head down as he wracked his brain for what to say. He looked up when the door opened. Lori had red puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She threw her arms around Dax and she cried. Dax's eyes widened slightly as he looked down at Lori. He returned the hug.

"He's dead, Dax!" She sobbed.

"Lori Dory, we need to talk," Dax said softly as he rubbed her back, "Is Satomi here?" Lori nodded as she pulled away from Dax. She wiped her eyes as she led him into the house. Satomi was in a heated discussion with someone from her pack. It quieted the second Dax walked into the room. Dax looked around, slightly uncomfortable.

"What is it, Lori?" Satomi asked as she turned around.

"Dax wanted to talk."

"What is it, Dax?"

"Uh... um... Can we talk... just us?" Dax stumbled out. He did not want to be alone with Satomi, but he also didn't like the way the creepy Asian kid was looking at him. Satomi nodded and she led Dax to another room. Dax pulled out his phone and played music so that no one could listen in on their conversation, "Brett... He um... Brett isn't dead."

"He's like you, isn't he?" Satomi asked. Dax nodded, "What happened?"

"There was a very deadly, very old werewolf resurrected. It uh... the frequency that turned the werewolf, screwed me up in ways I can't describe. It was like being high, drunk, hungover, and in a spinning room all at once, but worse. Brett got injured fighting it..." Dax bit his lip as he glared at the floor. He balled his fists as he struggled to keep his anger in check, "He wasn't healing and I could see parts of him I never want to see again. I gave him my blood, but Scott needed help, and I thought that he would be safe with my friends... I was wrong," Dax admitted softly as a tear rolled down his cheek, "A... Someone from my past killed him... He can't control himself. He might very well be the first of a new species, so I'm taking him to get help."

Satomi wrapped Dax into a hug, "Just bring my boy back safe," Dax nodded as he buried himself in the hug he didn't know he needed.

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"What did they say?" Brett asked the moment Dax woke him.

"Satomi told me to bring you back safe. That's it," Dax answered. Brett cursed under his breath as he ran a hand through his hair, "What is it, boo?"

"I go against everything we teach now..." Brett muttered as he stared at his hands where the blood of the woman had been before, "I can't control myself, I'm effectively immortal... and I killed that woman," Brett began to cry. Dax ignored the awkward angle the middle console gave him and wraooed his arms around his boyfriend. He kissed Brett's shoulder.

"You'll learn. Just like you did  with your little wolf self," Dax assured him.

"You don't get it!" Brett snapped as he jerked away from Dax. Dax sat back in his seat giving Brett space. Brett's face fell as he realized how harshly he put his words, "I could get kicked out for it," Brett said quietly as he stared at his feet. Dax waited for him to explain, "That's how we avoided detection for so long. We were a huge pack before the deadpool, and we survived by a set of rules. Breaking those rules got you kicked out. They were harsh rules, but they were necessary with how many werewolves Satomi was in charge of. We helped omegas as much as we could, but if they couldn't follow the rules we cut them loose... I'm... I'm going to get cut loose," Brett's voice broke like a crayola crayon in the hands of a toddler.

"Oh, boo," Dax said softly as he took in the grief stricken state of his boyfriend, "It's going to be okay. We'll figure it out. Promise."

Brett leaned towards Dax and Dax took that as his signal. He climbed over the middle console and into Brett's lap. It was cramped, but neither of them cared. Dax pulled Brett's head into his chest as he cried. He hummed and whispered sweet nothings as he tried to calm him down.

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Annnnd that's a wrap for Book Two. Keep an eye out for Book Three!