Maybe

Maybe
DECLAN

“Declan,” Beck announced his presence as he stepped into the room. I signaled to him to shut the door, and he did.

“Sit down.”

He did. “What's up?” He asked.

I grabbed the letter on the table and stalked him slowly.

“Why is Vince Walker fixing a time and place to fight with you?” I asked, slamming the letter into his chest, gently but with a subtle aggressiveness.

The room became more silent. I waited for him to speak but he wouldn't. He was rereading the letter, as if looking for a part that would indicate Vince Walker was kidding. He was slowly zoning out too.

“Beck.” I snapped my fingers in his face. He flinched and finally raised his head. The fear in his eyes was enough proof that he was anticipating this.

“What did you do to him?” I asked, standing in front of him. His gaze was on me but his mind was wandering. I snapped my fingers in his face again. “Tell me.”

“I, uh, I shot Trent.”

“Say that again?”

“I shot his son.” He confessed with trembling lips.

“You shot him by mistake?” I added, just to be clear.

“No. I aimed at him.”

“You what?!”

“I know. I know I shouldn't have.” He was on his feet, raking his hair miserably. His growing anxiety was beginning to rub off on me. “But I had no other choice. Vince had turned into a beast and was eating up our men. And Trent had morphed into his wolf and helped his Father. I had to do something.”

“And the only thing you thought of was to shoot him? Did you lose your mind, you bloody fool?!”

“Why are you mad at me?!” He yelled back. “Shouldn't you be pleased that I killed him? That I took revenge for what his Father did to us? You should be thanking me, man. Not scolding me.”

“I would have thanked you if you had the smartness to be subtle about your actions. If you'd secretly shot at Trent, then maybe I wouldn't be so agitated. But you openly did. Vince knows you killed his son. Do you think he's gonna spare you? He already set a date for a fight, nitwit. What are you gonna do about that?”

“I don't know, man! Okay? I just did what I had to do. I didn't think about the consequences.”

“You didn't think about telling me either.”

“I'm sorry.” He said defeatedly. I couldn't continue scolding him so I just gave it a rest.

The only thing on my mind right now was what I'd do to keep Vince away from him.

“You're not gonna let him hurt me, right?” He asked. He might not want to admit it, but he has the ‘Vince dread’, just like everyone else. We might hate him but we dread him just as much. Especially when he's yearning for revenge like this.

“Maybe if you'd help me escape, then—”

“Don't say nonsense. There's no escaping. You're staying here. Right now, those woods ain't safe for you. If Vince wants you, then there's a million chances his men are in those woods, waiting to grab you. The safest place for you right now is here, next to me.”

He nodded. Dude was beginning to sweat profusely. I patted his shoulder, giving him an affirmative nod.

I'd never let anything bad happen to him. Vince will need to kill me to get to him. I can't lose the only family I have right now.



VINCE


The flames went up as the intense fire burned the remains of my son to ashes. We were doing a more traditional funeral, as opposed to the very ‘sophisticated’ funeral the elders had proposed.

My son was being burned on an ancient pyre, with the golden stones surrounding him. I made sure to include every detail from the ancient funeral rites. Enough to piss these fucking elders off. And also, enough to make peace with Trent's soul.

The incessant wailing lasted for hours. I wasn't sure if the people were wailing because they were glad he's gone or because they really still do love him and they're gonna miss him.

But I do know Vanessa was wailing her heart out because she just lost the only thing she ever treasured in life. And somehow I feel guilty for it.

She's a bloody witch but she didn't deserve to lose her son. I'm just as bad and I don't think I deserve to lose Elena or Claire. So Vanessa didn't deserve to lose Trent. And for that, I feel sorry and guilty.

But no matter how sad and guilty I feel, I can't bring myself to cry. It's been hours of listening to heart-wrenching wails from every corner. They should have been enough to bring me to tears. But not a single tear came to my eyes and that makes me feel painfully shitty right now.

It was finally time to leave the burial ground. The crowd dispersed first and then the foreign Alphas, Luke included, followed. Then the elders, whom I'm gonna deal with later, followed. Until it was just us.

“C'mon, man.” Leo patted my back. “Let's head home.”

“Go ahead. I need a few more minutes.” I nodded at him. He lingered for seconds before leaving with Richard.

Vanessa was on the ground, sobbing. I got closer to her. I didn't touch her. But she knew I was by her side.

“Are you happy now?” She began. “I bet you are.”

I wish I were. I fucking wanna be happy that he's gone. I'd give anything to be happy right now. To gloat in her face. To make her feel worse than she already does. But I'm not happy. And I hate that.

“He was my son too, Vanessa. Don't be silly.”

She was sobbing harder now. “My poor baby. He didn't deserve all the pain you put him through.”

“No. He didn't.” Confessing that crushed me into bits. It felt like I was accepting that I was the villain in the feud between me and Trent.

“I hope you're never free of the guilt you feel right now. You ruined my baby's life. I hope that fact haunts you forever.”

It will. That goes without saying.

“But he was sorry, Vanessa. At the very least, he knew he played a part in all the misery we've been through. You're the only one living in denial.”

“He shouldn't have been sorry. He didn't do anything wrong. You and Elena betrayed him!”

I didn't wanna banter words with her. I had more important things to say to her than that.

“Miguel will take you to the foreign packs. You'll have your face treated there. I hope you can find a new reason to be happy again. But I also hope we don't ever cross paths again.”

She looked at me. “Really?”

“Really. I need you a thousand miles away from me. For my sanity's sake.”

She dropped her gaze. “Do you hate me that much?”

“I detest you, Vanessa. That’s never gonna change. Trent's death didn't give me Amnesia. I still remember bit by bit every nasty shit you did to Elena and to me, but you're Trent's mother and I think I should give you a little bit of grace for that. I think I'm always gonna acknowledge that fact.”

We remained silent. The soft breeze held a chilly dose of melancholy.

“What about you?” She broke the silence. “What are you gonna be doing? Still chasing Elena?”

“I'll end the war and get some rest. I'm fucking exhausted.”

“With Elena?”

I scoffed. “What do you wanna hear so bad?”

“I wanna know if you're gonna still be shameless enough to chase that woman after she ruined your relationship with your son.”

“I'm always gonna chase her. I don't care how far she runs. I'm always gonna be right on her tail. I just hope she stops running. I'm getting exhausted.” Even my breathing screams ‘exhaustion’.

Another icy silence.

“Maybe your love for that woman is your punishment. Maybe that unrequited obsession you have for her is heaven's way of punishing you for your infidelity and all the agony it caused me.”

I gave it a thought and my heart shattered at how accurate that sounded.

“Maybe.” I accepted my ugly fate, with a bleeding heart filled with tears and regrets.

I turned around, heading back home. But I couldn't resist the urge to glance at the pyre one last time.

Fly high, son. You'll always be a Walker.