Music Recommendation: Endymion- Ursine Vulpine

The forest was quiet, and not a single rustle from the leaves nor a chirp from a bird was heard. Right now, in the cave James had led Noah to follow him, the two men stared at each other without blinking away.

James said to Noah with a soft chuckle, "I have been wondering who has been keeping a close eye on me, only to realise it was you who was doing that. You were the one who was pouring water on my work. Why? I thought we both were on the same page, or is it that you have turned back the page?"

Noah could tell by the look in his uncle's eyes that the man had discovered the truth and was curiously waiting to hear why he did what he did. After a good pause, he replied,

"The sea creature you are looking for is not there in the lot where you are looking for, they are better off in the sea than staying in ponds."

James asked, "Is it because you know where the sea creature is? Where has she been all this time?"

Noah hadn't known in the beginning except that Eve was a mermaid. But when one of the councilmen, Mr. Hart mentioned sitting with a golden-eyed woman, he put two plus two together.

"Or is it that you are helping the young Moriarty in reaching the sacred sea creature?" James continued to question before disappointment came to fall on his face. "What happened to being part of a family? That we have to always stick together through thick and thin?"

"I didn't know you were trying to trace what I do and don't," Noah answered calmly before adding, "You and the others enjoy keeping me on a leash, don't you?" A bitter smile appeared on his lips.

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"It is only because we care about you. About the family members but you have betrayed us. Betrayed me," James stated with a smile dying on his lips. He said, "If you had reported about the missing butler, I would have never known. Let us talk this through so we can come to an agreement rather than go in circles?"

Noah was never one to make a slip, and his one little mistake had cost him to fix it. He said, "If you wanted to speak about it, we could have done it in the mansion. You wouldn't have brought me to this place in the name of the pond."

"You have been so eager to destroy my treasures, I wanted to see if you would be interested in this place," James replied, but Noah could already start to guess why he was brought here. Far away from the mansion or the town, in an isolated place to be questioned. "Why did you kill the butler, Noah?"

Noah's fingernails grew into claws, and he answered, "He had sinned too much and I thought it was time we had a different butler. Too much of known information is never good, you never know when it might be leaked."

"Even after you knew I loved that one? You cost me a loyal butler," James noticed Noah's claws and said, "There's no need for us to fight each other. We are family by blood, and you wouldn't want to do something that you would regret. What happened, Noah? Everything was going just peacefully."

Noah smiled at his uncle's words and said, "What's the point of holding peace when things aren't peaceful?"

"What do you mean?" James asked with a slight frown.

"You have spent your life looking for the sea creature, tearing some of them away from their family. It is time you quit it. The last time you tried to meddle with one directly, one of your eyes turned blind," Noah replied in a collected voice.

Noah had withheld from saying anything before, but this man before him was far gone and was only going to turn worse. He wasn't going to let James hurt Eve, not when he was there. He would tell her... the truth.

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"Unfortunately that is not possible. You should know it better than anyone, and my lost eye can be restored by that creature. It would be wise to stand next to me, than against me," James's words showed an evident threat.

"You already know my answer," Noah responded within a heartbeat. "Which is why I advise you to stop this madness."

"This madness... you don't know the past like I do, Noah. I remember fragments and as I connect with the story that I know, it makes my blood boil because the last time I was very close," James walked towards Noah and placed his hand on the young werewolf's shoulder. "Noah, you are my weapon. You always have, and it is time to use that weapon. Not put it down and discard the future that shines ahead of us. Join with me, even your mother would be pleased. It is your mother's wish."

Noah's eyes narrowed, "Don't drag mother into this matter."

"She's the one who awakened me, Noah. Not I, but she is the one who is driving this plan to make sure our family stands at the top. I would hate for you to disappoint us," James coaxed Noah, but Noah pushed James's hand from his shoulder and said, "There is something you also need to know. Something important that we have hidden from you."

Noah hadn't retraced the claws in his hands and said, "I cannot help you with your goals anymore."

When Noah turned and started to walk out of the cave, James said, "You are my son, Noah. Mine and not Jeffry's son."

Noah's face hardened upon hearing these words, and his footsteps stopped. He knew James slept with many women, but he hadn't expected the man to sleep with his mother... or for the uncle to turn out to be his father.

His father had always been Jeffry Sullivan, not this vile man. He said, "It cannot be true."

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"Why would I lie about something so important, Noah? Haven't I always looked out for you as my son?" James's voice lowered as he said those words.

When Noah turned to face James, did the older werewolf push something sharp into Noah's stomach. The pain was excruciating.

Noah's eyes moved to James's hand that held a dagger which was now stuck to his stomach, and when James pulled it out, it made Noah gasp in silence. James stepped backwards and he said,

"Don't worry, Noah. I won't let you die soon, and we will still have a few minutes to talk with each other. The dagger is coated with a poison that takes effect slowly but surely."

Noah felt blood ooze from his stomach. But that didn't stop him from going after James by grabbing his neck. All this time, his family had always spoken about being for each other and stuck through the worst time, which was why he had believed that James would never harm him. But he had placed his bet on the wrong person.

"I followed you until now without any question. But I will kill you before you bring any more harm with your actions," Noah's fingernails dug into James's neck, but the man didn't move and stood there calmly.

"Do you understand what being your father means, Noah? You should listen before you die, it would be a pity if you didn't know the entire truth and listen very closely," James was quick enough to take the opportunity of Noah being in pain, and he punched the same place where he had wounded his son.

Noah winced, feeling the poison starting to spread in his body as his knees gave away and he fell on the snow-covered ground with drops of blood falling on the ground.

* *

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Author's Note: New book will be released by next week. AOTN will still continue, but it will end before this month. Thank you for everyone's patience <3