A Werewolf Fantasy -
Chapter 52
"What would he need the stone for?" Devon asked Erin.
"I don't know,” she admitted. "Maybe to go back in time and change the past?"
"I've already told you that's not possible. Everything the dream stone showed us were memories of the past. We can't change anything that happened then."
"Are you sure?" she asked uncertainly. "What if he goes back to a time in the past when Nikjin and Vak were still together in the same pack? With what he knows now, couldn't he attack his brother and kill him then? Isn't that possible?" Devon was quiet. "I... I don't know," he said. "When you put it that way, it sounds like a possibility."
Erin sighed. "I've always known that there was something very shady about Darren. But how did he manage to travel back in time? Does he have a dream stone too?"
"I don't think so. Besides, you're getting it wrong. It was Nikjin who came to the future with the help of Zokman's powers."
"So, how did Darren become aware of his past life?"
"He may have seen it as a dream, just like we did."
Both of them pondered this possibility quietly for a while. It was obvious to them now that Nikjin had somehow managed to possess Darren. He was living through him and still looking for ways to accomplish his lifelong dream of becoming the Prime Alpha of the werewolves.
"We need to keep the dream stone close to us, just in case," said Erin.
Devon chuckled. "Calm down, my love. It's perfectly safe in the gallery. Nobody else knows that it's there."
"Except Farida."
"She's human and she thinks the stone is a random cute pebble that I picked up somewhere. Obviously, she doesn't believe the legend surrounding it. She thinks I made it up."
"I thought so too," said Erin with a smile.
"Exactly. So, you see? It's perfectly disguised. Meanwhile, I still think that your dream was just that - a dream."
"It felt like a vision."
"It's normal. Your time travel experience is still very fresh in your mind. That's what it was."
She shrugged. "You're probably right," she said.
"I am absolutely right," he replied. "Now, come here and give me some sugar. It's too early in the morning for us to be awake."
Erin giggled. "Maybe I should cuddle you back to sleep," she said and reached for him under the bedsheet.
"Yeah, maybe you should," he said, feeling himself getting hard in her hand.
***
Two days later, Gary held a town hall meeting with all the pack leaders in the clan. He then informed them that after Erin and Devon's wedding, he would nominate the next Alpha to take his place. "Why don't you just choose your successor now?" Darren complained. "Aren't we all here?"
"For goodness sake, Darren!" Byron complained.
"What? Why draw out the process when we can get it over and done with now?" he asked.
"He's certainly not going to choose you," said Antoine Brown. "Not with the way you're acting like an entitled brat!"
"He's not going to choose you either," he fired back. "You are not from the line of pure breed werewolves. You have a human ancestor in your lineage."
"Are you ever going to let me make the decisions, or will you keep disrespecting me at every opportunity you get?" Gary asked, glowering at him.
"Sorry," he replied but he didn't sound sorry.
Gary glared at him. He had never disliked anyone as much as he disliked Darren right now.
"You wanted me to announce my successor here, didn't you?" he asked Darren. "Well, I think I will do just that and put you out of your misery once and for all." Everyone remained quiet and pinned their eyes on Gary eagerly, waiting to hear who he had chosen as his successor.
"Devon Grey shall be the next leader of the clan," he announced.
"What!" Darren barked, fuming. "Is that a joke?"
"Am I laughing?" Gary asked with a hard face.
"You can't just pass the baton of power to any random wolf. That fellow only joined the clan recently. He's not even here. Besides, he's not even the Alpha of his pack." "Says who?" La'Toya Black asked him. "Devon is the Alpha of the Grey Pack. His uncle, Elijah Grey, is a Beta who led the pack in Devon's absence."
"Why am I just learning of this now?" Darren asked angrily.
"Because you were too self-absorbed to learn the history of the clan," Antoine answered him. "Well, there you have it, Darren. You are next to the Prime Alpha." "We shall see about that," he replied through clenched teeth and walked out of the meeting.
"I hope he doesn't go out there and do something stupid," said Byron.
"Then he will reap the reward of his stupidity," said Gary.
"When will you tell Devon about your decision?" La' Toya asked him.
"After his wedding," he replied. "Let him enjoy his time with his mate before we saddle him with the duty of leadership."
"I'm sure he will be a good leader," said Antoine. "You have made an excellent choice."
"Thank you, Antoine," he replied with a smile. "You've always had faith in me. I hope that sometime down the line, the mantle of leadership with circle back to your pack."
"That's a nice thing to say," replied Antoine. "Come on, it's time to get you home. You need to rest."
"And on that note, this meeting is officially over," said Byron dramatically with a grin. "We have a wedding to prepare for."
***
The doorbell rang and Erin hurried to answer it. She was at Devon's house and was poring over a bridal magazine with her mother.
Devon had gone to the gallery for a meeting with Farida and a famous artist who was interested in showcasing her new collections there. It was supposed to be a brief meeting because the paper works had already been signed weeks before. Erin's welcoming smile faded when she opened the door and saw Darren standing on the other side of it.
"Uh, hi," she said nervously. "What are you doing here?"
"Where's Devon?" he asked with a blank face.
"He's not here. Did you tell him you were coming to see him?"
"No. Where is the dream stone?"
Erin nearly fainted with shock. Darren's face had somehow transformed into Nikjin's. His sneer was the same as that of the werewolf villain who had terrorized many in the past.
"I - I don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered.
"Don't play dumb with me, Edvana," he said coldly.
Her skin crawled with fear. This wasn't Darren White anymore, he was Nikjin Whitehound. How was he living in two lifetimes at the same time?"
"Erin, who's it?" her mother asked from inside.
Darren lifted his right hand which had been hidden behind him since he showed up at the door. Erin recognized the glint of the gun as he pointed the muzzle to her belly. "Don't make me kill you before your wedding day," he threatened her in a low voice. "Tell me where the dream stone is."
Erin swallowed nervously. "It's not here," she said quickly. "It's at the gallery."
"Good. Let's go then," he said, motioning to her with the gun.
"Who's at the door, Erin?" her mother asked again. "What do they want?"
"Hello, Beatrice. It's me," said Darren with as much enthusiasm as he could manage. "Erin and I are taking a stroll to the gallery. We won't be long." "Darren?" Beatrice said with a puzzled expression.
Erin closed the front door quickly. She didn't want her mother to see Darren's gun and then freak out. That would escalate things in the wrong way. "We only are a few minutes," she told her mom before following Darren.
He led her to his car, pointing the gun at her discreetly the whole time. She didn't believe that he would truly shoot her, but she didn't want to replace out anyway.
Once they were in the car, he started it and sped off immediately. Erin was too terrified to even say anything.
She wished she could warn Devon somehow but she hadn't taken her phone with her. What would happen when they got to the gallery and Darren pointed a gun at her mate too? Would he comply with Darren's demands or would he try to overpower him and get the gun?
Erin didn't want to think about it. It was a scary thought and she was afraid that things might get messy in the end.
When they reached the gallery, she was relieved to see that Devon's car wasn't in the parking lot. He must have already left.
As she got out of the car with Darren, her relief changed to worry. What would he do if he discovered that Devon wasn't there to give him the dream stone? Would he lose his temper and shoot her in anger?
"Move," he said to her, waving the gun at her.
"He's not here," she said shakily. "His car is not parked here. He must have left."
"I'm not interested in playing any merry-go-round games with you," he said nastily. "Do you know where the dream stone is or not?"
"Devon kept it but I don't know where."
He scowled dangerously. "Didn't you say it was here?"
"Yes, Devon kept it here in the gallery but I don't know exactly where."
"That's not a problem. We'll call him when we get inside. Now, move it!"
Erin couldn't imagine what was more terrifying than being held at gunpoint. Should she shape shift into her wolf and disarm him or would he shoot her before she succeeded? Was it worth risking? She entered the gallery and tried her best to act normal.
"Hey, Erin. What are you doing here?" Jade asked with a wide smile. "Devon said you weren't coming in today."
"Er... yes. I - I wasn't supposed to," Erin stuttered.
"He already left. You probably passed him on your way here," said Jade. She smiled at Darren too. "Hi, how may we help you?"
"We are together," he replied with a tight smile. "Erin wants to show me around. Right, Erin?"
She nodded vigorously. "Right," she said. "Let's go. See you later, Jade."
"Sure," said Jade, waving them in.
"Let's check his office," Erin suggested, praying in her heart that the stone wasn't there. She couldn't let Darren get his hands on that precious thing.
They entered the office and Erin checked the desk drawers first. To her relief, they were locked. She wiggled the knobs repeatedly to show Darren that she couldn't open them.
"Get away from there," he hissed at her.
She stepped away quickly and watched as he tried to. To her horror, he pulled the drawer open forcefully, breaking the knobs.
He rummaged through them quickly, making a mess as he flung papers and folders away. When he didn't replace anything inside them, he straightened himself and pointed the gun at her head. "Don't make me split your head into two with this thing," he threatened her. "Where is the fucking stone?"
Erin broke into a cold sweat. "I don't know, I swear. I never asked him where he kept it."
"Why not?"
"Because I knew I wouldn't be needing it anymore. You have to believe me!"
He could hear the fear and desperation in her voice and it turned him on. "I really want to believe you, but I think you're lying."
"I promise you, I'm not lying," she said nervously. "I really don't know where it is."
Darren cocked the gun loudly and said, "I'm going to ask you one more time. If your answer remains the same, I will pull the trigger and damn the consequences."
Erin felt her heart hammering wildly inside her chest. She was staring into the crazy eyes of Darren who was now Nikjin.
With his finger on the trigger, he asked her again, "Where is the dream stone?"
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