Alcohol in the Morning

SCOTT POV

"Am I not welcome?", he asked as he remove his black Fedora hat.

"Apparently, there's still an ample of understanding and respect I have left for you.", I cleared my throat and led him to the bar. "I'm actually suprised to see you, old man", I replied. Stanley could hardly walk in those two feet, even with a cane. Just as I possibly assume, he might have finished a month long supply of a cannister of his wonder pills in only a few days. He grunted in his every step, and sighed in relief as he reach for the glass window directed towards the bar. The last time we saw each other, he was strong like a bull, ready to attack Diana with his horns.

"Brandy?", I offered while I fill a glass at an angle. An alcohol in the morning would be perfect for a day my Luna slipped through my fingers. After spending the night with her, I thought we're just fine. I was wrong.

My heart is in distraught from the fact that Diana carries her heavy burdens on her own without considering me to be someone she could lean on. Diana chose to go her way alone, when my arms are wide open to be alongside her through everything that's troubling her mind and heart.

I don't underestimate Diana's capabilities, having it known that she have proven her moral strength to resist danger several times. Even if she can't transform to a wolf, Diana have always have that astounding courage. She was shaped to become a strong and independent woman, which I totally admire.

But...

She have me.

Diana already have me. She doesn't need to fight her endeavors alone, or endure moments in solitary. If only she told me her worries, I would have at least understand why she left. So I guess, she didn't trust me. Not at all.

Filling out all the blanks and missing pieces from her deep sighs and hold backs, I ended up making an entire thought I refuse to believe. Was it because I might have possibly turned to a monster? She fears me for her safety. If only I paid more attention on the fear in her eyes, and the heavy tears she cried, I would have known. High with my intense affection for her, I missed the hidden message in her tight hugs and sweetest kisses, like bidding farewell. Then I thought, she never said the three words that Inwanted to hear, because she wouldn't mean it if she did.

"Bad morning?", Stanley asked as he look out the concrete jungle from my window. From behind the bar, I can tell Stanley's body is trembling incessantly.

"For quite a while, yes", I drank the brandy all in one go. Uninterested with Stanley's purpose of coming here, I drew near him and intended to find out why he suddenly appeared after what happened in the town so he can leave right away, given that I have to look for my Luna.

"You haven't found her?", he grunted as we stood side by side by the large panel of glass window.

"Looks like you need her more than I do", I replied.

He smacked his lips and sighed, "How have you been coping?".

"Everything will fall into place, eventually, just like Sebastian, being the CEO.. and Alarick, as a free man", I placed my hands in my pockets as I stood by.

"The company is collapsing.", he said. "With only a few days of Sebastian being in the position, our butts are already getting hurt from the losses.", I glanced at him who's still staring out in the window. "The old trusted employees have resigned, leaving a great number of novices with less knowledge and experience. The pack stayed out of the way too. Sebastian could hardly pull it through and without a doubt, your brother is struggling, son. He needs your guidance", he looked at me with eyes of a puppy asking for milk and cookies.

"I'm sure you all can handle it", the position was never mine so I don't find any reason to be part of any of it. "Anything else? I have much more important things to do", I walked away leaving him dumbfounded.

I was midway to the stairs when he spoke. "The clan have already found a candidate to replace you as an Alpha.", he said.

I stopped and turned around to face the man whom I thought would stand by me against all odds. "So it's true, you have been working your ass off to get rid of me", I said feeling my heart sting a little.

He then faced me and tried to walk a little closer. "He haven't accepted or rejected the idea, however he's being considered and we've been waiting for his answer", he said.

With a hardened face, I tried to grasp the idea of why why this old man still bothered to come all the way here just to tell me these things. "Okay", I said briefly.

"Okay? That's what you have to say?", he squinted his eyes at me as he held on his cane tightly. "That's what I hate about you Scott. You say okay to everything.", he said with a frown. "You say okay when I tell you to exchange rooms with your brothers. Three times. You say okay when I tell you to give your car to your sister. You say okay when I ask you to get married with a stranger. You say okay when I turned you to the youngest CEO of the company. You say okay to everything", he said.

"Nothing will change if I say no. Even if I resist, you'll still insist what you want. And I'll never go against you, my siblings, and the people I cherish", I answered.

"But not for that Luna", he answered. "You changed when that Luna arrived. It was then you started to say no.. and that was also the same time I feared for myself, my children and the clan. You might go against us for that Luna", he added.

"Isn't that what you want? For me to learn to say no?", I said.

"You pleases us in everything. Being the Alpha, the great son, the protective brother and CEO of the company.. You are perfect in every way, that you became the apple of our eyes. It pains me, Scott, to be rejected by my son who have never said no to me, all for a fake wolf", he slowly walked towards the side table at the corner and leaned on it for a while. "I'll return everything to you. The position of the CEO in the company, becoming the Alpha of the clan, and your entire family. I won't have to ask you to kill the Luna, but just surrender her to me", he said as he took out an empty cannister of pills from his pocket and placed it down on the table.

"Have you lost your mind?", I darkened my eyes and clenched my fists. "I am an Alpha by blood, a title that is something you could never strip off from me. And My Luna is not something you could own for that stupid addiction", releasing a dark aura, I was about to send it off to him when I stopped. "Leave now old man, before I do something I would regret", I said.

"Think about it Scott. The offer will last until the new Alpha haven't agreed", he said as he struggled walking to the elevator. I watched him limp and tremble proudly until the elevator door closes.

I sighed sharply through my mouth. If that's not Stanley, I would have thrown him out of the window in a blink of an eye. That was very gutsy to say out of his great desperation, but I will never give Diana to him only to get the things I've lost.

Going upstairs to get my car keys, I heard Ofir's tiny footseps approaching. "That's a nice father you have there", he said.

"Don't start if you don't want me to boil you in a pot", I threatened as I hurriedly go down the stairs. He gestured zipping his mouth with his hand. "Hey, do you teleport?", I asked.

"It's not hey. My name is Ofir, Lycan King", he said as he rolled his eyes, " Yes I do, and where are we going?", he asked.

"Good.. let's go where Diana probably is", I said as he frown. I stood beside Ofir then he snapped his fingers teleporting us to where I presume Diana have gone to.

In a few seconds, we were right in front of a large wooden door. "Are you sure she's here?", Ofir asked as he opened the door gently with a flick of his hand.

"Not really.", I answered sneaking in. Gladly, there were no people around. I could also not sense anyone nearby. We entered the Woodsworth Residence and quietly went straight down the basement. My eyes adjusted in the dark, seeing everything clear as a day, while Ofir glowed like the sun.

Heading onto the door with a moon and moonstone on it that Diana was saying, I tried to open it but it won't budge. "It's locked with a spell, you see?", Ofir said as he point on the markings on the door.

"Then do something to open it", I ordered as I push him to the door.

Grunting in annoyance, he placed his palm towards the door and circled it a few times as he said, "Destruam Ostium". The door broke down into million pieces at Ofir's command.

We entered the room and found the original vampire Diana was telling about. She was sitting on a pedestal with markings beneath her chair. "Claudia?", I called as she glared at me from where she was seated. "I'm here to free you", I said.

"I don't think that's good idea", Ofir said as he hid behind me.