CHAPTER 112

With a newspaper in his hands, reading a featured article that reported his father's death with a serene look on his face, Chris Argent sat on a bench in the subway as he waited for the next train.

Looking at his watch, he noted the time was a quarter past ten and just as soon as he did that, he heard the familiar horn of the train and stood up along with the other passengers waiting to board.

Entering the compartment, he saw that it was almost empty with only six people in it. Five of them were standing behind the sixth who was sitting, an old woman comparable to Gerard in age.

With relaxed steps, he made his way towards the woman and sat in her booth. His eyes noted the position of the men, clearly understanding how screwed he would be if a fight broke out, unless he took the woman in front of him hostage. Something he'd never do even if he had twice the courage.

"Christian." She called out with a smile on her face.

"Quite far from home, aren't you. I didn't know the Calaveras had business in America."

Chris' words drew snorts from the two men directly behind the old woman while she just chuckled to herself.

"Oh mijo, don't play dumb." She jokingly chided. "Home to us Hunters, is anywhere we are needed."

"Which is why I'm saying you're far from home." Chris said. His blatant refusal to humor her and the demeanor he carried himself with since he stepped inside the compartment told just how serious he was.

Doubly more so when it came to the woman in front of him.

From the top Hunting family of Mexico, one equally comparable to the Argents in size and influence, sat the Matriarch of the Calavera – Araya Calavera.

Unlike the Argents however, while they did strictly adhere to the code like an imperial law, they were very ruthless in their dealings with werewolves and other supernatural creatures that fell in their radar.

An extremist Hunting family would be Chris Argent's description of them. Especially the woman in front of him.

"Learn to appreciate humor, niño. It'll help you stay sane for a while longer." Like a mirror's reflection, without even moving a muscle, she displayed the same serious look Chris had.

"What are you going to do now? Not only did you lose your sister, but also your father, Gerard, a peer of mine. I want to know what the patriarch of the Argent Family plans to do now, specifically concerning the last Hale Alpha."

Pretenses and humor cast aside, she went straight to the point of her visit.

Chris folded his hands, already expecting a reason like this but it still irritated him to no end regardless.

"Nothing."

Chris' interruption left her and her entourage a bit perplexed.

"What do you mean?" She asked tentatively.

With arms folded across his chest, Chris reiterated his words. "Exactly that – nothing. Until further provocation or breach of the code, the Argent Family will keep a watchful distance from Derek Hale and his pack."

Chris' words sounded like a bomb in the ears of those in the compartment.

It took a second for it to fully register and when it did, the hands of the five men behind Araya Calavera went straight to gun holsters but a raised hand from Araya stilled their hands.

Casting a severe look at Chris, the old matriarch confronted him on his words with a frigid tone. "Explain yourself, Christian Argent. Are you surrendering to the wolf that killed your father?"

Chris remained unfazed at her implicating accusation and replied calmly. "No such thing. First of all, the workings of the Argent Family and my decisions that guide it affects nothing that should concern you or your family. Secondly, I admit that my family were in the wrong with Kate's actions and the events that followed were in retaliation to that-"

"That doesn't excuse your surrender."

"Because it's not a surrender. It's a truce, and last I checked, this isn't the first time something like this has happened. The blood feud has been resolved and like I'm sure you very much understand, both Kate and my father's death were a result of them breaking the code that has guided all Hunting Family for centuries – they killed innocent humans and werewolves with their actions."

Chris had long pondered on it and in his efforts to make everything less complicated, he decided to simply adhere to the code. He could cross the line with ease if he wanted but that was something he resolved to do only if he was forced to.

Not caring for how much his words must have driven her to a seething rage, he continued.

"The Calaveras and the Argents have been allies for a long time and I hope that continues. What I however will not allow to stand is the mindless bloodshed Kate's action caused.

Hearing all what Chris had said, the old matriarch pushed aside her anger at what she perceived as the hubris of a younger generation and calmly pondered his words.

"And what reason do you have for not honoring a respected Hunter such as Gerard's death?" She questioned.

If before Chris' voice had flowed like a calm and tranquil lake, now it held the coldness of a waterfall hitting against rocks. "He threatened to kill my daughter."

Now she was surprised, not too shocked by it, but very surprised.

"And before that, he tortured Derek Hale's betas to force him to give him the bite. That alone is more than enough reason for me to leave his body to rot in the wild, whether by my duty as a father to protect his child or the duty that falls on me as the Argent patriarch to carry out punishments to those who break the code."

The two family heads stared at each other, Araya Calavera with a scrutinizing gaze while Chris Argent with cold resolved eyes.

Their tense stare down was broken with a hearty laugh from the Calavera matriarch. "Oh mijo! You will make a very fine Hunter with eyes like that. Sometimes I envy you Argents." She said as she stood up and dusted the sleeves of the shirt she wore.

"And here I thought that I'd have to remind you of what it means to be a Hunter and the head of a Hunting Family. Don't disappoint me now, mijo."

Chris snorted. "With all due respect, my actions are not for you to judge but don't worry. I don't plan on sullying my family's name. I take it you won't be attending the funeral?"

She shook her head. "Seeing my peers being put in a box and buried under the ground is a sour reminder of how close my time in this world is to running out. I'd rather have it take me by surprise if I am to choose." She responded with a wizened smile.

Chris nodded and stood up with a stretched out hand that was taken for a firm handshake that he even felt an acute tingle from her tight grip.

"I'm dropping off at the next stop. Do extend my greetings to your wife and daughter." As she spoke, one of the men behind her came forward and draped an overcoat over her. "I doubt you've had the chance to exchange pleasantries. This is my son, Severo."

The two men nodded at each other in cordiality after a handshake.

The train came to a stop and they followed being their matriarch and left Chris alone.

"What it means to be a Hunter, huh?" He muttered while slipping back into his seat until something caught his sight.

An old tarot card with a skull on its back – the symbol of the Calaveras. A token of their continued friendship.

He took the card and alighted the train after a few more stops.

…..

[Tristan Hayes POV]

Tristan grimaced in a show of visible annoyance as he and his friends sat in their usual spot in the cafeteria. Only this time they were joined by more than a few people.

Though he ignored them, he could somewhat understand why Erica and Isaac were sitting with them. It's not any secret that he has helped Derek out a couple of times and so it was due to their Alpha's trust in him and friendly relation with his Alpha. Understandable.

Stiles and Scott? Probably tagging along with Erica and Isaac as Scott is still considered Derek's beta and maybe a sense of camaraderie due to them joining hands in helping save Derek and his pack. Annoying but relatable, so he fully ignored them.

The problem however, and also the reason for the tempting desire to sink his fangs in one of their necks, came from Lydia hanging out with them. Her presence in his friend circle drew in a small crowd of her usual clique; from guys from his team to girls from Lydia's group.

The worst part of it all was that Lydia had no idea how to drive them away and she too appeared a bit awkward which she expertly hid thanks to her high social skills.

"You look like you are about to flip the table and drive a fork into someone's neck." Boyd commented as he noticed the look on Tristan's face. He's gotten quite good at reading the usual blankness on his friend's face.

Tristan shook his head. "Definitely not a fork."

"Eh?"

He blocked out the chatter around him, the voice calling for his attention, and Erica trying to get a rise out of Malia and Allison by flirting with him.

'If associating with all of them will prove that I can make friends, then I'm sorry grandma. I'm not making any more friends.'

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