"To make our wolf pack stronger, to ensure our survival, I had to make this choice, whether you hate me for it or not, Jeremy," Byron declared, gazing fearlessly at Jeremy's tightly clenched fists.
At that moment, Celeste could sense the coursing fury within Jeremy's veins. Clearly, anger had clouded his mind, for he now radiated a presence that even overshadowed Byron himself.
"Don't look at me like that, Jeremy. It's all the arrangement of fate. If I hadn't taken those steps, chances are you wouldn't have met Celeste at all." The words seemed to possess a magical charm, instantly snuffing out the invisible flames that had engulfed Jeremy's being.
Byron stood up from the ground and sat back in his seat again.
"But it still doesn't change the fact that you're still an asshole," Jeremy growled through gritted teeth, returning to Celeste's side.
Celeste landed her hand on Jeremy's shoulder and asked, "What exactly did those hunters do to Jeremy's original wolf pack?"
"I'm not sure. Nothing happened on the day of the swap, but the next day I learned that their wolf pack had been attacked. When I arrived, their territory was in ruins."
"Ruins? What about the other werewolves? How many of them survived?" Celeste pressed on.
Byron's head shook with a mix of confusion and concern. "No sight of them. Not a single werewolf, not even a carcass to be found. Now that I thought about it, those hunters might have employed the same sinister tactics they've recently used on our pack. They took away every last wolf, not even leaving a trace."
This realization sank upon them all, casting a heavy blanket of silence. For a million times, Celeste wondered what the hell did these hunters truly aim to achieve.
"So, how the heck did you and Kent end up crossing paths?"
"The next day, when I arrived at the ruins, I saw the kid. But the moment he laid eyes on me, he bolted like a frightened rabbit. I pondered over it later, and I reckon it was probably because my scent was all over the place. He probably mistook me for some enemy lurking in the shadows." Byron paused, giving his temples a gentle rub. "You know, when he joined our wolf pack, I sensed a faint familiarity in that kid's scent. But it had been so long and it never once occurred to me that he was the same boy from way back when."
"Speaking of scents, if you had switched the babies, wouldn't the parents be able to recognize their own child's scent? That just doesn't make sense."
Byron took a moment to gather his thoughts.
"Goddess! You got any more secrets up your sleeve?" Jeremy snapped.
Byron grumbled. He had spilled the beans on all the major secrets already, and blabbering any more wouldn't hurt, probably. "Alright, fine. I dabbled in a bit of scent magic."
"Scent magic? Hold up! How in the world does a werewolf like you even know about scent magic? You must be truly resourceful, Byron. With your capacity, if even you can't make the wolf pack stronger, then who can?" Celeste chimed in, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
"You just don't get it, Cel? The real deal is Luna's importance to the whole damn wolf pack. A wolf pack without Luna—"
"A wolf pack without a Luna is weak and could never be strong," Celeste interjected, completing Byron's unfinished sentence without missing a beat. Now, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. Who even said that? And where was the proof, huh? Her stomach churned at the mere mention of the rule.
Their own wolf pack had been leading a calm and content life for a good two decades without Luna. Sure, they might not have been the fiercest and mightiest bunch out there, but if their pack was happy in its own little wolfy ways, that counted as strength, didn't it? And Kent's pack? They didn't have Luna either, yet they were strong enough to take on their own kind. Wasn't that a slap in the face to the whole Luna theory?
"That is the truth. Straight from the mouth of the Moon Goddess herself. And let me tell you, the Moon Goddess never messes up," Byron grumbled under his breath.
Celeste couldn't help but give him an exasperated eye roll. Why did the Moon Goddess always have to be involved in every single thing? Celeste couldn't help but question whether the Moon Goddess was truly a force for good or harbored some mischievous intentions.
"Alright, what about my long-lost twin brother then?"
The room, which had briefly relaxed, instantly turned frosty again. The answer was written all over Byron's face. Celeste had expected that. But it still didn't stop her from feeling dreaded.
"Sorry, Celeste," Byron muttered, his voice low. "When I went there the next day, the baby had been gone. We can only assume the hunters got their hands on him. They had probably taken him away."
"And all these years, you stood there watching Jeremy play as my supposed twin brother, knowing damn well that my twin might be in the clutches of those hunters. Yet, you didn't bat an eyelash." She crossed her arms, her breath short.
"I've been trying to track those hunters down, but they've vanished off the face of the earth all this time," Byron said, as if desperately trying to justify himself. But even he seemed to know that no amount of excuses would suffice. His voice grew weaker, and he deflated like a balloon with all the air sucked out.
"We gotta find them. Hunt down those hunters and rescue the missing wolves. They're probably still alive, just trapped in their clutches. Kent's beta has watched my parents being dragged away by those hunters. We don't know where the hell these hunters are, but they won't be taking another wolf from us." Celeste's gaze darted back and forth between Jeremy and Byron.
She took a deep breath before continuing, "And let's face it, our pack's defense is laughably weak. We've been sitting ducks for way too long. It's high time we take charge. And I think we should team up with Kent's pack."