Late at night (or early in the morning, depending how you look at it), it was quiet. The pack hadn’t tried to attack again. Some were trying to catch some sleep, others were still processing everything that happened.

  Barry stood outside of Fallon’s bedroom, leaning his back against the door. He waited for Fallon to wake up. He knew it took a few hours, but he should wake up soon, right? Barry couldn’t sleep until then. He needed to be sure he was okay. Mentally, he doubted he would be.

  His impatience got the better of him, he pushed the door open. He stood over the bed, Fallon was still asleep. But he looked different. Barry sat on the bed next to him and leaned closer to his face, confused. His skin was smooth and young. He couldn’t find a single grey hair on him. Not on his head, nor in his beard. Barry ran his hand through Fallon’s hair, trying to find a single grey one. But all were rich brown.

  What the hell? He looked how Barry remembered him from before, but how? Hyde had been turned too, maybe he knew.

  Barry left Fallon’s room and went a door further to Hyde’s room. He knocked and opened the door to peak inside. Hyde sat on his bed in Rune’s arms. Hyde lifted his head to him.

  “Hi, there’s something weird happening to Fallon, do you know what’s going on?”

  Hyde sat up with a worried frown. “What’s happening?”

  “Well, come see yourself.”

  Hyde glanced at Rune before getting out of bed.

  Barry returned to Fallon’s room with Hyde and Rune behind him. Hyde sat on his knees on the bed and hovered over his dad. He squinted. “What—is he younger?”

  “Looks like it,” Barry answered.

  Hyde looked to Rune for an explanation. Rune remained quiet as he collected his thoughts. He hummed. “My grandad did say there were two things about turning that he couldn’t remember. One about souls, the other about age.” He grabbed his chin. “Maybe turning someone brings them back to the physical age a vampire is supposed to have.”

  Hyde seemed to realise something as he rubbed his chest through his shirt. “Remember what I said about my chest fuzz when you turned me?”

  “Remind me?”

  “It was gone—still is. You think that’s because my body is twenty again, now? I didn’t have chest hair yet when I was twenty.”

  “It must be. I don’t know what else could explain this.” Rune gestured to Fallon.

  “How old is his body now, then?” Barry asked Rune.

  Rune shrugged. “Half of his actual age.”

  “Twenty-six, then. What could that thing about souls be?”

  “No idea.”

  Severn entered his motel room where Thomas waited for him. He stood by the door with his hands behind his back and stared at his dad sitting on the bed.

  “So,” Severn started, “I didn’t die.”

  Thomas squinted. “What happened?”

  “To me? Not much.”

  Thomas glanced at his hidden hands. “What are you hiding?”

  Severn pinched his lips, he showed him his right hand. Thomas was shocked. He leaned over to grab his hand and pulled him onto the bed.

  Severn sat with his legs crossed, Thomas in front of him. Thomas held his right hand and stared at it, distressed.

  “How could you lose two fingers? You’ll have to live with this for the rest of your life!”

  Severn shrugged. “They’re only pieces of my fingers.”

  “Big enough to render them useless. And you’re right handed, too.”

  “I still have my thumb, index finger and middle finger. I lost the two least important ones, I can still write and do anything I’d need to. Who uses a ring finger and pinky anyway? The only thing a ring finger is good for is rings and those could still fit on what’s left of it. Or on my left hand.”

  “Severn, I know what it’s like to be disabled. It’s no walk in the park.”

  “A couple fingers are nowhere near as bad as a whole damn knee. It’s fine, I’ll manage.”

  “Well, yeah, you don’t have much choice on the matter.”

  Severn sighed and pulled his hand out of his grip. So much had happened, he wasn’t sure how to start with the rest. None of it was impactful to them personally, but it was still tragic and would at least affect Rune by proxy. Thomas too, through Barry. And perhaps Severn now, due to him turning Fallon. “Dione died.”

  Thomas flinched. “What?”

  “And I turned Fallon.”

  “Huh, why?”

  “It was either me or Rune turning him. Or letting him die, but, no. He got impaled by a tree. I didn’t want Rune to do it, that would’ve gotten weird.”

  Thomas raised his eyebrow. “Why?”

  “You know, the whole soul thing?”

  “Oh! Right, that was it.”

  Severn tensed. “I don’t know how weird it’ll feel with someone who’s a stranger at this point. I barely noticed it with Mora, but this”—he let out an exhausted sigh—“I’ll definitely notice this.”

  “Do you feel it already?”

  Severn shook his head. He closed his eyes and whined a little. “I’m knackered.”

  He felt two hands on his shoulders pulling him forward against a chest. Thomas sat back and hugged him. He rubbed Severn’s head as he said, “Other than your fingers, I’m glad you’re okay.”

  Severn hummed in agreement before falling asleep.

  Fallon opened his eyes and sat up with a gasp. He searched his stomach for the wound, but didn’t feel anything. He pulled his shirt up, nothing. He noticed the lack of hair on his stomach. He examined his hand closer. His skin seemed different somehow. He jumped at two arms wrapping around him, they were Hyde’s. Fallon hadn’t noticed he was on the bed, too.

  “Are you okay?” Barry asked, who was also here, apparently.

  Fallon hesitated before saying, “Maybe? How am I alive?” he asked Hyde.

  Hyde hugged him tighter. “Severn turned you.” He lifted his head to look at Fallon’s face. “You’re a hybrid now, like me.”

  Fallon licked his teeth and felt fangs. He fiddled with his hands and fingers, flexing them. He frowned. “Did anything else happen? I feel different.”

  “Different how?” Barry asked.

  “I don’t know, it’s weird.”

  “Younger?” Hyde suggested.

  Fallon thought about it. His skin felt smoother, his joints more flexible, it was easier to focus his eyesight on nearby objects. “Yeah, that’s it. How?”

  “The turn cut your body’s age in half. You’re twenty-six again.”

  Fallon rubbed some fingers near the corner of his eye, feeling nothing but smooth skin.

  He got off the bed, out of Hyde’s hug, and went to the bathroom. He stood over the sink and looked in the mirror. His twenty-six-year-old self stared back at him, he hadn’t seen himself like this in decades. His hair was thicker, all the grey was gone, not a wrinkle on his face, no annoyingly bushy eyebrows. It was like he was dreaming.

  The door to the bathroom opened, Barry walked in with a concerned frown. “Well, at least you’re not older than me anymore,” he said with a little smile.

  “I’m younger than my daughter, though.”

  They were quiet for a moment.

  Barry broke the silence with a sigh. “You know about Dione, don’t you?”

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  Fallon tensed and took a sharp breath, staring down at the sink. The memory of it all flooded back to him; of her head being slammed against a rock, of her body going limb, of her lifeless eyes.

  “I saw it happen. I tried to save her, but I couldn’t.” He tightly gripped the sink, his eyes teared up. “This damn pack, all it’s good for is taking my loved ones away from me! First my dad, then my son, now my wife.”

  Barry took a couple steps closer. “Hyde and I are back, now.”

  Fallon trembled, tears ran down his clenched jaw. He snapped around to Barry and shouted, “I wish we’d never gotten involved with it!” He turned away again and pulled at his roots. “We should leave, let the pack deal with their problems themselves!”

  Barry rubbed the back of his neck with a guilty look on his face. “I… I’m sorry I got our family involved with it.”

  It startled Fallon out of his anger for a moment, he frowned at him. “It wasn’t your fault. More so Mom’s. Her family was the alpha family, not yours.”

  After some silence, all Barry said was, “I wouldn’t mind leaving.”

  Hyde came into the bathroom too, seeming concerned. “Why were you yelling?”

  “Would you leave the pack?” Fallon asked him, sounding more angry than he meant to.

  “Hell yes,” is all Hyde said.

  “In that case,” Barry began, “we should leave Corburn.”

  Hyde frowned. “What about Tayen and Warlon?”

  Fallon groaned and folded his arms. “If Warlon still wants to stay, he’s a suicidal moron.”

  Hyde went on his way to his sister’s house in the morning to let her know about their plan. He walked in and found her in the living room with Warlon, both on the couch. He was comforting her.

  “Hyde, hey,” Tayen greeted.

  “Hey. We need to talk,” Hyde told her.

  “Sounds serious.” She stood up and walked closer. “About what?”

  “Dad, Grandpa and I want to leave Corburn. And leave the pack for good. I’ll go to Enath with Rune. I wouldn’t be surprised if Grandpa went to Veritas with Thomas. I don’t know what Dad’s planning.” Hyde looked over to Warlon. “We think you should leave too, but I guess that would be your call.”

  “You want to leave?” Tayen asked, sad. “This is our home.”

  Hyde frowned. “I know, but it’s not safe anymore. Never has been, really. First was Grandpa, now Mom, almost Dad, who knows who’s next?”

  Hyde saw her tear up at the mention of their mother. He sighed. “As far as I’m concerned, if I have the people I love around me, I’m home.”

  “Yeah, you’re right,” Warlon said before Tayen could. “I should leave. Looking at your dad and grandad, the future here as alpha isn’t exactly the brightest. We could move west to my family,” he suggested to Tayen.

  Tayen considered it with a hum. “I don’t want to leave my home, but it’s not safe. I’m guessing Dad is going north with either Hyde or Grandpa and the west is closer, so visiting would be easier.” She bit her cheek, then sighed. “Okay, let’s move west.”

  Fallon sat alone on his bed. His mind was racing and empty at the same time. So many things went through his head, nothing coherent came out of it. It was all noise, coming and going. Occasionally, a snippet of a thought made it through:

  Where would he go?

  How were his kids handling this?

  Could he be a good parent on his own?

  Was she at peace?

  She’d never meet their future grandchildren.

  She wouldn’t be there when Hyde got married.

  Someone walked into the house. They went up the stairs, then opened Fallon’s bedroom door. Hyde came in with Tayen behind him. He sat next to Fallon on the bed, Tayen sat in front of him.

  “The hell happened to you?” Tayen asked, confused.

  Before Fallon could answer, Hyde did so for him, “The vampire thing cut his age in half.”

  “I didn’t know that was possible.”

  “Me neither.”

  Fallon brought his knees up and grabbed at his roots. He teared up, their presence reminding him they had lost their mother. He knew that pain all too well. “I—” His voice shook. “I’m sorry. I tried to save her.” Tears came down his cheeks.

  “Don’t apologise,” Hyde told him. “Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you can’t save someone.”

  Tayen leaned forward and hugged him. “I’m glad you’re still here. And will be for much longer.”

  Fallon hugged her back. He hid his face in her hair and cried. “I’m sorry, I know you were closer to her.”

  “Stop, I would’ve been just as sad if it was you,” her voice trembled.

  Fallon took a deep, shaky breath. “I… I don’t know if I can be a good parent on my own.”

  “Good thing we’re both adults, then.”

  Hyde leaned on Fallon’s shoulder. “We’re here to care for you, too. You’re supposed to take care of your parents when you’re older, right?”

  Fallon smiled a little. “I guess so.”

  Tayen let him go and asked, “Where are you planning on going?”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “I’m going west with Warlon.”

  “I’m going north,” Hyde told him. “Grandpa probably is, too.” He hugged him and leaned his cheek on his shoulder. “I’m sure he’d love it if you came with him.”

  Fallon pondered it with a frown. Going north would make sense, both his son and his dad were there. But he’d never been there before. He’d almost never been outside of Corburn, yet alone the south as a whole.

  His gaze wandered around the room, then landed on a dresser next to the bed. Dione’s brand new sketchbook laid on it. She barely had the chance to draw in it.

  Did she draw anything? He leaned over and grabbed it, making Hyde let him go. Fallon held the sketchbook in his hands, he caressed the cover with his thumb. He opened it to the first page. It was a drawing of Hyde, with a little note next to it.

  So happy to have him back after all these years!

  He heard Hyde take a startled, shaky breath next to him, he turned his head to check on him. Hyde stared at the drawing and the note with tears in his eyes, his face trembling. Fallon wrapped an arm around him and let him lay against his side. He rubbed his side and flipped to the next page. It was a drawing of Fallon sleeping in bed next to Dione. He guessed she couldn’t sleep at some point and decided to draw him.

  There was nothing else in it. Fallon considered what to do with it. He glanced at Hyde crying on his shoulder, he recalled his interest at the art supply store. He closed the book and handed it to Hyde as he asked, “Do you want it?”

  Hyde got off his shoulder, startled and confused.

  “I’m sure she’d love for you to have it and keep using it,” Fallon clarified.

  Hyde hesitantly took it. He stared down and said, “I don’t draw that much. Definitely not things like she did.”

  “Doesn’t matter, draw whatever you want. She’d love it regardless.”

  After some silence, Hyde nodded. “Okay.”

  Fallon leaned over to the dresser again and grabbed her pencil case. He handed it to Hyde, who was clutching the sketchbook in his arms and crying again. Hyde took it with a shaking hand. Fallon ran his hand through Hyde’s hair and smiled sadly. He pulled both his children against him and held them close.

  Barry looked to the not-so-young-anymore vampire sitting beside him. They sat on Thomas’s bed in his motel room, leaning against the wall. After everything that happened, Barry wanted to talk to him. Or just be around him, really.

  Thomas had let him in when he came at the door, not seeming as hesitant as last time. They hadn’t said anything yet. Barry wondered what went through Thomas’s head. But he should say what he came here to tell him.

  “We’re leaving the south,” Barry finally spoke up.

  Thomas raised a brow at him.

  “It’s not safe. We’re done putting ourselves in danger here.”

  “Good.”

  “Do you want me to move in with you again?”

  Thomas smiled a little. “I’m okay with it.” He leaned their shoulders together, surprising Barry.

  Barry decided not to mention it and asked, “Could Fallon come too? Just for now. I’m not sure where he wants to go, but I’d like to keep him close during these hard times.”

  “Well, it’d be fine, except I only have two beds. I’m not sure if I’d be comfortable sharing yet.”

  “I could share with Fallon until you are. And if he doesn’t want to, I’ll take the couch.”

  Thomas breathed out a chuckle. “Okay.”

  They sat in silence again.

  Thomas grabbed Barry’s hand. “I’m glad you’re okay,” he softly broke the silence.

  “Oh, were you worried about me?” Barry teased.

  “Of course I was, this is what killed you last time. I would’ve been very upset if you died again right after our reunion.”

  Barry smiled, he squeezed his hand. He didn’t seem upset anymore, which was a huge relief.

  Severn wandered around Corburn, not sure where to go or who to talk to. His dad was busy with Barry, Rune with Hyde, and he didn’t want to bother his girls with how he felt right now.

  He felt strange. A weird pull towards a certain someone. He didn’t think he should bother him right now, he must be dealing with a lot. Severn shouldn’t add this on top of it.

  He knew what was causing it; the damn turning soul-link. He hadn’t minded it with his wife, but having this connection with someone he barely knew was strange. What kind of connection was it, anyway? Most often, it was romantic, because the turner and turnee are a couple and it only amplified their connection. But it didn’t have to be romantic, did it? He didn’t want it to be. That would be even weirder. It could just be platonic. Soul-bound pals, or something.

  He found himself subconsciously making his way to Fallon’s house. He stood in front of it, wondering when his legs had decided to come here. He spotted Fallon inside by himself. Should he go in?

  Before he could make a rational decision, his hand had already turned the doorknob. He walked in and saw Fallon on the couch, lost in thought.

  Fallon noticed him, Severn tensed.

  “Sorry, I’m looking for Rune.”

  He wasn’t. But what else was he supposed to say? His body decided to come inside before his mind could catch up?

  “He isn’t here,” is all Fallon said.

  Severn anxiously tapped his fingers on the door frame, half of them not reaching it. He wasn’t sure what to say. Did Fallon feel it, yet? He must have too much on his mind.

  Severn turned to leave, but changed his mind and turned back to say, “Hey, uh, I won’t ask how you are, clearly you feel like shit. But, just so you know, I lost my wife too, only a couple months ago from my perspective. So—I guess—if you ever want to talk to someone who knows at least a little bit of what you’re going through, then you can.”

  He waited for an answer to his first offer of potential friendship.

  After some silence, Fallon only said, “Okay.”

  Barry came back to Fallon’s house and found him on the couch, too. “Hey,” he greeted.

  Fallon gave him a small wave in return. Barry sat next to him. He seemed to have something on his mind, something not necessarily negative. Which was good. Barry wondered what it could be.

  “Where do you want to go?” Barry asked.

  Fallon shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “You could come to Veritas with me. Hyde would be nearby, too, with Rune’s family.”

  Barry noticed Fallon perking up a little at that last bit for some reason.

  Fallon thought about it. He sighed. “Okay.”

  Barry smiled. He rubbed his back. “I’d love to have you.”

  At the graveyard, Hyde stood in front of his mother’s grave, his father beside him. Tayen had left for the west that morning, they were leaving in a few hours.

  Dione was buried close to Fallon’s mother, to keep their family close together.

  Hyde wasn’t sure if this was the right thing to do with her, though. “Are you sure we should leave her here, even though we won’t live here anymore?”

  “I’d like her grave to be closer to where we are,” Fallon said, “but this is her home. I doubt she’d want to be buried somewhere she’s never been to before.” He gave Hyde a sad smile. “We can still come visit.”

  “The pack will be pissed at us, though.”

  “That shouldn’t stop you from visiting your mother’s grave.”

  Hyde nodded with a frown. “What do you think the pack will do after we leave?”

  “Scramble to find a new leader, probably. In the meantime, I doubt they’ll be able to defend their side of the forest, so they’ll lose it. But I’m done sacrificing my family for it.”

  “Me too.”

  Fallon put his arm around Hyde’s waist and pulled him close. Hyde leaned his head against his shoulder. They stood there for a while, silent in their grief.

  It wasn’t fair to Hyde that his dad had to go through this a third—fourth?—time. He didn’t deserve all this loss. No one deserved to lose everyone they loved.

  Fallon rubbed Hyde’s side. “We should finish packing.”

  “Yeah.” Hyde stepped out of his arm. He walked closer to the gravestone, avoiding the freshly dug earth. He placed a hand on the top, then sighed. “I love you, Mom,” he whispered.

  Fallon stood on the other side of the gravestone, one hand on it, too. He was silent as he caressed his thumb over the stone. Hyde noticed him glancing over to his grandma’s grave, silently saying goodbye to her, too.

  They both stepped back, then left the graveyard to start a new chapter in their lives.