⤠ alpha's den.

@❛ sam kiszka jaehyun was simply a man, not more nor less. but over time, he'd begun to learn how to use his cursed abilities for the better or for the worse. by the current times, for what he could do, some would have called him god. but he was just a man. one who had eyes and ears everywhere and for the sake of his own little family, let it be. in good faith but how long that would last, he didn't know.

he knew lies and truths alike slipped right under his nose at times and he wasn't one to press. but for matters that involved life and death, particularly for what would be hundreds if not thousands of people, he couldn't let it slip by. his fingers found his glass of rum, lifting it to his lips for a sip and letting the cold liquid burn down his throat in waves of pure bliss. oh, he loved a good drink. so his doubts were certain, after all; he'd known samuel wouldn't have sat still at the news of his brother, his kin albeit another creature, was alive but this soon and this much of a mess... would jaehyun have done the same too? maybe.

he downed the contents of the glass in one go and placed it back down. "more than you know, samuel. more than you know." the sigh wasn't meant to sound as dreaded as it did but once it was out, jaehyun realized, for perhaps the nth time, of what was at stake. shaking his head, he approached the man again. "let me help you burn it. and you will tell me everything that happened. capiche?"

@❛ jaehyun jung ᵃˡᵖʰᵃ the consequences of telling a lie were unknown to samuel, for he'd been completely honest an truthful with the alpha right up to this moment. that's six hundred years of complete honesty, loyalty ... so he couldn't help but ponder what may have happened if jaehyun were made aware of the entire story. if he were to know that it was in fact samuel's own blood line that'd slaughtered the death dealer to protect the lycan. how would he react if he found out that his very own didn't have the strength to do it himself? or to protect his own kind? the love of his life?

the thought was accompanied by a lump in his throat, one that stung repetitively as it did throughout the night. it replicated the strain on his vocal chords due to the screams emitted to the slaughter of his best friend, the weeps for his lost brother, the vocalized struggles towards whatever god may remain above. yet, if there's one thing that he remains in control of, it's his emotions. there are no tears, no cries for mercy. for it wasn't necessary, anyway.

sunken hues follow the movement of the man before him, watching as the eyelids of the deceased are pulled back, and he remains silent. "yes, jaehyun." his own head bows forward as if to mark his understanding of what to do next, though his posture straightens and his head tilts upward to look at the male once more. the words seemingly go in one ear and throughout the other, and samuel even turns upon his heels to begin his journey out of the door.

it's the processing of the words that bring his feet to a halt, brows knitting together. six hundred years spent by someone's side comes with a different kind of understanding them. one observes the worst of a person, as well as the best. samuel? he could read the alpha like a book. the memory of his face mere seconds ago flood his mind, even the words begin to repeat in his head until he turns around to look at him once more. "you know...?" the male murmurs with a question of certainty. of course, nothing could be hidden from the truest lycan of all.

@❛ sam kiszka the stench that wafted in, definitely staining his den for days forth if not hours, made him scrunch his nose in displeasure. jaehyun closed his journal, binding it by the leather strings on the side and put it in his desk drawer before he got up, rounding the table he sat by so he could meet sam halfway— his gaze was fixed on the sight of the other, wondering what could have happened.

in all his years as the head of the pack, he'd learned not to expect much from those of his kind; true to their affinity to the moon, they changed like the tides did. he did have good faith in them, but he wouldn't put it past any of them to act irrationally. it was the beast in them, the animal that sought blood and vengeance hence why they were men most of the time. the human in them tempered the insanity. but he knew sam was different— ever since he'd revealed names that particular night at the arena for the retaliation, jaehyun had left his doors open for consequences. it was easy to connect two and two after all.

he let sam speak, arms bare by the sleeveless shirt he wore hence exposing the dark ink that stained his skin, crossing over his chest. ah.. so his doubts were truth. well, he understood the actions, perhaps far too well than anyone did. search for missing puzzle pieces often ended in ruining the big picture entirely but clearly, it wasn't such for the other lycan. it only cost the life of another vampire.

"it's collateral damage, it's fine." he huffed, his hand flitting forward to the dead vampire's face, fingertips pulling at it's eyelids to open, checking for the irises that had gone completely white. dead. gone. he didn't know if he should be satisfied about it or not. not when he knew impending doom loomed over their heads in the very near future. "make sure you go burn the body. do not let any of the pack know about this."

he said after a moment, dropping his hand. on his inner cheek, he cast another glance at the lycan, a thick brow raised. "i hope you did find what, or who, you were searching for."

@❛ jaehyun jung ᵃˡᵖʰᵃ anxiety immediately nips at samuel's gut, fingers curling to now grip at the deceased death eater within his embrace. he ponders over the fact of the alpha already sensing that something was wrong, especially with the aroma of the vampire practically torn to shreds accompanying him. the stench of a vampire was already unforgettable, but it was seemingly ten times worse with guts clearly on display. thankfully, the lycan clan had no reason to disarm the strength of their stomachs.

his lower lip is collected between pearly whites, whites that practically glimmer in comparison to the dirt covering his visage and countenance. slowly, his right arm (tucked beneath the legs of the vampire) outstretches to allow his own digits to naturally curl around the doorknob, slowly turning it to the side. what would jaehyun think of him disobeying the goals of the clan? refusing to follow within the path taken to rob the blood bank? what would he think of him indulging on a mission of his own to find his brother? would he be ordered to kill his brother, would he be killed if samuel were to tell the alpha that his brother was considered an enemy?

his thoughts run wild as he nudges the door open.

"jaehyun," the male begins, taking a step in before nudging it shut. "i apologize for disturbing you within the secrecy of your den, as well as doing so without good news." he remains within his spot, brows knitting together as he stares at the back of the alpha. "i am here to speak my truth about my whereabouts this evening, for i did not follow the rest of the clan to the blood bank. amelia and i sought out a journey of our own to find something we have been looking for, for the past six hundred years." the memory from hours prior is fresh in his mind, swallowing thickly around the lump growing within his throat. "it did not come easy, however, and we were attacked by the death dealers. one being --"

as if the alpha were looking, samuel motions to his arms with a swift movement of both palms. "they've taken her from us, so i have taken him from them. i sincerely apologize for the wrongful decisions made on our part, and accept whatever punishment may follow suit."

@❛ sam kiszka it was just a bit past midnight, and per usual, the man could not sleep. right after dinner, Jaehyun had begun to lose track of time, diving into a world of not only paperworks but also strategies in case chaos decided to land at their doorstep first thing at the crack of dawn. but there was only so much planning, strategizing, preparing that he could do— the rest was simply in fate’s hands. so he sat at his desk, aloof in his own companionship, nursing a thick Cuban cigar between his lips, fingers holding onto a felt pen as he scribbled onto his journal.

for the most part, Jaehyun was a quiet man— assertive when he needed to be but he sought peace for his pack, the little family he’d built over the years. sure, they would have all asked for justice in exchange for the lives robbed but the man had grown, changed with the tides and generations. By that very moment, he simply wanted his pack to go to bed at night and rest. sleep often came with burdens for his kind, an uncertainty of the morrow looming over their heads like dark clouds but he wanted that burden off their shoulders, wanting perhaps even pleading that they finally are at peace with themselves. But would it be that easy for the beasts? For those who changed with the whims of the moon, the cursed and wretched silver saucer brought the high tide to shore, that softly shone on the fur of animals and enveloped and protected travelers at night but somehow still managed to laugh down at his kind.

The alpha sighed, putting his pen down. He gazed at the page he had been writing on, his scrawl a detached sense of familiarity. He’d made it a habit to write his thoughts down, the leather journal one of the many treasures of his kind that gave a true insight of what he felt and thought. Perhaps, there was more to this man who shifted into a beast every full moon than it looked.

The knock on his door broke him out of his reverie and he pulled the cigar out of his mouth, blowing a puff of smoke out as he set it down onto the ashtray, careful so the burnt tip wouldn’t be put out. “Come in.” he gruffed, slightly miffed that work found him home unexpectedly— he was able to smell a fellow Lycan, someone familiar to him, right in front of the door and it miffed him slightly for he’d made it a point not to be disturbed in his den. Alas, important matters called for such... intrusions.

@❛ jaehyun jung ᵃˡᵖʰᵃ each heavy step taken forward is accompanied by an echo of his surroundings, even daring to add to his deepest and darkest pockets of anxiety. these pockets are preferred to be hidden from his company, hoping that no one would ever pick up the fact that samuel even allowed himself to go through it alone. this time seemed to be different. this time? it was impossible for him to go through alone, and even he could recognize that.

both of his arms are occupied by the body of the death dealer that accompanied his brother within the earlier hours of the fatal night. the entire journey taken by samuel to the alpha's was almost done so blindly, for his mind was too busy, whirring with unanswered questions that he himself was frightened to attempt to answer. he thought about jake, whom he'd finally found, yet it felt as though he'd lost him again. or about amelia, how he'd been the one at fault for her death. or the alpha: how would he react to this? what would he say? could this be the last trip taken to this den?

his eyes flee to the body within his arms. no, that wouldn't be it. "if you want it to look like you did it, you're gonna need to tear him to shreds." his brother's words echo throughout his head, and he'd done just that. it wasn't a pretty sight, to be frank. fresh blood trickled down the open expanse of his chest, the only piece of clothing covering up his lower half being the jacket given to him by jake himself. breathing out a sigh, the male raises his arm to knock at the door before standing before it, body clear in sight.

might as well face the darkness before it attacks.

@❛ jaehyun jung ᵃˡᵖʰᵃ Her breath hitches. It’s as audible as she allows, but even though it’s as silent as it is, it resonates like a pin dropping in a silent room. Panicked, her eyes squeeze shut, and she wills herself to count to ten. At nine, she starts over, with pathetic hope that in that time, the man would have stepped away, perhaps with the thought that he had hallucinated her. A shadow, perhaps, or maybe the rustle of a tumbleweed. It’s all wishful thinking, though, because she knew that even the most daft would not second guess their suspicion if they ever sensed a disturbance within an otherwise peaceful night. So she thinks. Musters up whatever escape plan, but the lack of walls forbid her from finding a proper hiding spot. Her only choice, really, is to run, but she was far too smart to attempt it. With her luck, this man might be strong—stronger than her. The alpha’s best trained. She would be a fool to underestimate her foe.

It is unlike her to give in. To surrender to the enemy when she knew that there were hundreds of methods for escaping. Hell, thousands, even. There was always a way out. Always. But even the woman, whose name denoted her incredibly nature, was stumped. A thousand ways to escape were non-existent at this point. Her mind, normally saturated with ideas, has become void of solutions. If she did have a plan in mind, it would end up in her lying on the floor, a carcass for the wolves to feed on; half human or pure animal, it didn’t matter.

Either way, she couldn’t think. Her brain was muddled by the uncomfortable thrumming of an insatiable thirst. A faint, pulsing light of red; an internal alarm to remind her of what her body needed. And she had been the single idiot to neglect it.

Her own foolishness rendered her weak, annd she could not afford a fight. She depended on stealth and a quick, clean execute, however she knew full well that this man, along with the guards standing a hundred (or so) paces away, would not give in to her. So with a quick, deep breath, she pushed herself off the wall and climbed up so that she may share the same floor her enemy stands on.

The vampress’ eyes, a brilliant shade of crystalline amethyst, glows vibrantly in the dimly lit room. They shift around twice; once to warily glance around to check for company (they had none), and again to size up her foe. The man was tall with a broad stature, proving her initial assumption of a brutish man to be correct. He’s strong, no doubt, the luminescent rays of moonlight highlighting the sinews on his frame, and though she could easily compell him to turn a blind eye, she would be using up the energy she didn’t have. And she didn’t have much to begin with.

Her eyes flutter as speckles of white make themselves known in her vision and the pounding in her head demand for her attention. She ignores it, of course, however it becomes far too difficult to even focus at the single figure before her. Her pale fist clenches, and she contemplates. The woman swallows her pride and lets out a heavy sigh.

Gloved hands lift to the height of her head, and she relaxes her stance, as she surrenders for the first time.

@❛ lalisa manoban jaehyun couldn't figure how many sheep he counted in his head before they lulled him to sleep, albeit it being on just the horizon of his mind. it had been hours since he'd passed decisions to rain havoc on their natural enemies and worry sat heavy on him, wondering if they indeed had been the right choices- not in the way that he doubted himself but he feared for his pack. he couldn't risk lives lost, not at this focal point in time when tides were so close to being shifted.

he sighed, unable to catch the wink of sleep that teetered about and he pushed himself to a seat in his bed, the sheets falling into a bunch of silk in his lap. the lycan alpha cast a glance at the window, the curtains parted so moonlight could shine in- the same moon that sat a silver saucer in the sky, ugly in it's surface but hiding so many mysteries and secrets that begged to be unfolded. the man, beast, was old but the moon had always been there, observing the earth close-up longer than anyone. it must have witnessed all of the phenomena occurring - and all of the acts carried out yet it always remained silent. it told no stories. all it did was embrace the heavy past with a cool, measured detachment.

yet it was the moon that made his kind what they were, men that could change into feral beasts. the moon that, as a crescent, shaved slivers from the soul- or, as a new moon, silently bathed the earth in its own loneliness. THAT moon. some saw it as a curse, some as blessings and per usual, the alpha sat in the perfect middle. he wouldn't be the person or animal he was today without that damned ugly being.

it was a soft sound, too soft to be heard normally but he was bathed in silence albeit how loud his thoughts or reverie was. and it was more than enough to wrench him out of his own head- he was quick to move, anger quick to boil into his blood. in his years as the alpha, he'd made it clear not to be disturbed in his den but this was no mere lycan; no, this was someone else. someone who reeked of death and moved like it, ready to kill whenever. he knew it. just like he knew where the intruder hid.

he in an audible breath, stepping into the middle of his room, the moonlight shining onto the creamy skin of his bare upperhalf, tattoos a stark contrast on his skin. "come out and i will show you mercy," he growled, breath coming out a whiff of fog from his mouth. he knew what anyone could see, having born witness to the change many times himself; his gaze usually dark had begun swimming a deadly crimson, shifting and morphing into that of his beast, his fingers clenched into fists by his sides and bare chest rising with the growling breaths he took. should he have to take a life, he was ready for it.

@❛ jaehyun jung ᵃˡᵖʰᵃ It was nearly two o’clock in the morning. Silence had fallen upon the district in the form of a thick cloud, and not a person was in sight—save for the guards at the entrances and the far end of the station. There was little light in the world beneath the city, with the exception of the bit of moonlight seeping in through the well-barricaded entrances. With all doors locked and many windows shut, it’s evident that the underground dwellers of Arcani Heights have surrendered to the gentle lullaby of a dream-filled world, though, not including the few who either neglect sleep at this hour, or have no choice but to linger within their own cursed thoughts. Either way, the city appears abandoned. A ghost town. 



But she knew better. At the rise of the moon, the lycans are on high alert. They always are. An invasion by their enemies is nigh, and after the unfortunate ocurrence just nights before, it is certain that they were prepared. So she made sure to be extra careful, awaiting the moment when the knights at the entrance were distracted for even a second. Because a second was all she needed.

Footsteps. It amassed a panic in her bones, and she knew she miscalculated. The death dealer soon found herself hidden in the tracks, just beneath the precipice of the main floor (it was the only hiding spot she could find in so little time, as she underestimated the location of the guard). She shut her eyes briefly with dread as the sound of footsteps nears her motionless figure. It pauses once, hovering above where she lay. The silhouette looms over the shadow of the floor, and she holds her breath.

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