RESTLESS

"Ashton! Come here, son." called Erin when the front door of her house creaked, followed by the sound of footsteps.

Ash immediately straightened his body after successfully closing the door tightly — he approached Erin with long strides. "Sorry, Mom. I forgot that today we have dinner together." he explained.

Erin immediately hugged her son and then congratulated him with a series of prayers and hopes for her eldest son. Ash didn't flinch. He tightened his hug to Erin.

"I almost made a fuss, ma'am." softly Ash.

"Are you making a fuss in Mitchell Hills, Ash?" Erin was curious.

In the next split second Ash let go of his embrace, – staring into Erin's sad eyes. Instead of answering, Ash asked in return, "How did you know?"

Erin gently rubbed the top of Ash's head while reviewing a smile when her nether eyes met Ash's jet bead. "Just answer, honey. I just need an answer."

"A pureblood managed to turn Archie into a hybrid. And in the house there are three purebloods. I think the purebloods in the house are the culprit." Ash explained with his head down.

"What are you saying, Ash ?! Hybrid ?! Archie becoming a hybrid ?!" Erin's smack; she almost squealed in shock at all of Ash's explanations.

Ash gave a small nod in response to all Erin's questions agreed. From the second floor, there was the sound of mutually shouting footsteps towards where they were. Gabe rushed over to Erin and then gave her a worried look.

"Ash! You're scaring mom?" Gabe raised his voice as his nether met Ash's.

Ash chuckled. Pissed off. He folded his arms and cast a glare at his younger brother. 

"Are you aware of your question, Gabe?" challenge Ash.

"Boys, stop it!" Erin immediately intervened before the two boys started arguing.

Gabe snorted. Somehow he became annoyed too. In the next second he sighed exasperatedly - to dampen his irritation - trying to calm down.

"I heard you mention Archie and the hybrid!" exclaimed Gabe to the point.

Ash rubbed his face roughly. He intended to hide it from Gabe, but it was too late. Gabe had indirectly heard the point of the conversation between himself and Erin. Like it or not, Ash has to tell Gabe everything in order to minimize misunderstandings.

"Okay. I'll tell you." surrendered Ash.

With his chin he motioned Gabe to sit on the sofa. After everyone comforted themselves, Ash spoke up, "The Archie we know today ... is a hybrid." softly.

He raised his gaze, staring at Erin and Gabe alternately. "His irises light up yellow as he changes." he explained. "His form is still exactly like us ..." Ash took another pause; all his attention was on Gabe who was facing him. "When changed, his body did not give off a warm scent." he continued again.

"His movements are also unpredictable, right? Like a vampire." said Gabe; as if asking justification for what he thought at that time.

Ash nodded, said yes to Gabe's question. Gabe smiled as he tilted his head as their jet beads met, as if he had something to say. But Erin suddenly put her left hand around Gabe's neck. 

Gabe jumped in shock. "W-what's wrong, mom ?! So shocking." he protested a little.

"Answer me, Gabe! Have you ever set foot on Eastwood or the Dark Forest?" asked Erin to the point.

Gabe nodded. "Both, ma'am. I've set my foot in both locations." Gabe replied calmly.

Erin let out a resigned sigh. "All right. Tell me! Why did you go there? Even though all the elders have forbidden you to put your two feet in those two places," said Erin after releasing her grip on Gabe.

Gabe adjusted his seat, staring alternately at Ash and Erin. Both of them looked worried. How come? Eastwood and Dark Forest are two vulnerable places on the list of forbidden places for beta werewolves or young werewolves. Like Gabe and Archie.

Eastwood or Dark Forest is a city of the dead, and is the territory of the purebloods who are very anti-werewolves. No werewolves would ever get out of there safely.

"I was about to follow Lyla to Northernwood. Archie and I got lost on the way. The route seemed endless, and somehow we entered the Dark Forest. Because we felt the Dark Forest was quite safe, we continued along the edges. According to Lyla, we could get to it. to Northernwood on a loop through the Dark Forest. Then ... "Gabe hung up the sentence. He seemed hesitant to finish his words when he saw Ashton's jet irises had changed color-yellow.

"Tell me everything quickly, honey." asked Erin softly. 

Gabe took a deep breath and then exhaled slowly, he lowered his head a little when his eyes met Ash's.

"Again we chose the wrong route. And the first to put his feet on the entrance to Eastwood was Archie. Then as we were about to leave the place, someone with slightly curly hair grabbed Archie and drank the blood that dripped down his wrist into Archie's mouth. " Gabe explained at length.

Ash confirmed his seat, then clenched his hands. "You saw clearly how the face of the vampire ?!" Ash asked Gabe; his words sounded so intimidating.

Gabe gave a faint shake. "I didn't see it clearly. I only remember his slightly damp curls and a mole on the tip of his nose." added Gabe.

Erin rolled her eyes, she rubbed her face in a huff as if she knew who Gabe was talking about. Fortunately Ash didn't see the anger she was showing right away.

For now Erin was relieved that she was not obliged to tell her who it was. She just needed to buy time and put things in her own way.

"Are the Mitchell Hills owners suspicious, Ash?" Erin finally spoke up after getting rid of her anger.

Ash shook his head, then replied, "Sorry, mom. I forgot to ask." he replied.

"Maybe you really forgot. Didn't forget to ask. Isn't that usually the case?" Erin scoffed. 

Gabe laughed sarcastically when he heard Erin mock his twin. The laughter succeeded in making Ash throw a sneer at him. Gabe cleared his throat as he adjusted his seat and settled back into the gray sofa he'd been sitting on.

"Well, I know the new owner of Mitchell Hills, mom," Gabe told Erin. "Argent. They are the Argent Family." he continued.

"Argent?"

"Yes. Argent, ma'am."

Erin swallowed her spat. Shocked mixed with confusion. Even so, Erin tried to adjust her expression as well as her speech, because she didn't want her two sons to catch the confusion that was plaguing her.

"Did something happen? They're back here ten years after Dennis's departure." thought Erin.

"Mom?" called Gabe.

"Mom? What's wrong?" Ashton looked curious.

Instead of answering, Erin shuddered - swept her gaze across the corner of the room and then turned all her attention to the round white clock attached to the matching colored wall.

She also made an alibi so that his two sons wouldn't suspect her so she could return to her room without being held back by any questions or anything.

"It's late. Get some rest." Erin pointed at Ash and Gabe while pointing her right index finger at the clock on the wall earlier.

The short needle points to the number one, while the long needle is on the opposite side.

"You also resting, ma'am." asked Ash while embracing and kissing Erin's right cheek. "Have a good rest." continued Ash.

"Goodnight dear." replied Erin. 

Ashton also left after receiving a warm embrace from his mother.

"I've replaced the candle in your room with the scent of lavender. Light it, and sleep well." Gabe explained the length of the short.

Erin nodded then hugged him warmly. "Thank you very much, dear."

In a hurry, Gabe caught up with his brother. "Ash, wait!" Gabe exclaimed loudly. 

***

Erin lay on the bed —staring at the ceiling of her room which seemed so empty. Like her.

In the next split second she smiled, then said, "Dennis." call her.

She stretched out her right hand, then she squeezed the white sheet covering her bed, as if she were holding her husband's hand like the old times. "Gabe and Archie set their foot on Eastwood dirt." Erin paused her sentence; sighed in exasperation as she closed her eyes.

"Your beloved student is no longer a pure werewolf, Dennis." Erin turned to her right side, opened her eyes and smiled as if Dennis was with her.

"He has become a hybrid. And ... The person who turned him into a hybrid and the person who killed you is the same person, Dennis." Erin hung back her sentence. "Skarsgard. Damien Skarsgard." She smiled as she rubbed her eyes that felt wet. Crowded.

No one knows who the perpetrator could have killed her husband other than herself and Charles Argent. The terrible memory of that night flashed back after she had been buried deep for so long. Her tears fell again along with bated sobs. "Dennis ... I need you." She thought. "I miss you."