VAMPIRE’S SIN: SPIRIT WOLF BINDING.

Chapter: 3

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ALTAIR:

Dirk cradled his son in his arms, sprinting back to the Pack, the distant howls of his mates fading into the background. His mind was ablaze with fury, his son's body hanging limply as if he had transformed into mere paper within his grasp. Doubts gnawed at him — had he erred by casting Talon into the sea? Could this impulsive act have dire consequences for his son's well-being? If Altair was truly the Spirit Wolf responsible for marking Talon, did this mean that hurling Talon into the unforgiving depths would irrevocably impact the life of his only child?

As he laid the boy on the bed, Caleb and Phoenix swiftly attended to him. While running, Dirk had summoned them, relieved to find them awaiting his arrival upon reaching the Pack.

It wasn't Dirk's call that initially alerted them to the crisis, but rather little Bryn's confession to Phoenix.

"I untied the strings on Talon's bedroom door," the tearful girl murmured, her distress evident. "I'm so sorry!" Her plea tugged at Phoenix's heart, signaling impending trouble.

Upon inspection, Phoenix confirmed Bryn's claim, discovering Talon missing. Alerting Caleb, they hastened towards RiverBay, spurred by the urgency of the situation, Dirk's anguished call echoing like a mournful lament.

Dirk, consumed by anxiety, watched as Phoenix and Caleb worked fervently to revive his son. It seemed he had arrived moments too late. How had Altair found himself in such a situation? Dirk's eyes welled with tears as he paced the room, his internal turmoil unquenchable. Even the comforting presence of his mates failed to assuage his distress. The fear of losing his sole offspring weighed heavily upon him, driving him to tears. The inability to bear children again after Altair exacerbated his anguish. How could Talon commit such a heinous act against his own child, after all Dirk had done for him?

"Where is Talon?" Phoenix inquired, receiving no response from Dirk. In truth, he harbored little concern for the boy's fate. Dead or alive, Talon's whereabouts held little significance to him. He prayed he would never encounter him again. Ignoring Phoenix's repeated calls, Dirk's focus remained on his ailing son.

"I don't think he will survive, the sea was merciless... Dirk flung him into the ocean... He may be lost forever," Kurt informed Phoenix, witnessing a somber expression cloud his features.

"What does this mean for our son?" Tricc interjected, joining them by the bedside, casting a worried gaze upon their motionless child.

"Critical..." Phoenix began, his voice faltering with agony. "His condition is dire, hanging by a thread."

"No!" Tricc vehemently denied. "We cannot allow my son to die!" His voice reverberated with fury, his very being trembling with rage. "We must act swiftly... we must try anything!" He pleaded.

"The only way to preserve Altair's life is to bind Vale," Phoenix revealed, prompting confused gazes from the Lycgers.

"Vale?" They inquired.

"His Spirit Wolf... Binding the wolf is akin to tearing a half from its whole... it will leave Altair hollow, devoid of his Omega or Were aspects... he will be left as a mere human, stripped of his unique abilities." Phoenix's disclosure shattered their hearts and souls, tears cascading uncontrollably from their eyes. "Time is of the essence," Phoenix emphasized. "While Talon's soul still lingers, we must act swiftly."

"Talon's soul?" Seth questioned.

Phoenix nodded. "Yes, I sense his soul lingering, not yet fully departed. We must act before it fades completely."

"No!" Dirk's anguished cry reverberated, his bitterness clouding them as he crumpled in on himself, shaken by violent sobs that wracked his frame.

"We would rather have a living son than a deceased one!" The Lycgers echoed in unison, their resolve unwavering. Phoenix nodded in agreement.

"Very well, then," Phoenix declared, rallying them for the imminent task. "I will need your assistance, Tricc, and yours as well, Dirk... as his Birth Omega, you must aid your son." They joined hands, prepared to commence the critical undertaking. "Let us begin... Following the incantation, Dirk, you must retrieve the wolfbane seed that will manifest on his chest, steep it in water, and administer it to him. This final step will seal his fate and sustain his life."

Dirk absorbed the instructions, his resolve solidifying as he closed his eyes, drawing upon his inner strength. Since his Half had been restored by his mates following their rescue from Malta, Dirk had harbored an unprecedented resilience. Even his Lion form occasionally shifted from its original golden hue to the white shade bestowed by his mates' protective spell. However, the prospect of his son enduring this ordeal weighed heavily on him. Recalling the misery of existence without his Half, the thought of his son enduring a similar fate ignited an indescribable fury within him.

"Will it cause him pain?" Dirk queried, his voice fractured with emotion.

"He is unconscious, he will not feel any pain... the true agony will come when he reaches maturity and realizes he can no longer Shift because his wolf has been taken from him. That is when the torment will begin... he will seek answers, and I pray he finds none, for his resentment towards those who robbed him of his wolf will only intensify."

"Damn," the Lycgers murmured, their resolve faltering. "Perhaps we should reconsider."

"If we do not act, he will die!" Caleb interjected.

"What if Talon survives in the end?" They questioned.

"But he is fading," Caleb stated solemnly.

"We are running out of time, let us proceed swiftly," Phoenix urged, dismissing further debate.

Phoenix intoned the incantations, crafting a potent binding to sever the connection between Altair and his Spirit Wolf, ensuring Vale could never return to the child. Even if the vampire persisted, he would never be able to locate Altair in this lifetime. A Spirit Wolf and a Vampire could never coexist. Phoenix, attuned to the will of the Goddess, was adamant that his great-grandchild should have no ties to the vampire, and he would go to great lengths to uphold this decree.

He positioned himself as the guardian, the barrier that would keep them apart for as long as he drew breath.

Upon completing the spell, Dirk retrieved the seed that materialized from the dark mist enveloping Altair's chest. Seth offered him a cup of water prepared during the incantation. Dirk deposited the seed into the vessel, observing as it transformed from red to black, dissolving within the liquid. Gently lifting Altair's head as the boy began to stir, Dirk spoke softly.

"Drink," he instructed, and Altair obediently consumed the potion, draining the glass. As the effects of the Wolfbane Seed waned and the pain ebbed away, Altair drifted into a peaceful slumber.

"When he awakens, he will have no recollection of this day, nor the vampire. I implore you all not to breathe a word of this to the child under any circumstances. We have just torn him from his Half, a betrayal he will not easily forgive, regardless of our intentions... Let this remain a secret confined to those present within these walls," Phoenix cautioned, his strength waning with each passing day. With one of his mates gone, Phoenix knew his time was limited. The loss of Leonardo weighed heavily on them all, a wound that may never fully heal until they reunited in the Calm Ethereal.

"But he is our son, shouldn't he learn the truth at some point?" Seth questioned, hesitant to endorse such secrecy.

"If you wish to incur his wrath, then by all means, divulge the truth," Phoenix retorted.

"What if he discovers the truth elsewhere?" Kurt posed.

"In that event, it falls upon you four to justify your actions... to clarify why it was necessary to seal and separate his Half. It was done to preserve his life, and if blame must be assigned, let it rest upon the vampire for stealing his Wolf."

"But, how did Talon escape his room?" Dirk asked.

"Bryn freed him... but not to worry, her memories of the event have been erased," Caleb told them.

As they exited the room, leaving the boy to sleep, Dirk felt a chill settle in his heart.

What had they done?