The Rider of Rosewood

He held Rosalind in his arms for what felt like ages. He squeezed her tightly as she sobbed into his shoulder. He tried to think of something to say that would reassure her, but he came up blank. What could you possibly say to console someone who'd just accidentally killed their mother? Instead of speaking, he hummed a soothing melody and held her closer.

A few minutes later, Chandler, Duke, and Heath appeared out of the forest clearing. Chandler immediately rushed to Gregorio's side.

Gregorio reached out a trembling hand and caressed Chandler's cheek. "My son." He whispered, then fell unconscious from the blood loss.

"What the hell happened here?" Chandler shouted.

"Your Pack Mother is dead," Theo said.

"How?" Duke asked. He seemed to take the news in stride.

Rosalind's cries got louder.

"I'll tell you later," Theo said. "For now, we should focus on getting medical attention for your Pack Father."

During the following days, they'd managed to find a back-alley doctor who knew a few things about werewolf biology. He was willing to treat Pack Father Gregorio, and not ask too many questions.

Rosalind had insisted on retrieving her mother's remains alone. No-one stopped her, they all knew that was something she needed to do for herself.

They buried their Pack Mother in an unmarked grave behind Gran's cabin. They held a small funeral out of respect, but no one shed a tear during the service.

Theo wasn't particularly fond of the deceased, so he spent his time comforting Rosalind. After the service, she squeezed his hand. "Thank you so much for being here for me."

He squeezed her hand in return. "Of course, you've supported me more times than I can count, the least I can do is be here for you now."

A fraction of a smile spread across her lips. She glanced back at the grave. "Can I have a few minutes alone? I want to say goodbye."

Theo nodded, he released her hand from his grasp and walked away. On his stroll through the forest, he encountered Chandler. He was leaned up against a tree with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

Theo ransacked his brain for something to say. The best he could come up with was, "How are you holding up?"

Chandler took a long drag of his cigarette. "How does it look like I'm doing?" He didn't look well. His hair was wild and unkempt, and he had large bags under his eyes.

Theo tried to change the subject. "How is your father doing?"

He shrugged. "He's alive, and that's enough."

They stood in silence for several moments.

"Do you need something?" Chandler asked.

"Yes actually," Theo intended to ask someone else for this favor, but since Chandler was asking, "May I borrow your cellphone?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Because I don't have one, and I'd like to call my mom. She's moving soon, and I'd like to let her know I'll be staying in Rosewood for the remainder of my days."

"The remainder of your days? Are you dying or something?"

"I'm going to go feral any day now."

Chandler typed in the passcode to his phone. "Fine. You can use my phone. Consider it your Make-A-Wish. Don't go through any of my stuff, it's private!"

"I have no interest in your personal life."

That response seemed to satisfy Chandler.

Theo accepted the phone and dialed his mother's number. He took a few steps away, so Chandler couldn't eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Who is this?"

"Hi, Mom."

"Theodore?" Her voice cracked on the other end of the line.

“Yeah, it’s me.

“Please, tell me you’re alright! I haven’t heard from you since you stopped by the house, and I assumed the worst!”

He sighed. “I’m doing well, physically speaking, anyway."

There was a long pause, then his mother said. “How much longer do you have?”

“Not long, now.” He could hear her soft cries on the other end of the line. He decided to say what he’d planned to before he lost his courage. “I’m not moving with you.”

“What? Where will you go?”

“I’m staying in Rosewood. I don’t want you to be the one who has to kill me. I want you to remember me as human.”

“I don’t know what I’m going to do without you.”

“You can finally move on. You’ve spent eighteen years of your life protecting me, and I’m so grateful for all you’ve done. You’ve made more sacrifices than I can count, in caring for me. Now I want you to take care of yourself.”

“I don’t know if I can.”

“I believe in you. I know you’re strong enough to make it through this. I’m sorry we didn’t have more time together.”

“It’s not your fault, sweetheart.”

“I know.”

“I’m sorry for my actions. I know I went too far in trying to get you the cure, but I was just trying to save you.”

“I know, but you were in the wrong, and you hurt people in the process. I never would have asked you to do what you did.”

She sighed. “You’re right."

“I love you, mom.”

“I love you too, and I’m going to miss you every single day.”

After the phone call, Theo returned Chandler’s phone. “Thank you for letting me borrow it,” Theo said.

“Well, I never got to say goodbye to my mom. I thought you deserved the chance to goodbye to yours.”

Theo quirked an eyebrow. “Do you wish you could’ve said your farewells?”

He shrugged. “There are some things I’m always going to regret not telling her, but honestly, I think we’re all better off without her.”

Theo gave an understanding nod.

“Do you have any plans for your final days?” Chandler asked.

Theo shook his head.

“Stay with us. You can be the first Mixedblood member of our pack.”

Theo narrowed his eyes. “Is that a serious offer?”

Chandler rolled his eyes. “I would have said it if I didn’t mean it. My sister would be thrilled to have you around.”

Theo smiled. “I accept your offer.”

“Great!” Chandler pointed towards the forest. “Your first mission is to go find Heath and make sure he’s not eating any poison berries. Have fun!” Chandler walked off without another word.

Theo wandered into the woods, where he spotted Heath. He danced around and sang Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead.

“Hello, Heath.” Theo hollered, causing Heath to startle.

He laughed awkwardly. “Hey bro, what are you doing out here?”

“Chandler sent me to make sure you weren’t consuming and dangerous plants.”

Heath scoffed. “I haven’t eaten anything poisonous in a week and a half.”

“Congratulations,” Theo said in a monotone as he plopped down on a dilapidated stone wall in the center of the clearing. He reached into his satchel and pulled out the book he’d been reading.

“So lately, I’ve been thinking about the time I got into a fight with a raccoon in a dumpster behind Buffalo Wild Wings,” Heath said.

“Is that so?” Theo didn’t look up from his book, he was used to Heath’s incessant ramblings by now.

“Yeah, so the raccoon was hogging all the good scraps, I told him he needed to share. He didn’t like that, so we started brawling.”

“Who won?” Theo raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Definitely the raccoon.” He rolled up his sleeve, revealing faint scars that resembled bites and scratch marks. “I got rabies.”

“Sounds delightful,” Theo said in a sarcastic tone.

“I haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.”

“I’m on the edge of my seat.” Theo deadpanned.

“When Duke forced me to see a doctor, they gave me some medicine and a blood transfusion and I got better, so…” He looked at Theo expectantly.

“I have no idea where you’re going with this.”

“Maybe if we give you a blood transfusion, we can stop you from going rabid!”

Theo frowned and shook his head. That could never work. Right? He pondered the suggestion. Could it work? Perhaps if he got a transfusion from a Pureblood werewolf, it could stabilize his condition. It wouldn’t cure him of Lycanthropy, but it could stop him from going crazy. This plan might actually work! It was certainly worth a try, it’s not like he had anything to lose. “You might be on to something.”

“I might?” He looked shocked. "I thought you were going to tell me it was a stupid idea.”

Theo smirked. “I think it’s worth a shot.”

Rosalind's Epilogue...

"Hey mom," Rosalind gently placed a bouquet of black dahlias on her mother's grave. "I brought you some of your favorite flowers. I remember you said you loved it because it symbolizes all the dark emotions like sadness and anger." She shook her head. "I never understood you. I don't know why you did the things you did. I never meant to kill you, mom. It was an accident. I'd always hoped someday you'd change, and we could be a family again, but..." Tears welled up in her eyes.

Someone hugged her from behind. At first, she thought it was Theo, but when she breathed in the scent of sweat and tobacco, she realized it was Chandler.

"Hey, sis."

“Hey,” she said hesitantly, not used to being called sis.

“I wanted to thank you for saving dad. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d lost him.”

Rosalind broke away from his grasp. “You’re thanking me for killing mom?”

He rubbed the bridge of his nose. “That’s not what I’m saying.”

She crossed her arms. “That’s what it sounds like.”

“Okay, maybe that’s what I’m saying.”

She threw up her hands in frustration. “You’re unbelievable!”

“I don’t know if you noticed, but mom was abusive.” He pointed to the scratch marks on his face that had turned into a scab. “Dad isn’t perfect, but he loved me. If I had to kill mom to save dad, I would’ve in a heartbeat.”

“I’m not like you, Chandler.”

“I don’t want to fight with you.”

“I don’t want to fight with you either.” She took a step closer.

“Can we have a truce?”

She nodded.

They both sat in the grass beside their mother’s gravestone and told each other stories from the years they spent apart.

“Can you do me a favor?” Chandler asked.

She pressed her lips together in a thin line. “What’s the favor?”

“Duke and I are going on a little trip. We should be back in a week. Will you please keep dad company while I’m gone?”

“Where are you going?”

“We’re going to make sure the last of the Wolfsbane is properly disposed of.”

“Wait here.” Rosalind disappeared into Gran’s cabin and returned with the silver bow and arrows.“Please, get rid of it, I don’t care how. I never want to see it again.”

Chandler gave a solemn nod and accepted the items. “And you’ll take care of dad?”

“Yes, of course.”

He smiled. “He’s going to be so happy to spend time with you.”

“He is?”

“Definitely, he adores you.”

“He doesn’t even know me.”

He shrugged. “You’re his daughter. It’s his job to love you.”

Duke walked out of the cabin with two black duffle bags in hand. He threw one to Chandler. “Are you ready to go?”

Chandler rummaged through the duffle bag to make sure everything was present. “I think so.”

“You’re leaving right now?” Rosalind gaped.

Duke nodded. “We need to destroy it, soon as possible, if anyone gets their hands on a bottle of Wolfsbane they could reverse engineer the recipe.”

Chandler placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, we’ll be back no time.”

“If The Silver Huntsmen don’t kill us first. We are still rogue werewolves, after all.” Duke said.

Chandler glared in his direction.

“Go.” Rosalind encouraged. “I’ll look after things here.”

“No one should come after while we’re gone,” Duke said. “But just in case, we’ll be leaving Heath to protect you.”

Rosalind rolled her eyes. “I feel safer already.”

Duke tried to suppress a chuckle.

Rosalind glanced around the forest. “Has anyone seen Theo?”

“Oh, your nerd boyfriend? I sent him to go babysit Heath.” Chandler said. He turned to Duke. “I invited him to stay with us.”

“What?”

“It’s okay he won’t be around for long.”

Rosalind’s heart sank. He was right, now that the locket was gone Theo was going to go rabid. What was she thinking? That was the problem, she didn’t think. All she did was act, and look where that got her. She saw a flash of movement through the trees. Theo and Heath approached them.

Chandler gave them a smirk. “Have fun, you two.”

“What about me?” Heath pouted.

“Not you, I hope you have an awful time while we’re gone,” Chandler said.

Duke waved. “Goodbye, Heath.”

“Hey bring me back a souvenir, and get me something from the drive-through on your way home and–”

“Shut up Heath!” Chandler shouted as they walked away.

Rosalind turned to Theo. “I’m sorry about the locket, I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“It didn’t work anyway,” Theo said.

Rosalind’s eyebrows shot up. “What do you mean it didn’t work?”

It stopped me from turning into a wolf, but it didn’t stop me from going rabid.”

Rosalind cupped his face in her hands. “I’m sorry, I wish there was something I could do.”

“There might be. What’s your blood type?”

“O-“

“The universal donor.”A smile spread across his lips. “Are you willing to try an experiment that could save me?”

She gave a firm nod.

Chandler & Duke’s epilogue…

“You know, your sister is bloodthirsty, like her mom. Did you see how she handled some of those wolves? She’s vicious.” Duke commented as they strolled down the path.

“Are you concerned?” Chandler asked.

“No. She’s strong and fearless, and she protects the people she cares about most. So, it sounds like she’s a lot she has a lot, in common with her big brother too.”

Chandler bumped his shoulder playfully.

Duke froze in his tracks. “I smell two werewolves nearby.”

“Anyone, we know?”

“One of them is my father.” Duke cringed.

“No problem, I could kick your dad’s ass in a fight.”

“Is that so.” Duke’s father leaned up against a tree with Pack Mother Regina by his side. They both held glasses of champagne in their hands.

“Yeah, I could totally take you down, old man.” Chandler clenched his fists and marched towards them.

Duke jumped in between them. “Dad, what are you doing here?”

“We heard the wonderful news!” Pack Mother Regina exclaimed.

“Wonderful news?” Duke quirked an eyebrow.

“The untimely passing of Pack Mother Luna.” Pack Father Lydon clarified as he clinked glasses with Pack Mother Regina. “I couldn’t stand her.”

Regina nodded in agreement. “She was ugly, and I’m glad she’s dead.” She glanced over at Chandler. “No offense.”

“None taken.”

“Is this the only reason you came here?” Duke asked.

“Of course not.” His father responded. “We’re here to discuss your future. You’re technically traitors to the Silver Huntsmen. We should execute you on the spot, but we are so pleased that you were partially responsible for Pack Mother Luna’s permanent removal, the Council has agreed to let you live on two conditions.”

Chandler narrowed his eyes. “What’s the catch?”

“We have decided that since you are traitors to our cause you are permanently banned from calling yourselves Silver Huntsmen, and you must evacuate your den within the next two weeks. You may retrieve any personal belongings, but anything that is property of The Silver Huntsmen must be returned.” Pack Mother Regina said.

Duke nodded. “Fair enough.”

Pack Father Lydon took one last gulp of his champagne, then shifted into his wolf form. “Goodbye, Duke.” Without another word, he sprinted away.

“Give Gregorio my regards,” Pack Mother Regina winked before shifting to her wolf form and following him.

Chandler turned to Duke. “I will not be giving the Pack Father her regards.”

Duke laughed. “Me neither.”

Heath’s epilogue…

One month later…

“I hate all of you!” Duke shouted.

“You hate me?” Heath responded. “The person you should be hating is Theo! He’s a good-for-nothing cheater!”

“It’s not my fault, I’m better than all of you!” Theo defended himself. “I destroyed you fair and square.”

“Fair and square?” Rosalind scoffed. “You betrayed me!”

Theo shrugged, “That’s life.”

Gregorio stood up in front of everyone. “Maybe it’s we played a different game. Mario Kart brings out the worst in all of you.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Duke said. “Who the hell just threw a red shell at me!”

Chandler laughed manically and Duke tackled him.

Gregorio unplugged the Switch, causing everyone to complain. “I’m not sorry, you all need a moment to calm yourselves.”

Heath jumped up. “Come on, Theo, I’m gonna show how I make gummy worm pizza.”

“Do I have to?” Theo grumbled.

“My idea saved your life, Mixedblood,” Heath said. “Now you’re in my debt for life.”

It’s true. Since Theo started getting blood transfusions, the signs of madness slowly disappeared, and he had better control over his transformations. He sighed. “Fine!”

“You’re not making gross food in my kitchen!” Gran shouted.

“Awww,” Heath whined.

“Bummer, I was really in the mood for gummy worm pizza.” Rosalind joked.

Theo kissed her forehead. “I suppose I’ll have to order you one.”

She smiled. “You have soft lips.”

“The better to kiss you with, my dear.”

She leaned in and they locked lips. She ran her fingers through his hair and he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“This cabin is too small,” Heath remarked.

“It’s only temporary,” Duke said.

There was a loud knock on the door. Everyone glanced around the room. “Are we expecting anyone?”

“Almost everyone I know is in this room,” Rosalind said.

“I think Heath should open the door,” Chandler said. “He’s the most expendable.”

“I think you should shut up for once, Chandler!” Heath retorted, but willing opened the door.

Several children dressed in colorful costumes stood on their doorstep. “Trick or treat?” They shouted in unison.

“It’s Halloween?” Heath exclaimed. “Why didn’t anyone tell me?”

“Because we’re grown adults, Heath,” Duke responded.

“Yeah, when you’re an adult without children, Halloween is just another day,” Chandler added.

Heath covered the children’s ears. “Don’t listen to them, Halloween is magic, no matter how old you are.” Heath handed them each a giant bag of gummy worms. “Here you can have these now that my pizza dreams are ruined.”

After the children left, Heath declared that they must celebrate the holiday.

“How should we celebrate?” Rosalind asked.

“Let's do werewolf stuff,” Heath suggested. “The moon is full tonight. It’s the perfect night.”

Theo stood up. “I’ll go with you. I’m going to shift soon anyway.”

“I’ll go too.” Rosalind cracked her knuckles. “I need more practice moving around in my wolf form.”

Chandler and Duke joined them by the door, “We can’t let you guys have all the fun without us.”

“Wait for me!” Gran said. It’s been too long since I’ve felt the wind in my fur.”

Gregorio smiled. “Someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble.”

Together, they shifted into their wolf forms and ran off into the night as a family.

The end.