𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐧 ᴊᴏʏʟᴀᴅᴀ / ɢᴇᴍғᴏᴜʀᴛʜ

Ch. 21 ~ Whisper of Treason

Callen, Lobo and Neve started to look for Ciarra. Their eyes swept across every corner of the forest, searching for any sign that could lead them to Ciarra.
Each of them was worried in their own way but none more than Callen. He blamed himself for what had happened to his girlfriend and he knew he needs to make things right.

Back at the Mancini's mansion, Griffin stood in front of the gathered Lycantropes and vampires, his people. The air was heavy with silence, everyone's eyes held both confusion and fear. Griffin took a deep breath first as he is afraid to make mistakes. This was the moment he had been dreading.

"I know what I am and may scare some of you"

Griffin began to speak, looking at everyone with sincerity.

"I'm a vampire you used to know, son of my father Theo and Dian but.... I'm also part of a vampire...but I don't know who my parents are"

Gasps spread across the mansion. They keep on whispering at each other and Griffin doesn't know if they understand him or not. It was the kind of truth that could shake him even the strongest bonds. But Griffin didn’t step back.

Theo stood beside him and placed his hand on his shoulder as reassurance.

"We found him when he was just a baby, barely days old and he was left outside of our school gate. We didn’t know where he came from or who his parents were. But we raised him as our own"

Dian stepped forward, speaking to the crowd.

"We never told anyone because we wanted him to grow up safe, without fear or judgment. We loved him regardless of his bloodline"

Some in the crowd still looked unsure, others just quietly listened. Griffin saw the doubt but he didn't let it stop him. Instead, he stepped down from the platform and walked among them.

"I know it’s not easy to accept me. But I’m not here to ask for pity. I’m here to earn your trust, And I’ll start by bringing back my sister, Ciarra. She’s missing and I’ll do whatever it takes to find her and bring her home"

The room remained silent for a moment. Then one of the elders stood up.

"You’re different, yes. But your heart is strong. That’s something we can believe in"

Slowly, others began to nod in agreement. Griffin felt a spark of hope.

Meanwhile, Callen, Lobo, and Neve reached a hill overlooking an abandoned road. Callen knelt beside something, a torn ribbon Ciarra used to wear. He clenched it in his hand, eyes burning with focus.

"She's close, I can feel it"

For the first time in many days that they're looking for Ciarra, they all shared a single thought, they were getting closer and with Griffin finally stepping into the light of his truth, hope was beginning to grow again.

Ciarra been struggling with the ropes binding her wrists and ankles, her body is aching from the rough floor. The cold, damp air of the dungeon, gives a chills to her body. The only light came from a flickering bulb hanging above the ceiling, giving a long shadows on the rusted bars that kept her trapped.

She can hear footsteps that echoed through the corridor. She looked up and saw a woman stepped into her view. At first, Ciarra couldn’t see her face clearly, just the outline of her slender figure dressed in a sharp, dark suit. As the woman stepped closer to her, her face became visible and something about her eyes...it was full of hate.

"Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?"

The woman smiled at her with a cruel smirk.

"Oh, darling… don’t you recognize me? I’m Elena. My father was murdered by people you trust..Lobo and Callen"