Shadow of the Day (Wolf Moon Sequel)

Chapter 43: Monster

"The worst has happened, but the good news is we know how to handle it," Natasha said with forced cheer, perched on the arm of the love-seat.

We had met up at her house to figure out a plan and we were all squashed together on her couch. All of us being relative. Matt wasn't here; he was hanging out with Ivy. I expected him to put up a bit more of a fight when I asked him to miss the meeting and stay with her, but he had immediately agreed that someone needed to keep an eye on her in case Devin came sniffing around while we were occupied. Ivy was thrilled to be spending the evening with him, and I know he was happy to spend time with her anyway, so it was an all around win.

"Just because we know how to get rid of Devin doesn't mean we can," I said, teeth gritting together. I had turned it over in my mind all night, unable to sleep. Were we better prepared than ever to deal with a demon possession? Yes! But could we just murder Joe/Devin and get away with it? No.

Wyatt, sitting on the opposite love-seat with Blake and Natasha, shot me a look. Which I ignored.

"Lila's right. We can't just kill him," Mirah pointed out. "If 'Joe' disappeared without a trace that would be suspicious. And Ivy would ask questions for sure."

Everyone had gotten the update about Joe being Ivy's biological father as now it was pertinent information. Here I was, keeping secrets from Ivy, but spilling hers to all my friends. And plotting to end her father. I didn't think it was possible to feel even more guilty about how I was treating her until now.

"Are you sure there isn't another way?" Dakota asked nervously. The sweetest peacemaker of the Pack, Dakota was probably the most uncomfortable with this route. Even if it was the only way and she knew that, it didn't make it any easier for her to accept. At least she wouldn't be the one to do it. The reality of it was so much worse.

Natasha shook her head. "There isn't. And if there is, we have a very limited window of opportunity to figure it out before Devin is in full power and un-killable again. Well, not un-killable, but if we try to take him down after he's completed the possession then we'll have lost Joe anyway and Devin will go on to take control of someone else and end their life too."

"Oh," she said, sinking back into the couch. Mirah, me, Jared, and Dakota were squashed shoulder to shoulder on the couch. I was going to sit with the vamps on the other couch, but figured that would just irritate Jared and I had no patience to deal with him today. So instead we were sandwiched in tight. It was enough to make me nervous and claustrophobic, imagining Joe screaming like Wyatt did, the sound of my claws tearing through his chest...

When Natasha put it like that, killing Devin and Joe seemed almost humane. We were going to put an end to Devin killing other people and causing more harm. And Joe was going to die anyway, whether we did it sooner or Devin did it later. It was better if we killed him sooner than Devin would; put him out of his misery and save everyone else from Devin's reign of terror. And yet...

"And there's no possibility of saving Joe when we kill Devin?" Wyatt asked.

Natasha immediately grimaced. "I don't know. You survived it, but it's not like you're really...alive."

Jared snorted and I elbowed hard in the ribs, but Wyatt smiled a little. Truthfully, it was a little funny when she put it like that. But I wasn't in the laughing mood.

"Either way, we'd have to find a way to stop his heart, but also to revive him? And who knows how long you have to be dead for a demon to leave, or if it would even work. We may just as well end up saving Devin's life instead of Joe's. And the chances of us being able to revive him at all? Very slim."

"Perhaps its worth looking into, as a back up plan. If we find something we can try it, and if it doesn't work then we can..." Blake waved his hand a little helplessly. Apparently, talking about murdering someone was a little uncomfortable for everyone. Yet here I was, unable to stop picturing tearing my claws through Wyatt's chest, hearing the screams...