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| Jackson—Aegisguard, Dor-Sanguis, The Caederian Temple |

When the doors at both ends of the conference hall opened, Jackson tensed up. He watched Lord Caedis and the Zenith walk in through the one to his left, and Justiciar Tyrus returned through the one on the right. Above, the balconies filled with people again, and Jackson was certain that now was the time that his fate would be decided.

He shifted his sights to Sebastien, who took a seat at the table. But asking him any questions wasn't an option; Jackson wasn't going to risk aggravating his judges.

"Where's Alpha Daimon?" Wesley blurted.

"Is he okay?" Remus asked desperately.

"Your Alpha is undergoing tests to determine whether he can be saved or not," the Zenith answered, standing at the head of the table beside Lord Caedis. He then set his dark, piercing eyes on Jackson. "We understand that the Caeleste world and its existence were hidden from you since you were a child, and it seems likely that you didn't know what you were doing, but I'd like you to explain why you did what you did to Daimon."

Jackson shrugged stiffly. "I just...it was like an instinct," he answered. "Like an urge. I didn't want to lose Daimon, and in the moment, I just...knew that it would save him." He felt a little sick. "It...did save him, right?"

"As I said, our tests will determine that," the Zenith answered.

"What tests?" Brando questioned.

But the Zenith ignored him. "Jackson, whether you knew what you were doing or not, the creation of a Forsaken is strictly forbidden."

Jackson felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"But we are prepared to offer a compromise," the Zenith continued, glancing at Lord Caedis. "Instead of serving time in Daevor, you can instead accept another mission."

With a conflicted, skeptical frown, Jackson drawled, "What kind of mission?" He'd much rather accept the offer than be sent to demon prison, but he didn't want to end up like Sebastien, roped into a deal that had some shady, life-long terms that he'd never be able to escape.

The Zenith took a USB stick from the folder in his hands, and once he put it into a port under the table, a projector switched on above the door that Justiciar Tyrus had entered through. A screen lit up behind the Zenith and Lord Caedis, and it showed an overhead photograph of an old ruin and what looked like some lycans.

"In our pursuit for a cure to the cadejo virus, we need to understand it as much as possible. Not only do we need the phantom to obtain the original strain, but we also need these hybrids," the Zenith said as the photographs on the screen changed every few moments, showing the pack of black and white lycans moving deeper into the forest.

"Wait, the hybrid pack?" Julian asked. "The ones you're looking for?"

"Zhey vere spotted not var vrom zhe lab," Lord Caedis answered. "Ve lost visual of zhe phantom, but ve're still tracking zhem," he said, nodding at the screen. "Not only can zhese lycans 'elp us understand 'ow Lyca Corp. 'as changed and manipulated zhe virus, but zhey could also 'elp us give zheir unique abilities to ozzer lycans, and if zhat vere possible, volf valkers vould stand a much better chance at survival."

"Wait," Jackson called, interrupting his packmates before they could get a word out. "So...you want us to go and find these lycans?"

"Yes," the Zenith answered. "Since you're a hybrid, it's likely that their leader, Luan, would trust you. He doesn't trust Cyrus, and that skepticism spreads to the Nosferatu. We need someone to convince them to come in of their own free will."

"And if we can't?" Wesley asked.

"Then you'll keep them distracted long enough for our Vârcolac agents to get close enough to capture them," the Zenith said.

Jackson frowned as a million questions rolled around in his head. "But...what about the phantom? Shouldn't we be—"

The Zenith shook his head. "As it currently stands, it's too dangerous for you to be anywhere near the phantom operation."

"'E needs your body to become whole," Lord Caedis added.

"Whole?" Ethan questioned.

"Phantoms are the most powerful astral Caeleste," Sebastien chimed in. "They usually remain tethered to a place, like a house or some other building, but they can be set free by kludde. A hundred and fifty years ago, I mistakenly freed this phantom, and he possessed the body of my friend, Caleb. Caleb's body sufficed for a while, but phantoms get stronger with each kill they make, so it went on a killing spree. Eventually, it grew too powerful for a human's body, so it moved onto wolf walkers. But it could never find a body powerful enough to harbour its growing ethos; it needed a body with room to grow, like yours," he said, looking at Jackson. "Asmodi demons have the ability to increase their ethos capacity, and hybrids even more so."

Everyone glanced around the table at each other.

"What about the Holy Grail?" Ezhno asked. "They want Jackson too, right?"

"Although we don't yet know why the Holy Grail want Jackson, we have hypothesis' that they've sided with the phantom, or perhaps they're working for Lyca Corp., who have a history of creating hybrids," the Zenith said. "It's possible that Lyca Corp. want Jackson to perfect their projects."

"Projects?" Julian asked before Jackson could.

"Lyca Corp. cveated zhe 'ybrid pack ve need you to vind, but zhe viles ve 'ave on zhem suggest zhat zhese 'ybrids aren't pervect."

Ethan shook his head and said, "Okay, so...wait. Phantom wants Jackson because it needs a hybrid body to survive. Lyca Corp. or the Holy Grail or whatever want Jackson because they need a true hybrid to perfect their little science experiments." He looked at Jackson before setting his sights back on Lord Caedis and the Zenith. "But what about when Jackson was a kid? Those Holy Grail priest guys tried to take him and killed his dad."

"As we said, we only have hypothesis'," the Zenith said firmly. "The Holy Grail set out to kill every asmodi demon two decades ago, so it's possible that the agents Jackson remembers from his childhood were simply there to kill his family."

"Well, that's dark as fuck," Brando muttered.

Jackson exhaled deeply and thought about it all. If finding those hybrid lycans could help the Nosferatu create a cure, then he'd do it, especially if it would save him from being sent to Daevor, and if capturing them would help all wolf walkers against the cadejo. But what about Daimon? He didn't want to leave his mate behind, nor did he want to make a choice without him. But what if he had to?

With another sigh, he looked at Lord Caedis and the Zenith. "What about Daimon? What about our rewards for completing the lab mission?"

"Yeah," Lalo said with a nod.

"You vill all receive your revards, but zhis mission is urgent. Ve can't visk zhe pack vunning into zhe 'orde surrounding zhe lab or zhe phantom," Lord Caedis said.

"But it's not safe for Jackson out there, right?" Julian questioned.

"Ve'll be sending Zephyr vith you. Zhe last ve saw, zhe phantom is 'eading in zhe opposite direction as zhe 'ybrid pack."

Jackson watched the pack shoot unsure glances at one another. Their eyes eventually settled on Wesley, who looked like he was thinking.

"What do we do?" Leon asked the Gamma.

"Time is of the essence," the Zenith urged.

Wesley sighed and leaned back in his seat. "It's not up to me," he said and looked at Jackson. "It's your choice."

Jackson tensed up. "What? Why?"

"Because it's your choice between demon prison and another mission," Ethan said. "And doesn't being mated to Daimon give you authority or something?" he asked, sounding bitter.

"It doesn't work like that," Wesley replied.

"But," Brando interjected, "Ethan's right, and to be honest, Alpha Daimon trusts Jackson with his life, and for all we know, what Jackson did saved the Alpha's life." He looked at Lord Caedis and the Zenith. "Right? He didn't turn."

"He didn't, but we're still doing tests," the Zenith replied.

Remus asked, "How long is it going to take?"

"Ve zon't know," Lord Caedis replied before setting his eyes on Jackson. "Ve need an answer now."

The confliction constricting Jackson got tighter and tighter. He didn't want to leave Daimon; he wanted to stay there and wait for his mate to recover...if he would. But he needed to find those hybrids. They'd help with the fight against the cadejo, and he couldn't let them slip away. Not after everything they'd been through.

He rested his arms on the table as he weighed the dangers; Raphael would be there if the Holy Grail made another attempt at trapping his soul, and Raphael would also be there to back them up if they walked into danger.

As he leaned back in his seat, he looked at Lord Caedis. "And we just have to talk them into coming in or help capture them, right?"

"Correct," Lord Caedis answered.

"And that's it? No side quests or sneaky terms?"

"No contract at all," he said. "Is a simple choice betveen Daevor and a mission."

Jackson looked around at his pack. "Daimon would do it," he told them confidently. "If these lycans can help us fight the cadejo, then we need to go and find them."

"Agreed," Wesley said.

"So...we're heading back out there?" Julian asked.

"Vonce again, if any of you vould prever to stay be'ind, you can. But zhe more of you, zhe better your odds."

Lord Caedis' words sent a chill down Jackson's spine, but he wouldn't let it shatter his confidence. It almost felt as if the pack were looking to him in Daimon's absence, and he'd do his best to be strong for them. "Okay," he said with a nod. "We'll do it." But then he frowned and glanced around at his packmates, "Uh...well, maybe we should vote, actually."

"All in favour of going," Wesley immediately announced.

Everyone raised their hands.

"I think that...Remus should stay here, though," Jackson said. He knew that it was what Daimon would want.

"Agreed," Wesley said once more.

Remus looked distraught, but there was also a pondering expression on his face. "Can't I use my reward to save my dad?" he asked Lord Caedis. "To make him normal again and not a Forsaken?"

Lord Caedis shook his head. "Even a Numen can't undo zhat sort of dark ethos. Zhe only vay to save 'im is if 'e 'as traces of zemon blood. Our best doctor is vorking on zhat. If 'e does, I plan to save 'im eizer vay. You zon't 'ave to use your revard."

"What if he doesn't have traces of demon blood?" Ezhno asked worriedly.

"Zhen ve'll 'ave no choice but to destroy 'im."

Destroy him? Jackson's heart raced as the pack called their worries and anger at Lord Caedis. Was there really nothing that a god could do? He glanced at Sebastien, and then he wondered.... "What if he dies?" he asked, a cold chill spiralling through him. "You can bring the dead back, right? Would that make him no longer a forsaken?"

"Yes," Lord Caedis replied.

"Dead? You're gonna let them kill him?" Remus exclaimed.

"I don't know how I feel about that," Brando muttered.

"But he can bring him back," Julian insisted, nodding at Lord Caedis. "He brought back Sebastien's mate."

The pack murmured unsurely.

If Jackson had to use his reward to save Daimon, then he would. He let out a deep sigh and said to his packmates, "He's gonna be okay. If they can't save him, I will. I'll use my reward."

The despondent, concerned stares on his packmates' faces started lifting. Some of them still looked unnerved, but that wasn't surprising. They were talking about letting their Alpha die so that he could be resurrected. Anyone would feel worried and skeptical.

Jackson averted his gaze to Lord Caedis and the Zenith. "We'll do it," he said firmly. "But...do I get to take the inimă?"

"Yes," the Zenith answered. "All of your things are waiting in one of the other rooms. Once you're ready, you'll be transported to the pack's last known location. We'll be giving Zephyr a căutător, so you'll be able to scout ahead."

"What if these lycans are hostile?" Wesley asked. "What should we expect?"

"That brings us to another reason as to why we're asking you," the Zenith said, looking at Jackson. As the screen behind him displayed a series of small video clips of black and white lycans in what looked like some sort of training field, he said, "These lycans each have abilities; these powers were created using traces of the cadejo virus. It's likely that Jackson will be immune to their effects, just as he was immune to the siren's trance."

Jackson's eyes darted from each video clip. One all-black lion became practically invisible in shadows, while a lioness roared so loud that the camera broke and went black. He wasn't entirely sure what he was expecting when he heard that the hybrid pack had powers but seeing them in action admittedly made him feel a little more cautious than he initially did. But if he was immune, he could protect his packmates.

"All zhe invormation you vill need is in 'ere," Lord Caedis said as he pulled a file out of the air and placed it on the table. "Your things are in zhat voom," he said, nodding at the door behind Justiciar Tyrus. "Make sure you all vead everyving. Zephyr vill be down to join you soon."

"Any questions?" the Zenith asked.

"How do we convince them to come in?" Brando questioned.

"By any means necessary," he replied. "With how long they've been out there, I'm sure they're aware of how serious the cadejo situation is. Explaining to them that they could help fight it and find a cure might be enough; if not, improvise," he said, shifting his sharp gaze to Jackson. "Zephyr will contact us if talking doesn't work."

Jackson took a deep breath. His worry for Daimon lingered, sinking its fangs deeper, but he grasped his focus and concentrated on his new task. "Okay," he announced, looking around at his packmates. "I guess we should get ready to go," he said as he stood up and grabbed the file.

His packmates began getting up, too. When they walked towards the door, though, Sebastien didn't follow.

"Isn't Sebastien coming?" Jackson asked, watching as the white-haired demon joined Lord Caedis and the Zenith, who were heading for the other door.

"I got time off," Sebastien called. "See you in a week or so." He left the hall with his bosses.

"I thought he'd be coming," Julian muttered.

"Me too," Jackson said, following his pack past Justiciar Tyrus and into the small, round room.

On a table sat everyone's belongings, and when Jackson found his bags, he quickly looked inside and found his medication and the inimă. He then glanced at each of his packmates again. He was certain that they'd be facing cadejo out there, but he was ready. He'd do everything he could to keep them safe in Daimon's absence, and he'd find those lycans.

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