all night musing

“What evil do you have cooking in that brain, little one. It’s been a long time since you’ve dared to defy Lex in such a grandiose way.” Gaelle accepted her role as mediator between the two titan like men in her life. Zachary held no standard to his wickedness; nor did he like to be caged in between the moral high grounds that Lex set for this town. This power struggle had boiled on for ages. Gaella just didn’t have much drive to care about the meatbags that got caught in the crosshairs. Not anymore. How many wars had they lived through and see the ill will of the beast that deemed themselves superior. Humans were vile. “Why kill her when we can use her like a pet. When she stops being useful, we put her out to pasture. I, my love, enjoy the long game. Instant gratification does nothing for me.” 

“Carry on.”

what she was saying was true. he had done things out of line, of course he had, it was in his nature to but it had been a while that went beyond something that would get him a scolding. this and everything that would happen, wasn’t going to be something that would get an eye roll. the council surely would gather once it gained their attention but he believed they should be thankful he had gone this long without draining people for every drop of blood they had. instead, they would whine and cry about it. sighing loudly for the dramatics he shot gaelle another look. “but sister, we have been playing the long game.” far too long, he thought. letting people believe that they had any real say, that they could betray someone like him. “jump.” he said when he looked back at the girl. she seemed to try to fight it, but the longer the two connected she suddenly leaned back and disappeared out of sight. thankfully, he could hear the way her bones broke when she hit the ground. turning fully around to face his sister now he gave her a proud smile. “and what’s coming next has nothing to do with lex, although, i’m sure he’ll insert himself.”

Nathan exhaled as he kept his eyes on his brother. “No, I’m not here to play the hero.” He told him quietly, pulling his hand out of his pocket. “Let her fall.” He knew there was a part of him that didn’t mean that, after having to step in Lex’s shoes for a few weeks to a month, it was easy to understand why Lex wanted to save everyone around them. “What’s going on, Zachary? Why the sudden interest to drop the bodies you’ve been dropping? You wanna be put down?”

he’ll admit, that response? it unexpected but a welcomed one. he didn’t imagine it would be very long before something happened to her. she was already losing her balance and he was sure that the loss of blood wasn’t helping her. tilting his head as he stared at her, listening to nathan he sighed. “put down?” he chuckled. “who is going to put me down?” arching a brow as he glanced over at him, the break in contact from the girl gave her a moment of relief, enough that she was able to put her foot down but with her swaying? she lost her balance anyway and was about to start falling but within a blink of an eye, zachary was now at the edge of the building, holding onto her arm as she now dangled out desperately grasping his arm. her life now literally in his hands. he wasn’t saving her, he was just teasing death. “don’t you miss it?” he looked back at nathan once again. “being free.” he clarified. “why should there be rules for us.”

“You’re not wrong,” she swallowed back the burning fear to be transparent. The thought of hurting someone turned her stomach. Marisol didn’t have a single bad bone in her body. “I don’t have it in me to do what you do, Leo. It takes something I’m not made of but I have something that you don’t and that’s being so clean. No one would ever suspect someone like me to work in this business. I want to make it clear,” she stepped closer daringly. “I don’t want any money out of this. I don’t want power. I sure as hell don’t want to be some some big wig. I don’t want anything but a promise from you. The only person in this equation who has the power to make this a reality.” Marisol sighed. “I want the people I love to be protected. Things are really bad out there and I can’t protect them. If I can help you clean your books and find a safer way to make money without getting flagged for that–it’s all I’m aiming for.” Marisol shrugged. 

“Trust is big to you but I have nothing to gain and everything to lose. I’ve got forty thousand dollars to offer as small insurance to cushion my proposal. It’s yours. The bills are fresh and they mean nothing to me. Even if you pass on it now, take it as a sign of good faith that you can consider.” Marisol fished the neatly packed envelope from her purse and held it out to him. 

ah. there it was, a real reason for her sudden appearance. there always was one, albeit the most selfless he had heard so far but a reason nonetheless. she wanted to protect. it wasn’t just about her brother either, no. devil in the details right? she would have made a singular point, rather than plural. people. his eyes fell onto the envelope, a smile forming. it was never welcoming either, there was always something behind his smile that practically flashed in neon lights saying: run the other way. reaching out he took the envelope from her, his thumb running over the the bills before setting it aside. “no.” he finally responded as he stood up straight now. “i dont need money as insurance.” he’d take it regardless but that wasn’t important in this conversation. “and I make no promises.” he shook his head. “marcus and landon,” the people he assumed she was making this little deal for. “they knew what they were signing up for when they got into this.” especially landon, who had been along for the ride practically from the beginning. “i dont give two shits what you’re made of or how pure your reasoning for this is. you want in on any of it,” because even if he agreed, she’d have to go a long way before ever really doing what she was asking to. “you do whatever i say, whenever i say it. if you can’t stomach it, then get the fuck out of my office.” 

“They don’t have to..” she cleared her throat to cover up the fear that empowered her feigned sense of confidence. The haste in the two men’s gait only forecasted trouble. Leo was a dangerous man but she believed that in some small part of him there something semi decent. Sure, he used her but maybe that meant that he could be used as well. “I won’t insult in your prowess, Leo. You’re not a stupid man. I know the club got a lot of heat from the raid and people have to be scared to get arrested, right?” Marisol toyed with the opal ring on her middle finger. “I simply am proposing you use this brief reprieve as a way to have clean money flow through Se7en. You can siphon the surplus and pour your product into a smaller pool of unknown wannabes who want a sense of power who will hold all the responsibility. Essentially, you can commodify your product and erase the roots. It’s kinda like global commodification and sweat shops…”  

leaning back, leo let her speak without even a flash of expression to give her any kind of inkling to what he was thinking. standing up from his seat he walked around the desk only to lean up against it just as she ended her little, whatever it was. “it sounds like you’ve really thought it through.” he commented. “but what you’re saying, requires trust.” of course, the fear of crossing someone was needed there too, knowing if they did something that affected the pyramid, then it was their body in the morgue but it wasn’t something that was dealt with blindly. the more moving parts there were, the less control for him in the end. if one thing went wrong, regardless of it linking back to him, it was millions dumped. “and you,” he looked her up and down. “haven’t done anything to get in on the business.” it would be one thing if she was asking to do something where her hands remained clean, but that wasn’t what she was talking about. “my own sister is out of here for fucking a cop and she only managed the club.” he pointed out. “you want to work your way up to do business? you gotta get your hands dirty first and i don’t think you have that in you.”

“Before you let her hit the ground at least let her read her last rights,” she purred from the farther edge of the rooftop. Zachary didn’t care of the carnage that he brought or the thunder that roar from the top. Lex’s perfect little rendezvous with his child bride would be ruined and so would be the placid peace. A small part of her wanted to see her old Lex in the flesh. 

“It’s the fair thing to do. Plus, the light below is gree. May want to wait till the wheels start to turn.I thought you liked a big audience.”

he huffed out a laugh, partially from the idea of actually doing such a thing and from the simple fact that he didn’t believe she actually had any. in most situations, zachary knew that almost any room he walked in, he was superior to others. put that mindset on steroids? there was no telling what he’d do to anyone and any given time. most people believed he was impulsive and sure, he could be, but he was a master manipulator at the end of the day. even in such a town like this, he always walked right on the line of what was unacceptable. being a hassle for others but with calculation. this had none of that. “this is just rehearsals.” he said, glancing over at her. “you could always take her for yourself.” and he meant fully. she was bound to die, it was just a matter of how. he wondered if she would. killings weren’t acceptable, people would lose their minds once it got out but the three he had already finished with weren’t being missed just yet thus, no panic.

Nathan heard the rumors, Zachary was on the loose again and he was leaving a mess behind him. Of course, if it hadn’t been for Harper and Asher, the mess probably would have been left for the Council to find. He made his way up to the roof, shutting the door behind him but he moved behind something else. He heard Zachary’s voice and an exhale left him. He glided the tip of his tongue along his lower lip as he came out from behind the pillar. “What do you think you are doing, Zachary?” He moved slowly, moving his hands behind his jacket and into his back pockets. His eyes glancing from him to the woman who was standing on the edge fo the roof.

family was truly the last thing he wanted to deal with currently or at least these versions they had become. a couple centuries ago? meh, maybe. some part of him had to wonder what was so broken inside of him, that unlike his brothers, he never remembered his humanity. it was like they all got it back, the more time they weren’t human. the thought didn’t keep him up at night, but it was interesting enough to give two seconds to before shoving it away. “we’re just hanging out nathan.” it was a bad joke, he’d admit it yet he cracked a smile like it had truly been something to laugh over. “are you going to try and play hero? because it really wasn’t the game i was going for tonight. so if you don’t mind, i’m a little preoccupied.” 

Sami let out a breath of relief when he saw that it was Natalia. He may not know her well, she’d kept her distance like some did when he was taken into the pack, but at least she was pack. “I’m fine, I think,” he said, gladly taking the clothes that were offered without question. He didn’t seem to be hurt, just cold and dirty. He pulled on the t-shirt and jeans, not caring that they weren’t a great fit on him, just thankful for anything, really. “What happened last night? Do you remember anything?” He had a million more questions, but he didn’t go on. Like where the hell was the rest of the pack?

“pieces.” but not enough for her to be recounting it all from her own memory. it was only after she got herself back to where the rest were beginning to gather that she got fully what had went wrong. “apparently,” she zipped up the bag, throwing it back onto her back. “someone’s out to get us. we were being hunted.” the lack of expression wasn’t from being unfazed by it. no. she was pissed. it happened sometimes, humans or other creatures running into a pack on a night they shifted together, but these weren’t people just at the wrong place at the wrong time. they were armed and they weren’t hesitant. she didn’t imagine them finding them out of dumb luck either. “a couple people were hurt but they’re healing now.” at least, none had been killed or she definitely wouldn’t have been here. she would’ve been looking for whoever played with their lives for sport. marco had barked out orders and she was complying. 

Everything had changed in such profound ways that Camille herself couldn’t keep up. The world didn’t seem so black and white and that took time to adjust to. Willow’s place in their family had been a much needed patch of pure, unaltered sunshine. She restored joy to even the most hopeless people. Smiling at the exhausted contentment that befall Gemma’s features, Camille approached with a decaffeinated coffee just the way Gemma liked it. 

“You look beautiful,” she held it out to her. “How’s my little weeping Willow? A little less weepy and more giggly?” 

“You lie.” gemma teased, her eyes sparkling with joy when she was handed the coffee. “thank you.” taking a sip from it immediately, glancing over at the stroller. “more like sleepy Willow.” exhaling in content, her smile only grew more as she returned the attention to her sister. their family had done quit the transition lately, they were all growing but gemma didn’t always know whether that growth came back together or pulled them all further apart. the family she created with finn had been her main focus, as expected once she found out she was pregnant, but she still felt the need to get everyone else on the same page once again. “how have you been?” she asked, genuinely curious to know how everything was for camille, especially now that sami was off with wolves and luna.