Thanks to everyone who commented and favourited my Father's Day fanfic. I really appreciate it.

Disclaimer: I own the plot, the children, the Van Helsing siblings, Danilo, Scarah's family, and the others mentioned in the flashbacks. I own nothing else.

(Revised and edited: 7/5/2015)

Deceitful Things

Chapter XXIV: Where Our Loyalties Lie

There will always be those who mean to do us harm. To stop them, we risk awakening the same evil within ourselves. Our first instinct is to seek revenge when those we love are taken from us. But that's not who we are…

-Captain James T. Kirk, Star Trek: Into Darkness

"This is bad," Clawrk commented as he paced around the small area of grass available to him. He rubbed his chin between his thumb and forefinger, his elbow resting on the palm of his other hand. He turned towards the group that sat before him, the earth soft under his feet in the large, dense forest.

The sun had long since set over the massive oaks and pines that made up the town's woods. In a clearing in which the trees had created a circular space, the entire pack of New Salem had gathered- werewolves of every shape, size, and color sitting near the large bonfire that burned in the center, illuminating dozens of eyes and setting of a warm yellow glow which stretched from the spaces in between the trees for quite a few feet.

Stopping, Clawrk turned briefly to gaze at the Moon which shown through the trees, feeling it enrich him with its luminescent white power that enveloped him like a soft blanket. The full moon was only weeks away. Turning back towards the group, he folded his hands behind his back. The alpha male had been processing the information relayed to him by the Van Helsing boy, as well as the newly discovered visions acquired by the banshee friend of Clawdeen's. To say the least, Clawrk was feeling a little less than secure.

He scanned all the attendees that were currently present during this pack meeting. Clawd sat off to the edge of the fire by his mother, Clawdia, and Rocks. Howie and Don were seated by the right by some of the females, while Nino and the youngest packmates sat near the middle, closest to the fire. Howleen was seated off to the left with her boyfriend, with Clawdeen and her husband seated with his siblings in the inner region.

"As you all know, as a few days prior, the sudden string of murders that has put our town on high alert suddenly stopped and the killer disappeared without a trace," Clawrk announced to the pack, "Many have found this as sign of comfort, but from what the boy has told me, we need to take this as a sign of ambition. We are dealing with a monster who's up against the world and is looking to take it and everyone on it straight to hell with him. We don't know where he's gone or how long he's going to be gone, but from what I've been told, there are chances he will come back to Salem-"

"Because of Dracula, right?"

Everyone's heads turned to the sight of a young teen wolf- one who age was of no more than seventeen- with his hand raised like a student asking a question. His large eyes were wide with innocence, naivety, and confusion.

"What?" Clawrk asked, not understanding the young delta.

"Well, you said that the dude's ancestor fought him and Dracula, right?"

Clawrk looked at him with an eyebrow raised, giving the lad an unsure look of how to answer his question.

"Yyyyyeessss…?"

"Well, why else would he leave? I mean, if he's going out and killing everybody, and he was put away for six hundred years by Dracula, maybe that's why he came back here? Because, you know, he wanted to kill Dracula?" the young wolf elaborated, trying to piece together his theory.

"Well, yes-"

"So, why don't we just show him that the world isn't like it was all those times?" The teen werewolf asked.

Clawrk's brows furrowed as he regarded the answer, "What are you trying to infer, boy?"

"Well, think about it: Clawd's married to a vampire. Dracula's daughter, nonetheless. And think of all those werewolves and vampires that got together when Monster High integrated! All we need to do is confront him, show him that we're not as bigoted anymore, and then maybe that'll open up the dude's mind a bit!" The werewolf announced proudly, folding his arms over his chest as if he had just discovered the cure to cancer.

Everyone was silent, all wearing looks as if the boy was one of the dullest crayons in the box. The silence was promptly cut off by Howleen's flabbergasted reply:

"That's the stupidest idea I've ever heard."

Like doll eyes, everyone's heads turned at once to the beta of the Wolf clan, her orange curls recolored, re-combed, and pulled back into her low pigtails.

Marcus pulled at his collar and put a hand on her shoulder, "Leena-"

"You really think it's that easy: 'Hey, Mr. Dan, I know you haven't the greatest life, but things have changed! Just look at the daughter of the guy who locked you in a giant rock for hundreds of years!' Do you really think Dracula's going to let his kid anywhere near the same guy who almost took his head off? The guy's slaughtered thousands of people and has a hell of a vendetta against us and the vamps. And you think he's going to listen to people who remind him of the same people who killed his parents? Give me a break."

Feeling the intense glare of her cymophane eyes, the young werewolf shrank back, feeling his face flush and go hot under his light red fur. However, his statement was soon backed up by a she-wolf who was more around Clawdeen's age. Her blonde hair hung to her shoulders and her mint green eyes were mysterious, almost threatening.

"Well, if it's Dracula he's after, why doesn't Dracula just go after him? Or the Van Helsings for that matter? They're the ones he has a problem with, not us."

Clawrk attempted to speak up, "It's not that simple-"

Don spoke up, leaning his cheek in his palm as he regarded the older female with a bored but are-you-serious expression.

"Uh, because they no idea where he is and because we're dealing with a cranky, very pissed off hybrid that's been mixed with one of the most deadliest species to ever roam the planet?"

"Dracula's the king of vampires, though."

"Doesn't make a difference," Don added, "The dude's like a cross of the Hulk and Bane with a hint of steroids and anesthesia mixed in. If Van Helsing hadn't stepped in, there's a chance Dracula could've been killed. And the Van Helsings don't exactly have our life span advantage, you know."

The she-wolf huffed as she put her hands on her hips, "Still, if Daniel or whatever his name is has a problem with Dracula, why should all of us have to pay for it? We didn't do anything wrong."

Clawd stood up as he answered, "He doesn't care whose problem it is, Kate. All this guy really cares to know is that his parents were killed and he was a freak of society because they didn't follow the social norm. If that's happened, it's obvious that he thinks that if werewolves and vampires are like that, then all monsters must be the same. You really think he would've still gone after those sea creatures and werecats and everyone else if he only wanted revenge on Dracula? Or that he would've gone after the normies in the other town? He doesn't care who he kills, Kate, just as so long as he gets to feed. That's what the volkodlacs have taught him to believe."

A third backup of the teenager's theory came from the back, where a middle-aged werewolf whose brown fur had edges of grey rose up, an irritated expression plastered on his face, "What I don't understand is why they're just sitting around waiting for the other shoe to drop. If the bloodsucker is so determined, why does it seem like he's only interested in protecting that daughter of his? Why isn't he spreading the word, trying to get people more aware and more prepared?

"Because if you ask me, I'm pretty damn tired of having to act like we're awaiting the capture of the other Tsarnaev brother."

Clawrk answered his fellow packmate's question, though he was starting to get a bit irritated, "They've already sent out reports to other cities where they believe he may be headed and have put it on the news, Fleatus. And nobody's forcing you to walk on the nuclear bomb, here."

The one named Fleatus shot Clawrk a look before turning back, muttering a barely audible sentence, "I don't understand why nobody's going with my idea of sending the bloodsuckers out after him. We've suffered enough."

Clawrk, overhearing this, called him out, "Because vampires aren't just the ones he's after. He's after pretty much anything that's walking and can live like a person. And you're not exactly the least prejudice out of us?"

"Why do you say that, Clawrk?"

Harriet looked at the werewolf with disbelief, "Maybe because you still call them bloodsuckers?"

"That's what they are, aren't they?" One werewolf spoke out from the crowd.

"If they're bloodsuckers, than we're mutts. Come on people, this isn't the dark ages anymore."

Another wolf around Kate's age- one with white fur and dyed black hair- called out, "Tell that to the Leech King. Who's to say that he didn't go after the dude just because he was a half-breed. I know he killed a ton of people, but who's to say that had vampires not been one of them, he would've not stayed out of it? Think about it: The world has one less half-breed to deal with."

Clawd's head perked up, his ears flattened and his teeth bared, "Maybe because his daughter's my wife?"

One older wolf spoke up, their tone laced with poison, "And how do you not know they've hypnotized you, boy? For all we know, they have you under that little spell so when the right time comes, they can all take us down!"

Clawrk sighed, a low growl coming from his throat as he rubbed his eyes. Several whispers emerged from the comment, Clawd's eyes getting more dangerously glinted by the second until Clawdeen stood up and scolded the crowd.

"By God, would you all listen to yourselves? Why are you always looking for something to try and make a conspiracy against the vampires? You can't think that everything they do is going to end up some kind of coup against us!"

One elder female wolf narrowed her golden eyes and stared at Clawdeen, "Of course, you would say that, girl. The leech has had you wrapped around her little finger since you were but a child."

"That 'leech' is my best friend!" Clawdeen snapped at the older she-wolf, "Sure, she has a few skeletons in the closet, but we all do! The last werewolf-vampire war happened two hundred years ago! We have vampires with werewolves and even kids as a result! But the minute someone tells you they're dangerous, you get on the bandwagon to mistrust them! It's no wonder Danilo wants our heads, you're so prejudiced you can't think from the other perspective that times have changed! Draculaura has been nothing but kind to me since the day we met, but since she's a vampire, you think you know her so well when you don't know her at all! Times are changing, but you still want to act like we're in the dark times!"

By this point, Clawdeen and the female were keeping each other's gazes, two sets of gold eyes staring dangerous and hostile. A few of the younger wolves in attendance were looking back and forth as if watching a boxing match, holding their breath for whoever would make the next move. The older she-wolf simply held up her nose, crossing her arms over her chest.

"With that attitude, Clawdeen Lucia, it's no wonder you got knocked up at such a young age."

Romulus saw immediately the tough exterior Clawdeen was holding start to falter, shock and hurt registering in her yellow orbs. He started to stand up, his teeth grit together. The younger alpha never just stood around when a fellow packmate was being treated badly, and he certainly wasn't going to let some dumb broad mouth off to his mate like she was the master of the universe. He was stopped when Remus grabbed hold of his shoulder, keeping a vice-like grip on it.

"Hold up, man. Let the ladies handle this."

As his twin pointed, Romulus saw Harriet get to her feet and slap the latter wolf, regardless of the great age difference.

"You are not going to speak to my daughter like that, you arrogant wench!"

"I'm only speaking truth, Harriet," the she-wolf growled, holding her cheek, "Only a year over twenty-five and already has two brats under the age of four. God knows what that bloodsucker's been teaching your daughters. It's bad enough you let your son roll around with them."

"Draculaura's a better wolf than you'll ever be, bitch!" Howleen hissed, the only thing keeping her from lunging at the female- higher authority or not- being Marcus' arms holding her by the biceps.

The older she-wolf growled at her, starting to step forward, but was stopped as Harriet glared at her, looking like almost a carbon copy of her oldest daughter. The elder returned it before hissing, "God, am I happy to not be related to you."

"She is a member of our family. Get that through your head. And you are not going to insult her. This isn't about her, or the other vampires. This is about us working together to find out a way to beat this monster that's on the loose."

"Exactly," Clawrk interjected, fierceness in his tired yellow eyes, "We have already made peace, and those of you who are going to keep childish grudges and aren't going to follow our example are not going to be a member of this pack.

"Now, if anyone else wants to give a suggestion, please, feel free to contribute to this conversation," the last bit the patriarch had said with a hint of challenge, daring anybody to speak up.

Nobody said anything, a veil of silence settling over the pack. Clawrk looked around, but saw not a wolf that dared to challenge the alpha's authority a second time.

"Good," he spoke, and picked up his conversation where he left off.