Interlude: Dark Side Of The Moon

"Nulla est re vera obscura pars lunae. Re quidem vera, omnis obscura est."

Victor sat in the decaying remnants of an abandoned house in the Emerald city, the roar of engines and bustling sounds of human life outside his lair not even registering to his supernatural hearing.

His cold, dead eyes fixed on the nearly century-old photograph clutched in his pale hand. Sightless crimson eyes staring ahead at nothing as his mind recalled better times.

The house smelled of mildew and rot, a perfect reflection of his inner turmoil. His body, once a pinnacle of strength and grace, was now a vessel of anguish, every muscle taut with grief and hatred. The tears that leaked from his eyes were not of water but of crimson blood, putrid with the stench of death, a vile reminder of his cursed existence.

The photograph was a relic of a time long past, depicting him and Joss, his lover and hunter. At the time she'd thought pictures were a waste for immortals, their looks never changed. Now words could never describe how thankful he was to his past self for saving this little peek into the paradise he'd used to live in.

They were captured in a rare moment of peace, their faces alight with a joy that now seemed impossible. His fingers caressed the soft brown hair of the girl in the picture, his mind still able to recall exactly how it had felt the last time they'd spoken.

Victor's mind drifted back to their first encounter, a deadly dance of predator and prey. Joss, relentless and unyielding, had hunted him across continents, her fierce determination clashing with his innate ability to sense and evade danger. Their chase was a symphony of violence and desire, each encounter heightening their fascination with one another.

Victor remembered the precise moment he allowed her to catch him, the instant his feelings shifted from fear to love. He had stood still, waiting for her to close in, every instinct screaming at him to flee. But he remained, captivated by her ferocity and beauty. A goddess of war made flesh, embodying the very spirit of the hunt itself.

When she finally reached him, instead of a death blow, she had kissed him, a meeting of two forces of nature. From that point on, they were inseparable, bound by a love forged in blood and danger.

The time they spent together was an intoxicating blend of passion and peril. Victor's memories were filled with nights of shared hunts, stolen kisses in the moonlight, and whispered promises of eternity.

Joss's fierce spirit had matched his own, and in her, he had found a kindred soul. But that love was shattered when they crossed paths with the Cullens. The memory of that confrontation was a raw, bleeding wound in Victor's mind.

He had felt the earth-shattering grief when he learned of Joss's death, killed by the mate of the human she had desired. It was not just the loss of a partner but the obliteration of his entire world. Joss was his moon, his guiding light, and without her, he was adrift in an endless night.

Victor's mind darkened further as he contemplated his existence since her death. Not even a year had passed yet to him it had been an eternity, a purgatory worse than hell itself.

He was a walking corpse, dead in every sense but the literal. The only thing that kept him moving was the inferno of hatred that burned within his cold heart. The desire for revenge against Beau, the human who had inadvertently caused Joss's death, consumed him. He wanted Beau to suffer as he had suffered, to know the depths of despair and loss.

His crimson tears fell onto the photograph, smearing atop the glass of his most prized possession. The image of happier times. All he had to prove their love had been real.

Victor's thoughts were a maelstrom of sorrow and rage, a reflection of the fallen vampire he had become. The memory of Joss's relentless pursuit, their love born from violence, and the gut-wrenching loss he endured all culminated in a singular, burning purpose. He would make Beau pay, and then, perhaps, he could find some semblance of peace in the afterlife, if such a place existed for their kind.

Either way, oblivion sounded far better than an eternity of…this.

In the silence of the abandoned house, Victor's sobs echoed like a haunting melody, a testament to a love lost and a life forever altered. He was a shadow of his former self, driven by a relentless need for vengeance, a tragic figure caught in an unending cycle of pain and retribution.

Victor's thoughts shifted, darkening further as he considered his current companion, Riley. He had found her in a moment of weakness, turned her, and manipulated her into believing he loved her.

As if that could ever be possible. It was a good thing she knew nothing of his former coven, if she tried to usurp her spot, to somehow occupy the precious place in his heart that still belonged to Joss. He'd kill her, in an instant. Sire another newborn who is able to think about something besides blood for 5 continuous seconds.

Riley was a tool, a pawn in his quest for vengeance, nothing more. She clung to him with a desperate need, unaware of how desperately he needed her for his plan to succeed.

Victor pitied her. What they had was nothing like his time with Joss, the way they each completed the other, as if their whole lives had been spent in search of the other.

It was nothing, instead of love, there was only manipulation and control. Means to an end. His end.

Riley entered the room, her red eyes bright with a devotion that Victor found both pathetic and useful. She was his weapon, the leader of his newborn army, and she would be instrumental in his plan to make Beau suffer.

As she approached, Victor's mind drifted back to Joss, the love he had lost, and the revenge that now consumed him. The sight of Riley's hopeful gaze filled him with a bitter sense of irony. He would use her, just as he had used everyone in his life since Joss's death.

Victor's tears continued to fall, a testament to the hollow existence he now led. He was dead, not just because his human heart had stopped beating centuries ago, but because his world had lost its light. All that remained was darkness, and a burning desire for revenge.

Jules stood amidst the towering trees of the reservation, her thoughts tangled with the gravity of Beau's plan. Her brain scrambled to come up with a reasonable course of action, one that didn't involve putting the boy she liked in mortal danger.

Everyone was looking to her, for answers, for consolation, for everything. Didn't they know she was just as new as them? That this strange supernatural world they'd been forced in was a burden they'd have to endure together?

Because Sam had been better, a true leader. She'd tried to convince her to become Alpha as soon as she had been able to somewhat control her shifting. At the time she'd laughed off the idea.

She hated that her long dead ancestors were dictating the rest of her life for her, what she wanted didn't matter. Maybe if she'd been given a choice she'd choose this life, it had its perks.

Now those were gone too, she had no guide, no hand to hold onto to guide her forward. Now she had a bunch of werewolves, some more experienced, some still fresh to shifting. All united in their expectations of her, the heir of the great and mighty Edna Black. If it were possible to meet his deceased relative he'd kill her all over again. Purely out of spite.

The pack surrounded her, the air heavy with anticipation as they processed the news that Victor was hiding in Seattle. Lee's pacing grew more agitated by the second, his face a storm of fury.

"This is insane," Lee spat, turning to face Jules with eyes ablaze. "We can't just sit around and do nothing while that leech is out there. We need to go to Seattle and take him down before anyone else gets hurt."

Jules squared her shoulders, meeting his gaze with a steady calm. "That's a terrible plan, Lee. Wolves bigger than most bears aren't designed for stealth. Even if we went in at night, we'd be spotted and on the national news within a week."

"Patience isn't exactly our strong suit, Jules," Lee snapped, his fists tightening and loosening in rhythm with his breathing. "We can't wait around for him to come out of hiding. People are dying!"

"Rushing in won't solve anything. We need to be smart about this," Jules replied, her voice a controlled edge of authority. "We wait for him to make a move where he's vulnerable, then we pounce."

Lee's eyes narrowed to slits, his body shaking with suppressed rage. "You're nothing but a coward. Afraid to do what needs to be done."

Jules's expression hardened, her resolve unyielding. "I'm not afraid, Lee. I'm trying to keep us from making a mistake that could get us all killed."

But Lee's anger had consumed him. "I challenge you for leadership, Julia Black. Right here, right now."

The other pack members watched, tension crackling in the air. Emma stepped forward, her face a mask of concern. "Lee, challenging Jules isn't a good idea. We need to stay united."

"I don't care!" Spat Lee, his teeth bared, looking ready to pounce on her at any moment, his entire body tensed to fight.

A ripple of shock ran through the pack, but Jules remained calm. "If that's what you want, then so be it."

Jules had to admit, she was looking forward to this. Giving him the same cockeyed grin he'd given Beau during their fight in the garage.

The fight erupted with a flurry of fists and feet, both of them in their human forms.

Lee's strikes were wild, driven by his anger, while Jules countered with precision and control.

She dodged his blows, landing her own with calculated efficiency, each strike finding its mark.

This time when he threw one of his punches too hard, enough to send him off-balance, Jules quickly took advantage, grabbing his arm and forcing it to the side as she forced the shorter boy into a headlock.

Giving him a nuggie with her free hand to add insult to injury. It was a move her father had taught her, she was proud of herself for still remembering it after so many years.

Lee's whole frame shook as he let out an animalistic roar, shifting to his wolf form, forcing Jules to back up as he lunged at her. His massive frame a blur of motion. Jules followed suit, her transformation smooth and swift. The two wolves circled each other, growls rumbling deep in their chests.

Lee lunged first, his powerful jaws snapping at Jules.

She sidestepped, delivering a crushing blow to his side.

The impact sent him sprawling, but he quickly recovered, his eyes burning with a mix of rage and desperation.

Their battle was a violent ballet, a blur of fur and fangs.

Lee's brute strength clashed against Jules's agility and strategy.

She dodged and weaved, her movements fluid and graceful despite the ferocity of their fight.

With each passing moment, it became clear that Lee's anger was his undoing.

Jules seized an opening, lunging forward to knock him off balance. Her teeth found his throat, and she pinned him to the ground. Lee's growls subsided into whimpers as he exposed his belly in a gesture of submission. She turned and stormed off, leaving Lee to grapple with his defeat and the pack to solidify their loyalty to her leadership. Or else.

The pack watched in awe, their respect for Jules reaffirmed. She shifted back into her human form, breathing heavily as she looked down at Lee. "This isn't about fear, Lee. It's about doing what's right for the pack. Think about Sam, do you really think she'd want to see you like this?"

She turned and stormed off, leaving Lee to grapple with his defeat and the pack to solidify their loyalty to her leadership. Or else.

"There is no dark side of the moon, not really. Matter of fact, it's all dark."

AN: The next real chapter is 25% done when I finished this, consider it an appetizer. Which did wonders for getting past the writer's block on number nine.