24. Billy Black

The Blackwood family members were returning to the hospital.

After dropping off John's car at the garage, Axel made his way back to the hospital. Upon his arrival, he saw John standing in front of the building. As he approached, he quickly noticed the anger on John's face.

"Is something wrong, John?"

"Those bastards must have lost their minds. They sent three men to kill a woman and her children." John was waiting for Axel to explain what had happened that night.

"Don't worry. Everyone behind it is dead. They're safe now." Axel and John entered the hospital together.

Tony's family was no longer there. "Where did they go?" Axel asked, worried that something might have happened.

"Relax. They left about ten minutes before you arrived. They went home." John looked exhausted, clearly suffering from lack of sleep.

"We've taken care of everything. It's time to go home, John." Axel headed towards the hospital exit.

As John followed him, a thought crossed his mind. "Aren't you going to the funeral?"

______________ Flashback ______________

Axel watched Tony as he smoked. "You smoke too much. It's not good for your health."

"With the life I live, I doubt I'll die because of smoking." Tony gave a faint smile.

He remembered Lucas. When he was seventeen, he had experienced a similar conversation. Lucas had told him the same thing Axel just had—that smoking was bad for his health.

"Axel, I need to tell you something," Tony said, his thoughts drifting toward death.

"I'm listening."

"If I die, you shouldn't come to my funeral." Tony's voice was calm as he spoke.

"Why?" Axel was confused by his words.

"I don't want you to see me buried in a grave. I don't know about you, but it would devastate my wife and children. I don't want anyone mourning me. Just think of me as someone who has gone on a journey. I told my family the same thing, but they don't agree with me. To me, death is just a mysterious adventure."

"No, I'm not going," Axel answered as he walked.

John noticed Axel's contemplative state and chose to remain silent. He believed Axel had his own reasons.

When they stepped outside, they saw Felix and Maxwell waiting for them.

Everyone got into the car, with Maxwell in the driver's seat.

"We're going home," Axel said calmly.

Axel gazed out the window, deep in thought, while John lit a cigarette.

When Axel, Felix, and Maxwell arrived home, they entered quietly. Unlike humans, they had no need to breathe, which resulted in an eerie silence throughout the house. Moving with silent steps, they made their way inside.

Axel walked into the living room and sat on the couch. His eyes closed for a moment, but not from exhaustion—it was because he was lost in thought. John sat beside him, silently keeping him company.

Felix and Maxwell went into the kitchen and pulled out a few blood bags. Felix poured some into a glass and handed it to Axel. "Drink this; it might help you relax."

Axel took the glass and took a sip. "Thanks, Felix."

John leaned against a corner in the kitchen, his eyes closed as if meditating. Felix and Maxwell took their own portions and sat in their usual spots.

Axel turned on the TV and flipped through the channels. John was deep in thought. The tranquility of the house provided a rare moment of peace for the vampires. As the night stretched on, each of them sat in their own corner, lost in their thoughts, forgetting everything for a brief moment and simply enjoying the stillness.

A few hours later, the house was relaxed. Felix sat in the corner, scrolling through his phone. Suddenly, a loud, upbeat pop song blasted from his device, shattering the silence.

Axel and John both looked at him, puzzled.

John frowned and turned toward Felix. "What the hell is that noise? Turn it off!" he snapped.

Felix chuckled. "What's the problem, John? This is what young people listen to these days!" Despite his protest, he turned off the music.

John rolled his eyes and let out a deep sigh. "It's impossible to find peace in this house."

Axel, watching the interaction, couldn't help but smile. For a brief moment, everything felt normal again. The familiar chaos made him nostalgic, momentarily making him forget everything that had happened.

"Maybe a little fun isn't such a bad thing, John," Axel said, still smirking.

John sighed and sat back down. "You're going to be the reason I get into trouble, Axel."

Axel laughed at John's grumpy demeanor.

Suddenly, the peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by the sound of a motorcycle engine outside. Axel immediately tensed, his eyes shifting toward the window. John frowned and approached it, peering outside.

"A car. Who could it be?" he muttered suspiciously.

The vehicle came to a stop in front of the house, and someone stepped out: Billy Black. A young man assisted him, helping him move due to his disability. John recognized Billy, and his face immediately darkened. He didn't particularly welcome Billy, but he couldn't ignore him completely. He opened the door and stepped outside. "Billy? What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice cold.

Billy tried to smile as he approached John. "Hello, John. It's good to see you again." The young man helped Billy out of the car and guided him to John. John gave the boy a brief glance but said nothing.

John grumbled. "Come on, let's talk outside," he said, leading them toward a bench in the yard.

Billy and the young man followed him while Axel, Felix, and Maxwell observed from inside. Axel noticed that John seemed somewhat relieved to see Billy, yet he remained cautious.

For a moment, silence filled the air as everyone studied one another. Finally, John broke the quiet. "Tell us why you're here."

Billy took a deep breath before speaking. "I came here for a reason. I want to offer you my help. As you may have heard, a vampire named Victoria is building her own army. Her goal is to attack the Cullen family and take revenge."

John's expression hardened. "Victoria? Who is she?"

Billy hesitated for a moment before explaining. "Victoria is an old and powerful vampire. She has been involved in many dangerous acts in the past. Her mate, James, was a tracker vampire. He wanted to kill an innocent girl named Bella just for sport. The Cullen family killed him to protect her. That event made Victoria their enemy."

Axel processed this new information and turned to Billy. "And how exactly can you help us, Billy?"

Billy glanced at the young man beside him before looking back at John. "My son is here because I trust him in this fight. We werewolves want to fight alongside you. If we join forces, we'll be stronger together. We seek an alliance."

John remained silent for a moment, contemplating the offer. Axel, Felix, and Maxwell stood still, waiting for his decision. Finally, John spoke. "You want to fight with us?"

Billy nodded firmly. "Yes. Only with your help can we eliminate this threat. If we don't stop Victoria, we'll all be in danger."

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