Chapter 174 Passing the Torch


    Later that evening, the rest of the pack made their way over to our dorm for our meeting. Lori, Jessica


    and I prepared something for everyone to eat, although we were already beginning to run low on food


    what with the grocery store being deserted and all. Thankfully, Matt and the others brought along


    whatever they could find in their own apartments, and Enzo disappeared to his apartment briefly and


    returnedter with a few bottles of wine that he had stashed away.


    Finally, we somehow managed to put together a meal that was big enough for everyone. As we ate and


    chatted around the table, drinking wine, I liked to imagine that Tiffany was watching us with a smile on


    her face. I knew that she wouldn’t want us to mourn over her, but rather to celebrate her life and the


    amazing antidote she made that saved our school; and we did just that.


    There was still, of course, the looming conversation that would have to happen at the end of the party;


    not only about what we would do about the neighboring towns, but also the fact that Enzo would have


    to leave in the morning. He decided before the party to not talk about it until the end, and to just let


    everyone enjoy one another’spany instead. I, however, couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every time I


    looked at him, all I could picture was his face disappearing through a portal, never to be seen again. If


    Selena got her way with him, he could possibly nevere back. None of us here knew how to open a


    portal, and Luke had been missing since he apparently protected Enzo from Edward in the werewolf


    realm. If something happened to Enzo and he couldn’te back, I would have no way of being able


    to go looking for him.


    As the night went on, Lori and Jessica saw my difort and finally seemed to have enough of it.


    While everyone else wasughing, listening to music and ying card games, I felt a tap on my


    shoulder and looked up from my seat on the couch to see Lori and Jessica standing behind me with


    concerned looks on their faces. They both nodded their heads toward my room, indicating for me to


    come with them.


    Once we were alone, they finally asked what was wrong.


    “What’s going on with you?” Lori asked, concern drawn across her face. “Are you hiding something?”


    I shook my head, staring down at the ground; but they weren’t having it. “Tell the truth,” Jessica


    insisted, folding her arms across her chest. “Come on. You promised that there would be no more


    secrets when you first told us about werewolves.”


    Finally, I sighed, knowing that they wouldn’t let this go… And admittedly, I needed to talk to someone.


    “Enzo is going back to the werewolf realm,” I finally admitted. “Tomorrow morning.”


    Both Jessica and Lori’s eyes widened. “What?” Lori half-whispered. “Why? You can’t be serious!”


    I nodded. “He has to go back to find his dad. The princess — my twin sister, apparently — may have


    done something to his father and he needs to find him. And… I’m worried that he won’te back.”


    My friends were silent for a moment, processing. Then, without a word, Jessica stepped forward and


    wrapped her arms around me. I felt myself rx into her,forted by my friend’s touch. “I believe that


    Enzo loves you more than anything,” Jessica said quietly, stroking my hair as I sniffed and stifled my


    tears. “I know he’lle back. You trust him, don’t you?”


    I pulled away a bit, nodding as I wiped my tears away with my sleeve. “Yeah, I do. But…”


    “But nothing,” Lori said, stepping forward and squeezing my shoulder. “He wille back. You don’t


    need to worry.”


    I didn’t know if my friends were right. They could have been dead wrong; for all I knew, Enzo might step


    into that portal and die on the other side, and I’d never see him again or even know what happened to


    him. And my wolf was still nonexistent, so I couldn’t even follow his scent or figure out how to open a


    portal no matter how hard I tried. I was powerless, just like I was at the beginning of the semester. A


    human.


    But at the same time, my friends’ words wereforting and exactly what I needed to hear. Their


    gentle support was going to be enough to get me through this, and I was sure of that.


    …


    At the end of the party, it finally came time to have our official meeting. Everyone was a little tipsy from


    the wine, but it almost felt necessary, in my eyes, in order for us to stomach what was about toe as


    we gathered around the living room.


    Once we were all ready, Enzo stood and addressed everyone.


    Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    “Before we start, I have an announcement,” Enzo said, looking around at everyone. I could see that his


    body was tense as he prepared himself to announce his potentially fatal departure. “I’m sorry to say


    this,” he continued, “but I’m going to be leaving tomorrow. I have to return to the werewolf realm to find


    my dad.”


    A palpable silence fell over the room. The air felt thick and heavy, and as though making that


    announcement took the wind out of his sails, Enzo sat back down beside me. I reached out gently and


    squeezed his leg, but when he looked at me, there was only pain in my eyes.


    “But while I’m gone, Matt, I want you to take charge,” Enzo finally said.


    “M-Me?” Matt asked, his eyes wide.


    Enzo nodded. “Your bravery and leadership yed a huge role in saving not just all of us, but the


    campus and the town. I think we can all agree that you’re more than capable of acting in my ce


    while I’m gone. I’m naming you as my Beta from here on out.”


    Matt’s eyes widened even further. He looked around at everyone, clearly astonished as we all nodded


    our heads in agreement. If it weren’t for Matt helping everyone band together and taking charge when


    we needed it, and if it weren’t for Matt leading the Crescents away and risking his life, we wouldn’t have


    been able to do what he did.


    “Um… Thank you,” Matt said, standing. “It’s an honor.”


    “Thank you, Matt,” Enzo replied. They shook hands, then sat again. “Now… As for our neighboring


    towns…”


    Now, I was the one who spoke up. “I’m going to do everything I can to replicate Tiffany’s recipe for the


    antidote,” I said. “We’ll need a lot of it if we’re going to cure more people.”


    Enzo nodded. “That sounds like a n. Hopefully, by the time that’s ready, I’ll be back. But, if not…” He


    paused, licking his lips and staring down at the floor. And suddenly, before he could say anything,


    Jessica chimed in.


    “You wille back,” Jessica said, sounding somewhat stern. “So when youe back, we’ll discuss


    our next moves.”


    It was a bold thing for Jessica to say, but somehow, it made sense in the moment. We couldn’t


    aplish anything if there was a fear that Enzo came back; and if he didn’te back, then we


    knew that Matt could help guide us along with everyone else’s input.


    Enzo, much to my surprise, nodded. “Alright,” he said, his voice sounding solemn but hopeful


    nheless. “When Ie back, we’ll do whatever’s necessary to save our neighboring towns from


    the Crescents. In the meantime, Nina will make more of the antidote so we can be prepared.”


    With that, our meeting came to an end. None of us slept that night until the wine eventually made it too


    difficult to resist, because we wanted to enjoy this brief moment of peace before Enzo left. And that


    night, as I sat beside Enzo, I could only pray that he would return safely to me