EPISODE TWENTY TWO
THEME: The prodigal son
MOON STONE FORTRESS
IN THE PACK HOUSE
Gabriella was getting tired of the gloom that surrounded the pack house. Everyone looked sad except Jayden and Claire of course and it seem like they do not have any worries at all. And it is more shameful that Jayden was acting so out of line even though he did carry out his duties well. He was too domineering for his own good. And Claire has refused to grow up.
Gabriella was more angry at Jaylen who had refused to put a call through to her for days. And the more she saw the devastation Carl and Meagan were in the angrier she gets each passing day. The urge to do something kept coming to her.
If she had known the circumstances that had surrounded the actions that had taken place the last decade, being the matriarch of the family she would have tried to find a way to bring an end to the feud between the parents and child.
Jaylen believes he was abandoned while his parents cower away in guilt of not being able to protect their son. It was more tiring because Carl was getting weaker by the day. She had come to the realization that her once agile son might not be able to stand on his feet again and would rather rest.
It was a sad reality, but life had to move on. Carl needed to cleanse his mind of guilt now that he was nearing his grave.
Gabriella didn’t care what unfairness Jaylen thought he had suffered, she would make him return to the fortress whether he liked it or not.
“Is everything okay Gab?” Meagan asked, giving her a concerned look.
Gabriella sighed. “I am fine, just worried I haven’t heard from Jaylen since I came here.”
Meagan kept mute, not knowing what to say to it. She envied the relationship between her son and Gabriella. It was certain he would choose his grandmother over her at every chance he gets.
“Do you want to call him?” She muttered.
“Certainly I would but that young man is only trying to toy with me.” Gabriella retorted as she searched her purse for her phone. She dialed Jaylen’s line and put the phone on speaker.
‘Hey Grandma.’ His voice rang all through the room, getting Meagan’s attention and that of a sleeping Carl. His eyes went open almost immediately. Meagan ran towards her, causing Gabriella to give her a warning glare to not be noisy.
‘You only call me grandma when you are guilty of something.’ She threw at him.
‘Damn!’ Jaylen muttered unintentionally. He must have thought he was really quiet.
Carl tried to strain his ear to listen on the conversation.
‘Where are you Jaylen?’ Gabriella asked
He paused a bit before stuttering. ‘Erm…”
‘Kindly speak up young man.’ She cut in.
‘I am at Moon Stone Fortress grandma.” He answered.
‘What?!’ The voices that echoed wasn’t that of Gabriella alone.
‘You are where?’ Gabriella asked again. She could hear him groan.
‘I am sorry I didn’t tell you before hand grandma. I just thought it is okay if I came around and just find out if dad was actually ill. I-‘
‘Hold your breath young man.’ She told him. Jaylen was sounding out of breath like he had been running. ‘Now, talk to me baby. Where are you at the moment?’
‘I am at the mall but about leaving to head to the pack house.’
Gabriella jolted from her seat, a bit too fast for someone her age. ‘That’s about eight to ten minutes ride to the pack house.’
‘Yes, Gran.’
‘I will be waiting right out.’ She giggled.
‘Wait a minute, you are at the pack house?’ Jaylen asked.
She could hear the surprise in his tone.
‘Of course.’
‘Gran!’
‘What?’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘It’s not like you called me.’
Jaylen sighed into the receiver. ‘You know what see you there.’ He said before hanging up.
“Did Jaylen just say he is few minutes away from here?” Meagan asked standing frozen with a hand on her chest.
“I bet you he is.” Gabriella replied.
“Is my son really coming home?” Carl questioned in doubt.
Gabriella nodded in agreement. “He is coming home son. Want to go meet him?”
“Definitely!” Both Carl and Meagan replied in unison.
Meagan called out to one of guards outside the door to help Carl into his wheelchair since he was too weak to walk on his own. Meagan’s palms were sweaty when Carl grabbed her hand. He kissed it gently before she placed it on his shoulder.
“Our son is coming.” He said.
“I still can’t believe it.” Meagan replied as tears clouded her vision. They all moved down to the main entrance.
Meagan’s heart raced as they neared the gate. Everyone bowed past them wondering what got the Luna and the ailing Alpha to come outside of their chambers.
Juno was coming out of her room when she met them. “Is everything okay mom?” She questioned.
“Jaylen is coming home.” Gabriella responded on Meagan’s behalf in excitement.
Juno gasped as she held out a hand to her mouth. “Is this true?” She turned towards Carl and Meagan and the both of them nodded in response.
The walk to the entrance seem like a long one. It was taking too long to get there. Carl wasn’t certain on how to feel yet. His long gone son was finally coming back home to obey his father’s dying wish. He wondered how he looked now, despite Jaylen and Jayden being identical their looks were unique. Which was why it has always been really hard to picture how he looked now.
Just as they stepped onto the porch, a black convertible rode into the pack house. Carl grabbed a hold of Meagan’s hands again and they were really sweaty this time around. He could hear her heart beat from where he sat.
“Our son is home.” He whispered.
“Finally.” Meagan muttered in a soft tone.
Everything seem like it was in a slow motion. Jaylen watched from afar as he sighted the number of people waiting up for him. He could see his grandma waving her hands. He almost felt the urge to turn back and never return. But he was here now and there was no turning back.
Turning off the ignition, he braced himself up to meet his family. Their hearts almost dropped out in their chest after the car parked in front of them and Jaylen Damien stepped out in all of his glory.