~BOOK 3/PART TWO~ Paranormal: A Vampire's Time Is Now (Multi-Bandom FanFic)

On the other side of town, Bruno's car was halting to a stop, right in front of the apartment he'd contained Brendon in for the past few months. He got out and slammed the car door behind him, storming up the walkway and pounding on the front door, anger flowing through his veins. He waited impatiently for a few seconds before knocking again.

The door swung in to reveal Brendon, a groggy expression on his face as he leaned against the threshold and heaved a sigh. "Have I ever told you how much I love waking up to your ugly face every day?"

"What the hell is this?" The Beta growled, choosing to ignore the wizard's snide remark and shoving his cellphone in his face. The wizard shrunk back to read the words displayed on the screen.

"I...I can't read that," He stammered, bringing his hands up to his face and rubbing his eyes.

"Kenya's leaving. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Brendon tried to defend himself, "I swear!"

"Then what did Rachael do? It had to be one of you, because Kenya wouldn't just leave on her own." The werewolf shoved his phone back in his pocket and pushed past the wizard. "Where is she? Where's Rachael?"

"I don't know! She...She hasn't come back since last night." Brendon scratched behind his head. "I mean, I didn't expect her to, but still..."

"This is your fault, Brendon," Bruno snapped, turning around abruptly to face him, "Yours and Rachael's."

That was the last straw for Brendon, he was sick and tired of the step-in alpha's bullshit.

"You know what? Maybe Kenya got a clue and left your sorry ass!" Brendon screamed, "For fuck's sake, Bruno, stop blaming me and Rachael and anyone else that isn't one of your fucking pack mates for shit that goes wrong here! Maybe Kenya left because she realized she doesn't want to be with an asshole like you. Maybe she left because she realized she deserves better. I don't care if you're her mate or not. That stupid goddess you and your idiots bow down to must've messed up big time when she made that decision because, as much as I hate Kenya, I hate you more, and she's ten times the pack member you'll ever be. She doesn't lock people up for being themselves-"

"I didn't put you here because you were being yourself. I put you here because you sided with her father and almost killed all of us," The Beta reminded him.

"Oh please, if I killed you, I'd be doing this town a favor. But I didn't. Instead, I came back and fought with you. Kenya's gotten over it, why haven't you?" The wizard shouted.

"Because you're bad, Brendon!"

"And you honestly think that you're any better than I am?"

"Yes, yes I do. Because I don't think of just myself, I think of everyone else too."

"Let me see...you've kept me hostage, pissed everyone - including Jack - off in the past few weeks, and don't let me forget you erased Kenya's memory out of your own selfish needs," He spoke honestly. In the past year, both men had changed, but Bruno had changed into a monster. "You're prideful, arrogant, and - quite frankly - you're fucking annoying. You want to know why Kenya left? It's probably because Rachael told her what you did and because you're a jealous bastard. My guess is that she's halfway out of Louisiana by now and she's never going to come back."

"Goddammit, Brendon, I didn't do it because I wanted to! I did it because it needed to be done!" Bruno screamed, trying to justify his actions, "Was it easy? Hell no. But I couldn't let her go on being associated with Rachael. Ever since she met that witch, only bad things have happened. There's never been more chaos in New Orleans than there has been in the past few years and it's all because of her. So yes, I erased Kenya's memory, but I only did it because we needed to get things back in order."

"That's a bunch of bullshit. Erasing Kenya's memory was never about saving New Orleans. You did it because you wanted to get back at Rachael," He accused him, "I see it every time she's in the room. You're angry at her, but you're taking it out on me! You knew a year ago, if Kenya woke up and Rachael wasn't there, she'd be heartbroken and would go after her friend. You knew what was coming and you decided to stop it before she left you all alone. You hate the fact that Kenya cares more about her friend than she does about you." Bruno gave a large puff of air while turning around. "No, you did this because you know that Kenya doesn't need you. She doesn't live or thrive off of you. She doesn't chase after you. She's stronger than you, and she can survive without you."

"Well, I'll have you know that Rachael doesn't give a shit about you, Brendon," Bruno remarked in a desperate attempt to keep up with Brendon's verbal attacks, "You can try to make her like you all you want, give her your stupid little potions or cast your pathetic, amateur spells on her, but she'll never love you like she loves Patrick. Hell, he tried to kill her - not once, but multiple times - and she still falls head over heels for him. Doesn't that tell you something?"

Brendon heaved an annoyed sigh and crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "Why'd you even have to bring that up? It has nothing to do with this."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, Brendon, because it has everything to do with it." He shortened the distance between him and the wizard and poked him in the chest. "You're fighting a losing battle, and it's like you don't even care. Because Rachael's never going to follow you like she follows Patrick, never. If you just let her go, she and Patrick would've never came back and my plan would've worked."

"Your plan was heavily flawed," Brendon retorted flatly, shoving the beta away from him, "And I didn't keep Patrick and Rachael here, you did. So it's your fault that your fucking plan didn't work - not mine, and certainly not Rachael's. Now get the fuck out of my apartment, or I'll cast one of my pathetic, amateur spells on you. But be warned, those pathetic, amateur spells can do some real damage to douchebags like you."

Bruno shook his head and stormed out of the witches' home. As soon as he left the residence, someone else arrived. Brendon turned his back to the door and rolled his eyes.

"Brendon?"

He glanced back over his shoulder, his eyebrows rising in surprise. "Natalie."