Thorton Elrod looked worse for wear.

His hair was a mess and his eyes were bloodshot. He had a ghastly pale skin tone akin to a ghoul, with his skin clinging onto his bones as though he had been starved for weeks and was on the verge of death.

When the sound of the door opening resonated across the room, he hardly even flinched. Perspiration caused his hair to be matted against his forehead, his fringe covering a good portion of his eyes away from clear view. Only when he looked up did we see― there was no light in his eyes. It looked as though he had already given up on life.

"He’s been given a calming agent, so it’s safe to approach him," Darach said, gesturing at his father as though he was no more than a mere animal in the zoo.

"Will it mess with the contents of the poison?" Damon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I would rather not deal with a rabid man who has the strength to rip my face off my skull, thank you very much," Darach said with a snort, rolling his eyes. "He has no wolf, but he still has plenty of gusto in him to exact his revenge. And believe me when I say this man has plenty to avenge for when it comes to you, Damon Valentine."

"The contents of the tranquilizer will not affect the poison or the antidote― in theory, at least," Milo said, properly replying to Damon’s question while Darach huffed.

"As long as this isn’t going to be a waste," Damon muttered under his breath.

He might have appeared relaxed, but his eyes were trained entirely on Nicole, who approached Thorton Elrod with caution. I knew that if needed be, Damon would instantly leap into action to protect her if Thorton Elrod made one wrong move.

Nicole leaned closer and pulled out the syringe that Darach had prepared, containing the clear serum. Prepping it, she swiped a small alcohol pad at the back of Thorton Elrod’s neck before jabbing the serum quickly.

The man jolted on instinct, a subtle movement that quickly prompted Nicole to back away. Likewise, Damon stepped forward, a chilly fog swirling around the palms of his hands, prepared to strike if Thorton Elrod suddenly decided to jump into the air.

On the contrary, the older man suddenly groaned in pain. He had been on the floor, but now, he was on all fours, his fists clenched tightly as he slammed it against the ground. Saliva dripped from the corner of his lips, pooling onto the plain white floor tiles as Thorton Elrod’s screams turned louder and louder.

Then, all of a sudden, everything turned quiet.

His screams turned into silent pants, and we all watched with our breaths caught in our throats.

"How are we going to tell if it worked?" Kyle whispered, keeping his voice as quiet as possible.

"Why are you whispering?" Damon asked with a wrinkled nose.

"What if he hears me?" Kyle returned, frantic.

Damon rolled his eyes. "He’s not going to be able to do anything to you."

Strolling over to the lab technicians standing right outside the silver door, he picked up the silver rod they held in their gloved hands. The man dropped it instantly once Damon snatched it over, raising both his hands and taking a few steps back for good measure while Damon sauntered back into the room, casually whistling a merry tune beneath his breath.

He paused right as he passed Darach, turning back only to gesture at Thorton Elrod.

"Would you like to do the honors, Alpha Darach?" he asked, stressing the title tauntingly.

"You can have the honor," Darach said, sneering in disgust as Damon’s grin broadened.

My stomach coiled as I watched Damon gleefully approach Thorton Elrod. He played with the metal, testing its weight in his hands before finally stopping in front of the hunched man. Then, without much force, he pressed the silver against Thorton Elrod’s skin. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Nothing.

No burning, searing, tearing, or groans of pain could be heard. Thorton Elrod slightly flinched but I would bet it was more from the cold than from the bone-jerking pain of silver against a werewolf’s skin.

"It worked?" I asked, turning left and right to observe the expressions on the others’ faces. Nicole’s eyes were wide, while Darach and Milo stared grimly at Thorton Elrod. Only Kyle looked ever as amazed― I realized there was a lot of wide-eyed wonder left in him after he had lost his wolf. He wasn’t nearly as prickly as before.

"It worked," Nicole affirmed.

"Great," Darach said. "Now for the hard part."

The second serum― the one which could help Thorton Elrod regain his wolf.

"Allow me," Damon said, reaching forward for the syringe. He didn’t allow Nicole any space for argument, and when Darach parted his lips to say something, Damon merely shot him a stern glare.

While Darach and Damon had both lost their wolves, Damon at least was part oracle― that allowed him some supernatural abilities that could help him best even the strongest of werewolves in battle. Darach, on the other hand, had turned painfully human.

Not the best bet.

Damon mimicked Nicole’s actions, albeit a little rougher. Grabbing Thorton Elrod securely by the neck, he swiped the spot with a cleaning wipe before jabbing the needle right into his flesh. Thorton Elrod jolted in pain, hissing this time with little struggle. The moment the needle’s contents were inserted into his system, Damon pulled back.

"This feels so wrong somehow," I murmured under my breath, watching as Thorton Elrod began to thrash on the ground. He convulsed, his body twitching as he spasmed against the cold floor.

"It’s necessary," Darach said through gritted teeth.

I couldn’t tell what he was thinking of at the moment― his eyes were coldly locked on his father’s body, watching him writhe like a worm on a hook. Yet, his jaw was clenched and his fists were clenched tightly, struggling to keep his emotions intact.

"Darach―"

My thoughts were cut off by the sound of bones snapping.