A Werewolf Guardian for Niall Horan

40. Truth

As vampires closed in from all around, Gavin moved to my right flank and watched my back as my eyes stay on Alivius who now stands with the rest of The Ranks. Hans wore an expression of hatred as he stared at me.

"So you angered him more." Gavin says over his shoulder at me, his eyes and stance locked in alert. "What was your actual plan?"

A plan? I didn't give him any sign of an answer, my sight still focused on the five ancient men in front of me.

"Of course. You didn't have one." Gavin mumbles.

"There's no getting out of here alive anyway." Savages' voice comes through the ring that surrounds us. "Not after you were the reason for all of this."

"What are you talking about?" Gavin says, sounding just as tired as I was over Savage's existence.

"Your list game that killed Hans' daughter?" Savage says as if it was common knowledge, as if he was trying to make Gavin come clean. Instinctively, my head turns in Gavin's direction and something heavy in my chest erupts a whine.

His list game? His list?

"You mean, your list? It was your list. I warned you it wouldn't be good and that we shouldn't create war. I told you it was a stupid idea. I-" Gavin was cut off by his father who yelled his name to silence him.

"I confirmed that it was your idea, that it was your gamnow, Alivious says as The Ranks around him nodded, glares set straight on us.

"With what proof?" Gavin counters. "Is this why we're here?"

Hans stepped forward from the other four, stopping just a few feet from where I stood just inches taller than him. He looked up into my eyes, lips parted and gaze solemn. "My daughter was everything to me. And you.. you took her away. You both teamed up and took her from me. I didn't believe it at first. I couldn't. Because why would Gavin do something like this? But then, when Savage found out what he had done and for what reason, it all made sense."

I begin to shake my head, Gavin denying being teamed up with me as Hans held up a hand.

"I'm not naturally a cruel man." Hans continues. "I admit that I had lost my temper when I found out she was killed, but now I'm in a calmer state. So let me hear your side of this story."

Gavin then began. "The list was Savage's idea, not mine. Liesel was my friend, the only friend I ever had. I would never had hurt her."

"Until she hurt you, right?" Hans says as his voice deepens. The sound made his words almost threatening and I knew he was losing his temper quickly all over again from the topic.

"Ophelia and I didn't team up, I didn't meet her until after Liesel was dead. I was going to avenge her death." I could tell that Gavin was now desperate to have Hans believe him, desperate to get the truth out. But was it all the truth? He can't lie about me with me here, but does that still not make the list his?

He's helping me, and I need to trust him.

I huffed out hot breath through my nose as a backing up for Gavin's statement but Hans didn't look very convinced.

"Hans," Gavin says, hesitating to step closer to the ancient figure. "I knew how much she meant to you, and you knew just how much she meant to me. I had no excuse to kill her, I had no negative thought toward her, and my words of her has always remained kind."

"She didn't love you back." Hans says. "That's why you killed her. You confessed your feelings for her, and when she didn't return them, you planned against her. You got together with this wolf, put the blame on her, and then begged for war not to come because you didn't want anyone to hurt your friend, your little wolf."