Chapter 21: Unpleasant Surprise 

Nereus is making his way back to the others, Lare has gathered the Eques and Alpha Zander back to his private study, he is in the corridor leading to the study when he hears a voice in his head “Nereus, rogues, house is in danger, rogues”. Either he is inebriated or that was Celeste, he runs to the study and instructs Lare to ready the pack warriors while he goes to announce that everyone else stays inside. “This feels like deja vu” Noah says

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I gasp and fall to the ground, I am overwhelmed with terror at the thought of every single member of my family being torn apart by rogues. “And you are not there to save them with an earthquake this time” Hunter taunts “that’s really quite unfortunate” he adds

“Greg is your friend, my entire family loves you” I see a flash of humanity across his face but it disappears “call them back Hunter!”  I start screaming at the top of my lungs, yelling at Hunter to call the rogues back then he screams back at me “even if I wanted to I can’t”

“What the teaspoon is that supposed to mean?!” I grab my hair and I find myself saying “Nereus, rogues, Nereus rogues, the house is in danger, there’s rogues” and I am just repeating those words desperately like I am hoping he would hear me. 

“Call them back Hunter

They are your failures

You did this!

How could you-” I stop and I don’t finish my sentence, I get up and look Hunter in the eyes “tell these abominations to back up” I say pointing to the three rogues that turned out to be a failed intimidation attempt at me. Hunter looks uneasy and shakes his head, the rogues remain there snarling and growling, “even if you wanted you couldn’t” I mutter Hunter is shifting side to side on his feet now “you can’t control them, you can’t call them back” I say “History lesson about fifty years ago the Peraethus pack was attacked by rogues, there were survivors but the alpha and his family were killed. That messed up their hierarchy but in the midst of all that chaos it would have been so easy to plant a rogue in the pack” Hunter looked disturbed now “a young boy a rogue who gave himself willingly to be turned; you are just another puppet, but you’re the best one yet and that’s why you can’t call them back, you are not the one in control”

There is shock evident in Hunter’s eyes, I remember hearing that story from my dad. He was telling it to Anthony the day uncle Harold came to tell my parents he was planning to choose Anthony as his heir. “The spell was unstable” Hunter starts saying “many times I couldn’t control myself and almost went rogue. Then we met you, and without even knowing you stabilised the spell, and that’s how we knew you were the one to help perfect it. But we had to be sure so I was made to watch you until after your moon ceremony” I am so angry now that tears are streaming down my face “you were in the cave that day” I say and Hunter nods. Hunter gasps and falls on his knees to the ground then I hear a slow clap coming from the left side of the cave but it is really dark and I can’t see who it is, “I knew you were intelligent but you have outdone yourself princess” the voice I hear makes my knees buckle to the ground too and I am unable to move.

He steps out from the shadows and looks me in the eye and I feel myself die inside. I am unable to speak the shock and pain I feel is inexplicable, when I finally able to open my mouth the only word that comes out is 

“No

It can’t be…..