Chapter 37: Chapter 37

“Can I ask you something?” Katie asked once she was done interpreting the information she’d just been fed.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“What was your original plan if Cole hadn’t shown up and I was to shift without my mate around to bring me back?” she asked.

“That was quite simple really... we were simply going to take you to the Lycaon home for a visit during that time, but then we got news of them coming here instead and cancelled those plans. It was going to be a bit more hectic than this, but it would get the job done,” they said.

“I don’t quite understand... once I shifted, Cole was then supposed to sniff me out and come and instinctively bring me back to my human form, was it supposed to be that simple?” I asked.

“Yes, it was supposed to be that simple. Is there something you know that we don’t know?” they asked.

“I would be leaving the school unprotected in the name of going to see the Lycaons. What were you going to say to convince me to...”

“Oh, don’t sweat the details. You know how we’ve raised you. The truth was also an option,” she said to Katie. This was the one thing Katie could see would work in their plan. If she had known all this, she would not have objected to being taken with them to see Cole if he had not come to them instead, but within her, that sounded like a better way.

.....

“I wish it had happened that way then,” she mumbled.

“Why do you wish that?”

“On Sunday, my life won’t be the same anymore... How will I step into that school as a werewolf hunter who is also a werewolf? It just doesn’t make sense for me to make it seem like I knew nothing of the sort,” Katie spoke up.

Aunt Marie burst into laughter on hearing her complaint, “How on earth is that what you’re worried about?”

“What do you mean? Is there anything else I should be worried about?” she asked.

“Of course there is something else you should be worried about... Once your identity is revealed, it will only be a matter of time before your real parents claim you back from us, not to mention the anger that will be stirred up in the rogues that do not know of your existence. Cole will find out about you and will be very protective of you and so will the Lycaon family. A lot more will happen and you’re worried about what you will look like when you step into the school,” she continued laughing hysterically, her amusement slowly inching towards embarrassment for the young hunter, “not to mention, it will also mean that you will be the most dangerous werewolf in history and one that will cause fear from many across the entire globe, not just the rogues.”

This next revelation registered differently. Katie had never taken into consideration what her power would eventually mean for the rest of the world, “How is that supposed to be very important? I just plan on hunting down the Rogue King and ending his life. That shouldn’t worry anyone.”

“And that will be a relief to the rest of humanity, but humans are also not the noblest of creatures. You will be seen by many states as a force to be reckoned with and you will be watched by many to make sure your power is kept in check. It will become commonplace for you to discover a spy or more than one watching your every move,” Aunt Marie tried to explain.

“That is nagging in all ways imaginable,” she stated.

“Yes, it is, but now you need your sleep... something tells me tomorrow is going to be an even longer day for you. There is no school, but there is an investigation that you still have to get through before your birthday on Sunday,” she said, getting up from her chair to push Katie up to her room.

“You don’t have to push me to my room... I have legs, you know,” the young hunter tried while she was pushed all the way up the stairs and to her room. She pulled out her key and unlocked her bedroom door only to get pushed further in until she was shoved into the bed.

“Now get all the sleep you can before tomorrow,” her aunt said out loud.

“I haven’t even bathed yet... and my shoes are still on...”

“Are you sincerely not tired at all?”

“I am, but not on the verge of collapsing...”

Aunt Marie sighed before retreating to the door, stopping at its threshold, “You really do have a long day tomorrow. I received some rather disturbing news that you will have to look at in the morning to start your day, so get as much sleep as you can, because tomorrow will be another day for the ages,” this came as a cautionary warning that was laced with all the care in the world. Her aunt was relaying a message- a plea, if you may, that Katie took to heart.

It was probably something that would have prevented sleep for an ordinary person, but this family was trained to prioritise and as of right now, sleep was the most important thing to her. She took a quick bath and slipped into the warm covers of her bed. Taking off the bandaids that she’d placed on her knuckles. The memory of knocking Ash against a tree came to her almost immediately, the last thing that occupied her mind while she slept. Something was odd about the boy while she stopped his head from hitting the tree itself.

His hair was smooth and silky as though he took extra care of it, but she’d brushed the observation away as mere coincidence. Why then was she remembering that insignificant detail at a moment such as this one? She thought to herself as she drifted deeper into the dark empty abyss and went unconscious.

....................

Jason served himself his serving of supper and joined his friend in the living room. Caden had his eyes pinned to the very spot that Ash had fallen asleep in the previous night. The feeling of loss clawed at him once more while the memories of the young boy came flooding back to him. “We’ll find the killer, that we will, my friend.”

“I can’t help, but wonder that there is something we didn’t know about Ash that was very important. I’ve been trying to wipe the feeling out of my mind, but nothing has worked. Something keeps irking the back of my skull,” Caden said.

“It’s probably nothing and you are obsessing over nothing. Maybe you could try contacting your wolf to see if he noticed something out of the ordinary,” Jason said, providing the needed assistance.

“I tried, but all he could say was that there were some irregularities that he noticed in the boy’s build, but nothing much to go on. It’s probably nothing as well,” he said.

“Yeah, like I said. How long are those two lovebirds going to stay out? It’s already ten o’clock,” Jason groaned.

“I think they are having way too much fun to be bothered about the time,” Caden replied.

“Yeah, you’re probably right about that...” he said, his mind wandering back to the incident where he’d lost control of his wolf and attacked the one person in that school that he was starting to find interesting.

“What’s with you and Sandra? She seems to have an effect on you,” Caden asked.

Jason shrugged him off almost as fast as he brought up the conversation, “Let’s stick to the one power couple that has much clearer sparks and keep the rumours to a minimum.”

“Doesn’t matter which way you spin it. I know how much you value having a mate over dating any random girl that you meet. This is not something you will be able to ignore for long. Could it be why you lost control? Would getting rid of her save you from the confusion of having her in your life to constantly distract you from your mission of finding your true mate?”

“That’s enough, Caden,” it was rare for Jason to get worked up over something as he viewed his world through a joker’s eyes. Nothing was usually serious when it came to him, except if it concerned his comrades or his mate whom he was still bound to meet.

“Looks like I hit a nerve. So I’m right, aren’t I? You have your eyes on Sandra... and it pisses you off because you know she’s not your mate...”

“What makes you so sure that she’s not mine?” Jason snapped, yelling at his friend.

“Well, has your wolf confirmed it? Would your wolf have wanted her dead if she was the one for?” Caden had his face right in front of Jason’s at this point staring down his comrade, their red eyes flashing in response to each other’s intense emotions.

“She’s not eighteen yet... I won’t be able to tell until then...” Jason said, his voice low, “What my wolf did was just in response to the loss of Ash, not because it was Sandra who was in that situation.

“If you say so...” Caden backed down, walking past Jason to go to the kitchen. The heat of the moment finally passed, leaving Jason to his thoughts. ‘Caden, what are you not telling me?’ he could only ask himself as in that moment he had noticed Caden’s untapped rage boiling within him, threatening to come out at the slightest provocation.