Chapter 48 â Questions and Answers
âBelief can be manipulated. Only knowledge is dangerous. -Frank Herbert
Kiya
I should spend a normal summer evening in my bed with the air conditioner blasting, surrounded by fatty snacks, and a good movie playing on the television screen. Relaxing with a touch of lazy. At least, that should be how I spend my first night back home.
Instead, Iâm smashing my enchanted wrist cuffs against the corner of a lavish table in a fancy room in a strange mansion in the middle of nowhere! My saving grace is Iâm alone without Osirisâ pet snake. He took Pepi with him because he knew Iâd punt that thing like a football again. Artemis, watching my latest feats in the corner of my mind, snorted as I failed to make a single dent into my cuffs. Iâve been trying to escape out of these things for hours with no luck!
âI think its clear to say the oldâfashioned way is not helping you to get out of those things.â She pointed out. âYouâre going to tire yourself out.â
âWhatever magic is in these things is tiring me out!â The only thing more dented than the table corner is my ego. âF*cking hell! Osiris is an asshole for putting these things on me!â
âItâs obvious he doesnât want you fighting back. Kidnappers want their victims helpless.â
âToo bad for him. Iâm not a victim.â Giving up on the cuffs, my mind goes into overdrive to create another plan. Osiris is a shrewd and cunning man, cutting off all escape routes. He planned this long before capturing me. Iâve contemplated throwing myself against the window a third time, but layers of unbreakable glass reinforced. the damn thing. To add insult to injury, since I cannot access my powers or shift, my body to the window was like a rubber ball to a wall. I bounced back. Hard.
Then, there is the door. Osiris bolts it closed every time he leaves. But if I could escape through the door, I have to deal with Cerberus guarding the door on the other side. Considering the extreme height and build differences between us, all he has to do is flick my head with a finger and Iâm forced back inside.
Frustration bubbled and sizzled, coursing through my veins as Iâve reached the limit of my dwindling patience. Caged inside an airless room with no escape reminded me of my dark days, and I hated it. I hate Osiris for what heâs doing to me; laying cryptic messages only to irk me for his amusement.
My stomach growled like a lion with hunger twisting my insides. I havenât eaten since I woke up and it added to my irritation. According to Galen, a hungry me is never a pleasant sight. Well, if worst comes to worse, I could eat Osirisâ stupid face.
Speaking of that snake, the story of his past hadnât left my thoughts. It interconnects his pain and mine. through the brutality we suffered under the same pack that shouldâve protected us. Zircon Moon had failed us both for years, and I canât say Iâm surprised. However, a part of me urges to exercise caution. A chance that Osiris is making the story up is high. He could use this false tale to manipulate me.
Deep down, I feel he isnât lying. But could Osiris be sick enough to dream up such a story? To fake his suffering?
My mind suddenly flashes to my first kidnapping; the evident fear from the other avatars, the unyielding sense of control from the hybridsâeverything replayed like a broken record. I still remember the panic when
Questions and Answer
Nadia helped free us and the chaos that followed. We couldâve died that day because of Osirisâ actions.
Nadiaâs fate is still unknown. Sitting on the bed, I thought about that innocent human and how she was unfortunate to get tangled into that mess. My vision blurred as I remembered the exhaustion in her eyes when imprisoning us and the determination when she set us free. That woman, bound to that monster, risked her life to save us. Those hands broke our chains and led us to our freedom. I owe Nadia my life. However,
Cerberus snatched her back in that fire and thatâs the last I saw of her.
Is she alive or dead? What about Lucien, the vampire who was with her?
My lips contorted into a scowl. I had questions, and Osiris has the answers. While I do sympathize with him, thatâs no excuse for what heâs done. He almost killed my family, just as he did again today. Thatâs unforgivable!
So, like the unwilling, hellâraising prisoner I am, I made noise to get his attention. My fists and feet made an ensemble of obstreperous racket made of stomps, wall hits, tossing items about carelessly, and screaming like a toddler on timeâout. Osiris has no right to ignore me for hours, leaving me hungry and pissed!
Lucky for me, my behavior granted my wishes. Like a mysterious magician, the bastard appeared at my door with savory smelling food on a carrying tray. His face failed to hide his irritation as his crimson eyes soaked in the mess Iâve made of the room.
âThere are better ways of getting my attention, Little Moon.â Osiris huffed. âYou didnât have to throw a
tantrum.â
âOh, Iâm sorry! N Next time I shall ring for a butler to go fetch you!â I shot back. My eyes trailed his movements as he set the tray on a bare table. On cue, my stomach demanded for the large plate of creamy chicken alfredo with breadsticks and seasoned broccoli on the side. A small pitcher of water was there as well. Werewolf instincts wanted the food, but I remained put. âIâm not eating that.â
âWhy not? I know you havenât eaten, and I wouldnât want you to go to sleep hungry.â
âOh, now you care for my wellbeing? Iâm not taking the risk of getting drugged again.â
âYou much rather starve? Donât worry, I didnât drug your food.â Osiris chuckled, gathering the fallen items, and setting them back on the bed. âI donât think someone with an appetite of your caliber should go long without food. Plus, I made it and I like to know what you think.â
My mind spun. Did my kidnapper ask me to rate his food? I might be an amateur food critic, but it doesnât change my mind. In defiance, I crossed my arms and stared him down. âNo, I donât trust you.â
âFair enough.â He shrugged. âWell, what can I do to make you eat? Your stomach roars louder than untamed
lions.â
âSpeeding past that comment, I have questions. Answer them, and Iâll consider eating.â It doesnât help that the presentation is immaculate. Osiris regarded me with a heavy look after resetting the blankets. His long silvery hair swayed with his movements like silk, and his red eyes held amusement. Moving with grace, he took a seat on the mattress, crossing one leg over the other and folded his hands.
âVery well. Ask away, dear.â He flashed his pearly white teeth, unbothered to hide his fangs. The surrounding atmosphere thickened with a sense of danger, prompting my heart to race in my chest. Averting my eyes, I focused on the paintings rather than the heat of his stare.
Chapter 48 â Questions and Answers
âDonât call me âdear.â I snarled. âWeâll start with the first kidnapping. Why did you take the avatars in the first place?â
âI wanted an army and I still do. Society has mistreated hybrids for so long, so I did something about it. I haveâ¦plans, Kiya.â His frank honesty was alarming. âAvatars have incredible potential, but its laid to waste. Weâre practically gods yet many chosen to assimilate into modern society.â
âYouâre one yourself. If you claim that weâre walking gods, then there is no point in needing us.â
âThatâs where youâre mistaken. Sure, letâs take the notion that weâre put on this earth to spread some bogus message about unity and whatnot amongst our species. Thatâs the typical tale weâre told, unless your deity is one of darkness. We can bend and mold reality however we want, but some choose not to. I, for one, will do whatever the f*ck I want.â
I grabbed a chair and planted my behind on the soft red cushion several feet from the mad vampire. âYou said you wanted a partner in your plans, but what about Nadia? Sheâs your mate, and you strung her along like a doll.â
Osiris glared back at me, crimson void of its earlier amusement. âTake a gander at what happens to traitors. Nadia was my mate, but like all humans, she was worthless in the end. Set was enamored of her, desperate to make her his. After I got rid of him, the bond disappeared. However, Nadia still had some use and since she was in love with me, I kept her around.â
âNadia had more backbone than you! She was a gift, and you threw her aside!â I shouted, fists shaking at my sides. âShe risked everything for complete strangers, and you killed her because she stood up against your tyranny! She was a human, sheâs better than you!â
Osiris refused to confirm or deny that he killed her, but I didnât need it. Nadia was the bravest human Iâve ever met. At the bottom of the totem pull in that crazy cultâlike prison, she did what was right. Sadness chilled my core in thought about her unfortunate fate. Selene paired her with Osiris for a reason, and I donât think that reason ever came to fruition. Osirisâ madness was too strong for her to heal.
I wanted to cry, but I refused to in front of the beast. Blinking back my tears, I steadied my labored breathing, controlling the urge to leap from my seat and tear those white tresses out of his scalp.
âAre you done?â Osiris asked, bored.
âNo.â I shook my head. âWhatâs the point in all of this? You brought me here and I deserve the right to know what your plans are with me. If youâre such a powerful avatar, you donât need me to destroy Zircon Moon.â
âYouâre right. Logically, I donât need you to destroy that sorry pack, but your purpose is much greater than that. Why stop with just one?â
âWaitâ¦â A sudden thought struck my head, remembering the stories and reports trailing back several months. âAre you the one responsible for the recent destruction of the packs around Nevada and in the Triâstate area?â His flashy smile gave me his answer. âDo you know how many lives youâve destroyed?!â
âHundreds and each of them deserved their fate!â Osiris shot back. I rose from my seat, glaring at him with all the hatred I can muster.
âYouâve destroyed families! Your beef is with Zircon, but youâve destroyed other packs for what?! Do you hate werewolves that much?â
Chapter 48âQuestions and Answers
âYes. And that is why youâll help me cleanse the world of them.â My heart dropped to the floor. Sweat
perfused out of my pores with the growing sensation of uneasiness settling in as Osiris continued. âAs the to bless
avatar of Selene, not only do you have the power hose hounds, but you can destroy them too. Bend
them to your will. But, since youâve only awoken a short time ago, you donât understand the full depth of your powers, judging by that cute look on your face.â
âListen and listen well, you bastard.â I snarled, âThere is no way in hell that Iâll help you accomplish this messedâup mission. I have my problems with Zircon, but itâs not enough to wish death against my race! Iâm sorry for what happened to you and Amber, but Iâm not her. And Iâll never be your puppet.â
Osiris released a burst of wicked laughter, not quite from the belly but from the throat. âYou say that now, but the darkness within you says different. Believe what you want, Little Moon, but nothing can stop me. Not even you. Soon, youâll realize that it is better to destroy than to mend.â
âYouâre a monster!â My shouts meant nothing to him as he stood to take his leave.
âEat. Iâll be back for the dishes.â
Oh, no, he wonât ignore me like this! âYou claim Selene spat on Amberâs memory by having me born in Zircon Moon, but all I see, is you shitting on her memory too. To list off the shit youâve done; you took me from my family, marked me against my will, and imprisoned me here! Youâre just like Alpha Titan!â
Ured
The vampire stopped in his tracks. His back went rigid as he stood straight and tall. Anger erupted and out of him like scorchingâhot lava threatening to burn everything in the room; me included. Before I could blink, my world blurred in a flurry of muddled colors and my back was forced against the wall with heavy, furious panting above me.
When my vision cleared, glowing crimson peered deep into my soul, chaining it to its metaphorical prison. I couldnât look away, nor did I have the strength to. In his haunting red, fury swam, toiled, and burned Osirisâ enormous hands pinned my wrists to the wall, sending shivers rocketing through my body with reckless abandon. The distance between our bodies was nonexistent, for my chest and torso can feel every inch of his hard muscles. My heart throbbed in synchronicity with my mark, which my mind hated but my
body loved.
âI donât want to hurt you, Little Moon.â Osirisâ thick, hoarse voice rung like sirens in my ear with his breath tickling my earlobe. âBut if you compare me to that beast in wolfâs skin again, there will be repercussions you
wonât like.â
After what seemed like an eternity, the vampire released me from his hold. My knees buckled and gave out, sending me to the ground. âEat.â He ordered before exiting my room in a flood of heat, slamming the door behind him. I press my hand to my chest, steading my rapid breathing that came about as soon as he left.
I pissed off a vampire and lived. And Iâm not waiting around for a next time!
The alfredo has gone cold, but I couldnât care less. Staying around a dangerous, insane vampire is not part of my life plans, but getting the hell of here is. Solidifying my resolve, I shot up on my feet and ran to the door, hoping Osiris forgot to lock it.
And what do you know? He did! The door swung open with a soft squeal, revealing a barren hallway without a soul in sight. Taking a deep whiff, Cerberus scent has gone stale and Osiris is nowhere to be found.
âWhat a f*cking idiot!â I cackled through my mindâlink with Artemis. âItâs smooth sailing from here!â
âBe careful, Kiki.â My wolf warned. âIt could be a trap.â
âUnderstood
Time to make my escape!
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