Grand Hunt: Pack of Deception

Chapter 51

Hey Angie, what's going on? You've been quiet for a while now Mel said.

I snapped out of my musings and looked up to find them both staring at me with curious and worried frowns.

Oh yeah I'm fine. Just kinda lost in thought

What about? Dev asked carefully.

Just, my parents

Their eyes turned from curious to sympathetic.

Did something happen? Mel asked.

Not really. I just met my mom outside and we had a little chat and you know how chatting with them goes these days

They both winced.

Sorry Angie. Hey, let's go do something fun instead of wallowing Mel suggested.

Wallowing? Who's wallowing? I asked with a smile.

There's that gorgeous smile. Wanna go get something to eat? We can bring Lincoln though someone's gonna carry him cause we're running Mel said.

I nodded and went to Lincoln's room to invite him but I peeped and he was asleep. I closed the door as quietly as possible, thankful that he didn't yet have wolf hearing since he was still a year from his first transformation.

I got back to my room and shook my head at them. He's asleep

Alright then. Let's go! Mel whispered and dove out my window, executing a perfect mid air flip and landing on her feet.

I pursed my lips. Show-off

She laughed. You should try it, it's fun

The move or being a show-off? I asked with a teasing grin.

The move, dummy she said.

I gestured for Dev to step back, then I ran toward the window, leaped down with reduced speed lest I land too fast and flipped. I just barely got myself straightened before I landed, thanking the heavens that I didn't land on my head. I wouldn't have ever been able to live that down.

Yay you did it! Mel said, cheering.

Ok your turn Dev she teased.

Dev rolled his eyes and jumped down the normal way. Like I'd really do that

We both laughed.

Last one there's a rotten egg! Mel said and sprinted towards the woods.

I laughed and was grateful for my friends. I was well aware that I really couldn't live without them. I'd never smile again.

Dev and I sprinted after her, both laughing.

When Xavier came to he was furious. He'd never felt such anger in his life. It burned through him like acid, corroding his insides until there was no place in his body that wasn't burning with it.

He was aware that he was the one who'd baited Louis. It was a part of his plan after all. But he didn't expect the crazy lunatic to beat him that soundly. He'd objectively measured their strengths and abilities and he was well aware that Louis surpassed him in both but it simply couldn't be that much! And yet, Louis had beaten him so soundly that he had fallen unconscious.

He could still remember that moment. Hell he wasn't sure he'd ever be able to forget it. No, he wouldn't. He remembered the pain. Heavens it was blinding. He remembered the sound, hearing his bones snap like twigs. Hearing it before even feeling it. He could remember what it felt like as the pain registered. He had wanted to scream. Did he scream? He wasn't sure. The pain had been blinding. But nothing, absolutely nothing could have compared to the fear he felt at that moment. He'd never felt fear in his entire life. He'd always been the one inflicting it.

His wasn't a sad, boring old sob story about how his mother or his father beat him as a kid so he grew up to hurt people just as he'd been hurt. No, it wasn't nearly as dramatic as that. It was quite simple really. He liked the feeling of superiority. He liked feeling like he held someone's life in his hands, the feeling was euphoric. It was one you'd never know until you tried it, and then you'd become hooked. There was no psychology or trauma behind it. He just liked to inflict pain and fear. It gave him a high.

But feeling it? He'd never felt it in his life. Until that fateful moment when he'd made Louis snapped.

The first pang of fear hit when Louis began to move. The fear was due to the fact that he couldn't see him. It was like he was invisible. But he could feel him moving with such blinding speed that even the wind alone hurts his skin. As if the successive punches weren't enough, he introduced the bone snapping. Even now, Xavier could still feel the shadow of the pain he'd felt when Louis had snapped the first bone. The shock, the pain, the fear.

And then he snapped the second bone. As his arms were hanging loosely at his sides, rendered useless, he felt something akin to terror. He'd never been rendered immobile in a fight before. And the damn bone wasn't healing. He knew he'd have to reset it for it to heal but the pain made him irrational. He definitely cried out when the bastard shattered his knee cap. That pain, oh heavens. He shivered at the recollection.

When he fell to the ground he almost begged for it to be over. He almost screamed for someone to make the bastard stop. He would have in fact. But his throat was closed up and it refused to open. His mouth wouldn't work, wouldn't even open. All he could do was kneel there in front of the inhumanly fast bastard and wait for the next blow. He didn't have to wait very long.

His second knee cap shattering almost rendered him unconscious. In fact for a couple seconds he couldn't see. His world was blank. The only thing that let him know was the fact that he could still feel the pain, it hadn't gone anywhere.

Then, that was when he knew what real terror was. He'd thought he'd known it before. But right then when he looked up and saw the crazed bastard, his claws extended, headed directly for his eyes, he knew terror then. There was a lot that the wold gene could fix. But it couldn't grow back lost limbs or organs. He watched the claws fly toward him as if in slow motion.

And then it stopped. Before he could think of why, he passed out.

Chapter 52

When I woke up that morning, I was confused. I stared with unseeing eyes at my environment before they cleared up and I could see the inside of my room. It took me a moment to realise that I'd been dreaming which was why it was hard for me to focus after I woke up. It had been a weird dream.

I was being chased by a large wolf that had my parents' faces. Yes, it was one wolf with two faces on it. They'd been chasing me, intent on catching me and making me cry. They needn't have tried because even as I ran, I cried. I was terrified.

Suddenly, I was blinded by a really bright light. Out of the light came an impossibly large white wolf. It looked at me as if to say, calm down, I've got this. Then it charged toward my parents. It stopped in front of them and touched them with a paw. More white light and they were transformed into my actual parents, thankfully separate.

I wanted to thank the wolf but it was gone. I felt this blinding pain in my stomach and when I looked down, it had been ripped open and blood was quickly soaking me. I cried out and fell to the ground. I began calling out to my parents for help but they turned and walked away.

The pain was blinding and I closed my eyes. When I opened them Louis was hovering over me. He was frantically trying to stop the bleeding.

Please, help I whispered.

He nodded and kept trying. Then all of a sudden the blood stopped. Then Louis leaned down and kissed me.

And then I woke up.

It was a weird dream and I didn't understand it but I didn't put too much stock in it. It just clouded my mind as I woke up, the way dreams do sometimes.

I stumbled into the bathroom, brushed and took a quick shower. I dressed comfortably in baggy jeans, a big t-shirt and sneakers. I wasn't going to be doing anything exciting today. I planned to skip today's activity and spend the time with Xavier instead. Well some of it. The rest I would dedicate towards Luna Esther's mystery.

When I was done I strolled out of my room and into Lincoln's room. I knew he'd be home since school was on holiday partly owing to the packs union festivities. I knocked and he called for me to come in. I wasn't surprised he was awake this early. He was always up early.

I pushed the door open and grinned at him.

Hey little bro. Wanna have an early breakfast before the parents wake up? I asked. I'd been leaving him to eat with our parents too often these days so I was trying to make up for it.

Sure he grinned back.

I gestured for him to come with me and he hopped up and followed me.

You're dressed. You're going out? He asked.

I nodded. Yeah. I need to go see Xavier in the infirmary. He was terribly hurt by Louis during the fight yesterday

Wow really? I can't say I feel very bad for him though

I stared at him in surprise. Really? I asked.

He nodded sheepishly. Never really been a fan of his

I raised a brow. Seriously? Why? You've never even met him

He shook his head. Actually I kinda have

I frowned, growing serious. I paused what I was doing, whisking some eggs, and stared at him.

When? Why didn't either of you tell me about this?

He doesn't know he's met me. At least I don't think so. It was that day he snuck into your room to leave a present. I was about to come into your room too. I knocked and you didn't answer so I turned away but before I got to my room I heard some movement. I pushed open the door a little and I saw him standing over you. At first, I was terrified. I thought he wanted to hurt you. I didn't know what to do. Then he kept the box and jumped out the window

I shook my head, trying to imagine how I could have slept through all that. Why did you think he wanted to hurt me?

I continued preparing the omelette I was making, although the process only had a quarter of my attention or less. 

It was the look in his eyes. I can't describe it but it gave me shivers. I wanted to toss him out the window

I took a deep breath and tried to digest what Lincoln was saying. By now it was starting to be clear that I didn't know Xavier as well as I thought I did. He may not be the terrible villain everyone thinks he is but he's certainly not telling the truth or being the real him. I sighed, grateful for my decision not to get into anything with him.

I'm sorry I let him get close enough to make you uncomfortable Linc. I'll make sure that doesn't happen again and I meant it. There was little else I cared about in this world more than my brother. And there was barely anything I wouldn't do for him. In fact I'd been contemplating going with Xavier for him. I figured it would be the new start he needed, the new start my family needed. We could walk away from the stigma this pack branded us with and start afresh somewhere new. But it was for his sake that I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't make him come with someone that not only made him uncomfortable but someone whom I didn't trust.

You didn't let him, he came uninvited. But I appreciate the sentiment he said. I laughed softly as we were trying to keep our voices down so as not to wake our parents and sic them on ourselves.

Come on, let's finish making breakfast and eat. Pass me the salt I said and we went back to cooking in silence.

Chapter 53

By the time we were done eating breakfast, our parents were up so I waved goodbye to Lincoln and jumped out through his window. I landed smoothly and took off towards the infirmary.

Yes I was still going. I owed it to Xavier to go see how he was doing and if he'd recovered. I should have interrupted the fight before Louis had gone that far. Instead I sat there frozen in shock and let Louis break Xavier's limbs.

Perhaps it was the fact that I was so lost in thought that made me not see him until I crashed into him. He wrapped his arms around me as we both fell.

We rolled a bit, ending with him on top. I winced and opened my eyes to meet his.

We need to stop ending up like this Louis joked lightly. I could see that he was anything but happy though.

Louis I whispered. Ever part of my body that touched his tingled with a fire that only engulfed me in his presence. I wanted to tell him to get off me even though my body was begging him to stay right where he was. But my mouth wouldn't open to say anything more than his name.

Anne

Are you ok? I finally asked.

Why wouldn't I be? He asked bitterly.

Because I know you didn't mean to flip out yesterday I said. He sighed and rolled off me to lay beside me instead. My body mourned his loss although it cleared my head and helped me think better.

How do you know that? He asked, seeming like he actually wanted to know the answer.

Because I know you. And no matter how terrible you've been to me in the past, you always drew the line at physically hurting me

He scoffed. Yes because that was you. This was someone else. What if that's just who I am? What if I'm a vicious killing machine? If you hadn't stopped me Anne, the things I would've done to him... He trailed off. I turned to stare at him and saw the pain and uncertainty in his eyes. He really was questioning himself. I'd judged him correctly, I knew it would hurt him if he went too far with Xavier. He was a good person, that much I knew. He just didn't like me very much.

But I did stop you and that's what matters I replied.

What if next time you're not there to stop me? What happens then? Because Anne, I'm not done being mad at him yet. If I see him again, I can't guarantee I wouldn't go batshit crazy again

What did he say to you that made you so mad? I asked after a quiet spell. I just remembered that Xavier had whispered something to him just before he'd gone crazy and started