Chapter 13 Twelve

Chapter 13 Twelve
Chapter Twelve

Soleil
"A whole pack," I repeated. "Are you kidding?"
I couldn't believe it. I really can't.
I never heard of anyone wiping out a whole werewolf pack. It was physically impossible for that to be done by only one man.
"You gotta believe it. It did happen. Told you, he was famous." Kat grinned like she was so proud of Quillon.
"But how--wait, like a whole pack with elders and pups?"
Kat snorted. "Kill didn't kill the elders and pups, don't worry. He still has a heart, and makes sure they have a new pack to join in. But the rest, he himself burned them. Alive or not."
"That's impossible," I murmured. There's no way that really did happen. My mind was fighting over it because Kat was talking about it right now. And every other continental packs knew about Quillon and what he did.
That suddenly made it more true.
"Is that why you call him 'Kill'? Because he kill werewolves?"
"No!" Kat laughed, landing another slap on my shoulder.
Okay, I think I'm getting used to her violence.
"He was already called Kill when I met him. It was his childhood nickname."
"Uh, a weird name to call a pup."
Kat chuckled, tapping her hand on the log. "Yeah, Aunt Ash didn't liked it either."
"Aunt Ash?"
"Kill's mother."
Quillon's mother...
I don't know why I was so intrigued with Quillon's life. I wanted to ask more about his past, his family, where they were and why he was living like a rogue.
But I'm not sure how much Kat was willing to share so I just picked out what interest me most.
"Which pack did he wiped off this realm?"
Her eyes slanted as she looked at me. It was as if she was criticizing me for not knowing about it but at the same time, wondering why I was keen on asking.
"Are you from the Otens Pack of the West?" Her question sounded careful, almost like she was testing me and I quickly understood.
"No. You promised not to ask about my pack." I smirked, trying to hide my faltering nerves.
I said I was from the West, if Quillon annihilated a pack from the West, then its weird that I haven't heard about it.
"Oh, yep, sorry. Well, it was that pack."
She still feels like interrogative with her words. "Makes me wonder why you didn't heard of that when you're from West yourself."
I hope my face wasn't paling because I could feel my blood going south. Was I bummed out of my lie?
"I-I--"
Kat hmm-ed that cut my stutter. "If I couldn't sense that you left your former pack recently, I would think you're a survivor."
She leaned close and watched my eyes straight.
"And the reason you're with Kill right now is to get revenge."
My lips parted in shock and I was lost for words.
I didn't know what's better at this moment. Is finding out who I really am, and where I really came from better than being mistaken as a spy and an avenger?
'Why'd you have to pick West of all the Cardinals, anyway?' My wolf intervened.
'How was I supposed to know not to?'
It was a good thing that I had a talk with Shade and he mentioned they were from the North. If he didn't, and I told Kat I was from there, then I would be more suspicious.
Picking the West was fine. It's a safe choice. I just have to come up with a good reason to follow up my lie.
"I assure you, I'm not from the Otens. My pack is... different. I lived in the poorest part of my old pack, and my family wasn't members of the warriors." I gulped the lie, hoping it could help become my truth.
"I know words spread fast in packs but as I've said, ours is different. We don't hear any update from the council unless it concerns the landtenders."
"Landternders? You're what, a farmer girl or something?"
I nodded.
I've studied West before and there are two packs that focuses on agriculture. Otens were not one of it. If Kat knew about what I learned then she have two packs to guess about.
"Yes. That's why we don't usually hear news. We're far from our pack city."
She nodded. "You must be, if you're tending on hectares of land."
"Yeah... We were basically called mountain wolves."
"Tell me more about your family. Are your parents alive? Any siblings?"
Ohhkay. I thought she was done doubting but the hint was still there. I hope she was just prying to know more about me, and not to see if I'm really telling the truth.
"My mother died when I was young. And I have no siblings. It was only my father and me."
It's true, though. I think a lie would sound more believable if there's truth mixed in it.
"I see." She nodded. "Then you left your father behind? When you went rogue?"
I stilled.
"Y-Yeah. He..." I don't know what to say that won't make me look like a heartless daughter for leaving the only family I have. "He wanted to trade me out. Become a slave of a powerful family in the city. I don't want to."
That's a bit close to being arranged with marriage, but it's the closest I could lie.
She wouldn't believe me if I said my father arranged a marriage. It was not customary for werewolves to get out of a mate bond.
It was not possible at all. Unless it's my father, who would bless it.
"That's awful." Now she sounded hurt, and I was relieved that she finally bought it. "I'd go rogue if I were you, too."
I nodded slowly. "Yeah." I sighed. "Is that why Quillon went rogue? Because he wiped out Otens Pack?"
I'd better stray the conversation away from my make-up life.
Kat pursed her lips and looked far. "If Kill hasn't mentioned why he went rogue, I have no right to beat him to it." She smiled at me. "Sorry."
I smiled back and nodded once. "I understand."
I feel like I'll ask Quillon about his reason, from how intrigued I was with it. Ugh. This is one of my annoying traits, having a curiosity like a cat.
"He's kind, you know. If you ask him, he might tell you. Well, he will if he knows he can trust you. Man, I really wanted someone like Kill." She chuckled and looked up, closing her eyes.
I couldn't say anything. Why do I feel irritated that another woman wanted him?
What?
Why would I feel that?
"Well, I still have a chance. Maybe he was my mate, right? I'll be eighteen soon, anyway. That would be nice."
Kat laughed hard and slapped her hand on the log.
"That would be weird since I treat you like a sister."
We both jumped and gasped from Quillon's voice coming behind us.
I didn't even hear him coming, not even a single step.
What the fuck?
Katerina laughed hard and I watched her, trying to see if there was any hint of shame from being heard and turned down at the same time.
But she showed none.
I kind of wondered if she was really serious about her feelings for Quillon.
"I treat you like a brother, too, so I'll agree with you on that, Kill."
Quillon finally stopped behind us and his warmth quickly enveloped my body.
I looked away and shivered.
To think that he was not that near made me hate the reaction my body made around him.
It was like I was being pulled with an invisible magnet he got.
"Shade's looking for you." Quillon informed Kat and she stood up, leaning to grab the rusty bucket with the fish she caught.
"It's nice talking with you, Soleil. Let's continue this later." She smiled at me and I mirrored it.
"Alright." My voice came out in a whisper, another effect that Quillon does to me.
I tried hard not to look at Quillon until Kat was out of my sight but I felt his gaze on me.
And he never looked away, even after I looked at the river and ignored his presence.
The silence was so overbearing that I don't think I'd last another minute with his gaze boring holes in the back of my head.
I need to leave.
"I want to talk with you."
But his words stopped me from moving. And breathing.