\[Elise’s POV\]
Later, I sit at a large table that is covered in mouthwatering food, dressed in a floor length black gown that hugs my curves perfectly, but I can’t quite seem to find it in me to have an appetite. I mean, how could I when my partner for the evening was a psychopath who was hell bent on destroying the world?
“Something wrong?” The man in question asks, eyeing me over his goblet of wine. “Don’t worry, nothing has been poisoned.”
“If only that was the issue.” I mutter as Ezekial’s gaze narrows.
“You’re way too tense, my dear.” He says, snapping his fingers so a man dressed in a butler's outfit rushes forward. “Please pour our guest something to drink.”
Nodding, the man comes to stand beside me, and once he is in place, he grabs the chilled bottle of wine that sits between Ezekial and me and then begins to pour it into my glass.
“Maybe a drink will help,” Ezekiel says as the butler steps back.
“Uh...” I say, eyeing it and wishing like hell I could just down it. “I’m underage.”
At my words, a loud, booming laugh escapes Ezekial. It echoes around us, grating on my nerves and making me want to claw my own eardrums out.
“Your physical body may be,” he agrees, finally calming his ass down. “But I know that you’re mental age is much older.”
“Oh?” I ask, raising a brow. “Are you saying that you know all my secrets?”
“Elise Gregory,” he announces, causing shock to slam into me. “Do you think that you can hide from me simply because you lost your original body and were born in another?”
Shit. This guy really did know everything, which was a bad thing, especially when it came to Emerald Moon and their secrets.
“Don’t look so scared,” Ezekiel chuckles, snapping me out of my head. “I don’t intend to do anything bad.”
“Really,” I laugh, unable to stop myself. “And what about sending those rogues to attack The Academy and my niece?”
“It was all for a purpose.” He assures me. “And,” he continues, digging into his pocket and then producing a vial that is filled with what I am almost certain is blood. “And that purpose has been achieved.”
“Whose?” I hiss, though I already have an idea. “Whose blood is that?”
“The cursed child’s.” He laughs. “My purpose from the very start was to gain possession of this, but who knew that my puppets would end up falling prey to it?”
Puppets… He had to be referring to Maverick and the twins, not to mention that woman who I was now almost certain was his past Luna. If he knew what Serenity’s blood was capable of, why did he let them go as far as biting her and turning human?
“Let me explain,” Ezekial sighs, leaning forward and fixing his mischievous gaze on me. “From the start, my only purpose was to gain possession of the blood of the cursed child. Whether that meant to capture the child herself or take her blood, it didn’t matter. As long as I got my hands on it, then my plan could go forward.”
“And what plan was that?” I demand. “What the hell are you even planning?”
“To rebuild the world.” He responds. “One where I am the ultimate god who determines whether or not someone will or will not be a wolf.”
Eyes widening, I stare at the man in front of me in disbelief as I realize just how serious of a turn things were taking. This bastard was all but saying that if we didn’t go along with what he wanted, he would turn us human.
“And why would you do that?” I demand. “What about your rogues?”
“What of them?” He asks, chuckling. “They are nothing more than mindless puppets that do what I want them to do. And now that they’ve served their purpose, I have no more use of them.”
As he speaks, he lets out a howl that pierces into me, causing Hana to stir and want to respond to him, but before she can, I push her aside.
“What are you…”
Before I can finish my question, I get my answer as the doors to the dining hall burst open and the rogues begin to enter the hall like the good puppets that they are, and once they’re all present, they surround the table waiting to be given an order.
Smirking, Ezekial looks to me and gives me a wink before turning his gaze to his followers.
“Fight!” He announces, causing the rogues to begin to attack one another.
“No!” I gasp, realizing what it was that he was doing. “What are you doing? Please! You have to stop this!”
“But they’ve served their purpose,” Ezekial points out, turning his attention back to his food. “There’s no reason for them to continue.”
No reason! How could he say such a thing?
“But they’re still your loyal followers!” I insist as the scent of blood begins to fill the room. “You can’t just do this!”
“I can,” he counters, shooting me a look of warning. “As their alpha and leader, I can do whatever the hell I want to!”
Opening my mouth, I prepare to argue, but realize that there is no reasoning with a crazy bastard like him. So instead of trying, I get up and rush forward, but stop as what feels like an invisible collar squeezes at my throat.
“What?” I gasp, turning to find Ezekial smirking at me.
“It’s useless.” He chuckles, nodding toward what is basically a ball of fur and blood to find that it was growing smaller and smaller as more and more rogues were killed. “They’re almost finished.”
“You heartless fuck!” I growl, attempting to fight at my invisible binding. “Stop it! Stop it this instant!”
With each passing minute, more and more bodies littered the ground, shifting from animal to human, giving a face to those who went missing so long ago.
“Please,” I whisper, collapsing to my knees. “Please stop this! Make them stop!”
Just having to bear witness to this is so damn painful, but despite my pleas, it doesn’t stop until one rogue is standing. It’s mouth is bloodied with the blood of its comrades, and its body is covered in wounds. It turns happily to Ezekial and limps toward him, clearly expecting a reward for what it has done.
“Don’t!” I gasp, reaching out in an attempt to stop it, only for it to bare its teeth at me. “Don’t go to him!”
“He won’t listen to you,” Ezekial chuckles, holding out a hand for the rogue to push its head against. “I am and always will be his only master.”
Finished speaking, he clamps down on the rogue's head and twists, causing a loud crack to fill the hall as its neck snaps, and once he is certain that the beast is dead, he releases it, allowing it to crumple to the ground and shift into nothing more than a teen.
“You piece of shit.” I growl, my anger spiking. “How could you!”
“Me?” Ezekial repeats in confusion. “Is this not the way of our world? It’s kill or be killed. Only the strongest survive in this world. And I am the king.”