Chapter 35

The front door was wooden. The rest of the doors were iron. Maybe not iron but I couldn't tell what the other doors were made of. Bronze?

Immediately we got there, he pulled me into a large room where there was a tall old man, who was really crooked, had crooked hands, crooked legs, crooked back.

Before I saw the man, I was busy inspecting and maybe admiring the room. The floor was hard and strong, like a thick cardboard or was that wood? The windows in the room were up to four and the room smelt of a strong ointment that I could not place my hand on. The tree-house was indeed pretty but it looked so eerie--the quietness and all, or perhaps it was because it was old? Then, I saw the crooked old man. He was sitting in a wooden chair and with his eyes shut, he was chanting something I didn't know. It sounded like a foreign language and I tell you, the language didn't sound pretty at all.

There were many bowls before him, all of different sizes but same colour but I could not look into any of them, so I did not know if they were empty or not, if they were wood or plastic. There was something about the man's teeth, there were about four or five or even six longer canines that peeked out of his lips when he closed his lips. The rest of his teeth were smaller but looked like something that could bite off a chunk of raw flesh off a prey. I think that's the best way to explain it-- I leave you to your imagination.

"Stay here. Don't move" Uncle Robinson said to me, Just then, i saw the old man lift his hands, and that was when I saw his fingers--No, claws. They were long and sharp. I moved away in fright and watched Uncle Robinson disappear out of the tree house.

"Stay here, don't move" He had said. So I stood on the spot. When I looked around, it was still dark, maybe even darker than it should be, and there was no clock around the large room. I was tempted to ask the man what the time said, but who knows, he might not want to talk to me. And I had already forgotten that I had my phone in my backpack. He was obviously supernatural and whatever it was he was chanting to since we entered the house, it had started to yield because smoke filled everywhere, my nostrils and my head and I coughed slightly but it felt like something was stuck in my throat.

I kept coughing until everywhere started to choke so much I fought for breath. I screamed and held my throat. I wanted to move to the window to get some fresh air but he had said, "Don't move", so I knelt on that same spot and almost coughed out my intestines. "Please sir, please..." I pleaded. He was not coughing and his eyes were still shut tight. "Please stop the smoke" i pleaded.

Just then, he opened his eyes, eyes as bloodshot as a drug addict's. He clapped his hands together and the smoke formed together a line that went straight into one of the bowls surrounding him. Everywhere was clear again.

He stood up from his wooden chair and walked over to me. He was so tall and scary. He stood before me and questioned in the most raspy voice I've ever heard, "Who are you?"

Now it was Uncle Robinson's fault to not have introduced me. What if this monster killed me before he returned?

I lifted my head and stood up from the hard cold floor, and peered into his dark red eyes.

"I said who are you?" He repeated and his voice shook the whole house such that one of the branches and wood which served as . roofing fell and left a minor crack on the floor.He must be angry, I thought. I didn't know how to reply but I said, "Please don't harm me, someone brought me here. Uncle Robinson is his name" he shook his head, looking unconvinced.

He lifted me up and pinned me to the wall forcefully. My heart was racing and I prayed for my saviour to return on time. He turned his head and stared at a rope lying lazily on a wooden table somewhere in the room and suddenly, I felt the rope on my neck. Without he picking it up or tying my neck. Then he left me dangling under the rope. It was not tight on my neck thankfully , so I could breathe, but I was totally uncomfortable. He stood before me, spreading his hands, obviously thinking about something.

I wondered what he was going to do to me next. I cried and whimpered.

Suddenly, I looked behind me and saw uncle Robinson standing there. He looked very angry. There was a very big bag in his hand which he dropped immediately he entered, and then went over to the old, crooked man with so much swiftness that almost blinded you. He grabbed his neck and shouted: "Martinez, what have you done?" Martinez? That name sounded familiar

"Leave her alone!" He yelled. His eyes were starting to turn bloodshot.

"No this is fresh meat!" He said. "I'll have this for supper" Supper? But it was morning? Well, that was not what I was concerned with. I was concerned about his words. Have me for supper? Thank Goodness for the timely intervention of Uncle Robinson.

"I said leave her alone!!!" He yelled and he started to turn into a wolf. In my presence, I saw the transformation. That wasn't the first time he'd transform in my presence or let his wolf out but it was mind-blowing everytime he did. They hit each other and pulled each other with force towards the exit. The rope on my neck came loose and I fell to the ground.

"I'm not your rank! Stop playing with me!" He yelled and let his wolf back in. "Don't meddle with me. Do not even touch her, you asshole! This is no meat for nobody. If you need some meat, go hunt!! I just hunted!" He said and carried me onto his shoulders. For some reason, I felt safe but I still didn't understand the point of he bringing me to this tree-house. Maybe he thought Martinez was harmless.

He carried me like that and took me out of the tree-house into another enclosure that had some light and a better temperature.

Then he laid me on the grass and inspected my injuries, I had bruises from Martinez claws. I didn't realize how bad they were until he rolled up my sleeves and i saw it. My uniform was soaked in blood. His claws had dug into my skin and marked it mercilessly. It hurt but i was too scared to focus on the pain. He placed his palm above the spots and just like that, the pain went away, and he apologized for the umpteenth time.

Then, I asked him: "What are we doing here, Uncle?"

"Hunting. I wanted you to meet someone anyways" he said. He was breathing heavily and groaning like he was in severe pain but I wasn't anymore. Seems like he transfered my pain to himself

"Who? And what are we hunting?" I asked. He pulled me up and apologized yet again.

"Don't ask too many questions. Let's go" He said and carried me on his shoulder as we walked farther away from the enclosure.

"I want you to meet my father, my whole family actually " he said as we moved along. For some reason, I was glad I wasn't walking because the thorns in the bushes could tear my flesh easily.

"Oh. Why?" I asked.

"Because you're special. I already told him I found a mate"

"What? I don't understand. How can I be your mate? I don't even have any supernatural gifts" I told him. "But you do. Why do you want me then?"

"Stop asking too many questions" he said. I shook my head. In few minutes, we got to another old but gigantic castle. It was another world entirely. I wouldn't imagine in a million thoughts that a place like that existed in real life, and not only in books

He walked me in. The air was light and warm, everywhere was quiet and golden, and the moon was shining brightly outside. And as we walked in, several men tried to take me from him but he fought all of them by hitting them or flinging them out of the window. They howled and thumped their feet on the floor, threatened and confronted one another while transforming themselves into whatever it is they were, and i just stood in a corner in the hallway watching them fight. Their howling terrified me but it soon died down when a man appeared in the hallway and sent all of them away. In fact, they all left before he commanded them to leave. Silence descended in the hallway. He must be the man of the house.

"Are you here for dinner?" He asked Uncle Robinson who didn't give any response. Then he looked at me painstakingly from my head to toe in a way that unnerved me, before he asked us to follow him.

We went into a large hall where several delicacies were prepared and served. There were many lanterns and candles all made of gold There were two women, and three other men seated at the table, so, Uncle Robinson, his father and I joined them.

"So, Sword, you brought something for us?" The first woman who I supposed to be his mother asked, while sneaking a peek at me every now and then

"Yes mom. But I'm not sure about it yet" He said, picking a fork

"Take her back. She's too young" she said silently but I heard her clearly because I was patiently all ears.

"But mom..."

"She's not even part of us. Choose a girl from our pack and stop being so stubborn" she added then smirked at me. I looked away

"Seems like you're forcing her to be mated to you" his father added, clearly and loudly this time. "The little lass looks frightened"

"I'm not here for arguments, I came here so you could bless our Union" Uncle Robinson suddenly said defiantly. I was confused about everything. Why would he choose me? The other woman called a bar man who brought wine and alcohol and one other reddish drink. He poured in tall glasses for everyone, including me and left.

"You're too stubborn, sometimes you do not remember that I'm your mother!" The first woman barked. Her voice was very clear.

"I'm old enough to choose my own mate. I've been alone for years!"

"Then get a link from our pack or you'll get punished! The Sinners hole will host you this evening I tell you!" She yelled.

"What??"

"That's okay everyone. Let's dine" His father said and everyone opened their plates without arguing. It was fried meat, potatoes and cheese. I didn't know what kind of meat it was. It looked strange

So I just ate the cheese and potatoes in silence. Only God knows what kind of combination it was. Weird. I couldn't even swallow the one piece I chewed. Not that it didn't have a good taste but it was not a good situation to eat with ease.

Halfway through dinner, his father asked him if he had hunted that day. Without mouthing any reply, he took out the bag he had brought back from his hunting trip and extended it towards his dad.

Smell of fresh blood stung my nose. It was really strong.

"You have to take her away. She's not part of us" the first woman said again. The other people were silent. They were still eating but they didn't join the conversation

"She's competing against Nick the vamp today, dad. If she wins, they are gonna host another war against us. We have to take her so we could protect her at least"

"She has her powers, let her be" He said defiantly, slowly letting out a belch. I had my powers? Why's everyone freaking me out?

"That's the best thing to do or she could get hurt" he added.

I was already feeling so uncomfortable. How would it feel if you were the subject of a conversation despite that you were present there and you could not say anything? You just listen and cringe The other woman who hadn't said anything since the whole conversation began stood up and came to my seat.

"Get up dear, I'll show you your room" she said, and i followed her because I didn't know what to do or say. Show me my room?

I glanced back at Uncle Robinson who nodded at me like my decision was fine. It seemed to me that the competition back at the camp was going to start without me because I was pretty sure it was past 10:00am, the only thing was , except for the moon, it was very dark here and we had just had 'dinner'. Something was definitely off. I was with a bunch of superhumans and it was pretty creepy.

The woman took me to a room where some other three younger women fetched me from her hands and walked me down the staircase, and down the hallway into a grand room, a master bedroom to be precise. It was very big, classic and beautiful. But there were men's clothes in the wardrobe. Could it be what I was thinking?

"You're welcome to the Were-Castle, this is Prince Long Sword's bedroom, it is yours as well. We call him "Master" but every other person call him the Alpha prince" one of them said and before I could respond, she said, "I'm Elaine"

"Jido" the other one said with a big smile

"Prisca" the third and most quiet of them all. They were all very beautiful. They all had long, black hair.