Chapter 17: His Bedroom

-Serena-

Finally, the door opened, and out came Rogan, but the other one had disappeared. Rogan walked over to me and found a small key before releasing me from the railing, but he didn’t take the cuffs off me. Instead, he brought my hands behind my back.

“Is that really necessary?” I asked.

“These people are my family,” he said and grabbed my arm, as he took me inside. “I won’t risk you hurting them.”

“I think there will be a bigger chance of them hurting me,” I said.

Rogan didn’t say anything but started to pull me up this huge staircase that led to the next floor, and then higher up. All the way to the third floor, where there weren’t a lot of rooms. He dragged me down a long hallway filled with pictures, old portraits, and statues. I caught glimpses of a few of them. Some of the pictures seemed rather old and it was clear they had been taken around here. People were standing together, smiling. It all seemed so … normal. But how could it be when these people here were nothing but animals?

“In here.”

Rogan opened a set of double doors and pushed me inside. I stumbled a little because I hadn’t been prepared, but Rogan easily caught my arm again, making sure I didn’t land face-first on the floor, considering my hands were behind my back and wouldn’t be able to help me. He closed the doors afterwards, while I looked around. We were inside a giant bedroom with one wall consisting of only floor-to-ceiling windows, that overlooked a big forest and grass area. A big king-sized bed stood further away, pushed up against the wall and with dark sheets covering it. There was a desk further away to my right, where it was clear Rogan took care of … whatever these people took care of. He had a laptop standing there as well. There was a small seating area behind me, where you could sit around and look out of the big windows. It had to be quite amazing when the sun went down to sit there.

There were two more doors, one close to the bed and one at the other side of the room. I wasn’t sure what they led to, but if I had to guess, one of them led to a bathroom at least. All of this seemed so normal too. It was hard to believe, that they didn’t just live in caves like real animals, but preferred luxury. They seemed to have a lot more luxury than us. I had a small bedroom that I didn’t have to share because I was a Commander now. Others, at least the recruits that were being trained shared one big room. Both boys and girls. Then when you passed your training and became a real hunter, you only had to share a room with one or two others. Unless like me, you became a Commander or even a general.

“Well, this is … cozy,” I said sarcastically, just to be annoying.

Rogan just shook his head and then led me over to the bed. I tried struggling a little, but he only released my hands shortly before handcuffing me to one of the posters of the bed.

“Oh, how great,” I said.

“Just to be sure,” he said.

“Of what? It is not like I can run anywhere,” I said.

“No, but you’re smart. I am sure you know how to make a weapon out of anything, and as I said, these people are my family. I don’t want to see them hurt.”

“But you’re not worried about yourself?” I asked.

He smiled and crossed his arms.

“I think we have already learned who is the strongest.”

I glared at him, as we locked eyes.

“Asshole,” I mumbled.

“I heard that.”

“Good!”

Rogan just rolled his eyes, clearly getting tired of me.

“I mean what is your plan here?!” I asked.

“My plan?”

“Yes, your genius plan. I mean you didn’t bring me here for nothing! You didn’t dress me up for nothing. So, why am I here?” I asked.

Rogan sighed and started to pace in front of me, looking very frustrated and like he didn’t know what to say. Finally, though, he stopped and turned to me again.

“I can’t kill you, as you already know.”

I nodded.

“I don’t think I can continue with the torture, and I might just kill anyone who tries to hurt you.”

“Lucky me,” I just said.

Rogan sighed, clearly getting pissed by my sarcasm. Good, I wanted to annoy him and piss him off. I was his captive after all. It was not like I had anything better to do.

“I want to change you,” he said.

“Change me how?”

“Show you who the real enemy is.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

Rogan crossed his arms and took a step closer. I leaned back a little, as he moved into my space.

“It means you don’t know who the enemy is here.”

“That’s bullshit,” I said.

He shook his head and then bent forward, coming even closer. He lowered his arms and placed a hand on each side of me. I couldn’t move very far away, since I was cuffed to the bed, and soon his face was only inches from mine. I didn’t like to admit it … but these wolves they were attractive. I knew they used that attractiveness to lure in poor humans and then kill them, but I hated that he even had that effect on me.

“No, it’s not,” he whispered. “You don’t see it yet, but you will. You have to.”

“Why?” I asked, trying to sound angry.

Rogan reached out, and grabbed a lock of my long blond hair, watching it mesmerized as he let it glide through his fingers before he turned his eyes to me.

“Because if you don’t, I truly will have to kill you, and I will probably go down with you,” he said.

“Then go down with me,” I said. “It’s a win-win for me.”

“Don’t you want to live? You have barely even tasted what life can truly offer.”

“I got one mission.”

“Right. To rid this earth from us,” he said.

I nodded.

“To save the humans.”

“The humans aren’t in danger though,” he said and moved his hand to my cheek, but barely touched me.

He only let his knuckles softly run down my skin and it left goosebumps everywhere. I wasn’t sure it was because I was disgusted, even if I wanted to be. I felt strangely warm and a little excited.

“They are,” I said.

He shook his head.

“No, my people are, because of the hunters.”

I looked at him confused.

“Serena, you are serving the real enemy.”

“What the hell are you talking about?!”

And why did he say my name like that? Like he was breathing it. It did strange things to me hearing it being spoken like that, and I really didn’t want him to do it again.

“The hunters are the ones hurting people. Innocent ones. We don’t.”

“Yes, you do!”

Rogan shook his head and moved away, so he was standing up straight again, and it was easier to breathe now, that he wasn’t so close.

“We don’t. We don’t hurt people that don’t try to hurt us,” he said.

“That’s a lie!”

“No, it is not,” he said harshly.

I shook my head, not wanting to hear him speak these lies. Why would I ever believe him?

“I’m going to prove it to you.”

“Prove it to me?” I laughed. “You can’t.”

“But I can. I’m going to show you my world, and I am going to show you we aren’t bloodthirsty animals wanting to rip humans to pieces, just because we can. We have never been like that,” he told me.

I just continued to shake my head, not wanting to listen to his words. Rogan sighed and then I felt his hand run down my hair as if he was petting me.

“I will let you think it over for a little while. I have got some people I need to talk to.”

He then turned away and walked out of there, leaving me to my thoughts.