Chapter 26: No Monsters

-Rogan-

“You know for someone who insisted on showing me his world, I don’t really see you showing me much,” Serena said.

She sat in front of me in my office. I had just given her a random book to keep her entertained, but she wasn’t staying entertained for more than twenty minutes. Then she closed the book and threw it on my desk.

“Yeah, well, because you ran around the house like a crazy person, it makes it a little hard for me to ease everyone into the idea of you. You didn’t really make the greatest first impression,” I explained.

“I wasn’t trying to,” she said.

“You don’t say,” I sighed and shook my head, as I focused on my computer.

A message appeared from Eric, wanting to know how it was going with the interrogation, but I ignored it, not really in the mood to deal with that now.

“So, I am just to spend my day with you then?” she asked in an annoyed way.

“You were always going to spend the day with me. I can’t take my eyes off you, or you might just hurt someone.”

“Not going to disagree.”

I looked over the top of my laptop, shaking my head a little because she said it so proudly. Brainwashing really was a very dangerous thing. It could change your entire view of the world, and it had certainly changed Serena’s.

“Serena—”

“Told you not to call me that.”

“Then what should I call you?” I asked. “Hunter? 110?”

“110 is fine.”

I shook my head.

“You’re my mate, I am not going to refer to you by fucking number. It’s ridiculous, and I can’t understand how you can stand it,” I said.

“They call you alpha,” she said.

“Yes, as a sign of respect towards my status. It actually holds value. You’re just another number,” I said.

Serena didn’t seem happy to hear being called just another number and leaned closer, placing her arms on my desk.

“I am much more,” she said.

“Really? Tell me how?”

It was then she realized, she had just admitted by accident, how important she really was. I knew she was a trained hunter, possibly a leader of some sort, but now she just confirmed I had gotten myself a high-ranking hunter, which I could use. She leaned back in her seat, as she saw me smile smugly, and sulked like a damn child. I watched her for a little while, as the silence fell over us. Serena was easier to manipulate than she liked to think. It was even funny to see how much her confidence was being shaken, just from me threatening to spank her, but of course, that wasn’t just a threat. I wouldn’t mind seeing my handprint form on her little tight ass.

“Stand up,” I told her because if I kept just watching her, I might just ask her to come bend over my desk before I had my way with her.

“Why?”

“Because I tell you to,” I said and stood up.

She sighed and did as I told her. It was not like I was going to give her a choice. I walked over to the nearest window facing this big grass field, where a lot of my pack members enjoyed spending their day when it was warm.

“Come here,” I said.

She was watching me from her place by the desk, and I waved her closer.

“Are you going to throw me out of the window?” she asked.

I sighed, feeling so damn exhausted right now.

“Serena, if I wanted to kill you, I would have done it by now.”

She couldn’t really argue against that, so she walked over to me, and when she was close enough, I wrapped my arm around her waist bringing her even closer and a little in front of me. She struggled against me immediately, and I told her to stand still.

“I am not going to do anything to you,” I said.

“Then let me go!”

“Just look,” I said.

I pointed out of the window, and she looked out of it, not struggling that much anymore.

“What am I looking at?” she asked. “Grass? Forest?”

“The people,” I said.

She sighed and looked down at the people, who were just having a great time under the warm sun. It was in the middle of the summer, so it was a wonderful time to be outside. There were kids running around and parents watching them. Some of my pack members were just doing some exercise. Others were sitting around talking. It was all so normal, and I wanted her to see that.

“They are your people, so what?” she asked and looked up at me.

“Do you see monsters?” I asked.

She looked a bit surprised and then turned to the window again. I never lowered my arm. I continued to hold her close, even though I didn’t believe she would run.

“I see grass,” she said. “People on grass … showing only one side.”

“Only one side?” I asked.

She looked up at me again.

“We all have our dark sides,” she said.

“Does that give you a reason to kill?”

“I should ask you that.”

“We don’t hunt humans. Never have.”

She didn’t believe me. I could see it in her eyes. There were too many years where she had had to listen to the same thing, and that was us being the monsters, us being the killers. Rhys was right, it could take me fucking years before I had convinced her otherwise, but so far, it was years I was willing to spend. My plans might get fucked up because of her, but I couldn’t see a future where I could actually kill her. I hadn’t told anyone that, but I already knew it.

“Right,” she just said.

“Think about it, Serena,” I said.

She had turned to the window again, so I leaned down to hear, lowering my voice.

“You have never seen us kill. Ever. You have always watched the scene afterwards and now look at all these people, living their lives, completely the same way as you humans do. Do you really see monsters? And what of the kids you saw earlier? You think they will grow up to kill.”

“They can’t help it. It’s like rabies,” she said.

I sighed but didn’t move away, because right now her sweet natural scent, which smelled like lemons to me was so powerful. I just wanted to bury my face in the crook of her neck and inhale. My mother’s description of the bond had really not come close, and I understood why. It couldn’t be described with words. Everyone’s experience with the bond was different, but it was always so damn powerful.

“And what if all of that was a lie?”

“Why would it be?” she asked.

“Some people can’t handle there might be someone who is more powerful out there,” I said.

Serena turned around, and I moved back so we could look at each other.

“What?” she said. “Are you saying …”

She couldn’t even put it into words because it meant going against everything she had been taught. It meant changing her whole view of the world.

“Things aren’t what they seem like,” I said.

She narrowed her eyes, and I understood why she became defensive. Anyone would.

“No,” she said and pulled away from me, walking over to her seat. “I don’t want to play your games.”

“They aren’t games, Serena,” I said.

She didn’t say anything though, and sat down, taking the book and holding it up like a damn wall between us. I knew when to push and knew to stand down, and I definitely couldn’t push anymore. I had already made Serena question everything a little, and that was a step forward, but I knew she would do anything she could to disprove what I had said … or more like what I had insinuated.