Chapter 23 – Aniya’s past

Davis slowly shook his head as he looked forward, checking the traffic. “Probably because the next time they met was when you were still a baby and she went with your father to attack our hideout. We were four, and our cages underground were connected to a set of motion detectors. If anyone approached, our cages would open, releasing us. That night, your father came for us with twenty Hunters fully armed. We were all Werewolves, and what happened later, I could only find out after listening to your parents talking behind closed doors. My Alpha attacked the Hunters, and so did we. Only I survived, but I was badly injured, and I ran away. My Alpha went to the van at the back where your mother was and went to her throat to kill her.”

Aniya gulped. “My father told me that. He told me he killed that Werewolf before my mother died and that she went into shock for a long time because of that trauma.”

“She went into shock because she found out that night that the blond man she loved was a Werewolf when he became Human again after dying, and she also feared that you were his daughter considering your father’s circumstances. Because you never changed over these years, she probably thought you were Dan Rossi’s daughter, or by miracle, the blood mutation from my Alpha was never passed on to you. I don’t know why you never changed, and why you changed recently because I can see my Alpha’s power in you.”

“Power? What kind of power? I was told that Werewolves could smell the blood mutation, but if you are always using filters in your nostrils, how-“

Davis interrupted her by pointing with his finger to the light that was increasing inside the limousine, “You better get used to remaining calm at all times, Miss Aniya. When you let your emotions go loose, your light appears. My Alpha also did that, and I was always knocking on his head for that. More than once, I had to pinch his arm to make him stop glowing, especially when we were in a crowd or following a group of Hunters.”

“You were following Hunters for what?”

The slight smile Aniya saw over the rear window mirror made her understand what the answer was, and she slowly nodded. “I see. Well, I suppose I only changed recently because I found Nick, and our bond woke something in me. I also found out that I could use my light to make other Werewolves used to the wolf’s bane. That’s how Lisa can endure the pretty blue flower she has. While we are at it, I can also tell you I was wide awake during my first change two nights ago, and I was able to wake up my partner. Last night, I woke up Lisa and two friends who joined our pack, as Nick calls it.”

The limousine made a tight wobble when Davis shook the wheel, caused by the surprise. “You did what? How is that even possible? I never heard of a Werewolf able to endure the wolf’s bane without blocking his nose, or remain conscious and in control during a change! Lord all mighty, you are indeed your father’s daughter! He could also do some crazy things when he was Human, but when he changed, he was truly unstoppable!”

“And yet, he still died. Werewolves are at a clear disadvantage as mindless beasts when facing trained Hunters armed with silver, considering how silver poisons us.”

“Silver doesn’t poison Werewolves as much as Hunters are led to believe. It only slows us down, but we are still pretty fast with our bodies filled with silver bullets, unless the bullets hit any vital organs, because those heal slower. Even if a Hunter approaches a Werewolf enough to pierce his heart, the Hunter will still die, because our claws are deadly. While our numbers keep on increasing over the years, Hunters are decreasing all over the World. The pure Hunter bloodlines are already too diluted, and there were cases when a Hunter’s son or daughter turned into a Werewolf at sixteen.”

Aniya frowned, and her eyes opened wide after a second. “Don’t tell me the Hunters killed the young Werewolf and the Hunter…”

“And his wife and other kids, to be sure the mutation didn’t spread. Hunters have become more strict over the years, and the sacred code they love so much has been bent on several occasions. Dan Rossi is in the Internal Affairs, and I overheard a few conversations to know that they are facing an increase in Hunter Squads doing some out-of-code activities. Despite what your parents and you might think, I can hear what is being said back there. Even with this window closed and the soundproof coating in this limousine, I installed a microphone back there years ago that is connected to the earpiece I use to make phone calls while I am driving.”

Aniya frowned and asked, “You mean you were always spying on me and my parents? For what purpose?”

“Your father asked me to protect you, and you also made me do a pinky promise when we first met, remember? I am always near you, except on nights with full moons and the two nights after that one. I leave at dinnertime, but I have a hideout in the forest behind your mansion, and I stay there so that I am never too far away from you.”

“But… I once saw your house… You have a rented apartment near my company, and… that is a disguise! Pretty smart, Davis, pretty smart.”

Davis chuckled, and hearing his laughter made Lisa squeeze Aniya’s left hand, and she trembled as he spoke with a smile on his lips, “Sorry, Miss Aniya, but I couldn’t let you suspect anything. I had to keep my personal life as mysterious and unreachable as I could. The least you knew, the better I could be near you without being found out. I am deeply sorry for never telling you any of this, but I couldn’t. You remind me too much of your father for me to forget the promise I made to him. It’s the eyes. The colour is from your mother, no doubt about it, but the light in them, and the way you frown, it’s him, alright. With a frown and his light around, your father always made any Werewolf look for cover. He didn’t even have to speak, his frown was enough.”

Aniya made a slight smile, squeezing back the trembling redhead at her side that was almost bursting with uncontrollable emotions. “You keep on calling him Alpha. You never once said his name. Why is that?”

“His name was Andreas Hansen. He came from an ancient Norwegian family. Some of his family are still there, including your grandmother, grandfather, two uncles, two aunts, and four cousins. They are all Werewolves, and their pack practically cleaned Norway of Hunters. Your father’s side is one of the biggest packs of Werewolves in the World and Hunters don’t mess with them. When someone is dumb enough to put pressure on the Norwegian government or your father’s family businesses to get rid of them, that Hunter and all of his helpers vanish from the face of the Earth.”

“You mean… There are Werewolves packs in hiding everywhere?”

Davis nodded as he turned the car left, going into a private entrance and parking behind the car he was following near one enormous building on their right, and answered, “Yes, and I am in contact with several, because of your father’s family. The only disadvantages that Werewolves have are the wolf’s bane and the change that turns us into scary, mindless beasts. If you can teach others how to do what you do, Werewolves won’t need to fear Hunters anymore.”

Aniya spoke as Davis unbuckled his seat belt to exit the limousine, “And with that, some group of crazy Werewolves could start thinking that Humanity had no place here, and a full-out war would begin. You should probably consider that possibility because I thought a lot.”

Davis nodded and opened his door. Aniya exited first, and Lisa followed her. She stopped in front of Davis and put her hand over his. He squeezed it gently and whispered, “We can talk later if you wish.”

Lisa slowly nodded, doing her best to stop the tears of happiness that were threatening to rush out. She went to Aniya, who was already near her father, and heard her ask him, “So, why are we here anyway, instead of going to the Hospital?”

“This is our Headquarters. We are better equipped than most Hospitals and we can take care of injuries in the line of duty without needing to explain to outside doctors. They will also be interrogated here with truth serum and lie detectors, together with their administratives. Hypnotism will probably be used as well, because I want to be absolutely certain they were not a part of the trap that almost killed you. If you didn’t take that gun with you from the limousine…”

Surprisingly, he hugged Aniya, and she tapped his back as she was hugging him back. Despite what Davis told her, Dan Rossi was, for all intents and purposes, her father. He let go after a couple of seconds and made an awkward smile, saying, “I made a phone call while we were coming. You need to report what happened to the High Council. I mean, a branch of the High Council. Every Headquarters we have spread all over the globe has at least one representative in the World High Council of Hunters.”

“Of course, I also want to meet them and ask who had the stupid idea of allowing such crazy misogynists to become Hunters. Unless that High Council also has a few that think like them, that women can only be administratives and breeders because if they think like that, they are up for a nasty surprise!”

“Aniya, be careful with the way you address them. The High Council is not to be taken lightly. They can help you accomplish all your goals in life or business, but they can also easily ruin you. Lisa has to go with you and so has Davis, considering you three saw everything.”

Dan Rossi signalled for Davis to join them, and Aniya asked with a smirk, “I bet they don’t allow weapons inside, do they? I am not willing to meet a bunch of dumbasses that might try to kill me, you know? Not after what happened with those two.”

“We have to deliver our weapons to the reception personal, including Lisa’s sword, and I can only keep the gun that Lucas Dalton gave you to show it to the High Council.”

“And who can prove to me that those High Council members will not be armed? Or bodyguards inside, willing to take us down the moment we tell them we fought Werewolves able to turn during the day? Because I thought about this on our way here. I seriously doubt the High Council would let me tell anyone there are Werewolves able to do that, so that Hunters don’t panic. Imagine what the Hunter’s Squads would do, if on every mission they went to apprehend a Human they thought that Human could suddenly turn into a Werewolf? I bet there would be more cases of Hunters killing Humans suspected of being Werewolves, not worrying about any sacred code.”

Dan jolted, because Aniya was probably right. Disguisedly, he took two small handguns from his pockets and gave one to Lisa and one to Aniya, and whispered, “Put these inside your panties. No one will search there, and if anyone even tries, punch them. There will be a security guy in front of the door of the meeting room with a portable metal detector, and if he asks, you both use stainless steel IUD for birth control. He won’t ask any more questions because a lot of women that work for Hunters use them. It’s a safe method if they want to indulge themselves in their personal life without risking getting pregnant by someone who has not yet been cleared of being a Werewolf.”

“No way… You even control women like that? That is plain wrong! You make women use IUDs and you even check with whom they have sex? What happens when one of them gets pregnant, even with all that? Don’t tell me…”

Dan Rossi said flatly, “No one forces them. They understand the need for those measures, and they agree with them. As I told you, Hunters are honourable, but we are also very careful about who joins our ranks.”

“Yeah, I saw how careful you guys are today. If I believed what you said to me this morning, that the Hunters we were going to meet were all honourable, I wouldn’t be here right now, would I? Let’s get inside before I puke here. If I have to puke because of this disgusting conversation, I might as well puke inside, near those bloody idiots in there!”

Without waiting for an answer, Aniya stormed towards the front door, making the ones that were exiting or entering the building move out of her way.