The Queen of the Night

Connect the Dots

Chapter 5 - Connect the Dots 

I laid uncomfortably in the middle of the small living room, the springs of the small single bed digging in to every bone in my body, pathetically separating me from the cold stone floor . I stared up at the ceiling above that held an old fashioned swirling pattern, fitting with the rest of the witches decor. My mind raced and my heart pounded as I replayed the conversation in the kitchen over and over again in my head, laving me unable to slip into a much needed peaceful slumber. 

Flashback

“Wait did you just say heir’s?” I asked frantically to Aunt Sophia as my blood began to run cold, my mind unable to process the revelation. 

“It’s most certainly more than one child you’re carrying, it’s rare for wolves not to have more than one actually. Why do you think packs are so big?” She replied with a matter of fact tone in her voice. “What the f**k?!” I managed to breathe out as I ran my fingers through my hair, and gripped each strand tightly. The tears began to well up as the reality of my situation hit me like a bulldozer, I needed to find Rory. Perhaps he’d know what to do? 

“Ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Came the voice of Cora for the first time since she sat down, my eyes flashed up towards her confused. 

“Oh right, I’m a telepathic witch. I can hear thoughts and control things with my mind. I’m still training though, but your mind is pretty loud.” She said with a chuckle as my eyes widened in horror. 

“I’m guessing nobody has told you the news?” She asked me, I shook my head and lowered my gaze to the wooden table; wondering what more could possibly go wrong. 

“Gregory has ascended the Lycan throne, he’s “watching over it” while your mate lies in a coma. But the word on the street is he’s destroying every treaty his family has worked hard to make, treating the place like a play ground- If you reveal yourself now, the Lycan’s will kill you the first chance they get. Be smart about this...”

Flashback ends  

Tears began to pool around my eyes, as I felt what little hope I had left slip away from me. I knew that Cora was right, as long as Axel laid in a coma I was in danger. I had forfeited the claim to my own throne when I agreed not to go back, it was highly unlikely that the Lycan would welcome me back with open arms right now. I needed to play the long game. 

How could Rory have done this? He seemed so close with his brother after the battle, who knew he could be so power hungry. 

     The front door creaked open quietly, shedding a slither of the pale moonlight into the living room. I didn’t move, but simply shifted my gaze towards the intruder that was hiding in the shadows. As the intruder moved into the light, I recognised Caesars tattoos and I breathed a sigh of relief. I didn’t know what it was about him but whenever he was around me, I felt safe. I know that any normal girl would run for the hills, but he was currently the best out of my incredibly s**t situation. I knew that no harm would come to me as long as the King of the Vampires was dedicated and bound to protect me.

    His head snapped towards me as he heard my sigh, he turned and walked slowly towards the room I was in; my gaze never leaving him. “Can’t sleep?” He asked softly as he took a seat on the sickly pink coral chair opposite where I was laid. “No.” I said flatly as I looked away from him the minute our eyes met, I wasn’t in the mood for his cryptic conversations today; my mind was already full up. 

 “Want me to turn on the TV?” I looked back over to him, only to find his face was full of concern. Bullshit concern more like. “Why didn’t you tell me about Rory?” I asked as I sat up quickly and fiercely, his face changed from concerned to defensive in 0.5 seconds. “Because it’s nothing to do with you.” He said calmly, “Nothing to do with me?! They are my people Caesar, it affects me directly! God, you just want to keep me prisoner don’t you? What is your end game in all of this, because I’m not buying this protection crap any more!” I whisper shouted at him, I was angry but I could really do without an audience right now. 

“All I have done, from the moment we met is protect you. Protecting you means I can’t tell you everything because if you fell into the wrong hands you could go blabbing that big Italian mouth of yours, landing us all in the s**t! Or you could end up in worse danger than you already are!” He didn’t whisper shout back, he shouted. I had clearly pressed all of the wrongs buttons as his face flared with anger, and his eyes turned that familiar dangerous shade of black. 

    “You think I can’t handle it? We’re supposed to be partners, I can’t do that if you don’t trust me with information that I might f*****g need you asshole!” I screamed back at him, letting my frustration and anger flow out of me, as I finished the lights came on in the living room and then went out again just as quickly. 

“Whoever is doing that kindly f**k off!” I yelled out into the hallway as they began to flash on and off again. “Andrea, nobody’s doing it. I think you are.” He muttered as he looked up towards the lights curiously. “I didn’t think it was you back in the motel but how many coincidences can you have before it’s mathematically impossible.”

“What are you talking about, stop changing the subject!” The glass cabinet that was tucked neatly in the corner smashed loudly and showered the small room with its deadly tiny shards. I felt a sting in my palms as I shielded myself from the sudden explosion. As I brought them back down from my head, I let out a small gasp as I examined my now slashed and bloody hands. 

“Did I do this?” I said confused as hell. “I think I did.”

It took the best part of two hours for Caesar to clean my hands of glass, despite being a vampire he didn’t have surgeon like hands when it came to removing the tiny flecks. We sat in silence for most of it, apart from my winces every now and again when he’d have to dig a piece out that had been buried deeply. “Why didn’t you tell me about Rory?” I asked calmly as he searched my hands for more glass. “I know you think I can’t handle it, but I can.” I said reassuringly to him. He glanced up at me hesitantly, I could tell by the look in his eyes he knew I wasn’t about to drop it. Plus if it really was me causing random s**t to smash, that meant that I’m not the weak human everyone thought I was at all- but once again near the top of the food chain, and nobody wanted to piss off a hormonal ex werewolf who suddenly has these strange powers. 

      “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to upset you, there’s more too it than the fact hes “taken over” the throne. When you asked us to help you disappear, we faked your death. We called my guy down at the coroners office and asked if he’d had anyone come in fitting your description. Luckily he did, so we threw the body off of Brooklyn bridge and paid a bunch of people to tell the cops that the queen of the wolves had taken her own life in light of her recent tragedy.” 

     “Wow, you’re pretty thorough aren’t you?”. I said shocked at how much detail had gone into his plan, “I don’t like loose ends.” We stared at each other for an intense moment as I waited for him to continue his story. “Anyway, your guy Rory didn’t buy it. He decided to put out a bounty on your head.” 

“A bounty, but why? How did he know I didn’t throw myself off the bridge?” 

“ He claimed it was out of character, he called a meeting with a lot of packs and told them you were behind the assassination attempt on Axel, and that if anyone brought him your head they’d get $100,000”. 

  The realisation began to dawn on me, everything that had happened had happened because of Rory. 

    “Caesar, I don’t think it was the gods that planned the assassination. I think it was Rory.” I said out loud, unable to stop the word vomit pouring out of me. 

 “Think about it, what god uses a human to carry out their dirty work? And why wouldn’t they simply shoot me? I was pretty much unarmed and vulnerable as hell after the funeral. The dramatics of it all too, what kind of killer announces himself and says exactly who he’s working for? All this time we thought they’d played their first move, but this was all him- it was all Rory.” 

I sat staring off into space as the dots connected and the fog lifted, Axel was in a coma because of his brother- I was here in a f*****g hovel trying to keep myself alive. This was all his fault, and he will pay with blood.