ANNA'S VIEW
I can't believe that the man I trust failed to tell me the truth from the very beginning. I don't know what to believe. I don't know where I am going. I just want to get the hell away from Devolonte's Peak and go back to New York, probably. I want to take Mathew and flee from this country. Maybe I should go to Canada. No one will find me there. I know I am making rash decisions without thinking properly. But I can't blame myself, nor can anybody.
I can't trust anyone. Everyone who I confided in deceived me. Drake broke my heart. All this time he pretended to care about my life, when all he wanted was to use me to get revenge on his brother. I don't think I will ever recover from his betrayal or look at him the same way again. I wonder if he cares about his son or is Mathew a pawn in his chess game.
I have no belief in Drake anymore. He was a hero in my eyes. How can I be so stupid? I was a gullible little twit. I am so lost and lonely. I am wondering around in the dark like a crazy person. Anyone could pounce upon me at any second. Drenmore is still in the prowl. Now I know the real reason why he wishes me dead. The truth is much worse, but now I know who the enemies are.
I am in two minds now about Colonel James. He is also someone I cannot trust. He sold me down the river once; he can do it again. I don't know what to do. Do I go on a lunch meeting with him? Or do I bail out of here and never look back? If I go, then I would be spending the rest of my life running from werewolves. I don't want to be a coward. My dad never was, but look where it got him- dead. I don't want this werewolf huntress job anyway. I don't want to die like my dad.
I walked a little further to gather my thoughts until I saw Drake coming toward me.
"Are you crazy? Do you want Colonel James to see us together?" I said to him as I turned away. I didn't want to speak to him, but he was in front of my face, blocking my path. I didn't have a choice. Whatever he says, I am not going to buy it. He just wants to butter me up so that I can supposedly kill his brother. It all sounds so absurd. "You know if we are seen together, your plans will go up in smoke, and I won't be able to kill your brother. I assume that's the reason you ran behind me."
"I came to see if you're safe," he said. "Oh, save it! The only reason you came out here is that I need to be alive so I can one day kill your brother, according to some stupid myth." I mouthed to him. I was no longer afraid of him. He needed me, I suppose. "You know if he kills me first, I don't care. Mathew should be taken care of, since you want a powerful heir."
"It's not like that Anna," he countered. "You made it perfectly clear on our way to Develonte's Peak that you don't want to have anything to do with our son. You know that you were always a red flag, but I was too blinded by feelings toward you."
"I didn't want to hurt you in any way. You can't let Drenmore kill you. Please put your feelings of animosity behind you for now and focus on your future. Like it or not, we need each other," he said. I laughed at him in a mocking tone. "Yeah, to kill Drenmore, you told me," I reminded. "Yes, you need to kill Drenmore before he kills you," he warned. "Why is that Drake? Let me guess-the sky will fall." I laughed with sheer sarcasm.
"If he kills you first and by himself, his power will grow stronger, and he may come after our son, and I won't be able to stop him," he said. "That doesn't make any sense." I spat at him. "None of this is supposed to make sense. It is what it is. According to the myth, if a werewolf kills a werewolf hunter, he may draw out your powers granted to your ancestors a thousand years ago, but if you kill him or me, your strength will grow beyond."
"So how did Drenmore didn't draw out my father's supposed powers?" I interrogated Drake. "Drenmore didn't kill your dad alone. He had help. He wasn't a werewolf when he killed your dad. He ambushed your dad and killed him and pretended that your dad was killed by a wild animal. Your dad was a powerful man who couldn't be easily killed, so the crime was premeditated. Your dad was also a threat to werewolves out there, so that is why the others decided to help my brother. Drenmore misread the prophecy. He thought that he could just kill a werewolf hunter and draw out the powers when he turns. Now he understands the full prophecy, and he is determined to get to you before you hunt him down and kill him."
This was so far-fetched. If someone had told me this wild stuff three years ago, I would have laughed on their faces. Drake's facial expression was so stern, like everything he just told me was real. "How do I know that what you told me is true?"
"You don't need to believe me. I am just asking you to trust your gut and outline the evidence of what occurred and what I just told you, that's all."
"This is too much for me to handle right now," I said, covering both my ears.
"I know this is overwhelming. After I found out who you were, it became like that for me too because you were the mother of my son, who is also a werewolf and a werewolf hunter. He may be the most powerful werewolf around. That is the reason; we need to work together," he pointed out. He was sounding rather convincing, but it was the Drake style- using our son to manipulate me.
"I can't trust you, Drake, but you are right. I need to be civil to you. I hate how you use our son to get what you want." I confronted him about that. "I never meant to do that. I just want to make you see the reason. You don't need to like me, but the fact is that the boy is mine. I don't trust you either; that is why I had a DNA test done on Mathew. It turned out that I was the father of Mathew."
"Well, so much for trust, huh!" I exclaimed. "If I had to change the father of my son, I would do it in a heartbeat. Believe me, the last thing I wanted was to get mixed up in your family," I spewed. "You shouldn't have teamed up with Colonel James; then no one would have known who you were, and you would have been safe with your old job and life," he pointed out. "I regret that, but Colonel James assured me that he will protect me, and I have no reason not to believe him," I said.
"You got to be kidding. He left you to die in the woods, and you believe in that joke of a man!"
"Let me put this to you. I trust him as I trust you. I don't put any belief in him as I do you. You both have agendas, and I am a pawn in both of your games. You are just as bad as him."
"I can't tell you whom to trust and whom not to trust. You are a grown woman; do as you please," he smirked. "When things don't go your way, don't come crying. I will definitely tell you that 'I told you so."
"I am not stupid, Drake. Don't patronize me, and believe me, I won't come running to you. I am going to text Colonel James and have him meet me for breakfast tomorrow .The sooner I find out what he has for me, the better. Don't worry, I don't need anything from you," I assured him. I sent a text to Colonel James; he was happy to meet me for breakfast. The day after today, I will finally find out whom I can trust.
"That's great; I hope it goes well. Take care," he said as he left the field. I didn't look back to see him go. I felt like it was the right thing to do. I needed my independence.
I went back to the apartment and had a good rest. The next day I went to the café down town where Colonel James told me to meet him. I didn't let Drake know my whereabouts. I was all on my own. There was no one to protect me.