I cleared my throat and started talking about how the party went. I let them know I didn't have anything behind Cena's poisoned drink as he was a person who dared to me. My mother was accused of poisoning him according to the allegations raised by Aurora. Aurora was doing everything in her power to make sure my mum went to jail or left her position as the pack doctor, but the evidence was not strong enough to grant her wish.
After the court meeting, the proprietor called me again behind closed doors and asked me intently if I knew something about Cena's poisoned drink. I wonder why he was so concerned about Cena.
"Amaya, don’t you think the proprietor is suspicious of his sudden love for Cena?" Jeremy asked me just as I stepped out of the courtyard.
I rolled my eyes and reasoned with him. That was exactly what I was thinking. There must be something fishy brewing beneath that was hidden from us.
"I am thinking the same way, Jeremy. But what could that be?" I asked him. Dax walked towards us with his crook smile.
"Hi, Amaya. Are you also called here for questioning?" Dax asked.
"Yes!" I responded to him in one word.
"That's crazy! Cena must be a heck of a person. He must be hated by someone so close to him," he responded.
"And why are you telling us this, Dax?" Jeremy walked up to his front, barely nose-to-nose with him.
"Because someone like you, Jeremy, maybe the green snake under the green grass!" Dax yelled at him. Jeremy gritted and made fists. I went in between them and separated them.
"You guys aren't doing this now!" I said to them as I pulled them apart. Dax slapped my hand off his body, shuddered, and walked away, sparing us daring gazes.
I and Jeremy continued walking. I stole a glance at him, our eyes meeting in a silent understanding that went beyond words. Without warning, Jeremy spoke, his voice laced with vulnerability,
"Amaya, I have made up my mind. I want to be with you, to follow you to your father in the deep of the forest."
I froze in place as Jeremy landed, my eyes widened with surprise, and a burst of joy surged within me. "Truly?" I whispered, hardly daring to believe my ears.
He nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Amaya. I have thought about it a lot, and I want to be by your side, no matter what challenges we might face," Jeremy added,
Unable to contain my excitement, I threw my arms around him in a tight embrace. "Oh, thank you, Jeremy! I cannot express how much this means to me," I said with full burst of energy, and the warmth of my gratitude radiated through the hug.
He gently pulled back, cupping my face in his hands, and said,
"Let us keep this between us, alright? A secret journey, just for the two of us."
I nodded, my eyes sparkling with newfound intimacy. "Yes, a secret. Our adventure," I said to him and smiled at him.
I and Jeremy found our way to the forest at night. The towering trees spread overhead, casting long shadows that reflected on the forest floor. A hushed tension hung in the air as we neared the territory where my father lived.
Jeremy's eyes deepened in anticipation and nervousness. I stole a glance at him, his expression a mirror of my own emotions. As we stepped into the territory, some men in black smelled our presence and they came to walk us in.
We entered, Jeremy following behind me and looking around the place like he was a total stranger. My father turned his back on us even as he felt our presence.
He greeted us and turned around, his eyes lingering on Jeremy for a moment longer than seemed necessary, giving me this prickling awareness that there might be more to their connection than met the eye.
Jeremy could not compose his exterior. He looked so worried and I noticed it.
"Welcome back, my daughter. Is this the guy you are bringing along with us?" My father questioned. I nodded my head once, and so did Jeremy.
"What's his name?" My father asked. " He is Je...." I was about to tell my father his name when Jeremy interrupted.
"My name is John!" He said. I looked into his eyes, surprised over what was happening right there. I rolled back my eyes and faked smiles as though nothing happened.
My father began to address us, telling us why he had become a threat to the other packs and why he needed us to join him and fight alongside him. After we made a little introduction to us, we decided to leave and come back the next day. My father offered us food but Jeremy rejected it. I became so bothered about him. As we exited my father's chamber, Jeremy was moving annoyingly in my front. He was mute as though he never wanted to talk to me. I rushed to him and pulled him by his shirt.
"Jeremy, what happened?" I asked him. He turned to me, his eyes fluttering in annoyance.
"So this killer is your father?" He said, veins throbbing hard in his neck. Still confused, I moved closer to him and said,
"What are you talking about, Jeremy?"
"Your father killed my mum, Amaya! I could remember him. His eyes, the way he talks, the way he gashes through my mother's neck were all in my head" Jeremy yelled. I had not seen him angry this way before.
I froze in place, trying to digest his words that seemed too heavy to bear. "What do you mean, Jeremy?" I asked, eyes widened.
"I am not a kid, Amaya! Your father killed my mum on that very day. I will never forget that!" Jeremy repeated, assurance in his voice. I was startled by his words. Jeremy could not play such a prank on me. He seemed to be sure of what he was saying but still, I didn't know why my father should kill his mum. Or could this be a mix-up? Or maybe my father has a striking resemblance with the killer?
Jeremy narrated his story to me on how my father invaded his pack and killed his mum. He also told me how his mum gave up her life just for him. And at worst, he told me how he had planned to take brutal revenge on him.
"Are you telling me you are going to kill my father?" I asked him, pulling him closer to me, and looking into his eyes.
"Amaya! I would revenge the death of my mum. Your father's head shall be cut and offered to the vultures in the forest!" Jeremy said.
"Keep that your fucking mouth shut, Jeremy. That's not going to happen, never!" I yelled at him. He pulled me closer to himself, his hot breath of annoyance sweeping my caramel skin, and said,
"Your father is dead, Amaya. I mean it!!" He yelled back and started walking back to the pack while I walked behind him. I was talking to him, saying a lot of things to get his attention but he shunned all of my attempts.
We got back to the school premises where Cena's case was heated. The next phase of the competition was paused pending the time they could figure out the person who poisoned Cena. As we got there, we saw Latina in the center of a group of students. She was shedding tears as we drew nearer to the scene. Before we got there, the proprietor and some of the elders walked out of the corridor with some security men who were with handcuffs in their hands. They moved straight to Latina and put handcuffs in her hand.
"Come over here, bloody killer. How dare you poison Cena?" The proprietor said as the handcuffs were inserted into her hands. Latina shed tears, wiping off her tears.