"What do you mean, 'that isn't entirely true'?" Kasia asked, her hands gripping the armrests tightly as she had a bad feeling about where this conversation was going.
"I assumed you would have figured it out by now, Kasia," Victor replied, "You have had enough time to think this through. However, it is your short sightedness that made you the perfect soldier."
Kasia rolled her eyes at the backhanded compliment and asked, "I never had a reason to question anything that was told to me. I thought everything was done for the betterment of our race."
"Lana figured it out. She didn't think we noticed, but that girl was always watching and observing. She was such a disappointment," Victor explained, his voice dripping with disdain.
"Watch your mouth," Kasia growled.
Victor cut his eyes. "You're in my office. You have no control here, Kasia. So, I will let your attitude slide this one time," he warned.
Kasia didn't meet his eyes and just said, "So, tell me what I should have figured out."
Victor leaned forward, his elbows resting on the polished mahogany desk. "You know the purpose of the strength pills we provide you, correct?"
Kasia nodded slowly, her throat suddenly dry. "An experimental drug to counter the strength of those we hunt. That's what I was told."
"Correct," Victor replied, his tone unnervingly calm. "But do you know how they were created?"
"No," Kasia admitted, "I was told that information was classified."
Victor's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "The specimens you captured and brought back for experiments were used to create the drug."
Kasia felt the blood drain from her face, but she forced herself to remain outwardly calm. Inside, her mind reeled. 'Goddess, no. All this time... I've been consuming the remains of... who? What?', she thought.
She swallowed hard, fighting the urge to vomit. "The specimens... you mean the werewolves and the lycans?"
Victor nodded. "Among others."
Kasia remembered seeing some that were children and she couldn't help but dry heave. Years of hunting, of hating, of believing she was protecting humanity... all of it crumbled around her. "Why are you so shocked?" Victor asked. "Of course you must have known there was no good outcome for those that you captured, but again, such a good soldier. You didn't ask any questions."
"How long?" Kasia managed to choke out.
"How long have you been taking the pills? Or how long have we been creating them?" Victor countered.
Kasia's hands trembled. She clenched them into fists, willing herself to stay composed. "Both."
"You've been on the pills since you joined us. They were mixed into your food," Victor stated matter-of-factly. "As for their creation... that predates even my involvement with the hunters."
"Why did you hide this? Why did you not tell us about this?" Kasia questioned.
Victor's gaze hardened. "When you swore to the code, you swore to obey all orders without hesitation. I did not care about your measly opinion or feeling. To avoid any issues, it was not discussed. Would you have taken them if you knew the truth?"
Kasia did not respond. Her silence was answer enough. Victor leaned back, his gaze fixed on Kasia. "Anymore questions?"
"Are there anymore like me?" Kasia asked.
Victor nodded, a hint of satisfaction crossing his face. "Indeed."
All this time, Kasia thought she was special, unique or they either killed anyone that turned like she did. Now, she realized she was just another lab rat. "Then why me?" Kasia demanded, her voice rising. "Why am I here?"
Victor took another pull from his cigar before responding, "Because you, Kasia, are the only one who hasn't lost her mind in the process. Your blood... it's the key to controlling the others."
The implication made Kasia gasp, "Are you out of your mind? You want to use me to lead a pack of... of turned hunters? Against other werewolves?"
"This is the only way to make a stand. We will become the dominant race again," Victor responded.
"None of this makes sense. If you want my cooperation, why would you have me wake up in a replica of my childhood home?" Kasia exclaimed.
Victor's expression softened slightly. "You and your sister were the only survivors of a coordinated attack. We needed to-"
"What?" Kasia interrupted. "What do you mean, 'coordinated attack'?"
Victor's face became a mask of practiced neutrality. "Your town was under the Hunters' protection. Originally, we used it to test the drug on citizens instead of hunters. But when they started asking too many questions, refusing to cooperate..." He paused, his words hanging heavy in the air. "We decided to test if pheromones could control the turned hunters."
Kasia's hazel eyes widened in horror. "Please," she stuttered, "tell me you're lying."
Victor continued. "The test was a complete failure. We couldn't control them. They ravaged the town like locusts, consuming everything in their path."
"No!" Kasia exclaimed, she thrashed trying to get out of her restraints. Her mind raced, memories of her past clashing violently with this new, horrifying reality. Her dark hair spilling over her face as she shook with uncontrollable sobs.
Victor stood up and walked around his desk. He stood over her, seemingly unphased by her breakdown. "We captured a few of them, but some of them fled. The corpses we left unaware that turned werewolves could actually turn humans if their bodies were mostly intact."
Through her tears, Kasia managed to choke out, "But you told us... you told me they were werewolves."
"I didn't lie to you, Kasia," Victor countered, his voice cool and measured. "They were werewolves. Just not in the way you believed."
Kasia's head snapped up, her tear-stained face contorted with a mixture of rage and anguish. "You lied to me! This whole time, I..."
Victor's gaze never wavered as he finished her thought, his words cutting through her like a knife. "You hunted down your fellow hunters, some of the citizens that turned, and even your parents."