The journey passed by in utter silence as Kent zoomed away from their little town. Celeste watched as the scenery transformed from familiar to foreign, until they reached a road she knew all too well—the very same path where they had returned from their previous kidnapping crime scene.
Jeremy whipped out his phone, and Celeste caught a glimpse of him texting Ben. She didn't need to peek at the message to understand that Jeremy was informing Ben to gather up the team and prepared to come here as backup.
As Jeremy pocketed his phone, he caught Celeste's gaze and flashed her a comforting smile. Then, he reached out and grasped her hand firmly. It was a small gesture, but it filled Celeste with a renewed sense of strength.
Amidst the quiet, Celeste could sense Kent's eyes on her. She raised her head and locked gazes with him through the rearview mirror. In that brief connection, she detected a lingering trace of bitterness in his eyes. But just as quickly, Kent shifted his focus away and returned his attention to the road ahead.
Sure enough, the car eventually came to a halt at the very same warehouse where their abduction had taken place. Several rough-looking rogues stood sentry at the entrance, casting an imposing presence.
Even from a distance, the sight of the warehouse sent shivers down Celeste's spine. Memories of their last encounter flooded her mind, reminding her of the unsettling events that had unfolded within those walls. While their lives hadn't been in grave danger back then, an undeniable repulsion towards the place still lingered within her.
"Couldn't you have picked another hideout for your kidnapped victims?" Jeremy couldn't resist taunting.
Kent let out a dismissive snort, brushing off Jeremy's remark, and marched forward with unwavering determination. Jeremy and Celeste trailed behind, reluctant to let their guard down.
The warehouse doors swung open, revealing an eerie interior to Celeste's eyes. Kent led them to a room in the warehouse.
Celeste stared at the weathered, rusty iron door, pondering just how long this forsaken place had been abandoned. The atmosphere within raised goosebumps on her skin, as if whispering unsettling secrets.
Jeremy squeezed Celeste's hand gently, his touch serving as a reassuring anchor. With him beside her, Celeste found her fear slightly tempered, her spirit buoyed by his presence.
But as she stepped into that room, her eyes fell upon the figure bound to the chair. Then a whiff of blood hung in the air, causing Celeste to involuntarily inhale sharply. In that instant, her mind was transported back to Raymond's dimly lit basement, where the lifeless body of Scarface lay on the floor.
It had been ages since Celeste had laid eyes on Raymond, but there was no mistaking the man before her—the same colleague she had worked alongside for months. He was the one who had once startled her with the silver bullets and wolfsbane, leaving an indelible mark on her memory.
Raymond, at this moment, appeared utterly disheveled, with his hair in disarray. His hands were tightly bound behind his back, and his face bore slight swelling, with traces of blood staining the corners of his mouth. While his clothes remained intact, the bruises peeking out from beneath his sleeves and on his shoulders painted a vivid picture of the torment inflicted upon him by the rogues.
Recollections flooded Celeste's mind of that fateful day in her parents' house when Raymond had materialized out of nowhere, promising not to harm her and urging her to go with the hunters. She couldn't help but ponder if she had gone with him, would she now find herself trapped in the hunters' lair, enduring the same cruel fate as Raymond?
Hunters and werewolves, sworn adversaries locked in an eternal struggle, became more palpable to Celeste at that very moment.
Their relationship was not merely about one of disdainful glances. It was a seething, intense hatred that emanated from the depths of their beings—a desire to utterly annihilate one another.
Although Celeste wasn't too familiar with Raymond, at least she knew him and had spent some time with him as a colleague. Now, seeing this miserable man before her, Celeste couldn't help but feel a little bad for him.
Raymond now had his eyes tightly shut, blocking out the world around him. Even when the warehouse doors creaked open, allowing streaks of sunlight to pierce through, and the sound of their footsteps echoed into the room, Raymond remained unresponsive, as still as a statue.
At that very moment, Celeste couldn't help but wonder if he was still drawing breath. After all, hunters were just humans. Unlike werewolves, they didn't have the awe-inspiring regenerative powers to heal themselves.
But thanks to her acute hearing, Celeste could still make out the faint rhythm of Raymond's breaths. Shallow as they were, they carried a sense of stability.
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Kent took a step forward and kicked the chair that bound Raymond. The sudden jolt successfully jolted Raymond awake, causing his eyelids to flutter open. But the bright light flooding the room took him by surprise, and his eyes squinted as he struggled to adjust.
Evidently, he must have assumed the werewolves were about to unleash a fresh round of torment upon him. But as his gaze fell upon Celeste, his eyes widened ever so slightly, and his breath hitched with a mixture of shock and relief. "C-Celeste?"
His voice sounded raspier than a gravel road, weathered and worn. It was apparent that the rogues hadn't been generous with their water supply. Celeste subtly shifted her position, allowing the soft glow of light to caress Raymond's face, revealing the faint cracks that marred his parched lips.
Sure, Raymond may have aligned himself with the hunters, and perhaps they were technically enemies now, but in Celeste's memory, Raymond was nothing more than an innocent, clueless young man.
Celeste cast a glance towards Kent. "Mind giving us some alone time? Oh, and do you think you could spare a bottle of water?"
Kent locked eyes with Celeste for a few seconds. Then he nodded and strolled out. Within moments, another rogue entered the room, presenting Celeste with a much-needed bottle of water.
As Celeste turned around, she caught Jeremy's furrowed brow, his gaze fixed on her. With a reassuring smile, she addressed him, her voice laced with determination. "Don't worry about me, Jeremy. Just give us a little space for a chat, okay?"
She could see the dissent bubbling up within Jeremy, ready to burst forth. But he looked at the hunter on the chair and finally relented, his features softening. He pivoted on his heel and shut the door behind him, leaving Celeste and Raymond in the room.