Jeremy had exerted every ounce of his strength in the pursuit of the hunters. And the lingering effects of the wolfsbane hadn't entirely dissipated yet. But he had regained some strength during the ride, enough for him to confront that damn lying hunter.
Without a moment's hesitation, Jeremy marched straight into the prison where Raymond was held captive. The rhythmic thud of footsteps echoed closely behind him, a clear sign that Kent faithfully trailed behind him.
With a resounding crash, Jeremy flung the door wide open, startling the hunter inside.
Raymond sprang off the bed, his face etched with wariness and shock as his eyes caught the approaching figure of Jeremy. He raised his hands, seemingly prepared to speak his piece.
No words wasted, Jeremy breezed into the room like a gust of wind. He seized the hunter's throat in his vice-like grip and pinned him against the wall, causing the back of his head to collide with an echoing thud. A muffled groan escaped the hunter's lips as Jeremy's fingers closed in on his windpipe, ruthlessly stifling any further outcry within the confines of his own chest.
"Tell me, motherfucker, where the hell have you taken her?" Jeremy growled, his voice a deep, resonant rumble that resonated with raw anger and an unmistakable venom.
Desperate to free himself, the hunter fumbled to remove Jeremy's iron grip from his throat. Yet, even in his partially-recovered state, Jeremy's strength outmatched Raymond's feeble resistance. The struggle proved futile, as Jeremy watched the color drain from the hunter's face, leaving him ghostly pale.
"Ease up, bro," Kent's voice chimed in from behind Jeremy. "Can't expect him to answer when you're choking the life out of him, can we?"
Jeremy shot a death glance over his shoulder, before refocusing his intense gaze on the hunter. His fingers tightened further around the hunter's neck, effectively cutting off the flow of air. He maintained his relentless hold until he witnessed the hunter's visage turning increasingly ashen, his quivering mouth rendered mute. Only then did Jeremy relinquish his grip, allowing the hunter's throat to gulp in much-needed oxygen.
Raymond crumpled to his knees, wracked by violent coughs and gasping for precious air. Once he regained some semblance of composure, Jeremy squatted down, using his arm to press Raymond's chest against the unforgiving wall, effectively trapping him in place again.
"I have no clue what kind of sneaky games you are playing. But seriously, you mess with the wrong man when you snatch Celeste away from me." Jeremy's words pierced the air as he locked his intense gaze onto Raymond.
The hunter was still catching his breath, his body shaking, clearly struggling to recover from the suffocating ordeal just moments ago. When Jeremy spoke to him, Raymond's eyes nervously locked onto Jeremy, as if he feared another choking episode. "Tell me! Where the hell did you take her?"
"What the... What?" The hunter's face twisted into a bewildered expression in response. "What the heck are you even saying? Who the hell took her?"
"Are you seriously playing dumb with me?" Jeremy grabbed the hunter again and pressed his arm against his chest, pinning him against the wall. The hunter let out an audible gasp.
"I swear on my life, I have no freaking clue what you're talking about." The hunter's eyes met Jeremy's, filled with a mixture of confusion and astonishment. "You're saying Celeste got snatched? Snatched by a hunter?"
"You led us straight into that damn warehouse! We got ambushed before we could even set foot inside that fucking warehouse!"
Ambushed... Yes, thinking back now, they were totally caught in an ambush. That sneaky hunter purposely dumped the werewolf's body in the trunk, just to tick off the wolf pack and get them all riled up. And when the pack charged forward like a bunch of maniacs, the warehouse doors swung open. Those heavily armed hunters, armed to the teeth with their wolfsbane and bullets, appeared like some well-timed movie scene. It didn't feel like they were acting on an emergency call at all. Everything was way too coordinated. And if that warehouse was really their freaking headquarters, shouldn't the hunter have shown some damn protectiveness over it? But no, instead they grabbed the werewolf and made a swift exit.
They had walked right into a meticulously planned trap. And as a result, Celeste was taken away.
"No freaking way!" Raymond's face turned ghostly white, his trembling lips struggling to form words. "I... I honestly didn't have a clue. They told me the lab was inside that warehouse. I didn't lie to you, man. I didn't lie to Celeste."
"They told you?" Jeremy picked up on a faint sense of something fishy in the hunter's words.
His eyes bore into Raymond's expression, searching for any sign of deception. It didn't seem like an act. The shock and confusion in Raymond's eyes were palpable. Jeremy's mind flashed back to Celeste's words, recounting how Raymond was apprehended, only to be abandoned by the hunters. Suddenly, the puzzle pieces fell into place, like a satisfying click.
A sardonic chuckle escaped Jeremy's lips, morphing into a desperate howl of frustration.
"You fucking idiot!" Jeremy hissed, his voice dripping with disdain. He rose to his feet, towering over Raymond. "Looks like you're nothing more than a pawn in the hunters' game."
The words hung in the air, weighted with certainty, as Jeremy observed the perplexity on Raymond's face morphing into doubt and sheer astonishment. It only solidified his suspicions.
"You're a complete idiot, and we've been naïve fools for swallowing your lies." Jeremy spun around, catching sight of the sudden realization in Kent's eyes.
"So, you're telling me the hunters deliberately allowed this bloke to be captured by us? They unveiled the secrets of the warehouse, luring us in, only to lay an ambush?" Kent's incredulity was etched across his face, inching closer to Jeremy and Raymond. His voice posed a question, but the tone brimmed with unwavering conviction.
Raymond's face paled, his head shaking in disbelief, unable to form words.
Jeremy squatted down once more, closing the gap between himself and Raymond, pressing him against the wall with his elbow. "You better rack that puny brain of yours and conjure up some fucking useful clues... or else..."
Pausing for effect, he made sure his eyes blazed with fury, a visual warning to Raymond. "Or else, my fangs will do the thinking for you..."