Twin brother...
As the word danced across Celeste's mind and took shape on her tongue, it bounced back into her ears, leaving her in disbelief. Her rationality struggled to digest this possibility, but her inner animal sensed it. She could feel her wolf's restless excitement, like a wild howl of joy upon rediscovering a lost companion.
"I am your twin brother, Celeste," Kevin's confirmation sounded in her ears.
Celeste's instinct urged her to rejoice, to celebrate the reunion with her long-lost twin brother. Yet, her rationality played the party pooper, smothering any flicker of joy.
Because it just didn't make any sense.
Why would her twin brother suddenly appear out of thin air? And how did he know her name? Wasn't he a werewolf? Why was he wandering free without any restraints, and why did he seem to be in cahoots with the hunters, dressed in a stark white lab coat? It made Celeste question the absurdity of the situation.
"Why?" A whirlwind of questions stormed the tip of Celeste's tongue, each one clamoring to escape as words seeking answers. But her parched throat could only manage a single syllable as if choked by the weight of confusion.
Why? Weren't hunters and werewolves supposed to be sworn enemies, forever at odds? Why did her twin brother now stand among the ranks of the hunters, looking down on his helpless sister with an air of indifference? Even as Celeste posed the question, Kevin's expression remained unchanged, like a perfectly crafted mask hiding the truth.
"So there is definitely some kind of connection between the twins, huh?" Out of nowhere, Celeste heard a voice coming from above her, sounding like it was coming from the damn camera. The voice had a smug tone, and its arrogance and superiority were crystal clear.
Celeste furrowed her brows, her face scrunched up in confusion. What the hell kind of game were these hunters playing? They went through all the trouble of bringing her twin brother right in front of her, just to see if she could instantly spot her twin brother?
Her eyes darted back to Kevin, but that dude didn't even flinch. Not a hint of surprise on his face. It was as if he knew all along that they were being watched. And he seemed to be happily going along with this hunters' charade.
In that split second, Celeste's confusion morphed into anger. What the actual fuck? This guy standing in front of her didn't have a single trace of a werewolf look! Had these hunters somehow tamed the wild beast within him and turned him into their lapdog?
"What the fuck? Are you some kind of pet or something?" she blurted out, unable to contain herself.
But her words fell flat, like punching a pillow. No reaction whatsoever from Kevin. It was as if her outburst had gone completely unnoticed.
Instead, the guy with the black hair next to him clenched his fist, looking personally offended. The other two hunters didn't bat an eye either.
This just made Celeste furrow her brows even more, her confusion deepening. She couldn't make heads or tails of what the hell was going on right in front of her.
"Take her over," the voice from above commanded once again. Celeste looked up, only able to see the eerie, dark camera lens. She had no idea who the hell was lurking behind that monitor, but just hearing that voice made her skin crawl with disgust.
Just as the voice escaped the microphone, a group of hunters took a bold stride forward. Celeste's eyes narrowed with a sense of caution, scanning their faces that were contorted with disgust and alertness. One hunter even brandished a glimmering silver chain that oozed an eerie, malevolent aura when caught in the light.
Celeste's heart pounded frantically, a natural response to her aversion to anything silver. The handcuffs around her wrists had already seared her skin, causing immense pain. Now, the mere sight of that silver chain made her eyelids twitch involuntarily.
"Where in the world are you planning to drag me?" Celeste inquired, fighting back the uncertainties within her and maintaining an outwardly composed tone.
As silence hung in the air, Celeste defiantly tilted her head upward, fixing a fierce gaze upon the camera.
She hadn't harbored any expectations of receiving a response from the lifeless device, yet to her surprise, a bout of laughter emerged from its direction. "Bring her over, Cur."
It took a brief moment for Celeste to realize that the camera was engaging in a conversation with someone. She shifted her gaze and locked eyes with Kevin, whose face had frozen in a mask of rigid expression.
The young man with tousled black hair standing behind him seemed poised to interject, but the camera's command abruptly stifled his words. "I said bring the she-wolf over, Cur."
The black-haired youth remained rooted in place, while Kevin, with determination etched across his features, moved forward and claimed the silver chain from the hunter's grip.
Celeste had no idea if it hurt when Kevin's fingers made contact with the silver chain. If it hurt, Kevin concealed it. He then proceeded towards Celeste, skillfully draping the chilling silver chain around her neck. The moment that cold metal met her delicate skin, an intense burning sensation surged through her, causing her to wince involuntarily.
Suppressing the anguish, Celeste clenched her teeth, refusing to let even the faintest whimper escape her lips.