The Secrets of the Panther
Chapter 104

DRAKE

Getting back to the camp was easy as the forest roads were clear. Not a wolf or vampire in sight, but something didn’t feel right when I arrived. There was no one around.

I walked further to replace no one, not even Amir or Elder Johnson; anyone would be fine.

This place is creepy as it is when there were vampires around,

I stopped in my tracks as I heard something behind me, but no one was there when I looked over my shoulder.

As I turned around, Amir was straight ahead of me. He was staring, but he wasn’t alone.

“Where have you been?” he asks. “I expected you back hours ago.”

I keep calm, and this guy is crazy. I have never seen him go crazy, but the stories I have heard have been gruesome.

“I got more rogues to come back here, but I wanted to place Anya somewhere away from the war. I only had her back a few days ago,” I said, trying not to give anything away.

Amir stares at me for a moment, but a smile creeps upon his face. “I was messing with you,” he says. “Everyone is getting ready to leave. We are leaving tonight, and the war will begin as soon as we reach the pack grounds.”

I keep my face neutral. I know he is trying to figure me out.

I hate vampires; they’re cunning. Everything has to be bloody, and the stench of dead flesh makes my nose burn. You think werewolves are the same, but we don’t smell like we are the walking dead every time we walk past unless you count the times we kill, then that’s different.

Amir stares for a further few minutes at me, which is freaking me out slightly. I know that I have to text Izzy about the war starting earlier, but I have to play this the way where I will not get killed. I would like to have a few more years with Anya.

I sigh. “Was there anything else?” I ask.

Amir shakes his head. “No,” he says as he turns around to leave, but with a second, he is right in front of me, with his hand around my neck. He slams me up against the wall behind him and hisses. “I know you went to get more rogues for us. But I’m wondering why you were in that pack talking to the panther?” he says as his fangs come down.

I don’t move. Some people think vampires won’t drink werewolf blood, but I have seen this dick do it more times than I can count.

He squeezes my throat slightly, and I try to grasp for breath.

“Leave him alone, Amir,” says a woman from behind him. “He did something useful for us.”

Amir lets go of my neck and steps aside to reveal the other witch in this whole shit show, Nell.

Nell smirks as she looks at me. “I think placing that mate of yours in the pack was a smart move; we have intel on them from within. I guess she is to report to you about things,” she says.

I stare at her but say nothing.

They think I placed Anya in there for intel. This might work out after all. I only need to use a few things that Izzy has told me, which isn’t a lot, but it might keep me alive till we get to the pack, and Izzy can kill these morons.

I grin at her. “How did you know?” I asked her.

“Well, that Elder didn’t trust you, so he sent some vampires to monitor you,” she says as she takes a few steps closer towards me.

“That asshole will be dead when I see him,” I said, trying to pretend to be angry at Elder Johnson, which is a lot easier than anyone thinks.

Nell stops in front of me and places her hand on Amir, who happily takes it in his.

Nell stares at me. “Well, did that other Elder get the child?” she asked Amir. He looks at her, and then at me. I think he is trying to work out what the hell she is doing.

“I haven’t had any word anything yet, my sweetheart. I know the Elder was to hand them over to the vampires that were after him, so we had more people for the war. Also, they were to replace that pathetic family too that escaped us,” he says, but he stares at me. “Besides making sure he does nothing stupid either,” he says, nodding in my direction.

I let a snarl slip through my mouth.

Amir glares at me. “He doesn’t trust you because you came back without your mate. You made love to her all night and then took her with you. I was wondering the same thing, mind, but we have other things to worry about than worry about a loose young wolf,” he says.

I have a plan, and I just hope this works. It might save my life for now, but once I’m at war. I will happily kill either of the three assholes.

“Well, you want the truth. We got caught by the panther and some wolves from the pack. My cousin Blake took Anya away from me as I knew he would as he likes her,” I say, but I look straight at Nell, whose eyes have not gone from my face.

“I have something to tell you, which I know you been trying to figure out,” I said as I moved away from the wall and stepped right up and personal with Nell. She was a foot shorter than me, but I still didn’t want to mess with her. She had nothing on Helga, well, magic-wise, but she was pure evil in other ways, especially with a blade. I have seen her kill people just for fun before when I have seen them around with the Elder. She is one mean bitch.

“What is that wolf?” Amir says from the side with a slight hiss.

“Well, I overheard you both talking before the other night before I left. You wanted to know whether the panther and her mate have marked and mated yet,” I said as I stared at Nell, not giving a glance at Amir. “I went there to look, and if you must know, they haven’t.”

Nell smirks, gets wider. “I think my brother broke the panther with that sick, twisted thing he did to her because she doesn’t bare Blake’s mark on her neck.”

They both stare at a moment, but Nell’s smirk grows wider, and she laughs.

Amir smiles and laughs, too.

What the hell?

I overheard these two wondering if Izzy and Blake marked and mated with each other. I noticed nothing, but they seem to think wolves are not that horny. I could tell they mated, as I could smell Blake’s scent on Izzy when we talked. I would not tell them that, though.

After a few moments, they both stopped and smiled at me. “Thank you, Drake. You are one to trust,” says Nell.

I look at them, confused. “What do you mean?” I ask them.

Amir smiles. “I thought you went there to change sides. But now you gave us something that is even more effective, and we will leave early to kill that pathetic panther and all the pack,” he says.

“I still don’t understand. What does it mean? Why would it be good on us if they haven’t marked or mated each other?” I asked.

“It means, young wolf, that the same thing that happened to Clara all those years ago will happen once again,” says Nell with a smile.

“Why do you think Elder Johnson had all the cat shifter books brought here?” she asks, but she places her hand on my shoulder, but I say nothing. “It means that they would have found out how to kill us, and we have been here for centuries before. I took Clara’s power, and I will take that Panthers once again,” she says. We never gave them enough time to mark or mate, and we will do the same again,” says Amir as he looks at Nell.

“What happens if they mark and mate with each other?” I asked.

Nell stares at me. “Mate bonds between shifters are scarce, especially when they are true mates and different supernatural beings. If they mate and mark each other, that panther will be the most powerful creature known to man, and she will kill us,” she says as the smirk goes. “She can use her mate’s emotions and her own to wipe out the whole of the population if anyone who stands in her way.”

I stare back at her, dumbfounded. I need to tell Izzy this, all of this.

“I think, young wolf, you need to get ready,” says Nell as she turns to see someone waiting around the corner.

“We will leave in the next six hours,” she says with a smile. “We will kill a pack and the last of the panthers, too.”

Nell placed her hand back in Amir’s and guided him to the corner, “I’m taking my mate to have some food; we will see you later.”

I watch as they walk away from me.

I guess the person is the unknowing food for Amir, and I shuddered at the thought.

Once the two of them were out of sight, I looked around and used my wolf’s senses to make sure I was alone. I typed a quick text to Izzy to let her know about us turning up earlier. I hope she gets this. I lean back on the wall and look at the moon. I know the moon goddess has abandoned me since I lost my way, but I say a little prayer for her guidance and help with the war.

I sigh, and I look at my phone.

I sent another quick text to her, mentioning marking Blake. I have to admit, I’m hoping Anya knew all that and told them both, or we are all screwed in this war.

I move off the walk and head inside the warehouse behind me to get ready. I know I have to keep my cool around all these rogues and vampires, but hopefully, Izzy can take them all out.

I walk through the door, but I’m met with over three thousand wolves. That doesn’t count the vampires they have or even created over the last few days.

I notice Elder Johnson out of the corner of my eye, staring at me as I walk towards a group of rogues who are having some food.

I took no notice as I grabbed a plate full of food.

Playing double agent is hard now, but I know I can do this until I get to the pack, making a run. I will kill most of these people I have gathered up. Most are the worst of the worst, but they were needed in this war. But knowing how powerful Izzy is, I know they won’t live to see another day.

I looked towards Elder Johnson, who was now glaring at me.

I can’t help but grin. I know I had issues with Izzy in the past, but they have long gone. She even gave me this scar, which I have to admit I deserved, but looking at the mark she placed on Elder Johnson’s face, it has grown bigger ever since the war is on us. But I hope to the goddess; he is the first to get killed; if Izzy doesn’t do it, I certainly will.