Chapter 105
Janet rounded her eyes in awe.
Daran snapped the Rogue King’s neck.
Did this mean that…
They just killed their largest enemy?!
Excitement exploded in her chest like a million fireworks. Yet before she could rush forward and congratulate Daran, something horrible happened.
Lance didn’t crush down to the ground as he was supposed to.
He stood on his spot and slowly raised a hand, holding his own head.
Janet couldn’t believe what she just saw.
How was this possible?
How could somebody still be able to move around after their heads were snapped?!
With a cracking noise, Lance twisted his own neck, and his head was back to its normal position.
“What the fuck…” Jared uttered in horror.
It was like one fucking freak show!
“Well, that was unnecessarily hostile,” Lance coughed holding his chest.
Everyone was glowering at him with a mixture of disgust and shock.
“What the fuck are you?” Daran hissed dangerously.
“What am I?”
Lance shrugged with a pleasant smile.
“Well, I am a werewolf, just like you guys. The only difference is that I am a rogue and this is the rogue’s Kingdom. You can’t possibly believe that you will be able to kill me the King of all rogues-in my kingdom, do you?”
–
Janet’s heart sank.
The Rogue King was…immortal?
But it didn’t make any sense!
Lance became King after the former Rogue King died. If the Rogue King was really immortal, how did Lance’s predecessor die?
There were so many things that didn’t make sense.
And so many strange things had happened since they set foot into the rogue’s land.
Like the fact that they couldn’t shift here.
And the Rogue King’s immortality.
Janet felt that they were onto something. But there were still many layers of truth waiting to be unveiled.
“So.”
“What should I do with you now, ny dear guests?” he asked,
Janet looked at Daran anxiously, waiting for him to give an order,
She was torn inside.
Did they retreat?
Or did they attack again?
If they retreated, Glen’s death would be in vain; yet attacking didn’t work either because apparently the Rogue King couldn’t be killed-or at least he couldn’t be killed in a normal way.
Nothing seemed right!!!
Just then, a deep voice traveled from behind her back, breaking the silence:
“I surrender.”
Janet’s heart skipped a beat as though she just missed a step while walking down the
staircase.
…What?
Turning around stiffly, she looked at the person who had just spoken and found that it was Kass.
She glared at Kass, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“What the fuck…” she snarled, “What the fuck did you just say, Kass?!”
She couldn’t believe this.
Something must be wrong.
Kass chose to stand by her side even when his identity was questioned by the entire alliance! His loyalty was without question!
Why would he give in all of a sudden and turn to the Rogue King now?!
Under everyone’s furious gaze, Kass straightened his back and repeated himself
once more:
“I pledge my loyalty to you, my king.”
-You fucking bastard, Kass!!!” Jared barked, “You are a disgusting piece of shit!” Jared’s eyes were bloodshot.
He wanted to dash forward and throw a punch at Kass. But Daran stopped him. Jared struggled fiercely and kept roaring at Kass:
“You want to surrender now? Do you remember how Janet defended you in front of everyone? She took you in! She had faith in you! Is this how you want to pay back her
trust?!!”
Kass’s body trembled.
There was a hurtful look on his face.
After a small pause, he repeated once more in a low voice, “…I surrender to you, my King.”
“FUCK!” Jared spat.
“FUCK!” Jared spat.
Lance rubbed his chin with an intrigued smile, “I always welcome new friends. The more the merrier. But do tell me one thing. Why do you choose to pledge your loyalty to me.”
“Because…I am a rogue.”
Kass took a deep breath and pulled his clothes up,
There was a thunder-shaped imprint on his abs, which looked like a brand left by a hot iron. It burned so deeply into his flesh that it was still there even after years.
He showed this to Janet when he told her about his identity.
It was the symbol of the rogue.
“You should recognize this symbol, my King.”
Kass said in a slightly shaking voice.
“I got this on the day of my birth. I was born as a rogue. Always have been. The packs and the werewolves…they never thought of me as one of them-”
“KASS!” Janet cried.
Yet Kass continued anyway, “So it is time for me to return to my real home, my real family…my real King.”
Lance burst into laughter abruptly.
He laughed so hard that his whole body rocked back and forth.
“Well, well, well…What a nice surprise! I like you. Welcome home, Kass!” he clapped.
Janet stood on her spot stiffly as Kass walked over to her.
They looked at each other.
“…Don’t…” Janet murmured, tears welling up in her
Don’t do this, Kass.
eyes.
Don’t make me lose another friend right after Glen’s death.
“Sorry,” Kass said in a low voice.
He raised an arm abruptly and knocked on Janet’s neck, catching her off guard. She was crushed to the ground.
Before passing out, she gave one last look at Daran and then fell into the darkness.
When Janet woke up again, she found herself lying in the back of a moving car. Her head hurt so much as though it had been cut in half by a chainsaw.
Groaning painfully, she struggled to pull herself up from the ground.
A large hand held her shoulder and helped her to sit straight.
Janet snapped her head around and found that it was Daran.
“Oh my god!”
She cried, throwing herself at Daran and wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Thank god you are OK! I was so afraid…”
She didn’t know that Kass would knock her out all of a sudden,
She was completely caught off guard.
Even though she knew that Daran was strong enough to protect himself, she stil! couldn’t help but worry for him.
It was so nice to see him alright.
Daran held her tightly against his chest and kissed her forehead, “Don’t worry. I am fine.”
Janet hid her face under the collar of his jacket. Tears fell out of her eyes.
“I…I am so sorry…”
She sobbed.
“I-I didn’t know Kass would betray us…everything is my fault…”
If she knew that Kass’s loyalty was with others, she would never agree to bring him here.
What a horrible mistake.
Daran stroked her long hair gently, “Hey, there is something that I need to tell you.”
“What?”
“It is all part of the plan,” he said.
Janet rounded her eyes.
She sat up straight and looked at Daran with teary eyes.
“W-What do you mean?” she gasped.
“Before we left the Crimson Fortress, I called Kass aside and informed him about this plan. I asked him to surrender to the Rogue King when things become handy. Kass’s identity will make it easier for the Rogue King to believe him. And that way, we will have someone on the inside working for us.”
He smiled and cupped Janet’s cheek.
“So don’t worry. We haven’t lost Kass. He is still our friend,” he said.
Janet’s jaw dropped.
“So it is a faked act,” she said.
“Yes.’
Can’t you at least let me know about this?!” Janet cried, hitting him in the chest. “Do you know how hurt I was when Kass surrendered himself? And now I feel like an idiot!”
Daran chuckled and caught her fist, planting a soft kiss on the back of her hand. “Sorry. I should have let you know. My bad.”
Janet pouted, her chest rising and falling rapidly in fume.
“So where are we heading? What happened after I passed out?” she asked.
Janet’s jaw dropped.
“So it is a faked act,” she said.
“Yes.”
“Can’t you at least let me know about this?!” Janet cried, hitting him in the chest. “Do you know how hurt I was when Kass surrendered himself? And now I feel like an idiot!”
Daran chuckled and caught her fist, planting a soft kiss on the back of her hand.
“Sorry. I should have let you know. My bad.”
Janet pouted, her chest rising and falling rapidly in fume.
“So where are we heading? What happened after I passed out?” she asked.
“Lance sent Jared back. He wanted Jared to spread the words that we are in his hands now. As for where we are going…” Daran lowered the car window and gestured her to look outside, “See for yourself.”
Janet peeked outside.
They were in the middle of a desert with a scorching sun above their head. The road stretched into the horizon and a great city was gradually coming into her view.
“…The Grace Ruin,” she murmured.
“Indeed.”
“Lance brought us here? Why? Why bring his largest enemy back to his own home?” Janet asked perplexedly.
“I don’t know. But it goes perfectly with our plan anyway. A lot of our questions will be answered here.”
Janet nodded.
She gazed at the city in the distance.
She couldn’t wait to unravel all those mysteries.
Like why they couldn’t shift in the rogue’s land.
Why Lance brought them here?
And most importantly…How could they kill him?