CHAPTER 17

Remus' POV]

She asked me to meet her before her lecture, I am thinking she might be suspecting something, and might be planning to save Ierudiah. I smelt her scent last night when I walked into the cellar, I could have sworn she was right there beside Ierudiah. But that's impossible, I am the only one with the key, and the only one who knows where he is. I am worried that she might be mating with Ierudiah before I manage to find a plan B, making Ierudiah invincible. Maybe she knows more about Ierudiah than she lets out. Her scent hit me and distracted me from my dark thoughts. I smiled honestly when I saw her, my heart skipped a beat seeing her smile back. She was wearing a gorgeous red dress with white polka dots; it made her look like a porcelain doll.

"Hi Gabe," She saluted me. As I looked at her my wolf, Rome stirred excitedly.

"Ella!" I exclaimed standing up and hugging her tightly. When I touched her, I swear I felt these special types of sparks.

"Gabe," She called again, I wish she would say my name. My wolf begun pacing inside my mind. What is it Rome? I asked him surprised by his reaction. I feel a strange pull to her wolf, but her wolf is deeply asleep. I think she might be our mate. Rome spoke to me. His words shocked me, and I felt I dropped the transfer spell for a millisecond.

"Who are you?" Ella distanced herself from me, pure shock on her face. It hurt me the way she looked at me now. It seemed that that millisecond was enough for her to notice the change. It hurt, but I also felt relieved, I didn't have to hide anymore. "Did you really hurt Professor Gabriello Fernandez?" She asked me, I could read the hurt in her words. My heart ached knowing that she'll never show this concern for me, for the real me behind the Gabe mask I wear.

"Ella?" I called her name softly, reducing the distance between us.

"Are you a hunter?" She asked, barely managing to keep her composure.

"Yes, I am." I replied saddened, there's no point in lying; sooner or later she was going to find out about me being a hunter. I remembered the chat she had with Ierudiah, and then how she apologised to me at the café. I felt like I was betraying her twice.

"So, you're here to kill me?" She stated plainly. I froze, she still thinks that I want to kill her. How could I? Even if Rome is mistaken and she is not our mate, I still cannot bring myself on harming one single strand of her hair.

"Never. I promised you that I will protect you!" I reminded her of my promise. I tried to reach for her hand, but she stepped back.

"What's your name?"

"Remus,"

"Ok Remus, show me your face!" She demanded; her demand made her so damn attractive.

"In public?" I asked in a whisper, not that I wouldn't really do it; I found myself willing to do anything for her. But behind an act like this sits the whole magic society. Is a risk I cannot take by myself.

"I don't care!" She snapped back at me. Damn! I would have kissed her right there and then, and maybe do more than kiss her.

"Follow me!" I tell her instead, heading towards the exit.

"Where, to my death?" She still doesn't believe I won't hurt her. I grabbed the rose pin badge from my blazer's collar and stabbed my index finger, I did the same to hers and rubbed our indexes together so our blood mixes. I remember this ritual that some pack Alphas are doing when receiving new pack members. I adjusted the spell to make me her protector not her Alpha "Per commutationem nostri sanguinis voveo vitam meam ad tuam defendendam." I muttered under my breath. As soon as I finished saying the spell a quick jolt travelled through my body, I am sure she also felt it.

"What was that?" She asked, wincing.

"That was a way of making it impossible for me to ever hurt you." I explained to her, she seemed to be surprised by my action, as her jaw dropped open. I lifted her chin to close her mouth, she looked so adorable.

"Now you can feel safe whenever you are in my presence. So, follow me, please!" I invited her walking out of the JHB and straight to my Ducati. Luckily the rain stopped making it perfect for riding. She didn't sit in the front like last time, and that made me feel a little disappointed. She sat on the back uncomfortably trying to hold on the seat instead of me. Luckily, I live near the campus which made the journey short. I really wasn't sure if she won't fall off the bike the way she was sitting.

"Is this your place?" She asked nervously, seeing that I stopped. I nodded my head, dismounted and swiftly unlocked the door.

"Yes. After you," I invited her. She stepped inside and begun admiring the indoor design, slowly taking in everything. I could feel she liked it, as she already forgot why I asked her to follow me. "You're ready?" I asked grinning at her; she turned around and nodded her head. I closed my eyes envisioning the spell peeling away like a snake would peel their old skin. The all-familiar blue fire covered me like a cocoon, slowly releasing my true appearance. Ella's eyes were on me the entire time. I think I would have blushed hard if I was younger, and yet my two millennia of experience still couldn't handle the slight embarrassment I felt. "Like what you see?" I winked at her, her eyes shone purple for a millisecond, but I couldn't read her expression. Did I overstep? Silly question. I stepped of the now burnt circle formed on the light carpet. I definitely won't see my deposit back, and not only because of this circle. I hoped while I removed the spell that Ierudiah won't be brought back into consciousness. Unfortunately, my worries were confirmed when I saw Ella suddenly changing her facial expression and heading towards the basement. I sniffed the air, and then I realised Ierudiah's scent became stronger.

"Maybe you shouldn't," I stopped her by gently grabbing her arm. Stronger electricity ignited when I touched her. Rome, again begun stirring in the back of his mind, he wanted more. She must have noticed my eyes darken, or maybe she also felt the sparks, as she startled.

"LET ME GO!" She unexpectedly screamed at me, I stared at her in surprise before I let her go. Where did that come from? "Is professor Gabriello here?" She asked me in a calmer tone. I looked to the floor guilty; I knew she won't like my answer.

"Yes, he is here," I confessed, not daring looking at her.

"What did you do to him? What did you do to my mate?" She asked me again, my heart ached hearing her call him her mate. How could his grandparent be her mate?

"Antonella, he is not your true mate." I found myself saying. I don't know where that came from. Although I don't know what the moon goddess has in her plans, it cannot possibly be that her grandfather who raped her grandmother, who killed so many people and did so many evil deeds, is her mate. She doesn't deserve such a punishment. I really hope she rejects him; I need to convince her to reject him.

"Yeah, my wolf says otherwise, not that I care much for mates. But you can't just punish someone innocent because you want to kill me!" She snapped at him.

"He is far from innocent, Ella."

"Let me see him!" She demanded fiercely, staring at me like she would tear me to pieces in right that moment.

"Fine, but you have to promise me not to touch him at all. Otherwise, I can't let you see him." I negotiated. I couldn't risk her being too close to him, if she won't make the marking, he might do it.

"Fine, I agree." She snapped at me.

"Before you see him, I have to let you know that what you'll see might hurt you deeply." I tried to warn her. I don't know what the mirror will show, but I am sure it will not be something pleasant.

"Like I am not expecting it, you're keeping him chained after all, aren't you?"

"This is not what I mean." I tried to explain, but only words would not be enough. She was following me silently, when she suddenly gasped.

"What is it?"

"Is too dark in here," She replied. I am such an idiot I forgot her senses are still very human due to the wolfsbane. I snapped my fingers and instantly sparked into existence a tongue of blue light to light our path.

"Are you also a witch?" She suddenly asked. I couldn't help but smile, she was asking about me.

"No, I am a primordial, like you. You also have more magical powers than a regular werewolf and are very likely to also be immortal. Your powers are currently supressed because of your use of wolfsbane. Once this clears out of your system, you'll be able to discover your special powers.

"How come I am a primordial? Nobody from my family is a primordial; I would have known."

"Your mother had dormant genes of an immortal primordial, because your father is a poor blood alpha of third generation the dormant gene activated in you, and you were born a primordial."

"But my grandparents are not primordials, not even alphas; they were gammas; how could my mother have primordial genes? This doesn't make any sense."

"That's because your mother's father is not the man you call grandpa. Your mother's father is the man in front of you." I told her when we reached Ierudiah. I didn't know how to go about, but by trying to be as clear as possible I was sure I would manage to give her the whole truth about her existence, and her mate. I heard her gasping. She must have somehow shocked as she lost her footing kicking the metal bowl, I left by Ierudiah. The loud noise woke him up.

"Who's there?" Ierudiah asked in a guttural voice. Ella distanced herself from him. Was she afraid of him?

"You're awake, good!" I grinned, rather evilly. "I can now make good use of the silver mirror!" I continued changing the tongue of fire into a spherical shape and pushing it high in the air. Now the dark room was no longer dark, but rather twilight. I could see how bad the imprisonment had affected him, he looked weakened. And then the wolfsbane drip wasn't much of a help either. He looked up at me, it was the first time he saw me as me and not as a reflection of himself. When his eyes met mine, he shuddered.

"King Romulus?" He called, shaking with fear. I whined, why is he calling my brother's name. How could he know my brother? I am sure I never met him; I don't forget faces.

"Ierudiah," I snickered at the man, I couldn't let him see through me, "very long time had passed since we last saw each other, ai?"

"Your majesty, please spare me. I'll do whatever you want me too!" Ierudiah begged, tears watering his eyes. I furrowed my eyebrows; he feels guilty towards my departed brother. Why would he feel guilty, and why would he feel afraid?

"I want to show Ella, who you are to her. You might not even know it." I stated uncovering the large brightly shinning mirror. I couldn't lose my focus, my mission is to show Ella the truth and to convince her to reject him as her mate, from there I and the royals should be able to easily dispose of him. But Romulus? I clenched my hands on him and dragged him closer to the mirror. As soon as I had him where I wanted, I began chanting the spell I got from the crown Prince. I must admit, the Prince is a genius. I can't recall him not ever finding a solution for any problem that came his way. As soon as I begun the spell, the mirror begun to react warping its reflection until clear colour pictures took birth on its surface. The first scene showed two identical children playing with each other, the children looked identical, and I knew those children must be me and my brother, I could recognise us after the tooth pendant the children were wearing by their necks. I am sure my eyes widened in surprise, maybe even my mouth gapped widely. How on earth would he have memories of me and my brother playing catch? Then the reflection changed showing my brother, with long hair and a long beard in ancient clothing seating on what seemed to be a throne, the scene was a close-up and looked like it was filtered through someone's eyes. Who was the man looking at my brother? How come I don't recall his face? Then the reflection jumped again to a blurry dark view of a pair of bloody hands, a quick flash of my brother's face was on a close-up with the bloody hands, a laugh echoed after the reflection went dark. I clenched my fists tight; I will drain every drop of information from that ancient brain of his. I took a deep breath, reminding myself what my goal was for today.

"Tell me, how did you know Elena Lombardi?" Ella's eyes focussed on the mirror, she seemed to already know what the mirror was doing. A flash of a beautiful young woman smiling in the sun with the colosseum in the background appeared on the mirror's reflection. I could see the semblance between Ella and Elena, almost like they were sisters.

"Was she your mate?"

"No, she wasn't."

"Wasn't she already mated?" I asked him, trying to keep calm, yet almost losing all the reason I held within myself.

"What did you do to her?" Ella thundered to Ierudiah. The mirror changed its reflection again, the same young woman was seating on a couch reading a magazine, when she suddenly startled.

"How did you get in here?" The woman asked standing up and pulling at her loose cardigan.

"Your door was opened," Ierudiah's voice replied in a cocky tone.

"The door was locked," She snapped back at him. "Why are you here, Ierudiah?

"Why do you think, Elena?" The man replied approaching her, a low growl of a sinister note escaped his chest. Elena backed up and fell back on the couch, Ierudiah trapped her between his arms. "How can you resist me? Am I not much better than your mate?" Ierudiah's voice asked in a low tone, trapping her body between his arms. "I am going to take you now, woman! No one can reject me and get away with it!" He warned her.

"Please, I am mated, I beg you please!" Elena struggled against him, but Ierudiah didn't care he begun ripping his clothes forcing himself into her."

"That's enough!" I heard Ella shouting. I promptly cut the connection between Ierudiah and the mirror. I wasn't sure if this scene was enough to convince her of the man kneeling in front of us.

"Elena, gave birth to Georgie, which was your daughter, and your mate's mother." I continued informing Ierudiah in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Nah, really? No wonder I find her so beautiful!" Ierudiah replied to the news with a large grin on his face, "my granddaughter is beautiful, I can't wait to bed her!" He continued winking at Ella. Ella run up the stairs covering her mouth.

"You're a monster!" I found myself shouting at him before lunching a strong punch to his face rendering him unconscious.