CHAPTER 18

Remus's POV]

I walked out of the basement following Ella, she had splashed water on her face and was now sitting on the conservatory's floor with the glass door slid open.

"Ella," I gently called her name, kneeling next to her. I can't imagine what she's going through. She turned to me and smiled; her smile made me instantly feel calmer.

"Ga-Remus," She called my name, then looked down in embarrassment for almost calling me Gabe. "I am sorry Remus; I am still trying to grasp what's going on." Ella apologised looking at her hands. I grabbed her hands in mine, she gasped and looked into my eyes, her eyes flashed purple for a second. I smiled.

"Ella, I am the one who needs to apologise to you. I pretended to be Gabe and I tried to deceive you all this time so you could fall for me. I am sorry for deceiving you in such a way." I tried to apologise, but how does one apologise for such a crime?

"Remus..." Ella called my name again. I loved the way my name rolled of her lips. Damn' I so want to kiss those lips! Without thinking my thumb was now caressing her face. She looked at me, and her grey eyes instantly turned purple, her breath hitched when I leaned closer to her. "Your majesty!?" Ella suddenly asked, her eyes returning to normal. I sat back and looked at her in confusion.

"Why are you calling me 'your majesty'?"

"This is what professor Gabriello called you. Are you a king?" I laughed, I could read the playfulness in her question, but there was also something else.

"I used to, for a few good years, a very long while back." I answered.

"Yeah, that's not very specific. You seem to know a lot about me, when I know almost nothing about you; that's not fair." She complained, making a puppy face at me.

"I'll tell you. But under one condition,"

"Ok. What's the condition?" She asked, intensifying her puppy face.

"Stop making that puppy face, otherwise I'll…" I warned her trying to sound menacing but unable to hide my grin.

"You'll what?" She asked innocently, with the same puppy face.

"Otherwise, I'll kiss you," I found myself answering. Ella's eyes widened, and then flashed purple. After a few seconds she pulled that puppy face again. Was she asking for it in purpose? I grabbed her face and brushed my lips against hers, she gasped in response. I then deepened my kiss tagging at her lower lip. She whined.

"Remus,"

"I warned you!" She grinned at me, I grinned too.

"Are you trying to make me forget what I was asking you?" She asked me in a scolding way.

"I'll tell you. I'll answer you ten questions today." I replied happily, I was happy she was no longer mad at me, and the kiss.

"Oh, you're being generous."

"Why did you want to kill me?" Ella asked me with a straight face. My heart tightened, why did she have to open with that question?

"I was given the order. But I found out you were just a way to get to Ierudiah, to make him weak enough so he can be killed."

"Who wants me dead?" She asked looking at me intently.

"The royals, but I am working on it. I promised I'll keep you safe, even if it costs my life!" I replied, leaning close to her, tucking a stray hair strand behind her ear. She is so beautiful.

"So, you are their hired gun?"

"Yes."

"Why did you pretend to be Gabriello?"

"I needed to make sure you fall for me, so your wolf weakens when I reject you." I answered, although if I'll ever find myself in this situation with her, I think I'll be the one hurting the most. She somehow had gained a special place in my heart, and even Rome approves of her.

"Ok...How old are you?" I smiled at her question, I liked her asking questions about me.

"I was born in 771 BC."

"You're joking, right? That'll make you over two millennia old."

"I am not joking. My brother and I founded Rome."

"Gee...you look way too hot to be that old!" She remarked taking me in. I looked at her back and smiled mischievously. Her eyes turned purple again.

"You know, every time you look at me like that your eyes turn purple!"

"Oh...it must be Elpis; I think she's trying to wake up." She said, blushing. "Wait, if you really are over two millennia old, don't you have a mate and stuff? I am sure she, he won't be happy to pretend you're someone else's mate." She asked playing with her hands.

"I never got a mate. Maybe it's a punishment from the moon goddess. After all I exploited the mate bond to be a gun for hire." I wasn't proud of my past, but I was keen on telling her the whole truth. I've killed many rogues, and wolves turned mad. I killed many alphas, primordials, and pure bloods by exploiting their mating bonds. And I taught other hunters how to exploit this bond, is what makes killing cleaner, and is a more peaceful way of sending their wolves back to the moon goddess. In this way the hunters are exposed to less harm, and the target is eliminated with more ease. However, this also makes the hunting longer, but at times this prolonged hunting is what makes the difference between killing innocents and criminals. Over the many centuries I worked as a hunter I had quite a few cases of wolves that were wrongly accused. By properly investigating their cases I found the true villains who tried to conceal horrible atrocities, by choosing them as scapegoats. By taking my sweet time with Ella, I might just have saved his life, and maybe more.

"Why did you become a hunter?" She asked looking me in the eyes.

"Someone has to do the job, otherwise the world will turn upside down. I am like the supernatural police, only that we don't have prisons." Ella looked at me with a new expression, admiration? It couldn't be admiration; I am a bloody murderer after all.

"You said you'll protect me; did you mean it?"

"I can't bring myself to harm a single stray hair of yours. And I promised my life to protect you." I said looking at her. I cupped her little face in my hand looking into her eyes, "I promised to keep you safe no matter what." She closed her eyes and leaned into my palm.

"How can I reject Gabriello, sorry, Ierudiah without harming Elpis?" She asked looking at me pleadingly. I don't think she realises how happy her question made me; she suggested rejecting him all by herself." I smiled and kissed her enthusiastically. She stiffened against me, I backed off realising that I might have done a mistake. But she raised to her knees and leaned towards me gently brushing her lips against mine. I pulled her closer by the waist which made me fall on the floor with her on top. I twisted us pinning her against the floor.

"There are two options, and not much time left." I tell her nibbling on her ear.

"What are these options?"

"You've already spent the ten questions. You'll have to pay for each additional question." I tell her kissing her again.

"I am happy to pay."

"Alright. For each question you want an answer for there is one question you'll need to answer." I tell her. Although I know quite a bit about her, there's a lot more I don't know.

"Ok, bring it on!" She replied, standing up. She then looked around and sat herself in the nearest chair.

"Why did you leave your pack?"

"I..", she begun, anxiously wringing her hands, tears appeared in her eyes. I could see how much the topic upsets her. I regretted asking her the question.

"You can pass this question if you don't want to answer,"

"No, Remus, I'll answer. I left my pack because of my father, and how the whole pack treated me. I am different, and because I am different my father always said that I am not his daughter. He also accused me of my mother's death and the loss of his Alpha position. Even worse, the pack believes him." She spoke in one breath. "Now, that I know the truth, the way my father treated me hurts even more." I grabbed her hands, trying to provide her some relief. Again, her eyes turned purple, and with them I felt the magical sparks tingling on my hands. "Elpis!" Ella suddenly jumped to her feet. "Finally," Ella repeated, then went in her mind for what seemed to me a long time.

"Ella?" I asked, not knowing who exactly this Elpis is and what's going on.

"My wolf is awake..." Ella replied more to herself, tears were washing her face. "My wolf is awake, Remus. I though I lost her." She repeated, covering her face in her palms. I hugged her tightly.

"I am happy for you," I whispered.