UnTamed [Book 3]

I Punch a Praetor

Did I surprise you with that chapter?  I hope so :) Just wait until later chapters (muhahaha).  Have fun!

Chapter Quote:

“The strength of the pack is in the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is in the pack.”

~Unknown

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Chapter 4: I Punch a Praetor

Derek 

The trip over to New Rome was relatively silent.  Silena walked between Derek and Luke, but refused to speak to her boyfriend.  He understood she was mad at him, but really?  Not saying a single word to him?  Needless to say, it irked him.  Ralph, Adolpha, and Sandulf walked in front of the demigods, respectively to Luke, Silena, and Derek.

“So how are we going to talk to Cora and Antony?  I don’t think they’ll have a horrible problem with Luke, but they will with me and Silena.  We didn’t leave the best impression on them last time,” Derek pointed out.

“At least they know not to tick you off,” Luke said.

“Antony pisses me off just looking at him.  He’s going to trust us even less now that we don’t have Bradley and Brady with us.  He’ll think we let them get away on purpose.”

“He’s that thick-headed?”

“Worse.”

“Cora may be able to restrain him from doing some things but if he has as much influence as I think he does, we’re in trouble.  Our best bet is that the wolves help us prevent that from happening.”

“That’s the point of them being here.  Luke, maybe you should do the talking since they don’t really know you.  Anything that comes out of mine or Silena’s mouth is automatically deemed a lie to them.”

“I understand yours, but why mine?” Silena commented.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Derek demanded.

“Nothing, not a thing.”

“All right lovebirds, save the quarreling for later.  Right now let’s focus on the Romans, because we’re here,” Luke said.  The three demigods came to a halt at the entrance to New Rome.  Two sentries stared at them.

“Derek?  Silena?  Is that you?” The sentry on the right took of their helmet.  A familiar blonde stood before them.

“Vanessa,” Silena. “How are you?”

“I’m good.  And you?”

“Um, I’ve been better.  How are Prerana and Ana?”

“Good.  What are you doing here?  I mean, Cora will be welcoming, but Antony?  He’s like Henry the Eighth and wants to behead everyone who he doesn’t like.” Her eyes fell on Luke.  “Who are you?”

“I’m Luke Jackson.  Nice to meet you,” Luke replied.  Derek felt a twinge of annoyance flash through him when he saw the look of awe in Vanessa’s eyes.  Luke was handsome, and his mischievous eyes with his charming, sincere, albeit sometimes idiotic, personality made the girls swoon over him.  Even Bryn had fallen for him, although she would’ve died before admitting that, which with sad irony, she did.  At the thought of his best friend, grief rose up in Derek’s throat, threatening to burst out.  He’d been able to hide his sorrow well from others, but being alone was a completely different story.  The entire quest would play over and over in his mind, from the storm Bryn created for them to escape to her mouthing “I love you” to him right before she died.  With the playback of the memories came revelations.  Derek began to remember certain things she said: “I have to go save him.  This is it”, “I have to go rescue him.  I have to.  It has to be me”, “I already know… Months now.  The gods told me”, and “Derek, just remember, I love you and you’re like a brother to me.”  It began to dawn on him that maybe she’d known all along that she hadn’t been going to make it out of the quest alive.  But Luke’s dream- Bryn had been in it.  She’d been working for Hannah.  Had she been working for her all along?  But if she had, why hadn’t she killed them?