Hunter

Chapter 12

** It was dark. At least that is what I thought before I realised my eyes were closed. I tried to open them several times before it worked. I was in my room. The shutters had been closed ajar so very little light would come through. An awful headache brunt me from the inside. A wet and fresh cloth had been laid on my forehead. I turned my head and discovered my father by my side. He was seated, his back leaning on the end table, on the ground, his hand on Ul who was snoring softly. He had not even taken the time to go for a chair. When our eyes met - mine were barely open because of the pain weakening me - he sprang to his feet, awaking the dog, before lowering himself to face me.

"Hey, how are you doing?" he asked softly, probably aware of the pain carving my skull.

"F-fine..." I managed to say.

I tried to sit up, but I heavily fell back on the bed.

"Don't try for now." My father said. "You probably have some sedative left in your blood."

"I see... This is how you solved the problem."

I remembered what had happen. Actually... I only remembered the turn. This agony going through your body, burning every pieces of your humanity, swallowing the remaining consciousness you have until it turns it into a shapeless mass of anger. Nonetheless, what had happened after was now only a blurry nightmare.

Ul came nearer and put his muzzle on the bed and whined.

"I'll go and grab you something to eat. After that.... I'll tell you the whole truth."

Despite my pain, I opened my eyes wide in surprise.

Finally.

Finally I was to know. The minutes that followed were terribly long. Then in the end, dad appeared on the threshold.

**

        There was nothing else I could do. I did not have any other option but to tell him the truth. After what he had gone through the day before, I could not afford to hide his origin form him, nor all the secrets surrounding it. Besides, Henri would fight hard to discover what this was all about and keeping this to myself would only make the situation even more dangerous.

When I had come back to his room with soup in a bowl, Arthur had stared at me. In his eyes, I could read impatience mixed with curiosity and fear.

There was no turning back.

As I was about to open my mouth, looking for the right words, Arthur spoke first.

"Was mom a werewolf?"

I could sense sadness in his voice. The idea of his mother going through the agony he had the previous day made him sad, no doubt. It was what I deduced from his reaction when I answered.

"Oui."

He looked away and brought a shivering hand to his forehead and ripped off the cloth I had put there.

Knowing he would not answer, I continued.

"I'm not your real father."

He looked at me again and planted his gaze in mine. Clearly, he was not expecting this. My throat felt so dry, it became hard to talk. This confession was more costly than I was ready to admit.

"As Agate is not your real sister."

He jumped and a slight surprised scream escaped his lips. He closed his eyes tight but did nothing to stop me. I continued.