Rise of the rogue queen-Chapter 18 - - The creature

Zephyrine's POV

I ordered Roland to take his men and search the pack for anyone still in possession of the pill.

We uncovered over twenty pills, with some claiming to have taken them without effect. However, Roland's investigation revealed a disturbing truth: the pills had been sold to the poor under the guise of a miracle cure for all ailments.

Dara's father had unknowingly overdosed, leading to his strange transformation.

Other pack members who had taken the pill were either missing or dead. Their families said they had simply vanished after a few days. Those who hadn't fully mutated could briefly return to their human forms, but once the transformation was complete, they became monstrous killers, forever lost to the mutation.

I stood in the room watching as the doctors tended to Dara's father.

"Queen Zephyrine, is my father going to be okay?" Dara sniffled, clinging to me.

I had no answer. I couldn't promise her something I wasn't sure of. Damien, the young man who had temporarily subdued the creature with a strange liquid, had already warned us that it wasn't a cure, only a temporary restraint.

"Don't worry, dear. Everything will be fine," I assured her, though the words felt hollow.

She nodded, trusting me.

Roland rushed inside looking panicked.

"My Queen, there's a problem," he said, drawing my attention.

I followed him outside, where we found a woman sitting on the ground, clutching her bleeding arm.

I rushed to her side, helping her up before handing her off to a nearby guard. "Take her to the doctor. Quickly."

Roland pointed at the ground. "Look at these tracks, my Queen. They resemble the ones left by Dara's father."

I crouched down, studying the damp earth. The tracks led straight into the woods.

"It's fully mutated," I murmured. "The ones that aren't fully transformed don't attack, but this one... it's gone."

Scanning the area, my eyes landed on another set of tracks a few feet away. Then another, further ahead.

"Roland, who resides in this part of the pack?"

"They're mostly the wealthy, my Queen. Judging by the tall buildings and the sparse number of people around, this area has always been for the elite. But since your reign, other pack members have started moving in."

I gave a slow nod, deep in thought.

We returned to check on Dara's father. The doctor's sad expression made my heart sink.

"Did something happen?"

I turned to Dara's father, still lying there, sleeping soundly.

The doctor hesitated before speaking. "My Queen, I don't believe there is a cure. He is on the brink of full mutation. Once that happens, he may never return to normal."

Understanding his words, I nodded. Then, without hesitation, I pulled Dara into my arms as she broke down in tears, sobbing into my shoulder.

*********

Late at night...

Two men loitered near an abandoned house, their eyes narrowing as I passed.

"Hey! Stop right there."

I kept my head down, hands tucked into my sweater pockets.

"This area's off-limits at night. Get lost."

Ignoring them, I continued forward. One of them grabbed my arm from behind. In an instant, I twisted his wrist, flipping him to the ground. I covered his mouth to muffle his scream before twisting his arm at an unnatural angle.

The second man lunged, but I delivered a swift kick to his head, sending him sprawling.

Adjusting my hood, I moved toward the building, taking a staircase that led downward. The place was hushed not a single soul in sight.

I reached a door and pushed it open. Inside was a hidden club, alive with different activities.

Scantily clad women strutted about, drunken men pawed at them, and in the far corner, brutal fights took place while others cheered.

No one paid me any attention.

Slipping past the chaos, I ascended another staircase and reached another door. I pushed it open..... and froze.

Wealthy men stood in a ring, drinking and laughing as they watched creatures fight to the death.

Two half-mutated beings were dragged into the arena as bets were placed. Fully mutated ones were bound in heavy restraints, held back only for later entertainment.

They laughed and jeered as the creatures ripped into each other.

I clenched my fists, rage burning through me.

Moving silently through the crowd, I reached the restraints of one of the fully mutated creatures and freed it.

A man caught sight of me and yelled, but it was too late.

The creature lunged as soon as I freed them.

Screams filled the air as chaos erupted.

I turned and sprinted for the exit, leaving the door wide open.

"You all need to get out!" I shouted as I stormed down the stairs.

The pounding music drowned out my voice. Scowling, I stormed toward the source and yanked the plug.

"Hey! Who the hell do you think you are?!" a man barked.

I turned to face him, my voice cold. "If you value your life, you'll get the hell out of here. Now."

They all laughed out loudly.

"Who do you think you are? Do you even know where you are?"

I said nothing.

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I turned toward the door, but another man shoved me back.

Then came the screams from upstairs. The creatures had made their way down.

Panic erupted as people scrambled for the exits.

Outside, Roland and the others were already waiting.

"Fire the tranquilizers!" Roland commanded.

Darts whizzed through the air, striking both creatures and people alike.

One by one, they collapsed, unconscious.

Roland rushed to my side. "My Queen, are you alright?"

I nodded, but my ears caught a distant, terrified scream from inside the building.

"Take them," I ordered, gesturing to the unconscious bodies. "I'll be back."

Without waiting, I darted back inside.

Stepping over the fallen bodies, I followed the sound of the scream, my pulse quickening.

I heard the loud scream again, it was a child.

I kicked open a door and bolted inside just as a creature lunged, it's stinger ready to sting the little girl. I shielded the girl with my body, bracing for impact.

A shot rang out.

Roland had followed me, firing a tranquilizer at the creature. It took several more before it finally collapsed.

"My Queen, are you hurt?" he rushed to me concern filled his face.

I quickly hid my arm behind my back. "I'm fine. Take the child to safety."

As Roland carried her away, I turned my gaze to the creature.

It was different.

The mutation wasn't like the others—it had a stinger.

The Next Day....

The captured creatures were locked up under strict surveillance.

After interrogation, we uncovered another horrifying truth, many who had taken the pill and vanished hadn't simply run away. They had been captured by the wealthy and forced into these brutal fights for entertainment.

The woman who had claimed to be scratched by Dara's father had lied. He had harmed no one because he hadn't fully mutated yet.

I ensured that the wealthy werewolves involved were arrested, their fortunes seized, and they faced severe punishment for their crimes.

As for the little girl I had saved, she had merely followed her father—the same father who had been captured and forced into the fights.

Yet, something troubled me.

Days had passed, but my wound refused to heal. While protecting the girl, the creature stung me. Although, it didn't hurt immediately, but now it burns and a times, it stung.