Hunters moon

6: The control of an Amarok

Hunters moon #4

Quintin ate happily, but he did hear her.

"So, what will happen if they continue?"

"All of them might reach Amarok, and a pack of Amaroks are the worst possible outcome"

"Then, why not go up there to stop them?"

"I can't, they don't see me as their leader anymore, Devonte, one of the young ones, already sent a letter stating he's taking over the pack, and will soon claim the Delta"

Naomi slammed her fist on the table "Betrayer!"

"That's the least of my worries Naomi, Gain power in the wrong way, and it corrupts you"

"But, if he said he'll soon claim the Delta, why not leave him to it?" Quintin asked.

"Because I know it won't stop there, they'll seek more"

"Ok, then instead of going there to stop them, go and end them, if this Amarok threat lingers longer"

Cleopatra sighed "I wish it was that simple for me, they're my family Quintin, I gave them time, maybe to come to their senses, but now it's too late"

Quintin laughed abruptly.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't being funny" Cleopatra said confused.

"No, the way I understand this is, you want me to become this new wolf, to go stop your pack, or they'll become the ultimate force and will take over the world?"

"For a lack of better words, yes"

"One full moon at a time, but during the day their human right? And you told me they're not immortal?"

"Yes"

"So why didn't you go and stop them already? Knowing how dangerous it would be?"

Cleopatra frowned "I already told you, I wanted to give them a chance"

"Then you're kind of a stupid pack leader you know that?"

The women in the room gasped, Naomi elbowed him in his side.

"Excuse me?" Cleopatra asked coldly.

Ignoring Naomi's efforts to silence him he continued "You heard me. Didn't you ever hear the saying 'Every man seeks to express his power, and will always seek to be greater than the next' that doesn't count for all men, but your pack is a clear example of that, they are all young men at the end of the day"

"Yes, I know of that term, but werewolves work like wolves, they follow a pack Alpha, and will never seek to be greater than it, if the alpha is challenged and it falls, the next alpha will rise to lead the pack. It's never the pack who wants to be greater than the alpha"

"Ok then why are you worried? If they have a new alpha they'll follow him right?"

"Yes, but if he is corrupt, he'll lead them in the wrong path, gaining power the right way will produce a great alpha, but the way Devonte gained power was wrong and made him a slave of the crave of power"

Quintin frowned, then thought for a while, something still didn't make sense to him.

"I don't know, all this Amarok stuff sounds like a heap of horse s**t to me" He said, Cleopatra got angrier and Naomi elbowed him again.

"You are testing my restraint now, first stupid, now a liar hey?" She coldly asked again.

"He's the i***t miss Cleopatra, please forgive him!" Naomi pleaded and pushed his head down into the table.

"No!" Quintin freed himself from Naomi's grip "Tell me this then?"

"Quintin shutup! You're severely shortening your lifespan now!" Naomi yelled, the other women on the table only watched in terror as he continued biting at Cleopatra.

"If Amaroks were these fantastic powerful, unstoppable force? Why is the earth still here? Why are humans still the dominant species?" He yelled through Naomi's hand trying to shut it.

"Because the Amaroks of now didn't want it's rank for the power, only for it's control, Amarok rank is the peak of self control, apart from the eternal youth"

"Ooh my goodness...!" Quintin was literary wrestling with Naomi now, she was semi beating him, but he could still speak "Control hey!?" He yelled pushing "The power to move mountains, and you want it because it makes you little more sane on a full moon...!? That's bullshit!"

"That's! It! I have had it with you!!!" Cleopatra yelled standing up, but she was still rising, Quintin sat in shock and awe as he watched her shift right in front of him, her size tripled, her muscles ripped, her mouth became a fanged muzzle, long sharp ears extended through her hair, her hands, paws, with two inch claws. She stretched out her body as the final changes took place then ripped her dress of, roaring at him over the table.

Quintin screamed falling back over his chair.

"Arrogant to the last! You little bastard!" She roared at him "I clearly made a mistake with you! Don't worry though, I'll correct it, Any last words you insolent pup!?" She was around the table in just two steps.

"Ooh f**k me sideways!" He screamed balling up, Naomi came in front of him "Please my Queen! He's an i***t, please spare him!"

"Move Naomi!"

"Please your Majesty! He is not accustomed to the correct respect you deserve! Don't take his life, it's all he has left"

Cleopatra's lips drawn back so far it exposed a horrid set of gums and fangs, she listened to what Naomi said and her lips relaxed.

"Step aside Naomi, I told you not to get attached to him, and this is why" Cleopatra said, Naomi could see there was nothing she could do for him, and moved over.

Horrified Quintin looked up at her "Your last words, speak them now" She said shooting out her two inch claws.

He swallowed hard, then answered with the best of guts, and struggling not to stutter "I'm sorry, I wanted to get to a point, where as... To listening to what you were saying.. I.. It.. It might..."

"Wasting away your breath! Speak up!"

"It might be easier than I thought to sort out your problem!" He said quickly and ducked behind his arms again.

"What do you mean!?" She paused.

He looked up "Does this mean those were not my last words?" He cautiously asked, it spiked Cleopatra's temper slightly

"Don't try to be funny now boy! It's not wise when you're staring death in the face!!"

"Ok ok! What I'm suggesting is if I go and challenge the alpha of your pack and win does that mean I will be the new alpha!? And then I can order them to follow you again!?" He wailed hysterically ducking.

She calmed down again "A bold gesture boy, Devonte is no pushover, next to me he is the strongest, I doubt a newby like you can overthrow him easily"

Quintin swallowed hard again and looked down "Oh... Where's that laxative when you need it" He said softly.

Naomi gave a snort trying to hold her laughter, as did a few other of the women, but not long, and the laughter couldn't be contained anymore.

"It's not funny!" Quintin yelled "Can't you see I'm staring death in the face here!?"

Cleopatra grabbed him by his collar and hoisted him effortlessly high above her own head, he was almost touching the roof.

"Oooh s**t! This is high! High above death now!"

Cleopatra struggled to keep a straight face as the other kept laughing.

"See how much control I have over this form boy? This is why it can't fall into the wrong hands, so, disrespect me again, and I'll tare off your legs, and then your arms! You'll spend the remaining moments of your life squabbling around on the ground like a maggot until you bleed out! Do you understand me!?"

"Yes! f**k yes! Please I don't want to be a maggot!"

It was the final straw, Cleopatra had to start laughing as well and placed him down.

"Does this mean I get to live?" He asked.

"For now" Cleopatra said holding her mouth, it was at that moment Brandon came in and stopped confused.

"Uh, did I miss something?"

"Brandon, go park the pickup, and get the bus, were all going to the Karoo"

Cleopatra said, causing the women in the room to cheer of excitement.

After breakfast was done, the women got into casual clothing, had their bags ready and was heading outside, the bus stood ready for them and they boarded. Quintin didn't even ask anymore, he figured with the big house and fancy sports cars, it didn't surprise him to see they owned a sixty seater bus. Brandon got in after locking the house and they drove off.

The bus had tinted windows, and was more set up inside to be a mobile home than a passenger liner, Cleopatra was still a werewolf, one plus one told Quintin that's why the windows had such a dark tint.

"Excuse me mam, but why are you still a werewolf? And how? I have learned my lesson I promise" He said carefully, but Cleopatra laughed.

"Oh seriously Quintin, you can still call me by my name, I can become a wolf any time I want, it's one of the perks of Amarok rank, but shifting takes a huge amount of energy, and I need to stay like this for a wile until my energy is restored"

"Ok, if you shift back soon after? What then?"

"That could kill me, it's like dieing of dehydration and heatstroke"

He nodded "Ok then, another thing, you said your family right? So are you all directly related?" He asked.

"Yes, everyone you see here on this bus are daughters and granddaughters"

His eyes grew, it all made sense now, they all had her blue eyes, tan skin, and black hair.

"Daughters and grand daughters... How old are you then?"

"My name says it all" She said with a grin.

"Cleopatra..." His mouth fell open "'The' Cleopatra of Egypt!?"

She nodded smiling

"Oh! So that's why Naomi said 'My Queen, and your Majesty?"

"Yes"

"Ok, but according to history you were buried in the pyramids right?"

"Yes, but I placed the body of another woman who looked similar to me there, I faked my death to get out of that life and start anew, I realised I can't be a ruler as an Amarok, with the entire Egypt looking at you every day, it was tough explaining why you don't age"

"Ok, then that Anubis statue? If they weren't allowed to see you, why is there a statue of your wolf form?"

"One night I was careless and a servant saw me, I wanted to kill him but he fell to his knees and started worshiping me" She said giving a quick laugh "It worked out perfectly, I told him I'm the God of mummification, and he bought it"

"But the Anubis statue is inaccurate, it lacks a tail" Naomi said.

"Not only that, it's physical build is female, but has a male chest, guess it's for the best Naomi, the further they stay from the truth, the better" Cleopatra said and Naomi nodded.

"Talking about further, how long will we be driving?" Quintin asked.

"For about a day"