Chapter Twenty-Four

Athena and Alexia were playing a game on the console when she suddenly spoke up, “Lexi, let us go to the gun range.”

Alexia paused the game to look at her friend, “Gun range? What spurred that thought? And how sure are you that there is a gun range in the pack?”

“There is. Ace told me. The werewolf warriors go there frequently to practice their marksmanship.”

“Well, I don’t mind. It has been long since I shot at something,” she said conspiratorially.

They both laughed.

“Do you need to change? I need to change. Do I need to change?” Athena rushed out.

Alexia scanned her casual outfit of jeans and a body-fitting top.

“Nope. You’re fine.”

“Let me get the car keys from Hayden. I’ll be down in a minute,” said Alexia.

Her peripheral vision caught Vanessa sitting on the second couch with her legs curled up under her, reading a novel. She paused.

“Vanessa, would you like to go to the gun range with us?” she asked her.

Without raising her head, Vanessa replied, “Hmmnm, let me think about it. Me, a vampire, spending time with a warlock and a Hunter in an enclosed place where we have access to ammunition. Sure, why not?”

She slapped her book shut, and withdrew her legs from under her, “Are you ready?”

“In a minute. I need to get the car keys from Hayden,” Alexia replied and rushed up the stairs.

The Alpha’s landing had been cleansed, so Hayden and Alexia were free to move back there. She stopped for a moment at the door of the office, debating whether to knock or not. The decision was made for her when Hayden chuckled and called out from behind the door, “Come in, Alex. I know it’s you.”

Alexia turned the doorknob and entered the office.

Hayden shifted his attention from the laptop to and he smiled when they made eye contact.

“Hey babe,” he said.

“Hey yourself, Alpha,” she said and pecked him on the cheek.

“What can I do for you today?”

Alexia started twiddling her thumbs, “I…uh…I need the keys to your Mercedes.”

His eyes narrowed, “And why do you need the keys to my Mercedes, Alex?”

“I need it because Athena, Vanessa and I are going to the gun range. Pleeeease!” she begged; her palms joined together.

“Vanessa? When did you and Vanessa become friends?” he asked incredulously.

Alexia shrugged, “Apparently, she’s looking forward to spending time with a warlock and a vampire in an enclosed space where we have access to ammunition.”

“That sounds…dangerous,” he observed.

She shrugged again, then continued to plead, “Can I please have the keys to the Mercedes?”

Hayden rolled his eyes and opened a drawer. He took out the keys and tossed them to her. She caught them and smiled, “Thank you so much,” she said.

She kissed him on the cheek again and skipped out of the office.

“Don’t allow it to have any…” Hayden started to tell her, but she had left the office.

“Why do I even bother?” he muttered to himself and continued his work.

Alexia raced down the stairs eagerly. She went to the garage and found Athena and Vanessa already waiting for her. She smiled and waved the key at them.

“We’re taking the Mercedes!” she squealed.

Athena squealed in delight too, while Vanessa rolled her eyes. However, the ghost of a smile played on her lips.

“Your squeals are deafening. Can we go now?” she said.

Alexia unlocked the car, and they piled in. She was in the driver’s seat, Athena in the passenger seat, and Vanessa in the back. She started the ignition and squealed again when the engine roared to life.

“Top up, or down?”

“Should you even ask?” said Vanessa sarcastically.

Alexia complied and put the top up. They zoomed out of the garage, the wind blowing into their merry faces.

***

At the gun range, the ladies were geared up with professional earmuffs and safety goggles. Athena and Vanessa opted for fingerless gloves, while Alexia chose to be barehanded.

With their weapons of choice in hand, they took their places in front of their targets, and started firing shots. When they exhausted their magazines, they pushed the buttons on the walls separating the stalls and the targets came zipping towards them.

Athena took off her target sheet and examined it. She hit bullseye twice, the next ring twice, and the outer ring twice.

“Hmm,” she sighed, “I’ve been worse.”

Vanessa examined hers, “I hit bullseye three times, and the next ring three times. I could do better.”

Both of them looked over at Alexia who was silent and fixing another sheet on her target. The used target sheet lay discarded on the floor. Athena moved closer to pick it up. Her eyes widened and she thumped Alexia on the back.

“Ow! What was that for?” she yelled.

“You had a perfect run!” Athena yelled back at her, “Why did you throw it on the floor? If I were you, I’d keep it and frame it, then gaze upon it for the rest of my days.”

Vanessa nodded coolly, “She has a point, Alexia.”

Alexia rolled her eyes, “It’s not that special. I have thousands back at home like it,” she said.

Athena’s mouth fell open, while Vanessa’s eyes widened. That was the most animation that they have ever registered on her stoic face.

“T…th…thousands?” stuttered Athena, “I don’t believe you. Do it again.”

Vanessa nodded eagerly, agreeing with Athena. Alexia rolled her eyes again and attached the target sheet to the target. Then, she sent it back with the push of the same button.

She took her stance, reloaded her weapon and fired six bullets into the target sheet. She hit the button and it came whizzing back. As she said, there was only one hole in the target sheet: right in the bullseye.

“See?”

“Alexia, that’s awesome! Wait, does your father shoot this well too? I won’t be surprised if he does, but does he?” asked Athena.

“He does, but he doesn’t get a perfect bullseye. His results are similar to Vanessa’s. A combination of bullseye and the next ring,” she answered.

“And he taught you to shoot, right? Wow. Just wow. The student is better than the teacher,” quipped Athena.

Vanessa pondered for some time, then shook her head, “No. there’s something more that. This level of accuracy and marksmanship was not achieved by practice or by the Hunter’s Sixth Sense alone. There’s more. I can’t believe you didn’t notice this, Athena. And you’re the warlock.”

Alexia and Athena’s mouths were agape. She looked at them, puzzled.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” she quizzed.

“That is the longest sentence I have ever heard you say. Usually, you never say more than one or two words at a time. The most you say is five. Five words! And you literally just vomited a salesman spiel, Vanessa!” Athena yelled.

Vanessa shrugged, “I speak when I feel like it,” she tossed her hair, “Anyways, observe her when she shoots. I noticed something, and you should too. Alexia, reload and shoot.”

Alexia shrugged. She put on her safety goggles and earmuffs, and they did the same. She attached a new target sheet, reloaded her gun, and sent the target away.
Athena and Vanessa moved closer to her and looked over her shoulder.

She started shooting. In a split second, 6 bullets were buried in the target.

All of them stepped back and took off their protective gear. Vanessa started talking.

“When she took her stance and cocked the gun, what did you notice, Athena? And I’m talking on a deeper level, not just physical.”

“Well, for starters, her movements became more fluid and solid, and a strange energy rushed through her. She shivered slightly. The energy is unlike anything I’ve felt before. It was like a Hunter’s Sixth Sense, but more powerful, more potent,” analysed Athena.

“Did she feel detached from the power, like the power was taking over?” Vanessa asked.

“No, strangely. It complemented and enhanced her,” she answered.

Vanessa clocked her fingers, “There’s something more to you, Alexia. I think I’m starting to see why you’re the Second Chance mate.”

“Touching as that sounds, I don’t believe in what you just said. I started training harder 9 years ago when I was 15. My father and the Council of Hunters already detected that I had the Hunter gene. However, they were appalled because I was a girl. They told my father to start training me, but only mildly. An incident happened that made me train myself harder,” Alexia said, her eyes narrowing.

“Care to share?” prompted Athena.

“I loved my grandparents. I used to visit them every weekend. One fateful weekend, I met this girl. She was such a delight. We became friends, very close friends. I revealed to her that I was a Hunter, and she told me that she was a werewolf, but we didn’t care. Until one weekend when I went to visit my grandparents and she…she…” her voice broke and tears glistened in her eyes.