Book 2 Chapter 44
John
We were in the middle of the forest, but we hadn’t shifted yet. He was going to give me a briefing of my options of what we had smelled and seen so far, but today he seemed different. It was time for the hunt that would supply me with my dinner… and I was starving. I didn’t catch anything yesterday, because of stupid Warrior Ion howling like an asshole! I was also really slow yesterday… but I had just got out the hospital. I was being worked to the bone! I didn’t eat anything today… and the thought of the hunt made me wipe my mouth. I drooled.
“Son, you have made me more than proud, and today, this hunt will be different. Today we hunt the most dangerous of game… the most vengeful. Man. There is always one out there, either a hunter or a human who ignores the fence… today is a hunter. This will test everything you know and push you to your moral and physical limit.” He said sternly with crossed arms.
“We have tracked him and his band down until there was only the one left. His leg is broken, but he is cunning.” Said Beta Isaac. I didn’t know he was a man eater too.
“Wait… is it Ann’s husband?” I asked and there were chuckles. I cracked my knuckles.
“How perceptive but no… I ate him a while ago. We kept him alive for a few days. We knew you wouldn’t have the heart to just kill some innocent mortal, seeing as how you saved and turned Anastasia, but in the end, we saved this one.” Said my father, smiling wide.
“I figured as much. I assume the same pack though, right?” I asked, and my father shifted.
Yes, and he had the same terrible attitude. We roughed him up, beat him to a pulp for the things he has said, but I think he would die best this way. He snarled, running like the freaking wind.
I was determined to make them all pay for shooting my mother, and for strangling the joy out of my friend. They mistreated her enough that she gave up her humanity with no struggle… I growled, and it echoed through the woods. I really had gotten stronger.
I passed my father, surprised that I could, especially since I knew he was giving it his all for once. Father held back less and less, but I think it was because I was reaching my potential… Also, the King had saved me while I was poisoned, and I felt I was stronger… Stronger than I should be…
The Warriors said nothing as we patrolled the borders, howling as we did so, and looking for traps. He had been out there a while by their description, knowing he couldn’t outrun us. I knew he would have something up his sleeve.
I saw a branch bent in a strange way, and chose to run around it. one of the Warriors with us got slapped in the face with a porcupine needle filled branch. He shifted growling swears, we stopped for him.
“I’m fine Alpha, all of you keep going.” He snarled taking one out of his nose.
The new piercings look good on you Warrior Ty. Snickered Beta Isaac.
“Ha ha, let’s all have a laugh. Look at my face! Save his liver.” He grumbled, and we shifted to find this guy.
It wasn’t much longer before we picked up his scent. It went off in multiple directions. What are your orders son? I was linked by my father, and we all stopped for a second. I thought about it
We will follow the strongest scent, he seems to have been trying to hold us off. It was fresh blood in the dirt, which meant I was right, but I was still careful. I’d never hunted human before…
“It seems the dogs have found me. Come on, Try me.” He growled though it was human, holding a broken stick he’d sharpened into a spear. I shifted.
“I am no dog, but if you wish for a fight. I challenge you as a man… if you can even call yourself that.” I growled, scattering the birds from the trees.
“Big words coming from an Animal.” He sneered.
“Big words coming from a mortal who laid hands on women.” I retorted, and his eyes grew wide a second before he began a tirade.
“I made them STRONG! My methods may have been unorthodox, but they were family! Fuck you!” He screamed, slamming the other end of the stick on a rock so it was jagged. “Do you know how many Good people we lose every year? Hundreds. The only one I ever regret was little Anni… she was too weak to go on that mission, but Spencer kept begging the Captain!” He spat charging me.
“You exaggerate.” Said my father, while I tried concentrating on dodging his erratic swinging. He was getting desperate. “At most we capture about 30 to 50 humans a year, most of which are tourists, the rest are idiot teens, and maybe one or two are hunters scouting.” He crossed his arms. The warriors surrounded us in this fight now, because I know even if I did lose, they wouldn’t let him go.
We dodged each other, on equal ground and footing, but some of the hunting party decided to sit while watching us. My father watched, no longer saying anything, but was shifted standing there, tail high. I wasn’t skilled in swordplay, but my reflexes saved me. He lunged at me, missing my face by a few hairs, and I snarled.
“Sounds like you would still be home if you wouldn’t have made it a Mission to hunt supernaturals that Weren’t bothering you.” I said taking a swing at him with my stick using my strength. They both exploded from the impact, but now he had a piece that was about as long as a dagger left. He tried stabbing me but I dogged it. He was getting slower.
“Those mongrels don’t deserve to live… All they do is Take because nobody stops them. Without Us, no human would be safe.” He retorted, but I finally managed to smack all the dagger sized stick away.
“Wrong again. No wolf worth his fur is going to just Waltz into a town and take human life. The Church wouldn’t allow it, the Council wouldn’t… I wouldn’t. That’s what You do. Wolves minding their own business…. Pack wolves don’t even leave the territory. For others, your presence is the First mortal they’ve ever seen.” He reached for his makeshift weapon, but I pinned him to the ground. I think I broke his arm, but it wasn’t my intention.
“You fucking monster!” He screamed, though his struggling caused me to crush it. I was only using my grip…
“No, the monster here is You, no better yet, it’s what you create. Hateful humans who bother innocent wolves, and the survivors hate and mistrust good humans…. and create a cycle that should not exist in this time of peace, but is perpetuated by people like You.” I snapped his neck, and it was done. I passed my final right, but I felt like the monster he claimed me to be…
“Well done son, also well said. We do this work for the safety of our own. Come, let’s go eat.” He said with a small smile, but I looked down at his battered body.
“As hungry as I am, I kind of want to bury the stinky human.” I told him. The Warriors were visibly upset, but my father looked calm. Even Terracotta was pissed at me. He wouldn’t even talk to me at the moment.
“You don’t have to eat man to be strong. Meat is meat, but know you will not eat again tonight.” He smiled slightly, and I bowed to my father.
“Thank you Alpha. I will bury him right here, and I will go home straight after.” I mumbled, but he pat my head.
“My soft hearted son…. Let us finish our patrol.” He sighed shifting and leading the others away.
I shifted, digging a decent hole. It took me an hour, but I doubt any animals would get him. I used the stone he smashed the stick on as his gravestone. I didn’t know his name, but I hoped this was enough for his soul to pass. For his actions of killing the innocent, and beating his own people, he probably went to hell, but that was something he deserved.
I guess in the end I was still a weak pup with strange dreams I thought to myself. I looked at the sun, it was getting late, so I buried him, and did a small prayer. Since he was human, the Lord of Light, and of Night would judge him…. may they be merciful.
I didn’t understand why I was worried for the soul of my enemy while I ran. I was almost home. How did I see humans? I guess I thought of Ann and Heidi too much. They were the most important girls in my life. Both were small… Both were basically human compared to other wolves. Ann even came from hunters. She was given a chance and took it… but he didn’t want one. I walked through the door, being crashed into by my mate.
“John Where have you been?!” She screamed, hugging my neck, as I was late. There was no dinner for me. Garnet made sure I was following the rules. Though the house was thick with the smell of human food, I found myself without an appetite. He’d made sausage rolls, boiled cabbage, and they had chocolate cake for dinner, but now that kind of food would make me sick.
“I buried a hunter.” I said seeing Ann’s face turn to one of fear. She was afraid they’d found her.
“No Ann, he was captured beforehand. No one knows where you are, but that one knew you.” I said seeing her relax.
“The only ones who would care would be my husband, or the trainer….” She said looking down.
“The trainer was my final test. I killed him but I couldn’t eat him. It felt weird knowing I’d come home to you two.” I was honest, and they both hugged me now.
“Don’t worry about us!” Chastised Ann. “If that’s what you need to do, then by all means do it!” She growled.
“Ann’s right! Herrakken won’t hesitate to try and use any weakness against you!” my mate’s complaint was spot on, but I didn’t want to admit it.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
