Hunter's Secret

Hunter's POV

“Okay, drink this potion. It will reverse the effects of the previous one and should allow you to get in touch with River.” Ash said as she handed me a bottle, this time filled with a deep blue liquid. “You should start to feel the effects right away. Your father and I will be right here. You are strong enough for this, Hunter.”

I, despite severely doubting the entire situation, took the bottle from Ash and quickly drank the whole thing. I closed my eyes and steadied my breathing. Using the mindfulness techniques I had practiced with Cameron, I called out to my wolf ‘River, are you there?’

Focusing more, I explored the depths of my mind and was met with a pair of yellow eyes. I started shifting.

My green eyes turned yellow. My brown hair grew and turned black. I screamed in agony as my bones audibly snapped and were reorganized in my body. My screams turned to howls as my canines and claws appeared. I called out for my father, but my voice was drowned out by River’s. River was finally freed from the confines of my mind, and he was angry.

River’s yellow eyes locked with Ash’s fear-filled purple eyes as he started to pace back and forth along the wall. His eyes never left hers. She glanced over to Jackson which gave River enough of a reason to run toward her with his teeth bared. Ash quickly grabbed the gun and dart laced with silver and fired it directly at River’s head. River paused as if in disbelief before growling and running at her again. Ash aimed and fired again, the dart landing directly between his eyes. This time, his eyes flickered green and she quickly fired a third dart to River’s chest, and he went down. Slowly, his black fur shrank back into brown, his bones snapped again and reshaped into human, his canines and claws disappeared, and finally his eyes turned green. Hunter fell crumpled to the ground, exhausted and unconscious.

Jackson, grabbing a blanket from the table, ran to his son. Ignoring River’s potential to resurface, Jackson bent down and gently covered Hunter before pulling his head into his lap, "It was too much for him. I knew it was too much and I encouraged him to try anyway. We should have just bound his wolf."

Jackson, wiping the tears from his eyes, bent down and kissed his son on the forehead. Hunter stirred but did not wake up.

“Jackson, you know that binding River would have only made it harder for Hunter. He will be okay. I prepared for this. I didn’t expect River to be so large, but I was prepared,” Ash cautiously said.

Jackson gently laid his son’s head back on the cold floor of the basement and slowly stood up, “I knew this was a bad idea, Ash. Hunter isn’t ready.”

“Quite the opposite, Alpha Jackson. He can do this. He just needs practice. I will give him something to prevent the silver from weakening him too much, but he can’t leave yet. He needs to know how to shift and shift back. This may take a while. You can go home if you wish. I will take care of him. I promise,” Ash said sincerely.

“I can’t leave him like this. I also can’t abandon my pack. I need to tell Alice what is happening but since we are on your land, I can’t mind link back to the pack lands. I am trusting you, Ash. Don’t make me regret it. If he so much as gets a scratch in my absence, I will kill you,” Jackson said, growling the last part.

“I know you will. It will be fine. Now shoo!” Ash replied, swishing him up the stairs.

Hearing the front door close, Ash went back over to Hunter’s body and injected a protectant from the silver into his arm. She then walked back over to the other side of the basement and sat on a small stool, prepared to wait out the effects of the darts.

Hunter’s POV

A few hours later, I started waking up and slowly opened my eyes only to shut them again. I held my hands out in front of me and slowly opened my eyes again. Relief flooded my very tired body as I saw that my hands were back to normal. I turned to Ash, and asked, “How did I do?”

Ash smiled and said, “Very well. Minus the fact that I had to dart River three times before you shifted back and you have been unconscious for the past...” she looks down at her watch, “three hours and twenty-four minutes.”

I just sighed in reply and dropped my head into my hands.

“I know you are exhausted, Hunter. But you aren’t done yet. How did it feel?”

“Terrible. It was like I was sucked into his world, and I couldn’t get back out. Not to mention the pain. How does someone get used to the pain?” I asked dejectedly without lifting my head.

“They practice. Which is what you will do until I am confident River will not go kill someone.”

‘I will do what I want. No witch can keep me locked up,’ River’s voice echoed in my head.

“This is for your own good. You can’t just do whatever you want whenever you want. It doesn’t work that way!” I yelled, causing Ash to jump in surprise. She shot a questioning look at me and I think I look as surprised as she did.

“Whoa! I actually talked to him!” I exclaimed.

“You certainly did. That is a good first step to learning to work with him. You will not be able to control him. He is powerful, but you will learn to work with him. You will become great partners if you allow it. River, you need to work with Hunter,” Ash scolded.

That was enough to provoke River into appearing again and Hunter slowly and painfully shifted back into River. River growled and bared his teeth at Ash who simply chuckled and said, “There. Now we can work. Hunter, try shifting back now.” River shook his head and started launching himself toward Ash again. So, Ash darted him three times, again. Hunter shifted back and was unconscious, again. This unfortunate cycle repeated itself one more time before Jackson returned.

“He is still out?” Jackson asked concerned.

“Well….” Ash hesitated for a moment before explaining what had happened in Jackson’s absence.

Sighing deeply, Jackson asked, “Can he actually do this?”

“I think so. Each time he has been unconscious for less time. And he has learned to speak to River, albeit, not in his head yet. We will get there. Give him some more chances. If I can’t get things under control in two days, we can discuss…..other options.”

Jackson nodded in unfortunate understanding, “Fine, you have two days.”

Jackson left again and Ash patiently waited for Hunter to wake back up. When he did, she gave him some food and some water, and they talked for a while before Hunter fell asleep. Ash let him sleep for a few hours before she woke him up to start the process again. Provoking River, darting River, waiting on Hunter. The whole first day was just that cycle repeated over and over and over again. On the morning of the second day, Ash came down the stairs to see Hunter actually awake and conscious. She talked to him and gave him some pointers before starting again.

“River just thinks he is some big bad wolf. He is really just a unconfident little….” Ash didn’t have to finish her sentence before River roared to life again.

“Aren’t you tired of this yet? I know I am,” she said.

River just growled in response; his large paws silent as he paced along the wall again.

“Hunter, try telling River to stop pacing. He is making me dizzy,” she said, annoyed.

Narrowing his eyes at Ash, and flashing his teeth, he stopped circling and just stood there. Staring. Ash jumped up from her seat, pumping her fist in the air in triumph.

“Good job, Hunter! Now ask him to sit down.”

River did not appreciate her suggestion and lunged forward; teeth bared. However, just before he reached Ash, he stopped. His previously rage-filled eyes were filled with confusion. His eyes grew even wider as he slowly sat back on his haunches. His eyes then flickered green before a very sweaty Hunter appeared.

Hunter’s POV

I quickly grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around my waist, when I realized I actually shifted back by myself this time. I looked up at Ash and her jaw was dropped in shock.

“You aren’t unconscious this time!” Ash exclaimed excitedly.

“No, but I’m exhausted,” I said, running a tired hand through my very wet hair.

“I am sure you are. Now shift back,” Ash commanded.

I looked at her in disbelief, “I shifted back into my own body this time. Can we just be done? I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”

“Quit whining. If you want to leave, you will shift back and then back again. How is the pain?”

“Certainly not better. I feel numb now. I just want to sleep, Ash.”

“Too bad. Now shift.”

I sighed in protest and closed my eyes, allowing River to take control.

I could hear River huffing as he talked to me, ‘You are tired? I have been locked away for eighteen years. You know how much I want to go on a run right now? If I quit snapping, do you think the old hag would let us go?’

‘River, she isn’t an old hag and maybe if you behave yourself, we can go home. I want to sleep in my own bed.’

I bicker back and forth with River and was interrupted by my dad’s loud voice.

“How is he?” dad asked, breaking the silence in the room and setting off River again.

“Well, he was doing better until *you* came and interrupted their moment,” Ash glared at my dad and River had his sight fixed on my dad. A low growl rumbled out of River’s chest.

‘What are you doing? That is my dad!’ I tried to tell River, but he shut me out. I am now completely unable to have any control over the situation. River is glaring at my dad, and I hear him ask Ash a strange question.

“Ash, how much do you trust me?” he hurriedly asked.

“Enough. Why?” she responded.

“Move over to the stairs. Leave the gun this time. I think River needs a lesson.”

‘This is not going to go well,’ I think to myself as River watched Ash rush to the stairs before turning his attention back to my dad.

He had quickly shifted into his wolf, Felix. His gray fur almost glowed in the dim light of the basement. River squared up and stared Felix down. I can feel a mind-link trying to come in, but River refused to let it come through.

I could feel River gearing up to lunge at my dad, and I shut my eyes, scared of what was going to happen.

But before River had a chance to lunge, Felix growled a growl so deep and loud, it practically shook the walls and River involuntarily lowered his gaze. I peek open my eyes to see Felix walking over to River and growling again. To my amazement, River took the hint and backed up and then laid down, his eyes never leaving the floor.

“Shift,” my dad commanded.

River obeyed and I appeared with bewilderment written on my face. I had never experienced the full Alpha powers my father had until then. Felix obediently retreated and dad rushed to wrap my in a hug.

“Are you ready to go home?” he asked me, and I quickly nodded in agreement.

“Dang, Jackson, I see you and all that Alpha-ness,” Ash said, wagging her finger at dad who laughed before thanking her and turning to leave.

“Uh dad?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you toss me my suit?” I quietly asked. Laughing again, my dad tossed me my suit and waited as I threw everything back on. When I was dressed, I sincerely thanked Ash for all her help and then looked to dad for permission to leave. He nodded and we started our journey back home. I don’t think I have ever felt this tired in my entire life.