The Hunter

Chapter 12

We fell asleep watching Game of Thrones wrapped in each other arms. My ring tone woke me up but apparently not Gabriel as he snored beside me. I carefully untangled myself from him and got off the sofa going to my jeans on the floor and grabbing my phone out of the pocket. I heard Gabriel stir but he just move into a more comfortable position still snoring, I blew out a breath.

“hello” I whispered

“Bodies what’s up”

“Kal, what the hell do you want?”

“Maybe I’m going to call, maybe your going to answer… remember?”

“that was just last night, you can’t poss…”

“oh, but I do. I told you it’s open season for hunters right now. This one is serious. It’s in the neighboring pack to the one your staying at. It’s a rouge that came in their territory, only vandalizing and causing a stir”

“then why do they need a hunter?”

“He was near the packhouse. They also smell him in one of the beta’s pups' rooms. The alpha wants him dealt with the only way hunter deals with these kinda situations. I feel there's something up with this. it's in my gut”

“okay I got you”

“good and Bodies bring one of your guns ”

I look at the phone surprise before bringing it back to my ear “I thought we were trying to bring one in alive”

“yeah, but it won't help if your, ya know, dead. I’m serious about this. Bring. A. Gun.” I shrugged thinking he was being paranoid but deicide to heed the warning.

“you got it,” I said before hanging up.

Looking at Gabriel sleeping form hesitantly knowing he was not going to like this. But I never let anyone’s feelings deicide what I did before and that was not going to change now. Quietly I moved out of the study.

It had to have been an hour since I spoke with Kal. I took one of the cars in the garage so I could get there fast, but I was still running out of time. This was unusual for a hunt. I usually had more time to decide if this is a job I wanted to take. Even though I like Kal, it wasn’t like I fully trusted him. He could be setting me up for a trap. I’m glad I did take his advice as I felt the cold metal of the gun against my back.

I stop right next to the dense forest between the packs when a smell hit me. I got out of the truck and headed towards the smell that instantly seemed off. It was so fresh, so in your face, like it was baiting me. he had to be near. This all seemed to the covenant, too easy. I wasn’t that far from Moving Mountain territory.

What type of dumb wolf would stay around after breaking into a packed house and managing to escape? What type of rouge doesn’t even attempt to mask his scent after escaping so they wouldn’t track? That’s when I heard it, a shift in the air as the dark object came towards me. I ducked and the object in bedded itself into the three behind me.

I slowly moved to inspect it. It was a small knife embedded into the heart of the tree. it reminded me of the lesson I taught Evan earlier today. I suddenly felt a dance of da Ja Vu. I went closer to examine it but then I heard another wisp of air. I quickly moved behind the tree as I heard the second knife.

I took out three big knives from the side of my jeans, holding them steady and trying to slow my breath. Closing my eyes, I calm myself for a second. When I felt like had my body back under my control, I looked from behind the tree trunk but saw nothing but darkness. It suddenly felt like I was the prey and he was the hunter.

I slide my knives back into my pants, knowing throwing them would be a waste right now. You can’t hit a target if you don’t have a clue where it was. Instead, I took a small stick off ground sliding it across the forest floor to make noise, testing a theory and within a miller-second, there was another knife flying. geez, how many knives did the person have? but it meant my assumption had been correct, it meant they couldn’t see me. they were going after my sound and the best part, they were impulsive.

As silently as I could I crouched down and started moving through the trees. it was hard to make any noise and the leaves beneath my feet felt like firecrackers. sometimes I slip up and feel the cold sting of death wizz past me. I would also make noise in other directions and was not disappointed as the knives flew in that same direction.

After about three throws I had a pretty good idea where they are coming from. He was up in the trees. I climbed a tree closet to the location I thought the rouge was. I sent a silent kiss to Lady luck who was on my side when I saw a figure resting there waiting. I slither from limb to limb until I was close enough to touch him. Just when I thought I had my capture, trying to reach the syringe in my pocket to knock him out, her head turned back, and her eyes meet mine.

The rouge was a girl. A young girl to boot, she could not be older than me, probably younger. “what the...” that’s when the knives came faster and faster. I had to duck and move to keep from getting hit, almost losing my footing and that’s when she took her chance and run. she jumped off the branch and I followed catching up with her in no time and tackling her on the way down.

“You didn’t think it would be that easy, didja,” I said smiling. she took my smug moment to knee in the stomach, I double over in pain. rolling away from me she got up to run again.

bitch.

I threw my leg out and tripped her ass back to the ground. she tried getting up again but a swift kick from me into her stomach had her falling back down. I heard a frustrated grunt before she rolled back over and jump to her feet. this time I let her, getting up myself, curious where this little game was going. And that’s how I saw her, as a game, she couldn’t possibly think I took her seriously.

she came to me with fire in her eyes. clearly, this wasn’t a game to her. she swung her arms wildly at me as she let out a battle cry. I saw the glint of the knife her hands flew. I moved to the side letting the knife thump on the ground. The bizarreness that was unfolding before me was almost comical, hunts are not like this. most wolves that are hunted run and they count it lucky if they can not come in counter with one of us. She waited, hell she baited me, now she was attacking?

I continued to move effortlessly as she continue to through things at me. I didn’t want to kill this female but she was making it hard plus I had a theory. I saw her come again this time closer. I grab her wrist twisting it till I heard a snap. she screamed but I did not let go, flipping her leg from under her. She dropped to the ground with me on top of her.

“stop, I don’t want to harm you,” I said as she struggled to get free.

“fuck you, you filthy hunter, I will kill you” she screeched I smiled at that instantly loving the threat

“oh yeah, I don’t see how you're going to do that from your position sweetheart” “you will die, you will all die” she screeches

“We all?” I asked loosening my grip. Playtime was over, I was not liking what this little she-wolf was saying. I knew it was more than it was mere ramblings of a confused and dumb person. It was time to test my theory.

I let her go, getting off of her and standing up. I felt a twinge of sadness for what I was about to do but hopefully, I was wrong. I wanted to be wrong.

“you can go. I don’t like killing kids” I muttered before backing off. I turned my back to show I was no threat. As I moved, I heard the ruffle of leaves, I felt her presence and I duck before the knife had made contact with my back. moving swiftly around her I grabbed her neck, twisting until I heard the satisfying crack. Her body fell to the ground. her lifeless eyes staring back at me.

“What a shame,” I said leaving her where she laid, I’ll have Kal come clean her up, he’s the reason I was here in the first place. Kal, shit, I had to tell him what I knew. I made it back to the car quickly dialing his line.

“Hey, how’d it go,” he said hopefully

“it’s hunters”

“what”

“it's hunter, idiot. someone hunting hunters and killing them”

“I told you it can't be, pack wolves are getting killed to”

“yes but it's as causality. It's to bring the hunters out. I’m serious Kal. listen you didn’t see this girl, she was on a mission and it was not to getaway. it was to kill me. Whoever setting this up, who every causing all of this, they are after hunters” I stressed.

It was quiet for a moment before he finally talked “meeting at my place, hurry up”

“you think you can get all the hunters that fast?”

“as many as I can. the word has to get out, hurry up”

“the body still back there”

“don’t worry I’ll handle clean up later. this is more important,” he said before hanging up. I threw the phone on the seat hitting the gas harder on my way to Kals.

His place of location did not look much different than mine before meeting Gabriel. I parked around the back of his hidden shank before heading to the shed he lives in behind a store. I walked into a room with Kal and five other hunters sitting around.

“what the fuck is this?” I asked looking around. “is this all you could get?”

“well excuse of your highness, didn’t know we were not good enough,” Pete said, he was more lowkey but I had seen him around. I rolled my eyes

“sit Bodies.” Kal said looking tired “this was all who would come. most don’t want a part of this. They prefer to handle things on their own. Some think we’re lying sack of hot bullshit and others we simply can't fine”

“it not like there lot of us out there anyway” John an older wolf said looking half bored and ready to go himself.

“john’s right” a girl name Lisa agreed. She as new, a good fighter if rumors could be believed, but a bit reckless. “if they are picking us off there ain't that much to pick”

“how do we know they are a thing? we don’t know what you saw?” Pete said again looking suspiciously at me

“what the hell does that mean,” I said back staring him in the eye.

“your little boyfriend doesn't really like hunters, how do we know he didn't put this in your head to stop us from working” he shrugged sitting back in his chair.

“excuse me?” I shot up and stood in front of him, he stood as well and square his shoulder.

“easy easy” Kal said standing in between us. “this is Bodies. She’s one of us”

“not looking like or smelling like one of us anymore” peter grunt

“Fine, was Theo one of us? What about Bane, was he?” Kal sad with a more authoritarian voice “two of the best hunter’s dead. Theo has been doing this shit for over 15 years. He knew every trick, knew these territories like the back of his hand, smart as shit. Killed like a defenseless pup. Bane, we all know him right, built like boulders on top of boulders, tougher than any mother fucker in this room. Went against 5 full-grown wolves in one hunt, came out there smiling. Some trackers found him a week ago with at least fifty stab wombs in his body. suddenly he’s dead. that doesn't seem strange to you” everyone fell silent for a moment.

It wasn’t news that packs didn’t like us, This was different. Someone was picking off the best hunter by luring them out and making them put down their guard and killing them. Something was going on and we all felt it.

“listen for all who want to live another fucking day we're gonna have some rules. First, we go out in pairs and we always let someone know where”

“so we can lose our money ” john yelled back

“What good is the money of you dead.” Kal shot back

“how about this, whoever accepts the hunt gets 75 percent, the helper gets 25” my suggestion fell on deaf years

“it's easy for you to say, you’re the enforcer mate. what do you need the money for” Lisa shot out

“oh I’m sorry Lisa” I mocked “how about you go out by yourself humm, go head. you've been doing this for about a year, going after easy prey. let see how long you have until you wind up maggot meat”

she sneers flashing her fangs. I sneer back, only mine were just teeth.

“listen it's not the best solution but it is a solution.” I said factually “at least until we find out what’s is going on. I can speak with Gabriel, he can help”

“man hell no” Pete said getting up “no pack!”

“he, not a pack, he the enforcer, he's supposed to be there for everyone” I fired back

“bitch, are you crazy or maybe you have been around them a little too long. we protect us. Not. Them.”

“They are getting killed on the pretense of getting us”

“unless they're paying” he said getting close to my face “they aren’t my concern. Or. Yours.”

“settle down” Kal tried to control

“no fuck that, you want me to do this I will. I will even get some other hunters I know to play ball. I’m pretty sure we all can do that.” He said looking around the room and getting reluctant nods “but if you get one of those pack bitches involve I'm out and I’m not sure if you’re going to find many others who will agree to this. We always follow our own rules, we start listening to them we minus well roll on our backs and show our bellies now” Pete said looking around.

I followed his eyes seeing everyone's face in agreement. I looked at Kal with regret in his eyes, but they showed the same.

no one will trust us if packs are involved.

“I’m sorry Charlie,” Kal said regretfully “but Pete’s right and this is about saving us not them. We agree, no pack, no enforcers, just hunters”

everyone went around and one by one verbally agreed until all eyes landed on me. I didn’t like keeping things from Gabriel but I knew I had to. I was a hunter before I was his mate. This is what kept me alive for so long.

“agreed” I sighed, resigning myself to my fate.