Chapter 1

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It was dark in the woods. The kind of dark where you felt like if you didn't stay on high alert at all times, it could just swallow you whole. The moonlight filtered through the canopy overhead, casting ever-moving shadows on the trees and self-made path below. The earth beneath my boots sunk slightly with every step causing my feet to feel heavy. The crisp air filled my lungs with every breath. Rain had fallen mere hours ago, leaving the feeling of dampness on any exposed skin.

I clutched my rifle in both hands, scanning the surrounding area every few minutes. The scope acts as an extension of my eyes. It only helped in the spots where the moonlight shone. Otherwise, the darkness proved too powerful.

A snap to my right catches my attention. I swing the barrel in the direction only to come face to face with someone. I let out a frustrated sigh. "Cyrus, you have to be more careful," I stated, lowering the gun to take in the man in front of me. 

Cyrus smirked, distorted by the shadows and the scar that ran across his left cheek. "I had the jump on you way before you realized I was here. You're lucky I'm not one of the creatures we are looking for," he said, slinging the gun strap over his shoulder and letting his rifle fall to his side.

Cyrus was a burly guy. Several years older than I was but it felt like we had grown up together. I could see the pink tinge of the scar on his face as he reached for his radio. He has had that scar for as long as I'd known him yet it still looked fresh. I've heard the scratch from a shifter's claws is very slow healing if they even heal fully at all.

"Hey, this is Cyrus. Kena and I are heading back to base now. All clear on the west side," he spoke into the radio. After confirmation, we started making our way through the brush heading back home.

It didn't take long for the barracks to come into view. Right outside of the tree line and in the clearing, the concrete walls were a stark comparison to the nature that surrounded it. It looked cold and uninviting, not that our crew was wanting to draw any attention. We were far from the nearest town. Maybe half a day's ride. Far enough from civilization where we could go unnoticed but close enough to feel somewhat normal. As normal as hunters of supernatural creatures can be.

I could barely make out the figures standing in the watchtowers. They'd be scanning the treeline for any unusual movement. They were our first line of defense. Our eyes when the rest of us were meant to relax. As we walked through the main gate, the strong steel door creaking with even the slightest of pressure, I noticed the town behind the wall was silent for the most part. Every once in a while, a light could be seen in a window of the houses we passed. But it was well past midnight. The moonlight now bathed everything in sight. I gave a small wave as Cyrus peeled off down a side street. I was alone, my footsteps crunching softly from the gravel underneath them. My house loomed ahead. The house was lit on the inside. No surprise there I thought pulling my gun strap from around my shoulders as I made my way up the front stairs and through the door.

My dad stood in the doorway of his office that sat right off the living room. I placed my gun in its place on the rack on the wall. Right between those of my father and two brothers. He gave me a stern look as I turned to him. "Out late patrolling tonight Kena," he said. He knew it was my shift tonight so he was stating the obvious. 

"Nothing new to report," I replied, my voice holding a tone of respect for the man in front of me but holding back the sarcasm that wanted to come out.

I saw some of the tension in his shoulders relax. It was a minimal amount but it was something. "Get some sleep kiddo," he said gesturing up the stairs where my room was. I didn't argue much with him. My body ached for the comfort of my bed. Without another word between us, I made my way up the stairs, willing my legs to carry me up the stairs that felt more like a mountain at this point. 

I passed down the hallway, quiet from the lack of movement in the night. I could faintly hear the sound of my brother Damien snoring behind his bedroom door. My oldest brother, Marcus, had his door slightly ajar, light leaking through the crack enough to alert me that he was still up.

I briefly paused outside his door. I'm sure he heard my footsteps but no sound came from inside the room. He was much like my dad. Stoic and hardworking. Even when he was meant to relax, his mind was going over every detail from his time in the woods. I decide to leave him be and made my way to my room, pushing the door closed behind me with a soft click. 

I slipped off my boots next to the door and stripped off the clothes for the day. Throwing on a tank top and shorts, I crawled into the cool sheets of my bed. The exhaustion from the day started settling in my bones and my eyes grew heavy. I don't know if it was my brain working overtime while trying to fall into a deep sleep or not, but as I felt myself drifting, I could have sworn a faint sound of a howl could be heard in the distance. 

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