Hilda and the Werepup

Chapter 6 - The Safety Plan

Back at Hilda's house, Johanna was busy entertaining Luke by folding all sorts of paper planes. Percy lay motionless on the sofa as he stared blankly at the ceiling, his mind jam-packed with thoughts of whether he should keep Luke here, or if he should take him with him, or... to stay here. With Johanna. He groaned as he rubbed his eyes tiredly and checked his watch for the time. 

Huh, he thought as he stared at the ticking watch vacantly, Hilda and Callum aren't back yet... then again, Cal was always good at hiding-

He laid his arm back down as he continued to stare at the ceiling. Subsequently, muffled voices were heard from outside the door. A click sound was made as the door sprung open, revealing Callum and Hilda having a seemingly troubled conversation. Percy sat up and turned around.

"Hey, guys. Where were you?" Percy asked with a smile.

"O-oh... hey, big bro." Callum said timidly. Percy, hearing his tone, stood up and walked over to them, kneeling down before Callum, "Hey... what's wrong? You sound like you've just seen some werewolf god."

"Oh! Are they back?" came Johanna's voice from in the kitchen.

"Hi, mum! We just took a walk around the area." Hilda called back as she headed for her room, Twig bounding after her. 

"Uhm... uhh," Callum lagged, trying to find a way to explain what had happened without getting in trouble, though it seemed impossible at the moment, "y-you know those... werewolf hunters, right?"

"Right?" Percy nodded slowly.

"A-and, they, well, you know, hunt werewolves right?"

"Yes-?"

"And in order to do that they track them, or... detect them... right?-"

"Yes-"

"And w-well... to detect a werewolf, they use a detector to... well, sense anything with the DNA of a werewolf, right?"

"Callum, why are you-"

"And well Hilda was out there, probably looking for me-"

"Just get to the point, Cal."

"Okay... the werewolf hunters. They know we're here."

A pause followed that last sentence. Percy gazed at him; the moment was so silent it was too awkward for Callum to handle, so he continued, "I-I think Luke's hair was stuck to Hilda, something like that - but whatever it was, the hunters detected Luke's DNA and assumed Hilda was a werewolf. And they were going to kill her, s-so... I had to..."

"... transform and chase them away before they could do so." Percy finished. He was clearly not satisfied. Callum made a small gulp and nodded.

"And there's literally no safe place anymore now that they know we're here?" Percy queried in a low voice, which sent chills down Callum's spine. Callum nodded. Percy inhaled to say something, but all that came out was a sharp exhale.

"I... need to think about this." Percy said as he stood up and headed into his room. Hilda's head popped out from the gap of her room.

"Does he know yet?" she whispered loud enough for him to hear. Callum sighed and nodded, then falling back onto the sofa, groaning exhaustedly as he ran his fingers through his hair. He knew how much keep the werewolf bloodline alive, and his own. He knew it wasn't easy doing so with only him, Percy and Luke left. 

Hilda was pacing up and down in her room.

"I told you he was a werewolf." Alfur remarked, his eyes following her pacing.

"It wasn't easy to believe!" Hilda groaned as she only paced faster. Twig was getting dizzy watching her and turned his back on her as he started his nap.