Hunt

Chapter 32: Questions and Answers

It takes me a moment to fully process what Julie had just said. But once the clarity hits it slams into me like a truck, blindsiding the hell out of me. "W-wait what?!" I nearly shout.

Julie jumps at my outburst, "I-I want to do what you do!" She states again, a little more hesitant this time. "I want to help people like you do!"

I pinch the bridge of my nose, groaning. This isn't what I wanted. I feel like I'm living one of my worst nightmares right now. First I had to explain everything to my sister, now she wants to follow me down into this abyss. I could feel a migraine building right behind my eyes.

"Julie..." I begin to say.

"I'm not gonna take no for an answer Kyle!" She interrupts, "You've been lying to me through your teeth forever, and now you're finally being honest with me. How the hell do you expect me to just sit back and do nothing when I now know what's out there?!"

Dammit... she was saying the same things I said when I was first in her position. How could she just sit still? How could I? Much to my dismay she had a very valid argument that I didn't know how to combat. The same argument that won over Nick's cooperation last year. With a groan I stand, putting a hand on Julie's head. "This isn't something you can just jump into without knowing the risks. If you really do want to go down this road you need to accept that you will see a lot of death. You will be hurt, it's unfortunately unavoidable. You could be killed doing this. Or worse."

My sister stares me down with a determination in her eyes I hadn't seen from her before, like she's suddenly been given purpose. A clarity in her expression that she knew that this is what she wanted to do. There wouldn't be any talking her out of it, no matter how much I try to dissuade her. It's scary to think about just how similar we really are. "I understand the risks. I saw firsthand. I want to do this."

Dammit... of all the times for her to find her purpose.

"Fine... If you really want to." I mutter, "But know that training for this is going to be more difficult than anything you've ever done before. It's life or death out there and I won't pull and punches against you because we're family. The monsters out there won't give you any leniency. You have to give it everything you've got at all times."

Julie nods, smiling widely from ear to ear. "I won't disappoint you."

"You better not." I squeeze her head once as I glance over at my clock. It was still early but close enough to school time that going back to bed wouldn't be worth it. "Okay, go get ready for school. We'll start with your training tonight." I say while trying to feign anything close to contentment.

Deep down I was edging a major panic attack. My whole world felt like it was crumbling down around me and I couldn't do anything to stop it. This was all my fault... maybe a bit of Reyna's and her family, but it was my clumsiness that directly lead to this. Maybe if I had been more honest with Julie she wouldn't have felt the need to follow me out there last night. But there isn't any way I could've told her about any of this. I had promised myself that I would keep her as far removed from this world as I possibly could. I doubt she would've believed me if I even had been more honest earlier.

The whole time I spend getting ready for school I'm dreading having to step foot in that building. Between having to possibly see Reyna and overthinking how I'd now have to train Julie I just didn't have the brain power to even think about my schoolwork.

My pleads with the universe to just stop time for a little bit go unanswered as the relentless passage of time drags me into school. I avoid all the places I think Reyna would be like the plague, but there are enough times where we're in close proximity that I can't avoid. A few times I catch a worried glance from her in class or in the halls. I try my best to ignore her, to put my mind in other places than that field last night. But it was getting harder every time I saw her. I could only see a monster. That damned white wolf. I could only hear Julie's panicked voice. Her scream...