Animals (sequel out)

🗡️18🗡️

Deep down I felt Josie knew I was lying about what happened with her Dad, but for some reason she wasn't calling me out on it. Or perhaps her realization wasn't surface level.  Maybe she was just being polite or maybe she just wanted to hope that her dad didn't do that because they would get the wrong idea about what he does.

I slide out of bed and for a minute I bask in the moonlight leaking in from the window. The Moon was bright tonight even though it was a waxing gibbous. The moon made me think about my mom. I liked being out in the moonlight it felt like the moon was my mothers eye looking over me. It made me feel safe like my mom was up there protecting me.

I slowly walked downstairs for a midnight or rather early morning glass of water.  I grab the cold glass from the cabinet and I start filling it with even colder water.

"Hope" Alaric marches into the kitchen and I drop the glass and it shatters in the sink.

"Damn it Hope are you trying to wake up half of the school." He starts sweeping the glass into the garbage disposal.

"Sorry," I choke.

"Nevermind that, we have to go those witches have shown up a couple of towns over." He hoists his large bag over his shoulder.

"Why are we going after them so early." I rub my eyes

"Because you stupid dog, they are more active at night."  He takes my hand.

"Do I need to bring anything." I try not to struggle under his grip.

"We don't have time come on" He practically drags me outside and sets me in the passenger side of the van and throws his bag in the back.

We both drive in complete silence because I know he gets annoyed by small talk and questions.  I spend the drive looking up at the moon hoping she has her eye on me. Hoping that I'm safe.

When we get there Alaric gets out to grab his things and I survey the area without going to far from him.

"This way" he struggles with his bag much to his embarrassment. I quickly tag behind him and he walks us deeper and deeper into the woods. He sets his bag on the ground. " I need you to turn into a wolf" he starts pulling his supplies out.

"What" I look over at him.

"Wolf out" he looks me in the eyes.

"Dr.Saltzman" My eyes start to tear up " I don't want to"

"Well you wanted to earlier now I'm telling you to do it and you don't want to. Hope I don't have time for what you want do you seriously want to waste my time." He crosses his arms.

"No," I bite my lip trying to stop my teeth chattering. I turn my back to him and I start sliding off my clothes and I pray that my mom can't see me now. I force every bone in my body to split and break. I bite me lip hard trying to hold in my strangled cries that were coming out against my will. He throws a thick chain over my head and it lands on my chest with a thud causing me to whimper in pain.

"Let's go hope" He pulls the chain and tightens it around my neck.

I can feel it cutting into my neck but I dare not let out a whimper or try to yank at the chain. He treats me like the way weird old men treat their dogs when I'm in my wolf form. He swats at my jaw if I misbehave and he yanks the chain if I don't move quick enough.

I catch the scent and I start quickly leading him to them. I used to be really uncomfortable with being used as a hound dog but it's okay I guess a tad dehumanizing but after it's almost like Alaric's proud of me. He gets happy when he gets to be the big scary monster hunter. He doesn't want me to be his partner in this he wants me to be his sidekick.

I lead him to the trees behind the witches and he shoots the smallest of them with ease then he shoots the other one in the neck while she's still confused. The final one starts to run off but I run faster and I circle her almost like a Shepard dog.

He aims his riffle and he just shoots her right in the chest. Alaric never really cared to drag on monster hunts more than he wanted. If he was going after werewolves or witches he usually killed them immediately but he liked the chase of vampires and other monsters.  He liked letting them plead and beg for their lives just so he could take it away.  He liked watching there eyes go blank and he loved it all.

He took the chain off of my neck and I ran far enough into the woods so he wouldn't see me change back. I slowly walk out of the woods hiding behind trees trying to persevere any dignity I had left.

"I'll take care of the bodies tonight you can get your clothes back by the van." He smiles at the mess he made.

"Thank you" I hide myself behind the bushes. I look back up at the moon as I walk back to the van. I pray my mother didn't see that. Not even the moon or my mother could keep me safe