Shadows Surround Us

Chapter 9

xx Myles's POV xx

My legs burned as I ran through the trees. My wolf eyesight was extremely clear even in the fading sunlight. The ground underneath my paws was dry. The leaves that had started falling crunched underneath by weight, brittle now that they were separated from the thing giving them life. It was just starting to get cool, the promise of winter heavy in the air.

Kena. The name flitted across my mind as I ran. The mystery hunter finally had a name. I had been unable to get her off my mind since that first meeting. There was something different about her. Something that drew me to her. And even though she was a hunter, there was a part of me that felt I could trust her. Without even knowing her.

I was quick to guard my thoughts from the others that may be roaming around. It was the way we communicated in wolf form. We could see each other's thoughts when needed. Otherwise, there was a concerted effort to keep some things to ourselves. The only person that could break through the wall meant to be kept hidden is the alpha, my father. He didn't do it often but in certain scenarios, he felt it was necessary. Try all you want, but the pain from the probing in your mind would make anyone buckle.

I reached the edge of the clearing where the pack houses were right as the last sprinkle of sunlight disappeared. Quickly transforming back to my human form, I slowly walked through the remaining treeline and stepped foot into the clearing. Several houses dotted the open field. Most had light peering from them, their inhabitants preparing for the night. In the distance, I could see a group of the youngest shifters goofing off as they walked towards the treeline in the opposite direction. Many of the young shifters were given the night shift along with a few of the higher ups of the pack. They felt it was best to learn everything there was to know about shifts at night. With the lack of lighting, it is harder to see which means you need to rely on your other senses as well as the group you are with. The older pack members were sprinkled in to help with the training but also so that there were some experienced fighters patrolling if anything came up.

I walked past the houses in silence, my mind still wondering back to my interaction with Kena. When I saw her at the river, I just couldn't help myself. I wanted to risk the chance she'd shoot at me just to see what would happen. My assumption was right. She wasn't like the other hunters in her camp. Anyone would have shot me with no hesitation. I could tell there she had some nerves from the way her voice cracked every once in a while as we spoke. She was hesitant, as she should be, but there was something else there. Right under the surface.

My house came into view. The alpha's house was traditionally set in the middle of the pack houses and ours was no different. Through the windows, I could see people milling around. My house was always a hub of activity. Constant meetings about the hunters, reporting from shifts, update after update. I was required to be in most of them seeing as I'd take over after my dad. It was a part of the job but I try to get some time in the woods when I can. There was nothing like being in wolf form and being out in those woods. I feel at peace there. Here, the responsibility is enough to smother anyone.

Pushing through the back door, I catch a whiff of the dinner my mom was cooking in the kitchen. She always made too much food because of the amount of people that were usually here. She's known around the pack for her cooking and also being the only one to calm down my dad's temper when he threatened to explode.

I have to give it to my mom. She was not born a shifter. It wasn't totally common to have a shifter marry a non-shifter but there were a few in the pack. I had heard the story of how my parents met once or twice when I was younger. It was pretty much your typical love story. Boy falls for girl. They date for a while and once things become too serious, boy tells girl he's a shifter. Normal, right? There is a sense of risk to it for someone who knows nothing about this lifestyle. But most of the time, all goes well. I think I've only ever heard of one time when the relationship didn't end up working. I'm not sure what happened after that and I'm not sure I want to.

I briefly stuck my head in the kitchen doorway to see that she was stirring something in a big pot. Probably a stew of some sort based on a secondary whiff. She was mumbling to herself so I left her to her own devices and made my way further into the house.

In the living room, I found my father standing by the fireplace with some of the pack council spread through the space. Gavin, the beta, sat closest to my dad. He concentrated hard on the papers in front of him on the coffee table. I noticed Levi standing slightly behind him leaning against the wall. His eyes darted to me and I gave a small nod of acknowledgement. Levi was my best friend and Gavin's son. One day, he'd be my beta.

My dad's head turned in my direction once I was fully in the room. "Give us a minute," he said in his gruff voice. Without a word, everyone but Gavin and Levi left the room. Turning to fully face me, my dad crossed his arms in front of his chest. "Care to explain where you were?" he continued after the click of the front door was heard.

I sat down on the edge of the oversized chair directly across from him with a sigh. "I went on a run to clear my head," I said, skirting around the full truth.

"You practically missed the whole meeting. As the future alpha of this pack, you have duties to be at these," he replied, the alpha tone slipping through. It made my inner wolf's ears prick up. Levi shifted uncomfortably in the corner. He had some of the same responsibilities as a future beta and we've had many conversations about our feelings on the matter. Gavin leaned back on the couch, a small glass of what I can only assume is whiskey in his hand. Many pack members drink alcohol. It doesn't affect us quite the same as regular humans. We'd have to drink an egregious amount just to feel a buzz. Most use it to dull the senses after a long day.

"Did you run into any of the hunters?" Gavin asked, taking a swig of the amber liquid. All eyes were on me. I had to play this right. Even though I didn't get too close to Kena, there was a chance that her faint scent may still be hanging around.

"The girl," I said, trying hard to keep my face unreadable. The three of them did the same. They knew little about my interactions with Kena but after the incident in the woods where she didn't shoot at me, even on top of her comrade, I was forced to tell them a little. Obviously many saw it in the clearing and in the minds of others afterwards. I was able to feign clueless to the reasons behind it outside of the fact that she'd seen me one time before. My dad believed it and didn't push past the walls in my mind.

"And? What exactly happened?" Levi asked. He knew more about the situation and his interest in the subject slipped through in his voice. I shot him a warning look before focusing back on my dad.

"She was down patrolling around the river on the south side. A pretty good distance from the edge of our boundary," I replied, shifting in my seat. I thought briefly about telling them that we spoke but a part of me liked the idea of keeping it a secret between only Kena and I.

"So they don't seem to be getting any closer to finding the houses," my dad said, the muscles in his shoulder falling with little relief. The tension never fully left.

"We're going to have to deal with the problem sooner rather than later Justin," Gavin said, his attention back on my dad where he had turned to look at the dwindling fire in the fireplace. The words hung in the air heavy and for a brief moment, it felt like no one was breathing. We had been trying to avoid the inevitable. We are either going to have to move the pack which wasn't the top choice as this had been our home since the conception of the pack. Or, we are going to have to make a stand and fight to get rid of the hunter problem. There was no inbetween.

The idea of fighting Kena sent a pang in my chest that it shouldn't. It was subtle, but it was there. I buried the feeling deep down. The curiosity I felt about Kena couldn't be anything more than that. Just a curiosity. Even as I made the promise to myself, I didn't fully believe it.