The Hunter & Prey

Ch. 1

           "Asshole."

              For the fifth time this morning I found myself slammed against the ground. The morning sun rise warmed the fresh mountain air and caused beads of sweat to dampen my skin. Groaning, I sat up and stretched my neck and back. A deep chuckle came from above me. My eyes landed on the culprit of my pain, otherwise, known as Paxton White aka my best friend and fellow protector. 

            "Maybe you should lay off the chocolate cranberries for awhile." He grinned wide and reached down grabbing my arm and pulling me to my feet. "Otherwise you'll get fat and won't be in shape to outrun a child."

            Swiping the grass off my black Nike compression shorts, I straightened up and got in a fighting stance. "They're chocolate covered pomegranates, and besides, I'm just warming up."

           Pax only laughed and got ready. We start off every morning with two laps around the compound and then an hour in hand-to-hand combat training and then an hour in weapons. We've been doing this every morning since we turned ten. Our family descends from a long line of protectors. We are not guards, nor do we go into the police force. Our sole purpose is to tend to and protect the wolf shifters. I don't know how they came to be or why they need protection - I just know that that is what I am supposed to do. 

         Dodging Pax's left hook, I step forward and took a quick jab to his open right side. He jumped back from the hit and rubbed the spot. Quick and hard. Serves him right. His brows furrowed as he got into the fight and lunged at me. Being only five feet four inches tall, I was a great deal smaller than him and could dodge his hits quickly. 

         We were going at it for a good five minutes before I hooked my foot around his left ankle and pulled hard causing his foot to come up. I took that opportunity to push forward and give him a nice punch to the lower jaw. Tripping, Pax stumbled backwards and landed on the ground. Before I could throw my hands up in victory, a young shifter ran up to us. He was about seventeen years old and looked annoyed at having to come get me. 

        "You are needed at the infirmary." He said simply with narrowed eyes. "A pup is sick."

          I nodded to the kid and looked down at Paxton who was slowly getting to his feet. His gray sweat resistant shirt was stained with grass and dirt. " Catch up with you later," I said as I ran to my open black jeep. 

          Jumping into the door less vehicle I grabbed the keys from the dashboard and started the jeep.  I watched the shifter start running towards the main buildings and then shift into his red wolf form. I pressed down on the gas and started after him.  The compound was large enough that I needed a car to get around it when emergencies arise like this one. Settled in the Mountains of Washington, my land wrapped around a nice lake with cliffs and plenty of forest and trees all around. It is the perfect hideaway for a bunch of shifters. 

          At the front entrance to the compound there was a couple of two floor structures that operated as a meeting hall, infirmary, training facility, and classrooms for the kids and teenagers. This place was practically a city run on my families money.  The compound had about seventy shifter families and only about twenty protectors. Houses lined the property with the Protectors houses at each of the cardinal points. Pax and I shared a house on the West side of the property. Both of our families lead the property, but currently they are away with a couple of the shifter leaders at an annual SHA (Shifter and Human Alliance) meeting in New York. 

         Slamming on the brakes, I parked the jeep in front of the infirmary and jumped out. It's rare that shifters get sick, but more common in young ones since they are starting to go through the changes. Not having time to change let me smelling of sweat and grass. I ignored the shifters scrunched up noses and look of disgust as I walked through the waiting room and into one of the back exam rooms. 

        I slipped on a white coat to cover up my dirty shirt and washed my hands and arms before slipping on a pair of latex gloves. The young shifter, I knew as Farah. Her family stood beside her with her mother holding one sweaty hand. "What are her symptoms?" I asked her mother as I grabbed a stethoscope and pressed it against the eight year old's chest. 

         "Sweating and vomiting." She said with a look of fear in her eyes. I listened to the girl's heartbeat. It was fast, but not something to be alarmed about. Pulling off my stethoscope, I walked over to the cabinets and pulled down a box of pills. 

         " Farah as the common flu," I told the family. Her mother, Father, and older sister looked confused. "Humans get it and it can be spread rather quickly," I explained.

     Handing over a small pill container, I prescribed the child to take one a day before supper. "It's nothing to worry about."

     "Shifters don't get sick," Her father growled at me."Of course it is something to worry about."

      Snapping off my gloves, I tossed them in the bin and gave her dad a look. "It's rare, but it happens." I told him and opened the door. " It should clear up in a week, if she gets worst then you can have my head."

      I left the room and walked back to the front where a human receptionist jotted down notes. When Protectors are no longer fit to fight, they are always enlisted to help in other ways. Waving to Julia, I let her know that Farah was prescribed flu medicine and that she needed to call in the other nurses to help out. 

     There is only so much one girl can do before she goes insane. 

    In one swift and rather loud motion, the entry door swung open and hit against the wall hard. I groaned at the wounded guy before me and mentally cursed his brooding and smothering looks. Correction: Insanity just knocked - and I can not handle him.

        "Get Luke to room 4," I called out to Julia. "And get my scalpel." 

To Be Continued..