Shadows of the Shifter

Chapter 7- Enemy

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"The saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies."

— Unknown

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Hunter Magnus POV

Stars, in my humble opinion, were the most beautiful things in the world. They lit up the night sky, adorning every corner of our galaxy with their beauty and humble glow, reminding everyone of something.

A lover's eyes, a perfect smile, and most times, a wish.

We give all the credit to the night, to the stars above, as we wish for extravagant pleasantries through them.

But why don't most make wishes on the moon?

Doesn't the moon guide you at night?

Doesn't the moon illuminate the way from the dark? As we fear the dark, why not worship the very thing that subsides it?

Lying here, I couldn't help but feel envious of every star in the night sky. Looking out the window, the sky was filled to the brim with them. The bright room and the smell of bleach irritated me to the core.

The synthetic smell burned off my nose hairs, my eyes burning with similar sensations.

"Hunter?" I almost didn't notice her. My mom raised her head from the white sheets of my hospital bed, her back straightening, tired eyes becoming more focused from what seemed to be a restless slumber.

I gave a weak smile, my jaw still tingling with an unforgettable ache. The sensation brought back the lingering smells of peppermint to my nose, a scent I soon wouldn't forget. My chest burned, my lungs begged me to connect with its fragrant paradise once more.

I felt something stirred within me, but I was quick to push it down. How dare it try to break free?

I barely had enough time to ponder the sudden change in mood as my mom wrapped me up in an endless barrage of kisses and hugs, along with a flurry of curses and blessings.

"Mom, Mom, you're milking it a bit, don't you think?" I wheezed between breaths of air.

She promptly told me to fuck off and continued hugging and kissing me. She grabbed my shoulder a little too firmly, and an immediate wince stopped the onslaught.

Her blue eyes were apologetic, but even behind the clear waters of blue, you could tell she was worried. My mom's hand was firmly grasped in mine, then she looked at me sharply.

"Tell me what happened."

From there, I relayed the story. She even pressed me on the smaller details that I thought were beyond irrelevant, like the subject of Lucas's pointless ramblings. However, soon we got to the part about Nicky Proviss, the Luna of The Blood of Purgatory.

I shared my strong beliefs that we were next on the chopping block and how we needed to immediately warn neighboring packs, build a stronghold here, and recruit reinforcements.

My mom nodded, seemingly ignoring my speech, and pressed me to move past her appearance.

"What happened after Lucas distracted the wolves?" The cold, stern look of her blue eyes was deep and relentless. As thick as ice, yet I couldn't help but see the fragile woman I put to sleep last night after another panic attack of my father became present.