THE HUNTRESS

4

Secrets

Hours later, she found herself at a gas station. Thirsty and hungry. She was just a few kilometers away from home. A black Jeep pulled up. A young couple got out. The saw Céline.

"Chris, look!" The woman tapped him on his shoulder.

Chris looked at Céline. He rushed to her aid. "What happened? How can we help?" He reached out. Céline recoiled at his touch.

"Can I borrow a phone, please." She said, shivering. Chris fished out his phone from his jeans. "Here." He handed it to her.

She took the phone and dialed a number she knew best. The phone rang, rang, and rang.

"Hello?" She breathed a breath of relief. When she heard his voice on the other end of the phone.

"Uncle Ben. It's me, Céline. Come fetch me."

"Where are you?"

"I don't know." She said and looked around. Chris mouthed their location.

"Outside Hillview. At a gas station." Chris said because Céline was shivering severely to get out words.

"Thank you. I know where that is. I won't be long."

Céline thanked the couple who had left her with a jacket. She watched as they drove off. A few of the people who worked the night shift at the station came to keep an eye on her.

Sharp headlights cut through the dark. A tall, slender man climbs out. The dry sand and few stray leaves crunched under his boots. His trench coat reached his ankles.

His red hair gelled back. Céline ran into his arms. "What took you so long?!" She slapped his arm.

"HI, nice to see you, Uncle Ben. It's been so long, Uncle Ben. How have you been?" He said with a raised brow and a cocky smile.

Céline shook her head and sighed.

"You look like shit kiddo. Who did this?" He asked seriously, with his hands firmly on her shoulders.

"Can we talk in the car."

Uncle Ben nodded and took off his coat. He draped it over her shoulders.

The engine roared to life. They drove off towards their little town, Hillview.

"So? Do I have to guess what happened to you?" He asked.

"I know I am probably going to sound crazy. Please, don't lock me up in the Looney bin for this, but vampires and werewolves exist; and they killed Eddie!" She said with tears running down her cheeks.

The truck came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the road. "What?!"

"They exist, Uncle Ben. I was face to face with a vampire. I've also spent the last 3 years of college with a werewolf who secretly loathes the idea of me..." He Rudely cuts her off.

"I know they fucking exist Céline! What did you say about Eddie?!"

A wave of shock and nausea washed over her. "You knew?! And you never cared to tell me? Had I known I could've protected Eddie!"

"Céline shut up!" He grabbed the steering wheel. The car started to move again. "You knew of their existence but chose to ignore them. You knew everything since you were 6. You knew!"

"What do you mean, I knew? I didn't know until just a few hours back." She said. Ben rubbed his temples.

"The Bloodmoon massacre. Do you remember that?"

Céline's face cleared of emotion. She looked out the window. The memories came back to haunt her for a second.

"I see that you do. Now remember those wolves you saw. They were not ordinary wolves, and you knew that. So don't tell me you never knew about them. You did but chose to ignore the facts. And it cost you your brother." He said and paused for a second.

"They started all this. First people went missing whenever they went on hunts, camping, and hiking. Then there was the massacre. They started this war, and it's our jobs to finish it."

"The vampire called me, little hunter. What did he mean by that?" She asked, wiping the tears from her face.

"Because that is what you are, Céline. No denying it. You are a hunter. You're the daughter of a hunter. It's your duty to rid the human world of all that is unnatural and unholy."

"So you want me to kill them?" She asked with brows raised. Ben nodded and said.

"Leave no trace behind of their existence."

She sighed. "Do it for Eddie, for Rachel, Jenny, Diane, and most importantly, do it for your mother, Céline. Don't forget what those 'animals' did to them." He said with emphasis on animals.

The memory of her mother popped up. She choked back a sob. "Your mother never got justice. They killed her and are out there living their best lives whilst you live in grief and sorrow. Avenge your mother, Avenge Eddie." Ben said.

"What do I know about killing vampires and werewolves?"

"Oh, you know. Believe me, you know." Ben smiled at her.

"Huh?"

"What do you think your father and I trained you for?"

"Self-defense. That's what I always thought."

"Tsk tsk stk tsk." Ben shook his head.

Céline stretched out her arms in front of her. Ben watched her from the corner of his eye.

"Casey dug her claws into my skin. I was bleeding so much. Now it's like nothing ever happened. Look." She showed her arm to Ben.

Ben grabbed her arm and inspected it. His hand glided across her healed skin.

"What did they do to you?" He asked, letting go of her arm.

"They forced me to drink blood from a gold chalice. They even went as far as digging their claws into my ribs and arms to get me to open my mouth to throw it down my throat." She explained.

"Shit! I thought this couldn't get any worse, but it just did. Your father is not going to like this one bit." He said, growing anxious.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"Do not tell your father about the blood saga. Do not!" He warned.

"Why not?"

Annoyed and pissed he said.

"You, my little niece, have a blood bond with a vampire."