The Wolf Hunt

One

"Okay boys and girls, you know the drill, run the perimeter, report back to the land tower then straight to bed!" I spoke in a clear demanding tone, allowing my troops to know not to question me. "Tomorrow... We hunt!" My ears rang with the hoots and hollers of the group standing before me, this was their last training session before they would begin to hunt the wolves.

The recruits run off in different directions of the field. The field is 2 acres of land, with cleanly cut fresh grass, and a few sports goals or hoops. As well as children's play area in the corner near our group house. The house is large, it houses 576 of us, all pure hunters, born or recruited from different groups, we all share 1 kitchen, 2 living rooms, 3 games rooms, 10 bathrooms not including the ensuits, and 550 bedrooms, not all of them used. The field runs around the mansion, as well as a 10 acre forest surrounding that. A long drive way that leads down out of the east of the forest, to the actual town centre, we coexist with the humans, we blend in, but we hide in our living courters, we aren't ever found unless we want to be, and that would be never. 

I'm a hunter, meaning I detest werewolves, its in my blood, it courses through my veins, the need and want to kill every last on of them on earth.

I never knew my Mother, but my Father was a hunter, he lead our group into each hunt, and attack, until one day, he was bite. Instantly, he was turned into one of them, it was a diluted bite, it wasn't a pure blood, (one that could turn into a real wolf on command.) It was a werewolf, the ones you heard in story's, he would change into a monster on a full moon, he killed himself before that could happen, he couldn't live with himself, being the beast he spent years hunting and killing.

So I was handed the role, the role of the leader, the most important member of our group. I recruit new members and plan the attacks, considering I'm only 18 I feel I've done quite well for myself, but I'd be foolish to be cocky.

I turn my back on the forest, and head in the direction of the east of the house, where the front door would be located. "Alexis!" My assistant, Derek, comes hurtling towards me. He's 22, but acts 12. "Yes, Derek?" I raise an eyebrow towards him, my arms crossed behind my back. I continue at a steady pace as Derek walks beside me, "There's been a trespasser," This wasn't unusual, plenty of children entered the forest daily, looking for the mystery house that was well hidden with witch craft. "So scare them off," I shrug. " We can't," Derek sighs... He seems hesitant to tell me what the real problem is. " The trespasser... He's not... Human," Derek gives me a sideway glance. As we continue our descent to the house.

"If he's not human. Then kill him," I shrug again, honestly, what is wrong with Derek today? Derek stares at me with big brown orbs, his narrow face, sketched with worry. His fiancé is currently 6 months pregnant, they've already had a few scares, if there was a real danger, that could affect the pregnancy, of course Derek would be worried, he's been waiting for this child for too long, he didn't need something to ruin that now. "It may not be that easy... It's a witch,"

This explains it. No witch comes here. Not unless it's Otis. The witch that helped us hide our land from the humans. We never hide it from the wolves. We like to lure them in. Allow them to think that they are in control, that it is there choice to enter this new adventure, to find something the humans couldn't, and they were always so delirious with excitement, it made them easier to kill.

"Is it Otis?" I question. "We don't know," Derek replies. I guess I will have to check it out, before the new troops find the witch and attempt to battle it. "Where about is the witch?" I turn my body to Derek stopping our gentle pace to our home. "Far west, right at the edge of the perimeter," I nod, so it is Otis. The wicked warlock of the west, but when I say wicked... I mean wicked in a good way.

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Twigs snap beneath my feet as I reach the edge of the surrounding forest. The crunching of the autumn leaves make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. This was the problem with Otis. He likes to make an entrance.

A small cat scurries across the floor, sending dirt and leaves flying everywhere that its paws have already touched. The cat begins to grow in size, bones crunching as its small feminine body turns into a man's muscular one. A strong built at 6"1. This was Otis, he was a slight show off when it came to his magic.

"Very impressive Otis, why not a wolf like last time?" I question the tall man in front of me, his hair flopping over his face in a jagged style, with a streak of silver amongst the black locks.

"Last time I ended up with a stab wound in my appendix. I think I'd rather stick to safer animals if I do say so," His pearly white canines flash in the dark, creating a creepy affect around him.

"I hunt wolves, Otis. I'm supposed to kill anything that seems remotely similar. Anyway, why are you causing my patrols to go into havoc?" I pace around the trees, leaning against one to glance at him with judgemental eyes.

Otis crosses his legs over, his tall frame, slightly wobbling in the wind. "The spell, its lasted 18 years as promised, time to take it down," Otis shrugs. I shake my head at him, silly warlock, "You're wrong, foolish Otis, you promised father that the spell around the woods would last forever, until the hunters race was extinct. Are you going back against that deal... The deal you made with your life?" I raise a pristen eyebrow, I had gone over all the scrolls in the office ever since I came across the role of leader, Otis could not pull over anything on me.

"I'm not on about that spell, foolish hunter, I watch your back, you watch mine. I know that. I'm on about a different spell," Otis uncrossed his legs, and took a slow, alluring step towards me, "A dark spell that your daddy made 18 years ago, when you were 6 months old in fact," He took another step towards me, my strong stance began to falter, he had never became this close to me, even when I stabbed him, I threw the silver knife. This was odd. "He didn't write this spell down on a scroll, as a form of contract, he didn't want to write it there," He took another step, his body withing touching distance, I had never seen him this close before, in such great detail. To be able to see his stormy grey eyes, and a small scar, just over his eyebrow, which were grey like the one streak in his hair. "He wrote it on you, dear Alexis, right here," His index finger digged into my chest, straight in the centre, and with that small poke, came the most excruciating pain I had ever felt. "Time to relieve the spell, Hunter."

With that, Otis' body vanished from the forest, my knees gave way under my weight, and I was tossed onto the floor, the pain in my chest spreading through my arteries, and through my veins. My body began to shake as the pain increased, it felt like fire, burning me inside and out, it wouldn't let go, I felt trapped, I couldn't breathe. My mouth opened to scream, but nothing came out, no sound, nothing, I felt like a goldfish, constant suffocation, yet still living. The flames ran to my brain, I couldn't think, there's was nothing there. Images of wolves and my father flashed behind the tightly shut lids of my eyes. My energy felt as though it was being sucked out of me. Like a caffeine crash, but worse so much worse, my body would not move, I felt as though I was trapped in a body that wasn't mine. I force my mouth to open, in fear I would die in the depths of the forest. I voice my lungs to expel air, hoping it would mean I was screaming, my ears rang with the flames, so I had no idea if I was screaming or not.

I could see Derek, his shadow, it was near it was so close, I was here! I was right here! Could he see me? Look at me! As though he could here my thoughts Derek's head turned towards my limp body, a small cat sat behind him, watching as though it was innocent. It strayed away slowly. I stare after it as my eyelids become to heavy for my face, and close on their own demand, as Derek's hands roam my body, trying to find the source of my death... Injuries... What was wrong with me? My eyes roll to look at Derek one last time, as I felt a surge of life purge through me. Thank you.

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I would just like to take a moment to thank astera22 for encouraging me to write again with her kind words, even though I haven't continued with my other book. Thank you.