The Hunted: Book One In The Hunted Trilogy

Second Moon

Children ran threw the streets as Sally and Nichole walked toward the main fountain. Three other fountains surrounded the main each with its own group face. The main had the head of a wolf, the one to its right had a centaur craved into the stone. The two on the left had fangs and the other a skeleton and bones making it look like a pirate flag. Sally watched as banshees pushed their children inside for the night well vampire children ran out to chase the pups. Sally and Nichole where clearly the last to arrive as twenty other people stood around the fountain.

"Lets get ready," Jonah said as the girls approached, "go get changed."

"Where?" a boy Sally knew had disappeared three weeks before, The day she was bit, spoke up stealing the words from Sally's mouth.

"Over there," Jonah said pointing to a pair of giant cabins, "Hurry! Its almost dusk!"

Sally followed the other girls. As she headed toward the cabin she looked for Menark, but to her disappointment, and fear, he was no where to be found. The cabin, though it looked tiny, fit the ten girls quiet easily. It was made of logs, a fire place stood on the far left wall, embers of a dieing fire glowing and popping in the dark room. As the oranges of evening came the full moon rose in the sky. Sally had barely pulled off her dress before she started to change again. She felt her knees lock again and her hand felt like they where throbbing. Soon she stood in wolf form. Her golden fur made her stick out in the sea of browns, blacks, and reds. The once spaceish house now felt like a tiny prison cell.

"Now what?" Sally tried to ask but it only came out as whine.

"Don't human speak," Nichole laughed, "Bark, remember last night?"

"Now what?" Sally barked, the words finally coming from her lips.

"Follow us," Nichole replied as the other wolves trooped out the house door. Feeling a size to large, Sally stomped out the door. Her heavy foot falls made the whole pack, even Sally herself, flinch. The wolves where again around the fountain.

"We welcome you," Jonah began, "New mem-"

"A full moon lasts a week," The boy, Ricky, who had spoke out interrupted, "Do we stay wolf that whole time?"

"No, your human by eight," Jonah suddenly jumped off of the fountain right into Rickys face, making the whole pack back away, "NEVER, interrupt me again pup!"

The tone made the whole pack flinch.

When you tick off the alpha you sure get the fangs, Sally thought.

"Now," Jonah continued, "We need to patrol the boarder. So, Nichole!"

"Yes Alpha?"

"Keep by Sally," Jonah growled, "We don't need a crazed pup loose!"

"Why would I be crazed," Sally growled, "YOU said I could control mys-"

"Not the first week you can't!" Jonah barked, clearly irritated with being questioned.

"You stick by me Nikki!" Sally growled, making the others laugh.

* * *

"Why do we patrol the boarder?" Sally asked. Sally and Nichole where sitting on their hunches basking in the cool blue moon light the part of the wood closest to Sampsons School for Hunters.

"Humans may try to attack little wolf," Nichole said tilting her giant head at the moon.

"When I was a hunter," Sally whispered as Ace walked by patrolling the hunters part, "I patrolled to."

The site of Ace made Sally miss her old life. Even though she knew it would never be the same she just wanted to go give Ace a hug with out being shot at. Sally was so preoccupied with her thoughts she didn't hear Nichole.

"Sally did you hear me?" Nichole asked hitting sally with her paw.

"No," Sally admitted, "Sorry lost in thought. What did you say?"

"I said," Nichole groaned, "You heard the wrong story."

"Ill tell it if you like," Sally offered, "I mean to A-the hunter we'll just be howling," Sally had stopped her self from saying Aces name to protect the boy walking the wood boarder.

"What else is there to do?" Nichole Shrugged properly howling making Ace jump and point his pistol into the ticket of trees.

"Over one-hundred years ago," Sally began, "A man was travailing with his wife. The woman was young and beautiful and she carried a small baby boy with her. The man was called Jackaby Sampson, his wife was Silvia and his son Jack. The three travelers, weary from travel, stopped at a cottage that was far off the main road.

'may my wife and i stay?' the man asked. But before he answered the old man turned into a giant wolf and attacked the family. Jackaby was able to grab his son and start the Hunters school but his wife was killed."

Silence followed the story that Sally knew so well. Nichole stood and motioned Sally to follow her. When they stopped it was at an old nearly completely decade cottage. In the yard what looked like a boys ball lay by the porch. Nichole pointed toward the cottage with her snout and Sally went to stand on the porch. THe scene changed and Sally was wacthing the past unfold right before her eyes.