The Hunter

Rhodes Clan

Rebekah Stryker was a small town "military brat", her father was one of the best hunters of his time. Ace Stryker was second generation hunter who found a beautiful southern girl in the heart of Georgia. Rosie Young was "nothing more than perfect" as Ace liked to say. They married in a little church outside of Rosie's hometown. Rebekah was the youngest of five and the only girl. Growing up Rebekah never feared, well, anything. Her Daddy raised her the same way he raised the boy's.

Rebekah strived in school to make her Daddy proud. Ace and her brothers would go on week long hunting trips, but they always found ways to call home. Rosie and Rebekah kept up with the farm and helped with little hunts around their town.

When Rebekah turned sixteen her family moved from their farm. They started the life of hunters. Hunting as a family, But Rebekah chose school. In their central base Rebekah spent days or weeks alone. Her mother would call every night before bed. Rebekah became very involved in her community. Not to mention the troublesome boy in her English class.

Judas Rhodes was trouble from the moment he was born. Axel Rhodes met his wife at the age of six when the Savage family moved in next door. Little Sadie had Axel wrapped around her finger from the start. Her blonde hair always in pigtails. The two of them became inseparable. The day of the senior prom Axel proposed to his childhood love, she said yes.

It wasn't long after that that Axel and Sadie were expecting their first born. They were in for a surprise when little Judas was born. From a young age Judas caused trouble; stealing candy from the store, tipping cows in fields, vandalizing his town. At the age of eighteen Axel and Sadie had had enough of Judas's schemes.

Judas was told to come home when he had an attitude change or he would end up in jail. That night he stayed at a friend's house getting drunk off his ass. Little did he know, that night would start a common theme for the rest of his life.

Senior English, Rebekah sat in the front row right in front of the teacher's desk. Judas sat in the back corner, as he did in all his classes. Yet English was different. He never cared what Mr. Zimmerman said but when ever the tall brunette in the front row would speak, his world stopped. Judas always tried to find her after class but she was always long gone.

One day, Judas ditched his friends and decided he would talk to that brunette in the front row of English. When he walked in to class, not only was she not there but there was some redhead in her seat. Judas questioned everything until he turned to leave. In she came her head down wearing a long sleeve blue T-Shirt and a black and blue plaid skirt. Judas watch as she walked over to her desk, the redhead got up and looked at her.

"Rebekah? What happened to you?" The read head asked

"Oh, My mom never called last night Luna, I'm worried about them." Rebekah looks up at her friends, then her eyes lock with the boy from the back of the class. She gives him a smile.

"Oh, sweetie I'm sure their fine." Luna comforted her. Rebekah nodded slowly never breaking eye contact with Judas.

"You're probably right." Rebekah finally responded before the bell rang.

From that day on Judas and Rebekah would exchange looks, eventually Judas found Rebekah's locker and started leaving her little poems he found in books in the library or that his mom would help him right. It wasn't until Rebekah was standing at Judas's locker one afternoon that they ever exchanged words.

"Rebekah?" Judas pulled his backpack closer to him shifting awkwardly

"You know, its sweet of you to leave those poems in my locker, I've come to look forward to them."

"Oh really?" Judas chuckles looking at the floor.

"Its sad though." Rebekah leans against the lockers never giving Judas one glance.

"Why...How...What?" Judas shuffles confused.

"From what I've heard about you I shouldn't get involved. But if a guy will take the time to try and write his feelings on a piece of paper everyday, I gotta give him a shot."

"Yeah okay."

"But you see Judas this guy has never said two words to me until today." Finally Rebekah looks at Judas who is blushing.

"Maybe he was scared, that the guy you cooked up in your head is someone he could never be." Judas walks toward Rebekah.

"Well he needs to suck it up, cause he'll never find out if he doesn't talk to me."

"Are you doing anything on Friday Rebekah?"

"No, why?" She smiles

"I wanna take you out, if you'll accept."

"Like on a date?" Rebekah smiles, Judas nods.

"Its about damn time Rhodes. For a minute there I thought I was gonna have to ask you." Rebekah gives him a hug. "Friday seven o'clock."

"I'll pick you up."

"You know the place?"

"Of course its only the house down the street, I've seen you walk home from the bus stop or your friends drop you off." Judas shrugs.

"I'll see you Friday Judas." Rebekah gives him a peck on the cheek and walks away.

Years pass, Dates come and go. One month, Six months, One year, Four Years, Four years Engaged, Three months married, baby one, baby two and three.

Jeremiah was the first, tall like Dad with the same pale blue eyes Grandma Sadie had. His hair Just like Axel, always short and ALWAYS blonde. He had the same build as Grandpa Ace, a hunters build.

Jax and Josh were next. Jax was two minutes older and he never let anyone forget it. Jax had the same stringy brown hair dad had with the eyes of Grandma Rosie, brown and beautiful. Jax and Jeremiah were exact opposites. Josh and Jeremiah were always thought to be the twins, it got to a point where they just excepted it. Josh was slightly shorter than Jeremiah but he was taller than Jax. Overall the boys were thick as thieves.

Then there was little Alice. The dorkiest name if you ask me. Mamma always loved the name Alice. Daniella was dad's choice. In all honesty I'm 85% positive dad didn't chose that name. It doesn't start with a J. Jeremiah said that dad wanted only the boys to have J names. I just figured he was trying to make me feel better.

The four of us were always kind of close, until... Well, Dad changed. One day he was happy and helping us get around without mom. Until one day, I was five, He got sick. When he woke up, he was confused but he sorted it all out shortly. Then the drinking started, then he grew to resent the only one of us kids that looked like mom. It didn't help that she died in my nursery.

The emotional abuse started when I was five, the verbal abuse started when I was seven, the physical abuse started when I was eleven, and the sexual abuse that started when I was fourteen.

Dad had his issues and he took it out on everyone around him.

I hate him, I hate what he did to me... But he made me the badass that I am today. I just wish... I wish he had never met Dean.