The Hunter's Daughter

Chapter 12

Nick

I stared at the clock on the study wall, it was coming up to eight o’clock and Dad still wasn’t home. I’ve been waiting here in his office since I got home from school; the fight with Toby was really bothering me still and I wanted to talk to my Dad about it, I wanted to see if he’d ever had a fight with Mr Bronze, or Jake which is what I’m used to calling him.

My Dad has been disappearing a lot lately, he always used to be home within an hour of me, normally around on weekends and now him and Jake are gone a lot of the time. It makes me wonder if maybe there’s a situation that they want to keep under wraps from the pack, like Rogues or the Hunter problem has gotten worse.

We all know that there are Hunter’s around since Dad and Jake have been ordering us all to take initiative classes to keep us training and masking our trails, how they got the ideas they’ve been getting I don’t know but they really seem to be working, I haven’t smelt any unfamiliar scents lurking around the Reservation for a really long time.

My head snapped up at the sound of the door coming open and my eyes focused on my Dad looking cheerful as ever, his eyes landed on me in surprise and he shut the door behind him.

“You alright son”? I watched him shrug his jacket off.

“No, where have you been? I’ve been in here for hours, literally”.

“I’m sorry, I had some pack business to deal with, what is it”? He asked a little concerned now, he walked around me in my chair and sat himself on top of his desk.

I looked down at my hands, not sure how to phrase what I wanted to ask, I have to be delicate so that he doesn't get suspicious but I'm even sure that's possible. I need to talk to someone and my Dad was the first one that popped into my head other than Ruby but of the two he seemed the more practical choice. It went against instinct to try and talk about this with him, but I have to try.

“Have you ever had a fight with Jake”?

“Oh yeah, plenty, why”? I looked up curiously at his casual answer, of course he's had little differences of opinion but has Jake ever said anything about Mom? Or even Dad about Jake's mate?

“... Ok, but have you ever had a fight with him about, Mom”?

Dad's eyebrows furrowed in confusion that quickly turned to urgency like I'd just told him about a plot that has yet unfold. . “No, why? What’s happened”?

I shook my head and got up out of my chair. “Nothing, I knew I couldn’t talk to you about this”.

Dad stood up then and started following me towards the door. “No wait a minute, sit down, come on give me a chance, you’re being a little cryptic” he accused.

“It doesn’t matter, I’ve got homework to do, I can’t waste any more time waiting around for you to answer my questions”. It felt wrong to say that, a little below the belt but it was the first clear thought that I've had in hours, it was honest.

“Nick”. Dad put his hand on my shoulder but I shrugged it off and turned the handle on the door.

“Night Dad”.

I knew I couldn’t talk to him about it, not without telling him about finding Ruby and that can’t happen. I know he’s my Dad and I should’ve told him and Mom the second I set my eyes on her but they’d shout it from the top of the pack house that I’d found my mate and that is the last thing I need. It’s my job to keep Ruby safe and if that means keeping her a secret then so be it.

When I made it back to my room I was surprised to find Austin lounging one of my beanbag chairs, shooting my little sponge basketballs through the hoop nailed into my wall. I closed the door and he looked round at me with a sympathetic smile.