The Werecats: Warriors of the Shadows (Book Two)

- Prologue: Hunted -

- Prologue: Hunted -

Sam

The world stood silent and still aside from the chirp of crickets and my own footsteps. No one walked along the sidewalk, no cars passed. All of the quant businesses facing the street were closed for the evening. Thunder rolled in the distance as the sun dimmed across the sky.

It had been two weeks, I think, since things at the Rocky Mountain leap had taken a turn for the worst. At first I felt nothing aside from my own will to fight and cling to survival, but as the days passed and lack of communication with others set in, guilt began to weigh on my chest.

The selfishness had overtaken me, like a devil on my shoulder, as I persuaded Riley to change me into a Werecat. That, along with her mission to tell her family that she, in fact, was not dead had sparked everything that was to follow.

I parted ways with Riley, Dom and the others shortly after Riley had finally killed Eran to protect Dom. Now, here I stood, alone in the rain. Most thirteen year olds would be out on a Friday night with their friends, but I much preferred running from a society bent on killing me. Oh well. It is what it is.

"Hey." A silky voice said from just behind me, tearing me from my thoughts.

I turned my head from the pavement and around to see a man's silhouette. I could tell by the very faint lines of a beard and deep chin bones that he was older than me. His arms lay at his sides, not completely casual. Ready for a fight. "Who are you?" I asked.

"Not important." The man replied cooly without moving. The voice sounded like it had just gotten through yelling, "What is important is you, and the information I know you hold."

Snickering, I said, "What are you? Some sort of bounty hunter?"

"Something like that." Before I had time for some cocky remark that would probably get me into more trouble, the man lunged forward. I wrapped my arm around the back of his neck, intending to flail him forward, but he spun around at the last second and did it to me instead. He lifted me with inhuman strength and my back slammed against the pavement. Moaning in pain, I tried to sit up but realized the man had his boot pressed hard against my chest.

"Who are you?" I spat again, barely able to rattle out a breath as the boot pressed me to the pavement.

"Where is Riley Brun?" The man growled.

"I-" I gurgled out, "I don't know who you're talking about."

"Don't lie!" He hissed, pushing the boot down harder yet with his words, "I know more than you think."

"Obviously not enough if you're having to interrogate me for answers." I said, "What do you want with Riley?"

The man leaned down until his face was just inches above my own. The left half of his face was illuminated by a street light flickering on and that's when I caught glimpse of the slitted eyes.

"It's time for a family reunion." He answered demonically, his red eyes dancing with glee.