Walkers Book 1- Changing

Chapter 17: The hunter and the prey (Part 1)

New chapter! Pay attention to the evolution of my characters, I'm so proud of them!

Picture: Nicola Peltz as Aria Brooks

Song: Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day

Chapter 17 - The hunter and the prey

           Night Walker code 003- The first winter snowfall is the start of the hunt

Aria

“Damn it! You invited the Preston girl to the hunt?” Evander gasped. “For fuck’s sake! Why?! Tanner I would understand, but his sister? What the fuck is wrong with you!?”

It was supper time; she, Evander, Chayton and Ezra, were eating at their usual table in the corner of the warm cafeteria. It was strange knowing that they were the only remaining members of the circle; Cole was missing, Callista and Liora were dead, and to top it all off, Hayden was slowly losing her mind. Since her twin’s absence, Aria had started speaking up a little bit more among the group; and sadly, she always seemed to say the wrong things at the wrong time.

“Why are you yelling at me?” She whined, her voice cracking and her eyes were getting watery, her mood dramatically changing again. “I just wanted to make her happy.” She could see that Evander was making a valid effort to hold his temper. She felt bad for making him angry. “Evander are you okay?” She asked in a small voice.

“Chayton” Evander said to his brother, as if by miracle his twin could do something. “I fucking swear, I’m going to—”

“Get over yourself Evander.” Ezra interrupted. “You made everyone miserable the first few weeks you got stuck with your ability. The least you can do is shut up for once and leave the poor vampire alone.”

There was a small silence before Evander mumbled something unnecessary and went back to eating his cheap lasagna, no longer in the mood to converse. “What time are we going hunting tomorrow?” Ezra asked taking a sip of his blood bag and making a face. “I can’t wait for some fresh blood.”

“Does anyone else other me find it weird that we’re going to be hunting without half our circle?” Aria asked ignoring Ezra completely. Her mood was changing to truthfulness, which was actually the one she hated the most, because she really could admit to anything or say whatever went through her mind.

“Damn it Brooks! Of course we’re all thinking about it!” Evander snapped, banging his fists on the table, his eyes shooting daggers at her. “No one wants to fucking talk about it, that’s all. Now will you just shut up?!”

“But I want to talk about it!” She objected, his anger not at all affecting her. Ezra suddenly pushed his chair back and got up. “Where are you going?” Aria asked, wondering what had gotten into him. Had she said something wrong?

“Aria, you might be over everyone’s death, but we’re not. My twin just died—my girlfriend. My other half, the love of my life and now I’m going be alone forever because she’s not coming back.” He took a deep shaky breath and tried not to cry. “Hayden might be in the hospital, but at least she’ll be return; Liora is gone, forever.”

Then of course, Evander just had to make a stupid comment. “I thought you said that we weren’t allowed to snap at her?”        

Ezra kicked the Night Walker’s chair and then immediately left the cafeteria without another word. Aria was then suddenly overwhelmed with guilt. “Oh gosh, I can’t believe I just did that.” Then, against all odds, she started crying.