Alpha's Hunt

13. The Hunt begins

She turns her face away, a look of so much pain and guilt crosses her face I'm tempted to rip it away from her.

I take her hand and press a kiss to it, holding it tightly in both of mine.

"I'll wait for him," I say "I promise."

Mom gives me a little smile and strokes me hair "I pray every night that you find him soon."

I smile "Mom?"

"Yes, sweetie?"

"There's a little something I have to tell you."

***

"Elise Marie Attwood, you have no idea what you have gotten into!"

I cringe, all that sass and coolness I'd felt while blackmailing Luke and Casper goes down the drain and leaves a petty feeling of being in trouble.

"But Mom," I whine "They were making it so tempting!"

"Elise, this is not a joke." Mom says sternly "the Alpha's Hunt is a suicide mission!"

"And I'm a parrot," I roll my eyes "Mom come on, you know I got this, right?"

Mom purses her lips and glares at me. She turns her face away and I realize just how tired she looks.

"I don't want to lose my baby," she says quietly "Not to this, not to anything else."

"Mom," I put my hands on her shoulders "you can't always protect me and keep me sheltered. In the end, all of us are on our own."

She lets out a wobbly smile "I never knew you can talk like an adult."

I smile "And you also don't know that I can survive this. Now come on, we have packing to do."

***

"Where are we?" I ask as Luke stops the car

"At the starting line." He says as he gets out

I quickly take off my seatbelt and follow him out of the car. I see about 18 or 20 other cars, all parked in front of a forest.

As I look around the participants, I realize I'm the only female around. Great.

Luke goes through the crowd, even Alphas ─the most ridiculously egoistic people alive─ step out of his way.

Why am I grinning like an idiot?

I look ahead trying to figure out where we are going and see a hunched figure near two big oak trees. I narrow my eyes to see better and then falter in my steps.

Bright yellow eyes turn our way while yellow and gold teeth are displayed in a grin.

"Ah, I've been waitin' for ya, beastie." the witch says

Luke narrows his eyes just a millimeter.

"Korra," he nods "How are you?"

"Old and balding."

"I'm happy to hear that."

The witch takes out her wand, a little stick with a glowing amber gem at the base.

She pokes Luke in the guts─ hard.

"Be careful boy," though her voice is still streechy and old, her eyes have a dangerous glint "Yar time is runnin' out."