Chapter 65
Hunters
"What time do you think you'll be done?"
"I'll just walk home, or see if someone can give me a ride. It's nice out, so don't worry about it, mom."
"Alright, if you changed your mind let me know."
I ended the call and glanced around the parking lot. Chris hadn't shown up yet. He's the one that wanted to meet in the parking lot, and now, he was late. I looked down at my phone as my finger hovered over Titus's name. Just in case, I left a note by my computer, saying I was with Chris.
"Hey."
I turned around.
Chris nodded to me. "Hurry up, before someone sees."
We walked to the far end of the parking lot. Chris unlocked his truck, and we both climbed inside.
Chris grabbed the back of my neck and shoved my face down. "Stay like that until I tell you."
I laid over my knees, my heart rate starting to pick up. "I left a note for my parents Chris. Try something stupid, and they will tell Titus."
"Maybe I don't want the whole school seeing me with the fag, alright." He turned on the vehicle and pulled out of his parking spot.
I remained bent in half with my bookbag on the floor as we left the school and started down the road. "Can I get up yet?"
"No," he replied, keeping his eyes on the road.
"Paranoid much," I breathed. I turned my head the other way and looked out the window at the sky. This position was starting to get uncomfortable. "Chris, really? The glass is tinted, no one going to see me."
He didn't respond. Groaning, I stayed put and stared at my shoes. I reached down and picked some mud off my laces. This was starting to be ridiculous.
"Is it clear yet?"
Chris's eyes turned to me, before snapping back to the road. I was going to take that as a yes. I slowly started to raise up out of my seat.
"Where the hell are you going?" I turned around in my seat. "Pullover, pullover right now."
He sped up instead as we merged onto the highway.
"Chris! This isn't funny. Stop the truck now."
I received no reply. No way in hell was I being kidnapped by this psycho. I took out my phone. The brakes squealed as Chris slammed on them. I was thrown into the dash and my phone flew out of my hands. Chris snatched it as I tried to recover from having the air knocked out of me.
Pocketing it, he started driving again. "Put on your seatbelt, Aden, or I'll do it again."
"I came to talk," I exclaimed, as I did so. "That's it. I don't want to fight anymore."
His face remained emotionless.
"Why Chris? You've done enough, just stop."
He started to laugh. "I've been over all that for awhile." His eyes flashed to me. "Do you know how much a werewolf is worth, Aden?"
I stared at him.
"Fifteen grand. For one werewolf, and that's the middle rank one. The bigger ones bring in even more."
"How do you know that?" I backed up against the door.
"Research, Aden." He shifted in his seat. "After Titus let me on his little secret, I started searching the internet. Everything started to make sense, like that night at my party. He didn't get drunk and toxins, man those hurt like a bitch," he shook his head. "I knew a normal person couldn't have hit me that hard."
I couldn't find any words. This couldn't be happening.
"Most websites are roleplayed junkies, but if you dig deep enough, you can find the hunters. They feel you out for awhile, to check if you're the real deal, if you actually seen one." He shook his head. "But my god, they told me everything when I mentioned I lived near Northern Rocky Ridge, and some gay kid at my school was sleeping with a werewolf named Titus," he peered over at me. "Alpha son, right?" he chuckled.
I sat motionless. "You're insane. There's no point in doing this."
"Unfortunately for TItus, there is," said Chris. "Someone hates his dad, and a hunter contacted me. I told him about you, Titus's soon to be bitch. They told me everything I needed to do. How to hid my scent, proper equipment I need to take one down. They've been hunting werewolves for over a decade."
I clenched my jaw. "They're human Chris! This isn't like hunting an animal. It's murder."
"Thousands of people have been murder by werewolves, they're monsters, Aden. They're nothing human about them."
The car was silent for a moment. I was breathing deeply to keep calm.
"People do this for a living," he stated. "Hell, I've talk with a guy who runs a group, who are hired by packs to hunt rogues. If you're good enough you can make millions." He tightened his hold on the steering wheel. "It legal too. Werewolves don't exist according to the government. Pack have their own justice systems. If Titus dies or I die, it won't matter, the government will make up some bullshit to cover it up."
"Then why risk it," I breathed. "Hurting Titus will just get you killed."
"To get good at this, I need a trainer," he rubbed his forehead. "But the group I want to join only take hunters that have successfully killed a werewolf."
"Then go find another werewolf!" I snapped, my eyes starting to burn.
"Pack werewolf are the only ones that count. That's what they specialize in." He nodded. "That's the deal. I supply the bait, and they help me join the group." He peered over at me. "So I guess this counts as that talking you wanted to have, Aden. Won't be long before it's all settled."
I glanced at the back seat. It was filled with different black bags. None looked like it had a gun in it at least.
"Were you really going to give up your humanity for this guy?"
Wiping my face roughly, I nodded. "Yes."
"That's even more disturbing than being gay."
***
The truck pulled up to a campground where two men were waiting. My breath caught when I saw the assault rifle the shorter one was holding.
"Chris, this is enough take me home."
He turned off the vehicle. "You rode all the way here thinking I'd really take you home."
"I'm human, though" I stated. "You can't do this. You'll go to jail for it."
My door opened, and a man with a scarred face and long stringy hair yanked me out. Chris walked around the truck to meet us. I was shoved forward. The three of them gathered around.
"This is kidnapping," I said trying to sound intimidating. "You'll go to prison."
The scarred man laughed and turned me around. He pushed me against the truck and twisted my hands behind my back. "Don't worry kid. First rule of being a hunter." He finished tying my wrists. "Never kill your own kind. It makes you no better than them."
I looked over my shoulder at him. His eye was white and three long rows of skin ran down his face. "Let me go."
"We will." He grabbed me and forced me toward the woods. "As soon as the werewolves show up, we'll take you home."
"I'll turn you in." I struggled to get away from him.
He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back. "As long as no human are hurt, the government will do nothing about it. To risky when werewolves are involved."
Releasing me, he grabbed my arm and led me down the path. Chris and the short bald man followed, carrying an assortment of bags. We entered meadow, eaten down to the dirt. I was led to a post sticking out of the ground in the middle. I was forced to my knees. The bald man pulled a rope out of his bag.
"They're going to kill you," I hissed, glaring at the three of them.
"I've dealt with worse," said the scarred man. He place his foot on my chest and shoved me back.
I fell back against the post.
He tied me in place and knelt in front of me. "Don't look at me like that kid." He ruffled my hair.
I turned my head sharply. "They're not hurting anyone."
"They've gotten to you already." His eyes fell on the neck of my shirt. Pulling out a knife, he held it next to my face. "Stay still."
Frozen, I held my breath as he cut my shirt.
With a sigh, he shook his head at the sight. "He marked you. Poor thing."
I kicked my legs, nearly hitting his foot. "Go to hell."
Grabbing a handful of hair, he slammed my head against the post. "We're saving you from becoming a werewolf bitch. The man you think loves you, will only use you. Order you around, and treat you no better than a slave." He jolted my head back, before glancing at his partner. "Get out the kit."
The bald man dropped his bags.
"You're just going to let them do this," I glared at Chris. "You really have lost this. I know you hate me, but this is going too far."
"They're monsters, Aden," he stated. "Titus turned you gay."
"Are you serious?" I spat. "You really think that? I was gay before."
"If wasn't until he came along, that you started liking guys," stated Chris. "He did something. You're not the first one to have it happen to them."
"You're wrong," I said firmly. "I choose Titus."
"That's what he let's you think." The long haired man laughed. "He choose you, because you'd be easy to manipulate. That's why they need to be eliminated. We'll make it clear what happens when they try to take humans as mate."
"They are human!"
"You're right, Chris," he breathed. "He is delusional. The werewolves have convinced him they're actually human. They're not kid. There's nothing humane about a creature that kill for no reason. They're a threat our government is too afraid to eliminate, so we have too." He shrugged. "We're just restoring the food chain, that's all. Putting humans back on top where they belong."
"Here." The bald man handed him a test tube.
"Hold it for me." He pointed the knife at me.
My eyes grew wide, and I struggled to get away.
"Stay put, you're just going to hurt yourself worse."
He cut along my engagement bite. I gritted my teeth. Holding the blade against my skin, he let the my blood pool on it before taking the tube from his partner. He angled the knife, so it dripped inside. Putting a cork on the top, he shook it. The liquid turned pink, but nothing else happened.
He smiled. "Good to see you're still human." He stood.
I stared off toward the trees breathing heavily. "To think I told Titus not to kill you," My head snapped toward Chris. "I hope he rips your throat out."
"Cool it, kid." The scarred man knocked my head to the side. "This isn't the first time we've taken on a pack." He pointed to his face. "A dominant did this, before I put a hole in his head. Nearly lost my sight in that eye. The trick is though, you have to cut along their jaw," he positioned with his finger. "That's where their healing enzymes are, so all you have to do is coat the wound in the blood."
"You're disgusting."
He shrugged. "I'd rather be the hunter than the hunted." He looked to the other two men. "Get rid of your scent and head out to your positions. I'll stay with the kid until the pack gets closer."
They turned to leave.
"Chris," called the scar man.
He stopped and faced us.
"You have his phone?"
Chris took it out of his pocket and tossed it to the long haired man.
"Let's see how good you've gotten at shooting. The first werewolf into the clearing will be the boy's lover. Kill him, and you're in."
Chris nodded and headed back to the truck.
The scarred man sat down at my feet. "Should we give him a call?"
I shook my head. "You're psychotic."
"This coming for a kid ready to give up his humanity and become a werewolf's bitch." He gave me an amused smile. "People like you make my job hard. You kill a werewolf and they resort back to their true form."
"So what?" I hissed.
"What you're true form?" he retorted. "Human bodies turn up and the government no longer sit around. Packs sure don't allow it to be covered up." He sucked in his cheek. "We're all the werewolves' bitches when you think about it. We let them do whatever the hell they want with no consequences." His eyes scanned over me. "They prey on kids like you. Naive and stupid, you all memorized by the opportunity to become a mate to an overly romanticized monsters. It's sickening." He smiled to himself. "I'm saving you for a life controlled by a self appointed tyrant."
"Alpha," I replied sharply. "And they earn that position."
He shrugged. "You really are a lost cause, kid." Standing, he dusted himself off. He took out my phone. "So what's your password?"
"Go to hell."
Laughing, he struck me. My head snapped to the side.
"What is it?"
"Why?" I retorted. "A human body showing up would just cause problems, right."
He punched me in the jaw, and I tasted blood. I choked on it, before spitting on the ground.
"Keep going," I groaned. "My parent will take me to the hospital, and I'll tell the police a man with a couple nasty scars jumped me on my way home from school."
He clenched his jaw and paced around me. "Why are you all so difficult? Show some loyalty to your own species." He punched me again.
I gagged and let my head roll to the side. Blood poured from my nose.
"No?" he laughed. "Alright, we'll try something else." He flipped out his knife. "They'll be able to track you better from the blood." He cut into Titus's mark. I gasped, and bit my lip to stay quiet.
The pain stopped, and I took deep breaths. Blood ran down my chest.
"What a pain in the ass," he brushed back his greasy hair. "Whatever." He took out a handkerchief from his back pocket. Squeezing his fingers into my jaw, he opened my mouth and shoved it in before tying it around my head. "There we go." He patted my cheek. "I'm sure Chris knows your home number, so it won't be long before the pack is sent out to track you down."
I breath heavily, glaring at him.
Turning to leave, he flashed me a smile over his shoulder. "Don't worry will take are of the demons for you. Maybe then you'll wake up from this nightmare you've mistaken for a dream."