NAOMI REID
"Oh my gosh! I am so excited for you. And he's really hot, what a bonus!" Avery gushes to Naomi as she pulls up in front of the coffee shop. Naomi blushes slightly at her friend's words, rolling her eyes. After meeting Jensen Carter yesterday when he came to thank her for saving his life and rerouting to the hospital he asked for – He'd asked her on a coffee date. To which she said yes.
She was genuinely excited for their little date as she did have somewhat of an attraction to her car wreck victim. Her friend wasn't exaggerating when she called him hot.
"Okay, I'll be in the parking lot. Ready and waiting if things go awry," Avery says to her friend. "But do remember we have to get to shift in two hours. Have a good time, okay, enjoy it." With that, Naomi exits the car.
She spots Jensen through the glass windows sitting at a table waiting. Psyching herself up, she gives Avery a quick wave before entering the building. She walks to Jensen, a blush automatically forming on her face. Upon spotting her, he rises out of his seat to greet her, and like a gentleman, he pulls out the chair for her to sit. The two order coffee and a breakfast bagel, breaking into an easy conversation.
An hour passes by quickly, the two of them having animatedly talked the entire time. Their conversation flowed effortlessly, with no awkward moments or reasons to abandon ship. The portion of their conversation had now reached Naomi's job as they realized she'd be heading off to her shift soon.
She tells him all the details she loves about her job, excitedly detailing some of her more bizarre encounters. Jensen listens to every word she says, staring at her in admiration. "Doesn't it get dangerous at times though?" He asks curiously.
"Yeah. I've had plenty of close calls and scary encounters. Nothing that has kept me down for long though. I always get back up." She answers him. "Had a crazy one on my last night shift actually. I got attacked and accidentally drugged during it."
"What!" Jensen exclaims in surprise. Naomi goes on to detail her shift from the night of the eclipse. Jensen's expression switches between anger, worry, fear and shock as she recalls her story.
"The doctor said it was all a hallucination from the drug but I'm telling you it felt so real! The areas that physically hurt matched up with what I remember seeing. But I know he's right. There's no logical explanation for anything I saw that night."
Jensen goes to speak but Naomi's alarm goes off. "You have to leave, don't you?" He asks with a slight sigh. "Yeah, have to get to work," Naomi responds. She gets up to leave, Jensen standing as well. "I had a great time. It was too short," Jensen says to her. "It was," She agrees. Pulling out his phone, Jensen holds it out to her, "Maybe we can arrange to meet again sometime," He says to her hopefully.
With a blush on her face, Naomi takes the phone, saving her number on it. "Definitely," She says, picking up her purse. "See you around Jensen," She says, turning to walk away.
"Bye Naomi," Jensen says to her retreating figure, watching her with a smile on his face as she exits the store.
~
JENSEN CARTER
Parking his car, Jensen exits, walking to lean against its trunk. He watches as the headlights of another car turn onto the street, the car slowing down before stopping completely. The person driving the vehicle had been following him throughout the entire day – It was night now. Ever since he left the coffee shop, he noticed he'd acquired a shadow.
This particular shadow he knew he had to deal with – For they had seen him with Naomi, and there was no chance in hell he'd let them go without knowing who they were and what they wanted with him.
The driver of the vehicle exits, walking up to him. "WHERE IS HE?" The man shouts. Jensen was glad he'd chosen this desolate neighborhood to have this confrontation.
"WHERE IS HE YOU BEAST?"
"I don't know who you are referring to sir," Jensen shouts back in a cool manner which angers the man.
"WHERE'S MY BROTHER!" He shouts to Jensen. Jensen rolls his eye in annoyance, seeing that this was going to take a while.
"And who is your brother, might I ask?" Jensen enquires.
"PHILLIP!" The man shots in response.
"I'm sorry but I don't know any Phillip. Maybe you have the wrong person?" Jensen says calmly.
"STOP PLAYING GAMES WITH ME WOLF! I KNOW MY BROTHER WENT AFTER YOU IN THAT HOSPITAL! AND I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM HIM SINCE! WHAT DID YOU DO?"
"Oh, now I understand," Jensen says. "Well, personally, I didn't do anything. I was in the hospital, wounded and hooked up to machines."
With a loud battle-cry-like scream, the man runs up to Jensen.
With an exaggerated eye roll and a sigh, Jensen sidesteps the man's attack, grabbing him by the arm. In one move he twists it painfully, forcing the man to the ground.
"Listen. I am in a good mood tonight. So, hear what's going to happen. You are going to walk away and never approach me again. Phillip got himself into a situation he couldn't handle. Don't do the same," Jensen says to him in a low voice. With a shove, he releases the man, beginning to walk away.
"I've been following you! The whole day!" The man shouts making Jensen stop in his tracks. "I saw your little friends! The one with the short wavy hair, the other one from the coffee shop this morning! I WILL GO FOR YOUR FRIENDS, WOLF. DO THEY KNOW, HUH? DO THEY KNOW THE MONSTER YOU ARE? MAYBE THEY ARE WOLVES TOO? I MIGHT JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH THEM!"
With a growl, Jensen feels his bones begin to crack as the man's words play over in his head. His eyes change to their bright yellow, the world around him becoming sharper. His claws extended slowly, his body going through the change with anger pumping through his veins.
He tried to be civil and walk away. He really did.
~
ARROW BERLIN
The air was cold and damp, a distinct nauseating scent present. The sounds of heavy footfalls filled the silence as a wooden floor creaked beneath each step. In Clearmeadow Creek, atop a hill, sat an old one-story farmhouse. It had a total of three rooms along its side, bathroom, kitchen and living room also present. The house once belong to a farmer and his wife - they worked the cornfields adjacent to the building. That was years ago, the house long abandoned after their passing.
Until tonight.
The house was no longer abandoned as a group of Lycans with a vendetta had found it was the perfect location for them. Inside the farmhouse, Arrow Berlin, her father Allister Berlin, and a fellow hunter by the name of Kendrick Sawyer hung from a rusty metal above-head bar. They have been hanging there since their mission gone wrong - At least fifteen hours ago.
Arrow and Kendrick had been repeatedly drugged during the day. Their captures wanted them unconscious until they were ready. Allister, on the other hand, had been subjected to various forms of torture. He endured torment, ranging from electrocution, waterboarding, and dismemberment. Now unconscious from blood loss and pain he was strung up once more as the Lycans waited for Arrow and Kendrick to wake up.
Getting impatient, one of the Lycans - A short sunburnt man with a beer belly, punches Kendrick in the stomach. "Why aren't they up yet?" He growls landing another punch. This time, Kendrick groans softly, the man laughing happily.
He goes to do the same with Arrow but stops upon noticing she was already awake. Though her eyes were still shut and her head bent, he heard the difference in her breathing. "Ha-ha, sneaky little thing, trying to mislead us eh?" He says softly to her grabbing her face with his grimy hands. Arrow slowly opens her eye, glaring harshly at the man. A smile appears on his face as he moves closer to her. He was trying to intimidate her but Arrow held his stare, not blinking – Even as he tightened his grip on her jaw, claws extending.
"That's enough fooling around Henry!" A deep gruff voice says. His voice was hoarse as if he'd smoked ten packs of cigarettes every day of his life. Though she was no wolf, Arrow could smell the man from where he stood – Which was at the entrance of the room. He smelt of stale beer and sweat.
He slowly walks into the room, a predatory smile on his face. He stops at a table whispering something to another man who stood there. At this point Arrow deducted that everyone in the room was a Lycan – It was fairly obvious. She takes the opportunity to look around, her heart rate speeding up as she notices the condition of her father. Much like her, he was bound by the hands hanging from the steel but his entire body was limp, unmoving. Arrow focuses her gaze on him, trying to see if his chest was still moving, letting out a subtle sigh when it did.
Her dad was bleeding in various places, with slashes, and claw marks adorning his skin. Her eye landed on his hand noticing the bulky blood-soaked bandage that was carelessly wrapped around it. A digit was missing – She could tell.
The man, having finished talking to the other person walks up to her. "Hello, hunter." He says to her, studying her expression. Arrow keeps her face neutral and breathing even but she knew her heart rate was betraying her.
"How about some introductions, yeah?" He says. Arrow doesn't respond – The Lycan not expecting her to.
"The name's Wendell Turner," He begins in a low tone, his sentence slow and meticulous. "And you are Arrow Berlin, daughter of Allister and Cheyenne. I would say it's nice to meet you but we both know that will be a lie."
He begins to pace the room, Kendrick coming into consciousness as he does so. "Ah, Kendrick, finally awaking," The man states.
"I know you two are confused, so let me clear the air," Wendell says to them. "This is my pack. I have gathered them here tonight – The night of our moon so that we could teach you, hunters, a lesson. For too long, we've let you kill us. Murder our families – our loved ones, our children. Tonight, things will be different. TONIGHT, WE HUNT YOU! We will be the savage animal you portray us to be. We will make you regret ever holding a weapon to us!"
With that he turns dramatically, walking to the door. Stopping at the threshold, he looks back at them, "Say your prayers. You have one hour until the moon is high."
"KEEP AN EYE ON THEM! AND NO TALKING!" He shouts to someone as he walks away. A few seconds after, Arrow watches in shock as JT walks through the door, taking a seat on the chair in the corner.
"JT?" Arrow says hoarsely, her throat scratching her as she did.
JT doesn't answer her instead, he stares down at the floor with a guilty and sad expression.
~
Minutes go by in complete silence. Arrow and Kendrick don't attempt to communicate with each other both knowing that would be useless and futile. However, after staring at JT, arrow devises a plan.
"JT," She whispers. "Please. Just listen to me. I heard what the man in charge said, I know why you guys are doing this. But, please, I am not a bad person. I don't do the things he listed," She says in her most scared and vulnerable voice. "I am not some type of cold-blooded killer. JT, I know I've only known you for like, three minutes. But I know this isn't the kind of person you are," Arrow continues. "You are a good person I can tell. You won't hurt a defenseless person. Don't let that man on a power trip influence and use you like this."
"That man, on a power trip, is my father," JT replies, still not looking her in the face. You know, I've been over this with him. He explained it to me," JT explains. "Hunters killed my mom and my baby sister. Chased them down and slaughtered them. It was the night of my first shift too, you know. Imagine a younger me being so happy and excited, seeing the world in a whole new light – Just to see my baby sister laying in a pool of her blood. We were peaceful people, Arrow. Made an honest living, and paid our bills on time. We were regular innocent people. But you guys don't care about innocence do you. You just like to spill blood."
~
The rest of the time passes by quickly much to Arrow and Kendrick's dismay. At one point in time, Arrow tries reasoning with JT once more. After she promised safety if he helped her escape – Arrow thought he look like he was considering the notion. Although he didn't verbally respond, she felt as if she'd struck a chord with him. She spends the rest of her time thinking of possible ways to escape. Her mind exploring every scenario possible. Her father never stirred once for the entire time, which worried her deeply.
"Take down the girl JT," Wendell ordered, appearing at the door. Arrow looked at him when he spoke, seeing he had his claws out and his eye had changed. "Moon's up. Time for the fun to begin." He says walking away.
With a reluctant sigh, JT does as told – Taking Arrow down from the bar. He uses his strength, forcing her to cooperate. He drags her through the farmhouse, her struggling to keep up. Along the way, she passes five other Lycans – All male. They come to a stop at the front of the farmhouse. The night was cold, the place bright underneath the full moon's light. JT undoes the shackles on her arms and feet, still keeping a hold on her. "JT, please. Look at me, do I look like a murderer to you. Do you really think I can kill someone's family – Their child?"
JT stares at her, deep in thought before sighing, finally relenting. "It's a hunt tonight. They're going to chase you down, hunt you. I'll get on it, I'll hunt you with them. Don't run into the forest, that's what they're expecting you to do. Run into the cornfield and I'll find you, I'll help you escape."
"Oh, thank you, JT!" Arrow whispers, "You're a good person, you really are," She goes on gratefully before being cut off by a voice.
"He ain't a good person. He's a gullible fool!" Wendell says angrily standing behind them. Arrow realizes he heard the entire thing. "I thought I raised you to be smarter than this!" He exclaims stomping towards them.
"Dad! I can explain! I –" JT tries to explain but his dad cuts him off, coming to a stop directly in front of him.
"Ain't no sympathy for the devil boy!" He says angrily raising his hand at JT. His claws pierce the skin as he strikes his son, JT crying out in pain. Arrow gasps, watching on in horror and shock. JT releases his hold on Arrow, his hands flying to cradle his wound.
"No sympathy at all!" He growls, grabbing Arrow by her throat.