"Baby what do you want to do when you grow up?" I asked my girlfriend, Riley as we were laying in the grass, her head on my chest, my hand running through her long blonde hair. Her blue eyes shined when she looked up at me. We were seventeen years old.
"I want to be your wife, have at least three kids, two boys and a little girl, she's the youngest. Have a home in the country and you take care of the farm and I'll take care of the gardens and cook for all of you. Sit on the rocking chairs on the front porch as we watch our eight grandchildren run around the yard and play just as our children had done over the years. I want a life with you, I don't want fancy things, I don't need them. I only need and want you when I grow up." She kissed my chin and my hold on her tightened as I saw all what she said play out in my mind.
Her vision of our life sounded perfect but that vision ended the moment she was killed, by monsters and from that moment on, no monster was safe.
I vowed that night to end the supernatural existence because if they can kill someone just because, they have no humanity in themselves and they need to die.
I grew up as a hunter, was taught how to kill the many different species and what harms them to get them to talk. My mom and dad had taught me since I was four years old, the year after my little brother Morgan and grandparents were on a hike and never came home. My grandparents were found dead and my little brother was nowhere to be found.
Mom and dad said my grandparents died from a wolf attack and since, they taught me every strategy, tactic, poisonous thing to either shoot, inject, or throw and they breathe it in when it explodes on the ground. I was taught hand to hand combat, how to use a knife, a gun, a bow, throw daggers and silver stars, you name it, it was taught to me.
My little brother Chase was oblivious to the world which he should have been. When he found out what our family did, he left us behind to go live his life and hasn't been home since he left.
He and I were close when we were younger, he looked up to me and always wanted to do everything I did. I loved being around him, he was a ball of energy and made me smile and laugh with how silly and carefree he always was.
When I found him with wolves, my heart broke into a million pieces because I didn't want to lose him like I lost Riley. He was mated to killers and monsters. I had decided at that moment to kill them so I warned him to not be there because I didn't want him to die in the crossfire.
What I didn't expect was for this massive wolf to attack me when he saw that I had my gun trained on a man who was a tiger shifter. I had assumed the wolf was the tigers mate so when I found out the tiger was actually my mate, I was sick to my stomach.
No way in hell am I going to be with a monster let alone a guy. I have no problem with gay people, hell Chase is a walking fucking rainbow since he was a kid but I'm straight. I have always loved women, inside and out.
I learned some unexpected news being here, one Morgan is alive and is a wolf himself so why my parents had a pup as a kid to pretend he was our brother was a question I wouldn't get an answer to. Also they are the reason why Riley died. They had paid some random wolves to kill her because they didn't like that she was a good hearted person and wanted a life with me. They were scared she would pull me out of the hunter life and she was, she made me not want to hunt and to have a good life with her, to give her what she wanted when she told me that night under the stars.
Has what I have been taught all my life one big lie?
After a year and a half, Kody finally woke up from the silver and wolfsbane that was in his system. Everyone was happy and relieved he woke up. I was waiting on what Altan was going to say to me when he walked into the cells but it had to wait since Kody woke up.
I had seen his daughter walking around on her little legs and gotta admit, she's a cute little girl and his son who I heard Kody saved just like his daughter and wanted them as his kids to raise them. It's amazing what you can learn when you listen and fake sleep.
I learned that Altan and Kody are best friends and that was why Kody attacked me because I was going to kill Altan. He sacrificed himself for his best friend, that alone threw me off because they are monsters and killers, why would he put his life in danger when they will eventually kill one another anyways?
I was startled when they all appeared in front of my cell, Kody as well. He really did wake up.
"I Altan Colleen Blackstone reject you Brent Lee Walker as my mate." He said with such bitterness in his voice and I felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest and put my hand over it and felt tears running down my cheeks.
"Accept it or we both die." He said after a few minutes of silence. I took a few deep breaths and looked at him.
"I...I accept." I managed to say, the struggle to get three words out through this pain was hell. He walked out right away and the door was slammed shut behind them.
I laid back in the bed and started to cry. I have no idea why it hurts so much. We didn't have much of a bond, he would come in the cells once a week but wouldn't see me, just be in the hall and we didn't talk, he just stood there for a bit and left. Maybe just being close like that did something, I don't know.
"You are going to be moved. You will no longer be here so close to my son because I don't want him to die. Being around you even if it's not next to you will harm him in the long run so I talked with my family and you are going to be going to New Moon packlands. I'm sure you heard about them given they are the biggest pack in the US. Be lucky I haven't killed you yet and you're just going away. If I had my way, you would have died that day you almost killed Kody and hurt my son." Caleb said as he crossed his arms over his broad chest and stared me down. He has an intense look on his face that scares the shit out of me.
Altan has the same exact look.
All I did was look away, he may be a shifter but he is a father and I recognize that look he had just like my own father would have at the thought of Chase or I being hurt.
"When am I being moved?" I asked.
"So you can talk without saying useless bullshit. In an hour we will be leaving. Have you learned anything from being here for so long about what we are?" Now that I wasn't expecting him to ask.
"Define learn." I snickered and groaned from the pain in my heart.
"For someone in your situation, you sure are a cocky bastard." He glared at me.
"Well, your kind did kill people in my life, my girlfriend specifically. So forgive me if I'm bitter." I glared back.
"Whatever, we're ready for you to leave anyway." He grumbled and three men walked passed him and into my cell.
As they entered my cell, the buck shifter shackled and cuffed my wrists and ankles. Then we teleported to what I assumed was New Moon. I remembered it well.
"Is this him?" A guy with white wings asked.
"Yup, do as you wish. He's your problem now." Altan's look-alike said.
"You are definitely your father's child." The angel chuckled.
"Just don't kill him." Caleb said before the four of them disappeared.
As they left, I was released of my restraints.
"You let me go?" I asked.
"Unlike you Brent, I have no interest in harming others without cause or reason." He said and just kept walking.
"Where's Altan? Why was I sent here if I'm supposedly his mate?" I asked.
"Back at Silver Moon and because he's supernatural he feels the rejection stronger." He simply said.
"Why did you let me go? Most people like you fear people like me." I asked.
"For a hunter, you're not very bright. If you must know, your man-made weapons have no effect on me. You should also know I can read your thoughts so before you even tried anything you'd be dead on the spot but I'm not you. I kill to defend, not out of hatred or revenge or for the hell of it." He said and I felt unnaturally uncomfortable.
Why did this angel's words hurt so much?
"What do you know about me? My girlfriend was murdered by wolves." I said feeling my anger rise as her sweet face flashed across my memory.
"I know what your parents did, I know what they turned you into. You yourself are not a bad person, your parents bringing you into their world is what changed you. Maybe it's time for a judgment call." He said and I was led into this shack.
"What are we doing here?" I asked.
"We're going to go on a mental…journey if you will." He said.
"Have a seat." He said referring to the chair in the center of the room.
"Why should I trust you? What if you alter my memories?" I asked.
"I don't have the authority to do so nor would I want to. You have to go on your own journey to find peace." He said and I sat.
I didn't like this at all, it creeped me out on the extent of their powers.
"Don't fight against me, relax and let me in and everything will be clear. If you fight, you'll get a killer migraine." He chuckled and placed his hands on the side of my head on my temples and I felt tired.
I don't know how long I was out but the whole time I kept dreaming of my parents and all the hell they put people through, it was like an endless dream, or nightmare I should say. Thousands of lives lost, most of them innocent. How could they, I be so cruel?
When I woke up I was greeted by several men.
"You sure did a number on him, dad." One of the men said.
"I had to go back several decades for him to get the full picture, cruel but usually effective." The angel said.
"I think you broke him, he seems catatonic." Another guy said.
The whole time they were talking, I made no attempt to move. My whole life really was a lie. The only thing that stayed the same were Riley, Altan, the rejection.
I saw my parents and myself in a brand new light and I hated it. Everything we've done. It made me sick.
"How long have I been out?" I asked, getting up from my bed?
"Two weeks, there was a lot to get through. It seems your parents really wanted to keep you in the business, it seems they hired a witch to block certain parts of your memory so you were stoic and unaffected by your actions." The angel spoke. I know that much was true, I saw them paying off the witch to turn off my remorse before they killed him.
"Now that the worst is over, you can start your true punishment…after you eat." The guy who I swear said the angel did a number on me said.
"I-I'm ready." I said and I was thrown some clothes.
"First you shower, you reek." One of the men said.
"Zeke be nice." The angel said and one by one they introduced themselves.
After a very long and tiresome introduction, I was pushed into the bathroom by Zeke.
When I got out of the shower and for the next few hours, I was taken on a proper tour of the lands with many people growling, hissing or just glaring at me. I don't blame them considering I got my humanity back.
As my tour ended, Zander gave me the rundown of my 'true punishment' which was just a lot of physical labor and socializing with the pack, supervised.
I can tell I'm going to be going through so much more hell than I realized.