The Hunt

Chapter 25

Alpha Lorenzo was a notable werewolf in recent history to take note of. Before meeting his destined mate he set off on a journey across the continent, creating relations with many human females. Because of this we have spent many years hunting down and disposing of the Abominations this created. We believe we have managed to dispose of them all, however, if any are to appear it is to be handled quickly and diligently. Termination of the entire family line is the proper path to take. No exceptions.

Hunter’s Codex, Introduction to were pg. 29

    Will’s movement woke me from where I sat on the floor. It took a moment to blink the sleep out of my eyes and to question why I was sleeping on the kitchen floor in the first place.
    One look at Will, awake and moving, was enough to jog my memory. 
    “Don’t move, we need to make sure there isn’t more damage than just the bullet wound.” My voice came out hoarse and dry. 
    He slowly slipped out of the blanket draped around his shoulders and peaked down at his side. To say he looked better would be an understatement. He looked amazing. 
    “It’s okay, Michelle. I don’t think there’s anything else wrong.” When he spoke his voice came out much stronger than mine did. If you looked at the two of us and had to guess which one was recovering from a gunshot wound, you wouldn’t pick him.
    He was still covered in dried blood but otherwise looked healthy. The rags and gauze wrapped around his stomach were soaked through but had begun to dry out as well.
    I grabbed his hand that reached to unwrap the bandaging. “Leave it. We need to get you to a hospital now.” 
    His smile was soft, guilty almost. “No. No we don’t.” He managed to push my hands out of the way and take off the bandaging. 
    There was nothing there. No bleeding, no scar, no gaping hole.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
    He looked unsure as he watched my reaction. “There’s some things I need to tell you.”
    I couldn’t take my eyes off of the spot where there should be a bullet hole in his side. “You think?” My voice came out as a high squeak. 
    “Maybe we should get a bit more comfortable first?” He asked nervously.
    “Yeah.” I said as an afterthought and stood to go to my room. He needed pants. I only took a few steps before I turned back to him. “You need a shower.” I was going through the motions at this point.
    He stood with one of the blankets wrapped around his waist. “You need one too.”  
    “I’ll take one after you.” 
    He didn’t argue with me or joke about taking one together. I think he knew I was going through some form of shock. When we made it to my room he went into the bathroom first and showered, leaving the door open.
    I searched my dresser for some of the jogging pants and shirts he had left behind when staying with me all week. When I placed them carefully in the bathroom Will called out to me. 
    “Thank you. For helping me last night and not throwing me out of the house.” He sounded worried. As though the fact that I was taking all of this in stride was freaking him out. 
    It was freaking me out. At this point I just told myself to remain calm. He said he would explain what was happening. Lord knows I had a lot of questions that needed answered. 
    Once we both had showered and dressed in fresh clothes he finally began to talk. 
    What I’m about to tell you is a lot. Please don’t freak out on me until the end at least.” He was standing in front of me while I took a seat on the edge of my bed. There was a wall between us right now. He didn’t move to be affectionate and I didn’t show him any signs that I wanted him to either. 
    I just nodded at him to continue. If I spoke now I wasn’t sure what would come out of my mouth.
    He spoke slowly, choosing his words carefully. “I’m not entirely human.” He glanced up from looking at the floor to watch my face. “Do you remember when you were attacked by that wolf?Well, you were right when you said they weren’t normal wolves.” He started to speak faster as he watched my head shake side to side. Denying what he was trying to say.
    My stomach began to sink as I was putting the dots together. 
    “Please listen, Michelle. Don’t freak out on me.” He was sounding desperate as he watched me pull away. “I’m a werewolf. The wolf that attacked you was one too. That’s why I healed so fast from the gunshot.” 
    I tried taking deep breaths to gather my thoughts. Before I knew it I was laughing. Laughing while my eyes watered. “Is this a joke?” 
    “Michelle-”
    “Is this some kind of joke that you and Caden are pulling?” I cut him off. It couldn’t be helped, I could feel myself freaking out after what happened last night on top of what was happening now. “God, I’m an idiot.”
    I tried to stand and Will reached to stop me.
    “Don’t touch me!” I pulled away and watched as he held his hands up. Hurt crossed his features as he watched me spiral. “Be honest with me. What’s really happening.”
    If it wasn’t for the fact that he was standing between me and the bedroom door, there was a very good chance I would have run at that moment.
    “I’m telling you the truth. Think back to the attack and everything that’s happened.” He still held his hands up, trying to show he wouldn’t touch me. “I’m not human. I heal fast, I needed the bullet out so I could heal. That’s why I asked you not to call for an ambulance. They would have freaked out when they realized how fast I was healing.” 
    I watched him through bleary eyes, trying my best not to break down into a sobbing mess. “Honest?”
    “Honest.” He took another breath. 
    “Who shot you?”
    A look crossed his face and I knew his answer wasn’t going to be the truth. “Hunters. They don’t like werewolves.” He answered. 
    “You're not telling me the truth.” I said.
    “I am.”
    I shook my head again.
    “Who shot you?” 
    “I can’t tell you who. Just that they’re hunters and they wanted to get rid of me.” He whispered out. 
    By this point I could feel the hot tears streaming down my face and everything in me was bone tired. I watched Will as he lowered his hands, motioning like he wanted to reach for me but wasn’t sure he should. 
    Then it clicked. His eyes, the dark hair, the reason they looked so familiar.
    “Oh God.” I moaned out, turning away and sitting back on my bed. “The wolf. The dark one. It was you.”
    He watched me some more before he answered. “Yeah.” The way he looked at me was cautious, like he thought I was going to snap at any moment. Maybe I was?
    “Was I not tasty enough to eat?” I couldn’t help asking him. “Or was I right from the get go and this is some sort of long drawn out way to kill me?”
    He winced at my words. “No!”
    “Then what is this?” My voice had climbed a few octaves and I was trying to stay as calm as I could. There was only so much one person could take though.
    “I love you, Michelle! I could never hurt you, even if it meant keeping the world from burning to the ground I could still never hurt you.” I could see the hurt in his eyes as he reached for me again.
    I backed away. “Why?”
    When he realized I wouldn’t let him reach out to me he gave up and ran his hands through his hair. “Werewolves have one person, their entire lives, that they live for. When we find them there’s no turning back. You’re my person. I’ve known since the day I saw you in town months ago.”
    “Your person?” What he was saying didn’t make sense.
    “We call it a soulmate but you can call it whatever you want. Point is, all wolves have one. Alice is Caden’s, my mom is my dad’s, and you’re mine.” His words were soft. He wanted so badly for me to believe him.
    And I did. 
    Deep down, I knew he was telling the truth. I felt drawn to him in a way I had never felt for anyone else. 
    “What does it feel like?” I needed to know if it was the same.
    “Like I can’t breathe when I’m not with you. Everywhere I look I’m hoping to see you there, I need you to live. These past couple months have been hell. I couldn’t eat when I wasn’t with you, I couldn’t sleep. But when I was with you? God, when I was with you it felt like the world was given to me on a silver platter. That every decision I made from here on would be for you and you only. If I had to give my life for you I would.” He lit up as he spoke about it. Smiling as he thought about what it felt like to be with me.
    In hindsight I could say I felt the same. From the day I met him at campus I was drawn to him. Every touch, every moment spent together, it all felt like it brought me to life. That he was home. 
    “Michelle, please.” He spoke softly, begging me to accept him.
    I stared at his hand that he held out to me. Blame it on my love for fairytales and my hope that one day I would have what my grandparents had, but reached back.
    The moment my fingers grazed his, he pulled me in and held me close. His heart racing in my ear as he let out a breath that he had been holding in. 
    “I love you, Michelle.” He whispered into my hair.