A Pretense

"Dammit!" Willow swore as another arrow missed its mark.

"Don't sweat. You are at it for far too long. Perhaps, a little break will help you loosen your muscles," Reagan, the vampire, and her teammate said from behind her.

"It's not that," Willow dismissed.

"Then pray, tell what is?" Reagan said as she leaned on the door of the gym room with her arms folded, projecting a leisure pose. But only a fool will consider her calm.

Reagan is a master at creeping behind and killing the prey. But she sucks at being patient. Unlike Willow. Who can stand still for hours if the occasion calls for it?

And today that patience is eluding her. It might have to do with the absence of her teammates.

Defeated, she sighed and dropped her arms, her back protesting. With her bow in her right hand and the arrow in her left, she turned to meet the eyes of the vampire.

"I can't help it. Something is brewing Reagan. I can sense it. If only the others are here-,"Willow trailed off as she clenched her fist around the arrow.

She need not say how she senses it. No one would ask her. Even if they do, they don't get the answers because everyone carries their secrets in the Guild. Letting one's secrets known is equal to handing one's weakness to others.

Though Reagan is her teammate and best friend, she still hesitates to reveal her secrets. It's ingrained in her mind to never reveal. Never display your powers to an outsider, her parents' last words before they died.

The Guild is a supernatural organization that includes all types of supernaturals. Their major goal is to kill the rogues. Any supernatural can turn a rogue but it has a different meaning for each one.

For beasts or werewolves, rogue means giving in to their inner beast's urges, turning them into savages, feasting on others.

A vampire once turned rogue will kill and enjoy it while killing his blood donor. Basically, the vampire doesn't need to kill to curb their hunger. But a rogue will.

Fae, mages, or witches- for all of them, going rogue means giving into their power. Unable to control their power. Their power will take a life of its own. That's why it's crucial for these kinds to train before they hit puberty.

And lastly, there is the "others" kingdom. No one knows much about it. They keep to themselves. Even the Guild doesn't have any data on that kingdom and it sticks in the Guild head's craw.

"I hope so. But you know about them and how stubborn they are... well at least Azrian is. I don't know about Claire," Reagan said, bringing Willow out of her musings.

"She shouldn't have quit the position," Willow said, biting her lower lip with her front teeth, worrying over her team leader, Azrian. Azrian was given the task of spying on her king by the Guild's head. And Azrian being Azrian, refused to spy.

"Azrian listens to no one. If she doesn't want to do it, then no one can force her. After hearing what the Guild's head asked of her, I wouldn't blame her either," Reagan said as she casually tossed the dagger in the air only to catch it by its tip.

"Do you think there is something going on between her and the werewolf king?" Willow asked, setting her bow and arrow carefully in the holder. She normally wouldn't leave the Guild without them. They are a part of her.

"Who knows? You know how Azrian is. She is as tight-lipped as you," Reagan said as she carefully met the eyes of Willow amid her stunt.

Instead of answering her indirect question, Willow said, "as if you spill all your beans. There is a reason why we are paired as a team. We are one close-lipped bunch."

Reagan snickered at the picture Willow painted.

"If there really is something going on between Azrian and the king, then I pity her. You know he is mated right?" Reagan asked bored of throwing the dagger.

"Yes. But the last I heard she is in a coma. Who knows, maybe fate will be kind to her this time," Willow replied as she sipped the water from her bottle.

They all know how her team leader is suffering from suppressed rage at the injustice of fate. Perhaps, everything will follow its course now.

"Have you heard anything from Claire?" Willow asked, closing the cap of the bottle.

"No. Have you?" Reagan asked, standing straight.

Willow shook her head. "Shit!"

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

Reagan threw her dagger hitting the bulls-eye which eluded Willow today.

"Do you think something might have happened to her?" Willow asked fearing for her teammate. Claire is just a human and hence is mothered by the entire team.

"Like what?" Reagan asked, facing her.

"Like the Guild head sending her to spy on the king," Willow contemplated the thought not to her like.

"What if she was sent instead of Azrian?" Willow voiced her thoughts.

"Azrian won't allow it. And you should know better. No one can cross Azrian when she is in her beast mode, least of all Claire. And Claire may be human but she is smart," Reagan shot the question down the drain.

"Does that mean she is in danger?" Willow paced the length of the room, her hands clenched at her sides.

"I-" before Reagan could reply to Brenda, the remaining teammate came barging into the room.

Brenda is a mage and an empath.

"Detected something?" Reagan asked Brenda sarcastically. Reagan is not a big fan of Brenda as Brenda can sense the emotions of others. For a close-lipped bunch, she is like an antidote.

Though Brenda only wants to help, it sometimes misfires, especially when the recipient doesn't want the attention. She is kind and innocent. Sometimes too much when she believes every lie the Guild head dishes out.

"Umm... did I interrupt something?" Brenda asked, shuffling her shoes.

For a mage, she is like that shy flower yet to blossom.

"Your usual thing," Reagan replied sarcastically.

Willow threw a dirty look at Reagan and said, "no. Nothing big. We were just wondering about Claire. Have you heard anything from her?"

"Claire? No. I thought she might have contacted you guys," Brenda replied with a frown, clasping her hands.

"Oh boy! Something is fishy. First Azrian, now Claire," Reagan scratched her chin with her forefinger unknowingly.

Though they are as different as day and night, the golden rule of their team is to always have each other's back.

"If not for checking your radar, why are you here?" Reagan asked with her hands on her hips.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Guild head is asking for you," Brenda replied, raising her chin in Willow's direction.

"Me?" Willow questioned with a frown.

"Do we have a new assignment? Surely, the old crone wouldn't let us go in the field without a team leader," Reagan scrunched her face not liking the idea of a new member.

They are a team and adjusting to a new member is difficult and often disrupts the team dynamics. But a team should have 5 members. With Azrian and Claire went, they are lacking 2 members.

"Don't know. I didn't ask," Brenda shrugged her shoulders.

"Of course, why would you? It would go against your DNA to question the Guild Head," Reagan snarled.

"It's not like that," Brenda shuffled some more.

"It's like what then?" Reagan queried crowding Brenda.

"Oh, stop it you two! We don't know where Claire is, Azrian quit the job, and you both are busy with your antics," Willow pinched her nose in frustration.

"It's not me," Brenda whispered. Reagan bared her fangs in a warning.

Before Reagan could act on it, Willow zeroed on her, shielded Brenda, and with a hand on Reagan's chest, she said, "cut it. Azrian might not be here but we are still a team. We don't bite each other. Tone it down. She is just a messenger."

"Fine," Reagan backed out but not before throwing a glare.

Willow curbed the urge to release a sigh. Though they all are around the same age, sometimes these two are too much. Children. Both of them. It's not me, it's her. Willow mused how Azrian dealt with them without going mad.

Reagan is not of the bad sort. She is just tough. You have to be when you are a vampire. Vampires are animals clad in human skin. Willow hates vampires, but she sensed a sort of kinship with Reagan. It was not the case in the beginning when she joined the team. It took time. But slowly and surely, they became the best of friends.

Perhaps it may have to do with the fact that they both would remain immortal while the other members will wither away with old age.

"Why don't you guys concentrate on locating Claire while I deal with the Guild's head?" Willow asked.

Brenda replied spontaneously as if she had thrown a lifeline.

"Sure"

"Does she have any tracking device on her?" Reagan asked

"The last I knew about her, she was hunting some were-rogue," Brenda supplied.

"Alone?" I scoffed at not liking the idea.

"You know Claire. She won't listen to anyone. She has to prove to everyone that she can do it alone," Brenda sighed.

"Fuck! I'm gonna kill that bitch if the were-rogue hasn't finished with her," Reagan uttered through a clenched jaw.

"Follow the queue," Willow said to Reagan, turned to Brenda, and asked, "when was that?"

"A week ago," Brenda replied, her cheeks turning red.

"A week! That was before Azrian left. Why was no one aware of this fact?"

"The Guild Head..." Brenda trailed off, embarrassed to admit that she had followed the orders.

"Fuck Brenda! You should have said something, " Willow said, punching her nose.

"And you question why I'm behind her case?" Reagan said aloud with sarcasm dripping in her voice.

"We will deal with this later. First let me check what the Guild's head wants," Willow walked out of the room, not in the mood to act as a referee for another pissing match between Reagan and Brenda. It's more like Reagan bulldozing Brenda, but whatever. At least it will let the steam out of them and hopefully, they will concentrate on Claire after that.