I spent the afternoon wandering through the forest after carefully cutting back some of the fireheart, leaving some leaves to die.I was trying to re-calculate my plan, and sitting inside made everything seem more jumbled. My plans were vague, at best, and that used to be an advantage. I saw how hard it was to stick to something concrete, especially when death was involved. I wasn’t naive enough to believe that there wouldn’t be external involvement. I just banked on Alpha Raymond’s arrogance; I didn’t think that someone outside would send someone in. I wished I could find out who send the hunter and who their spies were. In the end, it didn’t matter. My mask was airtight even when talking to the omegas. Alpha Raymond called him, so he must not have been part of this pack. Even if I could sneak into his office and retrieve a number from his office phone, what would I do with it? No, it wasn’t a thread that needed to be followed. I knew that the hunter was here against Alpha Raymond'
“I don’t want him, Dad. I already chose Paul,” Nolan seethed; he was clenching his fork so hard I thought he might bend it. He was always the quietest, usually staying out of the way while his brothers tormented and instigated those around them. I had rarely if ever, seen him this angry.“He is the best of the best. Ezra has come from the Western Territories and was trained from childhood for this role. There will be no discussion.” Alpha Raymond barely glanced at his youngest, but his face seemed sour. That wasn’t a surprise. Nolan was the tamest out of the brothers; therefore, he was the least favorite. I don’t think that Alpha Raymond saw him even as a potential heir, so he made him give up his trainer for the trials so that the hunter could blend in without question. “But Dad-”“You will start with him tonight.” Alpha Raymond tried to leash his anger, but it never worked—one of his many downfalls. “He will make a great babysitter, Nolan,” Dominick purred.Hunter smirked at Nola
I stayed out there for what felt like hours, and it very well have could been. I thought I sensed something else out there, but I heard nothing out of the ordinary once my ears could make out anything besides my muffled crying and my heartbeat pumping too loudly. I took one final shaky breath, wiping off the remnants of my tears, and settled into my mask, repairing the shattered pieces of it where I let emotion slip through tonight. Tomorrow was a new day, and I would be ready for it. I would be ready for battle. - The next morning Alice rushed in and glanced over me with weary eyes. I forced myself to shower the night before, even though the inky black sky was softening by the time I made it back to my room. I was glad that I didn’t run into anyone and I didn’t have to explain. I hoped the nightmare brothers thought that I just panicked and ran straight to my room. “You worried me when I didn’t see you after dinner.” Alice’s voice was soft. “I’m sorry. I- I just needed some
I stayed out there for what felt like hours, and it very well have could been. I thought I sensed something else out there, but I heard nothing out of the ordinary once my ears could make out anything besides my muffled crying and my heartbeat pumping too loudly. I took one final shaky breath, wiping off the remnants of my tears, and settled into my mask, repairing the shattered pieces of it where I let emotion slip through tonight. Tomorrow was a new day, and I would be ready for it. I would be ready for battle. - The next morning Alice rushed in and glanced over me with weary eyes. I forced myself to shower the night before, even though the inky black sky was softening by the time I made it back to my room. I was glad that I didn’t run into anyone and I didn’t have to explain. I hoped the nightmare brothers thought that I just panicked and ran straight to my room. “You worried me when I didn’t see you after dinner.” Alice’s voice was soft. “I’m sorry. I- I just needed some
I started going for morning walks, waking up a bit earlier every day. If anyone asked, I would have told them I was nervous about getting my wolf, but no one did. I knew vaguely where the warriors trained, always outdoors, which seemed cruel in this weather. Growing up, I trained in every condition and knew how unforgiving the cold could be. The Hunter sometimes trained with them. He stood out, even amongst warriors. I assumed he was with the other trainers or maybe training Nolan when he wasn’t there. The brothers started to skip breakfast occasionally, and it was a relief to have a few more hours of peace. Training lasted for around an hour, and I stayed far enough away, always walking past, hidden under a long coat and muted, scared but not lingering. This would be so much easier when I got my wolf; I was at a constant disadvantage against everyone else in the pack. My senses were duller. I think someone once described it as foggy compared to when you get your wolf, but I wasn
A million emotions flooded through me. Fear as I haven’t felt it in years, confusion, shock, my mouth hung open, and I quickly closed it. I didn’t know the right response. Was he accusing me? He was, but how did he know? I didn’t know how best to react, so I settled into what I knew. “What are you doing here?” My voice came out shaky, and I didn’t have to fake it. “You’re not supposed to be here.” I pulled the blanket tighter around me. He didn’t say anything for a too long moment; the silence was a weight in the room. The only sound was my heartbeat in my ears and his heavy breathing. I knew that he did that for my benefit; for the show, he could be as silent as he wanted. “You should leave if you’re found here..” “I won’t be. No one is coming to check on you. Alice is fast asleep.” “How did you-” “It’s my job.” his voice was harsh, and it made my stomach churn. I felt like a child getting scolded. I was thankful he couldn’t see the heat rush to my cheeks, but part of me t
“I don’t have enough evidence.” His frame came into view, and he stood with his back towards me, staring through the window to the bleak morning beyond. “Besides, I like to find out people's motives first.” “Why do motives matter?” I asked, genuinely curious. “Sometimes they justify the outcome.” “They always do for the people committing the act,” I reasoned. “Yes,” he mused, “But society doesn’t accept all of those reasons.” “And you speak for society? As a whole?” His shoulders seemed to tense a bit. “No. I speak only for me and my brothers.” “Cryptic.” “Not really. We try to uphold justice in a way that works for us, makes sense to us. Nothing is ever fully good or evil. We try to help others do good.” “Except you’re hired help.” I couldn’t help pointing out. “We choose our jobs.” His voice was hard. I mulled that over. I wasn’t sure if he didn’t have enough proof or if he didn’t believe someone like me to actually be the killer. “And if you decide that these deaths are
With The Hunter’s eye’s on me, I couldn’t possibly try something against him unless it was time to finish him. My waking hours were spent unwillingly confused by the questions he posed. Was The Silent Assassin his boss, for lack of better terms, or a warning? I couldn’t figure him out, and I found people so hard to read, especially in the past few years. This was the first time someone confused me, and I had to admit it was just as much as a thrill as an annoyance. It might have just done something to quell my boredom, but I was curious, even if his words were a diversion. I scoured the unorganized library and found nothing of note, but it gave me something to do. I wanted to catch him alone, but he was either with Nolan or not easily found, and I knew that’s because he didn’t want me to find him. As far as I could tell, nothing was told to the Alpha. We carried on the next few days as normal or as normal as they could be. _____I turned a corner with my head down, deep in plannin