Chapter Five

Anthony's POV

I opened my eyes to the sound of rustling leaves. My instincts told me that something was not right. I slowly got up and brushed off the dirt from my pants. As I scanned the area, I saw a group of hunters circling a girl. She was huddled up in a corner, terrified and in pain. I could see the fear in her eyes as she stared at them.

Without a second thought, I ran towards the group of hunters, my adrenaline pumping. As I approached them, they turned their attention towards me. I could see the confusion on their faces. They weren't expecting me to intervene.

The girl was still in the corner, her back against a tree. She had stepped into an animal trap. Her white pants were already soaked in blood. I quickly assessed the situation and decided to distract the hunters. I fought them and they retreated after some minutes. I helped the young girl break free from the trap.

She handed me a note that she had received from her mother, which explained why the hunters were after her.

I read the note carefully, my heart heavy with pain and regret. Daciana's mother was Ana and she is my daughter. I looked at her beautiful eyes trying to fight off the tears circling my eyes. I carried her to the cabin and tended to her wounds.

Daciana's POV

As I stumbled into Anthony's cabin, my heart was pounding with fear and adrenaline. My old life was gone, destroyed by the creatures that had taken everything from me. Anthony promised to help me, to teach me how to fight and to give me a new identity.

 He took me to a small room and brought out a set of scissors and a hair dye kit. I watched as he snipped off my long brown locks, transforming me into a short-haired brunette. Then, he carefully applied the dye, turning my hair into a vibrant shade of red.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I barely recognized the person staring back at me. It was like I had shed my old self along with my hair. Anthony handed me a new set of clothes and instructed me to change. When I emerged from the room, he nodded in approval.

"From now on, you're Darcy," he said, his voice firm but kind. "And you're going to be a werewolf hunter."

"I want to be called my name. It was the only gift left from my parents to me. I can't change that." I explained 

"Fine, Daciana it is" he reluctantly agreed.

Living with Anthony was tough. He raised me to be a strong werewolf hunter. I would wake very early every morning and train for 5 hours. I was homeschooling, he didn't want the outside world to know I existed till I was ready.

The day I'll complete my training came. We entered far deep into the woods. As we walked through the dense forest, the trees towering above us, I could feel my heart pounding in my chest. Anthony had brought me here for my first werewolf hunt, and I was equal parts excited and terrified.

He stopped suddenly, holding up a hand to signal for me to be quiet. "Listen," he whispered. "Can you hear that?"

I strained my ears, trying to pick up any sound above the rustling of leaves and twigs. And then I heard it - a low growl, coming from somewhere up ahead.

Anthony led the way, his eyes scanning the ground for any sign of the creatures we were hunting. He taught me how to recognize their scent, which was a strange mix of musk and rotting meat.

Suddenly, we came upon a clearing, and there it was - a rogue shifter, his eyes glowing in the moonlight. My heart leaped into my throat, but Anthony was cool and collected, his hand resting on the hilt of his silver sword.

He signaled for me to stay back, but I wasn't about to let him do all the fighting. I unsheathed my own weapon, a silver dagger, and took a deep breath.

the shifter snarled and snapped at us with their sharp teeth. But Anthony had taught me well, and we worked together seamlessly, dodging and parrying its attacks. We ended up killing the shifter. And it was time for me to meet Anthony's werewolf hunter family.

I stood before a group of battle-hardened werewolf hunters. Anthony had brought me here to learn from the best, and I was determined to prove myself worthy.

The hunters eyed me with a mixture of curiosity and skepticism, sizing me up like prey. I could feel their intense gazes as they scrutinized my every move, waiting for me to make a mistake.

One of the hunters stepped forward, his rugged face lined with scars and experience. He introduced himself as Derek, and I could sense the power emanating from him.

Derek began to ask me questions, testing my knowledge of werewolf behavior and hunting techniques. I answered to the best of my ability, drawing on the knowledge Anthony had imparted to me.

But the hunters were not satisfied. They challenged me to demonstrate my skills, pitting me against a lifelike werewolf dummy that moved with startling agility.

My heart raced as I lunged at the dummy, drawing my silver knife and slashing at its neck. It snarled and retaliated, its teeth bared in a menacing grin.

But I was ready. I dodged its attacks and countered with swift strikes, channeling all my focus and training into the fight.

The hunters watched with grudging admiration as I took down the dummy, my knife embedded in its chest. I breathed a sigh of relief as the adrenaline faded, feeling a sense of pride in my newfound skills.

Anthony stepped forward and tapped me on the back, his grin matching mine. "Well done, Daciana," he said. "You've proven yourself to be a true hunter."

That was how I trained till I got to this age. I know everything there was to know about shifters even though I'm one myself.  

Now I'm ready to avenge my parents but first I have to find out who killed them both. And the only way to find out is through the Donovan family.