Chris Argent woke before the sun could rise, promptly at five thirty. He stopped by Allison's room, gently pushing open her door. A small smile touched his lips when he saw her snoozing peacefully under a mound of blankets. It was one of those few times she hadn't awakened screaming since eliminating the alphas. Right now she looked like a normal, sweet teenage girl, not a fearless hunter. It was times like these when he questioned dragging her into the dangerous world of hunting. Did he do the right thing by allowing Gerard to get close to her?
He snapped the door shut and continued on to the bathroom. He stripped and paused in front of the full length mirror, inspecting the new scars on his body. They were nothing more than pink, puckered lines now, but he couldn't forget the wolf that had given them to him. It had been a young girl maybe no older than his own daughter. What was worse was the fear he saw in her crimson irises. She was not a killer; but he'd put a bullet between her eyes with limited hesitation.
A shiver ran up his spine at the memory. No matter how justifiable their cause, in the end they were only killing children. Most of the creatures they hunted were younger than twenty-five; naïve children that managed to get caught in a deadly web. And with every hunt came the daunting task of taking a life. Yes, there were definitely monsters in the world; but more often than not there was not a line in which to distinguish. He berated himself as he stepped under the hot spray.
A hunter was not supposed to display emotion; they had a code and they followed it to the letter. There was no time for wishy-washy people in the business; you were in for life. Chris couldn't help but question everything he stood for. Scott and his friends were the blame for his confliction. Despite the fact that they were monsters they'd intentionally put themselves in harm's way to protect the people of Beacon Hills.
He scrubbed his body until the skin was red and raw, pushing the conflicting thoughts from his mind. He could focus on his own demons after his little girl moved out, but for the moment he had to concentrate on her. He stepped out of the shower and slipped into jeans and a clean white t-shirt. He stepped into the hallway, stowing a small pistol in the waistband of his pants. Years of training had taught him to always be prepared to kill, human or beast. Down the hall, he heard Allison's faint snores and tiptoed down the stairs. He could already smell the tantalizing aroma of fresh coffee brewing; investing in the automatic coffee maker was a great idea.
He disabled the security alarm and stepped outside into the dawn, eyes raking over the silent street. The sun was finally peeking over the distant roof tops, its' rays of pinks and oranges dominating the last of the dark blues and grays. The first of the birds were stirring, softly serenading the beginning of a new day. The freshly mowed lawns winked as the light captured the newly formed dew. The tree tops whispered to each other as a soft wind kissed them. On the gentle breeze was the alluring scent of autumn and all is' promises.
The neighborhood itself had just begun to wake. As if on some unforeseen cue, the bedroom lights across the street clicked on; followed then by the next two houses, then the next three. He watched the synchronized awakening serenely, reveling in the peace of things. That was all he and Victoria had wanted when relocating here; a peaceful environment to raise their daughter away from the supernatural.
Little bells chimed and he turned his head to see the postal boy riding up on a beat up bicycle. The "boy" in question was really a twenty three year old man, but it was no secret that he was slow and lived with his mother. Chris had a soft spot for him namely because the kid had been abandoned by his father when he was just a child.
The boy, Leo, clambered off of the bike and hesitantly came up the drive. He kept his head down and fidgeted with his clothing the entire way. Chris understood this to be from years of people mentally abusing the already broken boy. Again his mind wandered back to distinguishing real monsters, but he ignored it. He met Leo half way and extended a hand in greeting.
"Good morning Leo. How are things at home?" he kept his voice soft and gentle, so as not to frighten him.
Leo bit his lip. "Mom is sick. I'm scared." He refused to speak more after that. Chris patted his shoulder comfortingly. "Take good care of her, son."
The boy nodded vigorously before loping back to his bike and moving on. Chris waited until he disappeared, before realizing that he hadn't even gotten his mail. Oh well, there wasn't really much to expect anyway. He turned and went back inside, moving to the kitchen. He heard the shower running upstairs and set about making breakfast for the two of them. He flicked on the radio to the country station as he pulled down fresh bagels and fruit. He didn't listen often, but when he did it had to be the good stuff. A simple piece by Tim McGraw- Live Like You Were Dying- started its opening cords while he put on the eggs.
He toasted the bagels and sliced the fruit while the bacon popped and sizzled in the pan. A soft smile touched his lips, recalling the last time he'd made breakfast with Allison. His daughter was many things, extremely talented even, but boiling water seemed difficult for her. Like her other failed endeavors-poetry, singing, art, etc. - cooking was just something best to avoid. It wasn't the fact that she'd scorched the meal to unrecognizable chunks, more so the fact that she had stared him down while he force fed himself. It was not an experience worth repeating.
"Dad?" Allison asked, coming down the stairs. He wiped his hands on a dish towel, turned off the stove and radio, and then poked his head around the corner.
"Morning Allie. Come on, food's done." She blushed at the pet name he'd given her some time ago. She sat at the table while he served the food, twisting her damp hair up into a loose ponytail.
In his complete biased opinion she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. She took after her mother in some ways, but the Argent genes were strong in her face and eyes. She blushed heavier under his innocent scrutiny and dug into her plate. He ate his food slowly, savoring the time he had with her.
It occurred to him that in just one year she would be leaving for college. His little Allie, the girl who used to twirl around in a lime green tutu, was almost an adult. She wasn't his little Allie anymore, but he couldn't see her any other way. He still saw the lopsided pigtails and sticky smiles from stolen sweets. He still heard her melodic laughter and innocent queries. He couldn't comprehend how fast the time had slipped from him.
He was watching her face, forever frozen at nine years old, before he realized she was talking to him. "Dad, someone's at the door. Do you want me to get it?"
"No, finishing eating. I'll get it; it's probably Leo." He lied smoothly and walked to the front door. He pressed himself against the door and pulled out the small weapon before looking through the peep hole. A slender blonde man in a black trench coat stood there waiting. Chris slowly opened the door a crack, assessing the man.
"Chris, before you say anything just know that this comes from sources higher than even your influence. The Code has been broken and there needs to be retribution." The man shoved a plain white envelope in his hands and retreated without a backward glance.
Chris closed the door and ripped open the parcel. A thin piece of paper no larger than a sticky note fluttered to the ground. He bent to pick it up and paused before his hands could touch it. His heart was thudding in his ears, his blood as cold as ice. With shaky fingers he finally picked up the paper, unconsciously running his thumb over the gold and silver medieval shield. The ruby swords pierced its sides, each inscribed in ancient Latin. Rivulets of red outlined the swords and shield, the source a severed wolf head. This was not good.
He heard Allison come in and quickly composed himself. She didn't ask him anything, just kissed him before heading to her car. He listened to her drive away before crumbling again. This was unimaginably bad for everyone now, including the humans involved. He didn't know what had caused this, but the wolf pack had to be warned. It wasn't just that hunters were invading the town. No, this went much deeper, but the source of such a thing had to be born of evil. Hale had no idea what was coming for him…
