Thanks to everyone for the encouraging words! It really helps! The next chapter will have a bit more action in it and should be finished by the end of the month (hoping). I'm looking forward to reading any new chapters in the other stories on this site about New Species! Write more!
Hunter
Chapter Three
The box had remained undisturbed on the coffee table for several days. It was a silent reminder of what she needed to do, but Monica had ignored its presence until today. The sun was shining and there was a slight breeze. The weather was perfect. It was mid-afternoon and she couldn't delay any longer. The time had come to scatter her father's ashes.
She sighed. It's what he wanted. Maybe, after I do this, I won't feel so guilty anymore.
Just as she tried to pry open the taped down lid, a horn honked from outside. She ran to the front window and peeked out the curtain. A black car drove up the road. It was one of those luxury models, the kind she called a "land yacht."
"How the hell did they get through the gate?" I know I locked it. Not good, not good.
She slipped her cell phone into her pocket then opened the front door and left it that way as she stepped out onto the porch. Her father always told her it was best to greet visitors that way, instead of waiting for them to come up and knock. Unless they were your friends, most folks wouldn't try to climb the porch steps unless they were invited. A stranger wouldn't know if you had a gun tucked inside and it was quicker if you needed to retreat since the door was already open.
Still, she had a bad feeling about the situation. It grew worse when she saw two women dressed in black suits step out of the vehicle. One was tall and skinny and had her thinning black hair wound up in a tight bun. The other looked the same, only younger. Their faces looked as if they might crack if they smiled and Monica thought they seemed far too confident in the way they approached her.
When the driver opened his door and got out, she was sure they hadn't come for casual visit. Although he was dressed like his two companions, he was huge. The Sunday-go-to church-suit didn't quite hide his muscular build. Bodyguard type, she suspected. Monica folded her arms across her chest, stared down at them and plastered a frown on her face.
The older woman walked all the way to the bottom porch step before she halted. She looked up at Monica and a freakishly crooked smile contorted her face.
"Are you Monica Carlton?" she asked.
"Who wants to know?" Monica felt no need to be cordial to trespassers.
"I'm Tasha Washburn. I represent a group of conservationists who are interested in buying this property. We heard it was for sale and I've come to make you an offer. Could we discuss this inside?"
Monica shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. You must have heard wrong. My place isn't for sale."
The woman's expression changed from false friendliness to outright contempt. It made her hawkish face look more predatory.
"This particular group is very interested," the other woman added. She held out a large envelope. "They insist that you take a look at their offer, Ms. Carlton."
"Tell them I'm not interested in anything they have to offer," Monica replied. A shiver of fear crawled up her backbone and she barely managed to stop from backing up. She couldn't show that they'd intimidated her or there'd be no stopping them. Why hadn't she grabbed her pistol out of her purse? She glanced at the man and then back at the women. "I'm not selling my property and I insist you leave. Now!"
"There's no need to get all riled up, Ms. Carlton," the man said as he stepped up beside the first woman. He took the envelope from the other one and shoved it toward Monica. "We just need to show you the offer."
She interpreted his words and body language to mean that he was going to physically insist that she look at the papers. Monica made a big show of pulling her phone out of her pocket.
"I have Sheriff Cooper on speed dial. If you don't get back in your car, turn it around and get off my property, I'll give him a call," she threatened, wishing to hell it was the truth. She was more terrified than confident, but was thankful her voice didn't break.
The man's eyes narrowed angrily as he glanced at her phone, then he sneered. "We were trying to be polite, but if you aren't willing to cooperate, we can do this the hard way."
"Leave!" Monica shouted.
She wondered if 911 would work. She stopped short of dialing when the envelope flew out of the man's hand. It slammed to the ground just inches away from his feet. Monica stared, too dumbfounded to utter a sound. An arrow had nailed it to the dirt.
All three trespassers immediately scrambled backward. The women turned and raced to the car while the man back peddled to it while glancing around. He grimaced for a second as he looked up into the nearest tall tree before he opened the driver's side door and jumped behind the wheel to start the engine. He turned the vehicle around and sped away.
Monica waited until the car had driven out of sight before she breathed a relieved sigh and sprang into action. They were leaving, but she had to make sure her gate was locked for sure this time. She ran into the house to fetch her car keys and on the way out she stopped and grabbed the arrow. She put her foot on the envelope and gave a good tug. It pulled free. For a second or two, she gaped at the deadly looking broad head. What the fuck? It had to belong to Hunter. Was he spying on her or...?
There was no time to consider the implications. She sprinted to her car and tossed the arrow onto the passenger seat as she slid inside. In no time, she was driving down the road to check the gate. When she got there she found it wide open. She looked up and down the main road. No cars were in sight. It appeared her visitors had given up, at least for now.
Monica took a quick look at the lock and saw that it hadn't been broken, but a quick examination of the chain told her it had been cut. Damn assholes. Sheriff Cooper needed to know about them and everything that had happened. As soon as she was safe inside the cabin she'd give him a call. There was no doubt in her mind that a big black luxury car would definitely stand out in a small country town. In a rush, she wrapped the undamaged length around her gate and gate post then secured it with the lock. Satisfied, she drove back to the cabin.
...
He'd screwed up big time. He'd threatened a group of humans off Reservation. If word of it got back to Fury or Justice, they'd probably try to lock him up. Hunter growled, thinking of the fight that would follow. There was no way he would go back to living in a cage. But it didn't change the fact that he'd broken the rules.
Calm. There had been no choice. The male had threatened Monica. I only acted to protect her from harm.
Yes, he'd protected her, but if the humans hadn't left as she'd ordered, then Hunter's second arrow would have been lodged in the large male's chest. He'd had it drawn and ready to release. Despite all the broken rules and the consequences, he knew he'd do the very same thing if he had to do it over. No one would ever harm her as long as he was around.
He'd watch her drive away and guessed that she was on her way to make sure the humans had left. There wasn't any need for him to follow since he'd heard their car speed off down the main road. They hadn't stopped along the way either. He was pretty certain she would secure her gate, but he'd check on it later to make sure.
Left alone, he climbed down from the tree and took up a new position in one nearby. He settled down in the crook of a thick branch and leaned against the trunk. It would be dark soon and he planned to guard her all night. The humans couldn't be trusted. If they came back, he'd be there.
Also, he'd be in a perfect position to watch her. Lately, it was his favorite pastime. Even though he yearned to touch and stroke her soft looking pale skin, he loved to just look at her. Her long blonde hair captured his attention each time she turned her head and he imagined it would feel soft and silky. Her eyes were as blue as the sky and he longed to gaze into them, but feared he'd only see disgust if she saw him. Hunter tried his best not to think of her lush body. It only made him want her more. If he could, he'd take her to his cabin and keep her wrapped in his arms forever. She'd be safe with him on Reservation.
...
Monica retrieved the arrow before she exited the SUV. A closer look revealed that it was a modern, very long carbon arrow, which meant that Hunter used a powerful compound bow and his draw length had to be quite impressive. For some crazy reason, she'd just assumed he'd have primitive weapons, but clearly that wasn't the case. She studied the tip. The broad head was top of the line, especially made for larger animals such as deer.
She'd used similar, but less deadly equipment in an archery class her last year at college. She'd only taken the course to impress a guy she liked. It hadn't worked. He'd turned out to be a jerk and she'd barely passed the class. Robin Hood had nothing to worry about from her.
Monica locked the car and walked toward the cabin. Much like the man had done earlier; she looked up at the tree. Its branches and leaves were too dense to make out anything. There was no way to tell if someone was hiding behind them. She gave up and was about to walk to the cabin when she changed her mind and turned around. Hunter could be long gone by now, but she had to try.
"Hey, if you're still around, thank you for helping me!" She directed her words to the tree even though she had no idea if he was still there or not.
...
Hunter nearly fell off his perch when she spoke to him.
Seconds before, she'd stopped her vehicle near the tree he'd been in and she'd opened the door. Hunter had followed her every move. At first, she'd taken a keen interested in his arrow before she started to walk away. Then, all of a sudden, she turned and thanked him.
He sank his claws into the bark to make sure he didn't slip while he eagerly listened to every word she said. Even though she wasn't exactly speaking to him directly, he didn't care. He loved the sound of her voice and he could clearly make out every word from his new location.
"I don't know where you are, but I'd like to talk to you. I want to thank you for being a friend to my dad. He said you were a good man. Will you come out now? I feel really silly talking to a tree!"
Hunter muffled a laugh. It was actually comical watching her talk to the tree. He felt a little guilty since her words were kind. They pleased him so much that he had to spare some time to pay attention to his physical reaction. His tail would give him away if he didn't stop the tip of it from flicking back and forth. He got control before she spoke again.
"I know your name. It's Hunter. My father said you liked to hunt, so I guess this is your arrow."
She knew his name! He didn't know if that was such a good thing or not, but he liked hearing her say it. He watched as she turned around to scan the nearby area. Her shoulders drooped and he detected a soft sigh.
"You know, my father wanted to introduce us. Won't you talk to me? Please? I promise I won't tell anyone."
Silence.
More than anything, Hunter wanted to reply, but he clenched his jaw tight. Things were already dangerous enough now that she knew his name. Bad humans were harassing her and the less she knew about him the safer it would be for her. Tonight, after she went to sleep, he'd call Fury and tell him what had happened. Justice needed to leave Homeland and come to Reservation as soon as possible to visit with Monica. Perhaps their leader could convince her to sell the property to the NSO. Afterward, she could leave, go far away to her home where she'd be safe and there would be no reason for anyone to want to hurt her. Somehow, the idea didn't appeal to him at all. In fact, his chest ached from a deep pain at the very thought of her leaving.
When he didn't reply, she seemed to give up. She walked to the front porch and climbed the steps, but before going inside, she spoke again.
"I guess you'll want this back!" She yelled and waved the arrow in the air. "I'll leave it on the back porch with some cookies!"
Hunter smiled.
