"Something deep in the human psyche has always seemed to yearn for ever more enhanced levels of savagery."
-Robert Dunbar
"Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
-Friedrich Nietzsche
OoO
Deep in the woods between Forks and La Push, a man stood alone in a quiet forest. He stood among the tall evergreens, as naked as the day he was born; waiting.
Then, just as the moon began to climb over the mountains, the man let out a shudder. He fell to the ground as his body began to shake, his nails elongating as claws erupted from the nail bed. His face began to change, his face grew into a snout as hair erupted from his skin, course and matted. His spine cracked and groaned as it was forced to accommodate his rapidly growing body.
And all the while this was happening, the man screamed in agony. Although the longer he screamed, the less human it sounded. It was an unnatural combination of both man and beast, something that could not be forgotten. It was the type of sound that got under the skin, like worms.
A rancid smell filled the air as a flock of crows who had been silently watching shot into the sky, eager to escape the danger.
And then it stopped. Just as soon as it had begun, the transformation was complete.
And the woods were silent once again.
OoO
After dinner at the Carver Café, Mason had declared that we would start the hunt that night after sunset, and of course, there had been no room for argument as his words were law. And so, we returned to the hotel and began preparations, all of us falling into a robotic routine. No one was really in the mood to talk, which was fine by me as Brenda and I got ready in our room.
I had already showered by then, hoping to curb my natural scent a little bit before dressing in my usual jeans and tank top along with my army green jacket. Brenda had donned her usual dark jeans and black leather jacket, her hair pulled into a tight braid so as to not have her vision obscured before she began the tedious process of dipping her silver-tipped arrows into the Aconite solution.
I watched out of the corner of my eye, impressed by her careful movements as she worked. It was a struggle for Lycanthropes to be near Wolfsbane let alone handle it in such a manner, but if it bothered her, she made no comment.
The door opened as Ezra entered into the room, stopping only slightly to sniff the air as a dark look crossed his features.
"I see you're using wolfsbane," he said, closing the door behind him as he looked over at the solution.
"We're not taking any chances," I said as I threw my shoulder-length hair into a messy bun, not minding the strands that fell into my eyes. "I want the job done, no matter how messy it gets."
"Does that include using sixteen-year-old girls as bait?" deadpanned Ezra.
"Ezra," I warned. "We already talked about this—"
"Would you two shut up?" snapped Brenda, her concentration wavering. "I am handling an extremely deadly toxin to Lycanthropes and you two are distracting me."
"Sorry," I muttered, glancing back at my brother.
"Mason's loading up the truck," Ezra quickly changed the topic, but a gleam in his eyes told me we weren't done having this conversation. "Are you two ready?"
"I am," I said as I holstered my Glock 22, the weight at my side both familiar and comforting. It was the same type of firearm that I had used during my time in the LAPD, which was I favored it over other firearms. I had just finished loading it up with silver bullets, my hands still stinging from the pain as I gathered two more magazines. "Go tell Mason we'll be out in three."
"Sure thing," he said before exiting the room, leaving the two of us alone once again.
"You know," began Brenda, glancing over at me as I threw my army green jacket on, "Ezra really doesn't like this plan that you and Mason have concocted."
I huffed in annoyance, "nobody said he had to like it."
"We're a pack," she replied. "We should all be on the same page when it comes to decisions."
I nodded, "I think so too, but I think it's also important to remember pack dynamics as well. The Alpha makes decisions and the Beta enforces those decisions while the omegas follow. That's how it's always been," I said as she pursed her lips, thoughtfully.
"And when has Ezra ever followed the rules?" she asked as I frowned.
It was true that Ezra had never been one to follow the rules. He was a pioneer who blazed his own trail, no matter what anybody else told him and as much as I tried to protect him and guide him, he always found a way to do his own thing. That was only one of the many ways that we didn't see eye to eye on.
"Touché," I responded, uncertain what else to say at that moment.
"Look," she began, setting her crossbow down as she turned her undivided attention to me, "I know you and Ezra have never really seen eye to eye when it comes to these things—"
I snorted in agreement. My brother and I were about as different as night and day. We were polar opposites— not just in looks but in attitudes as well.
Ezra always had a strong sense of right and wrong— which I admired in him. He lived in a black and white world where the line between right and wrong was easily demarcated. He always wanted to do the right thing, even if it meant sacrificing the outcome. With him, the ends never justified the means.
But if there was one thing that I learned from all my years as a police officer and as a Bounty Hunter, it was that sometimes the ends did justify the means. Sometimes if you wanted the job done right, you had to get your hands dirty.
Not everything was black and white.
"—But you shouldn't be so quick to dismiss him," she continued. "He made a valid point today and we should take that into consideration."
"So, you agree with him," I said as she bit her lip.
"I never said that I did," she replied truthfully. "But I don't disagree with him either.
I swallowed as I glanced at the window where I could see Ezra loading up the back of Mason's truck, his attention focused on the task in front of him as I sighed.
"I'm just worried about him," I said, breaking the silence. "He's never done anything like this before."
I would be lying if I said I wasn't worried about whether he would be able to stomach this sort of thing. Mason and I were used to this— probably way more than we should've been, but we had always been willing to do what needed to be done. Not that we were necessarily proud of it, but my Uncle and I were similar in that respect. We knew how to take action and we weren't afraid to do so, but Ezra was different. He wasn't like us. Even Brenda was more versed in the art of hunting than he was and she had been bitten, not born like the rest of us.
While I had been busting pedophiles and murderers on the streets of LA, he had been at University and while the rest of us had been taking down rabid Werewolves on the West Coast, Ezra had been partying in Europe in his study abroad program. Even as little kids in the system, I had always protected him from bad things. I was used to babying him.
"Of course you're worried," she replied, "I would be too if I were you."
"But?" I asked as she bit her lip, almost nervously.
"A lot has changed in the past few months," she began. "Ever since you left—"
"I've only been gone for a month," I replied, defensively. My most recent job had only taken three weeks max.
"And before that, you were gone for three months," she deadpanned. "Let's face it, Shay. Ever since you decided to be a Bounty Hunter, we haven't seen you as much. You're always on a job in some other state chasing down God knows who."
I swallowed heavily as I realized that she was right. Ever since I had resigned from the LAPD and taken up Bounty Hunting a couple of years ago, I had been home a lot less than when I had been a cop. Sometimes a single job took me away for months at a time, which oftentimes meant that there were long stretches of time where I did not see my pack and vice versa.
"We miss you," she continued, "all of us. Even your old coworkers miss you too. They've been asking whether you plan on coming back or not.
"Brenda," I began, my voice cracking, "you know I can't."
I had resigned from the LAPD for a reason. I couldn't go back. Not yet, at least. I wasn't ready to face the ghosts of my past.
"I know," she said, squeezing my hand comfortingly, "but it's been two years, Shay. What happened to Ryan wasn't your fault—"
Ryan. God, why did she have to bring him up?
I stood up abruptly, pulling away from her as I inhaled deeply. Even though it had been two years since my partner's death, it still felt like it was only yesterday that he had bled to death in my arms, a gunshot wound to the chest
That had been two years ago now. Two years since I had turned in my resignation and started Bounty Hunting, unable to deal with the guilt and the shame.
I couldn't go back. Not now.
I just wasn't ready.
Brenda reached out to try and grab my hand, but I pulled away from her.
"Can we not talk about him?" I asked, desperately.
"It's been two years," she countered. "Don't you think it's time that we did?"
I stared at her for a few long, hard seconds as I thought about what she had just said. A part of me knew that she was right— that it was time to stop running away from my past. But at the same time, there was a part of me that wanted nothing more than to just bottle all of my emotions up from that day and lock it away so that I never had to deal with it again.
I had tried so hard to forget all the horrible things that had happened to me over the years and I had done a good job of it too.
After all, running away from my problems is what I did best.
I opened my mouth to respond, but the words escaped me. There was a sharp knock on the door as Mason's voice filtered through the room.
"We're leaving," he called before adding; "you two better get a move on it."
I swallowed, "coming."
I glanced over at Brenda as Mason stalked back to his truck, the both of us resigning ourselves to what the next few hours would bring. If Brenda was scared, she didn't let it show as she leveled her gaze on me.
"You've been gone, Shay," she said after a few moments of silence. "A lot has changed, whether you realize it or not. Ezra isn't the same person that he was two years ago."
With that, she grabbed her supplies and exited the hotel room, leaving me behind to stare at the space that she had just occupied, my mind racing at a hundred miles an hour.
Had I really missed out on so much? Had my brother changed so much in the span of two years without me even noticing it? Had my absence affected my pack as much as Brenda claimed? I had no idea, but a weight in the pit of my stomach told me that her words held truth— as much as I desperately wished it wasn't so.
Confused and agitated, I took one last glance around the room before following after Brenda.
Here goes nothing.
OoO
When I was a young child, I watched a pride of lionesses hunt down a Water Buffalo on the African Serengeti.
I had watched, transfixed, as a group of female lionesses hunted on the African plains. Silently stalking their target until finally, they pounced. Their claws ripped into the flesh of the Buffalo as they sunk their powerful jaws into the poor creature's neck, their teeth covered with the blood of their kill. That night, they had feasted on the carcass, savoring the meat until all that was left was bones.
I guess I should probably clarify that I was not actually witness to this event. I had watched safely from my father's lap in front of the television set during a National Geographic segment about Lions, but still, I could distinctly remember how I felt as I watched the scene unfold.
I had been in awe.
I had always been fascinated by animals. More specifically, those that belonged to the predator species. The natural-born killers who possessed unparalleled strength and beauty. The ones that blended in seamlessly with their environments and who conquered the ground upon which they walked on with a natural beauty that was wild and wholly untamed. I remember watching documentaries and television shows about Lions, Tigers, Wolves— you name it.
But I wasn't just fascinated with their wildness or beauty. No, I was fascinated with them because they were predators and that appealed to me on a primal level. Something about those natural-born hunters spoke to a feral place inside of me; a place that was more animal than human.
And it was because of this that Werewolves like myself loved the hunt. It was purely instinctual, and it allowed us to shed our human responsibilities and free our Lycan inhibitions, which is probably why I was so good at my job. Being a Bounty Hunter allowed me to channel my animalistic desires into chasing down criminals and low-life's. I was the hunter and they were the prey and my triumph came from returning them to the proper authorities so that they could stand trial for their crimes. I was a key part of the justice system and not only was I good at what I did, but I also enjoyed it too.
But today was different. Today I wasn't hunting down criminals who had missed their court dates and skipped out of town. Instead, I was doing something that I hated. I was hunting one of my own and even though this wasn't my first rodeo involving a man-eater, it was always a struggle for me.
It was night by the time we arrived at the trailhead where Molly's body had been found, the sun having already set hours ago as the moon began its journey over the sky. The moon was almost half-full, which meant that the next full moon wouldn't be for a few more weeks.
The fact that the next full moon wouldn't be for a while should've brought some semblance of comfort, but it did nothing to ease my fears as we exited the truck, the high beams illuminating the dark forest as the wind slapped at our faces, carrying with it a slight drizzle.
I stepped out of the truck, my combat boots sinking into the ground as I breathed in the fresh air. I wondered whether this was a good idea or not— coming out here by ourselves with no back up to hunt down a rabid Werewolf. Normally, I would not have had any reservations, but deep down I knew that this case would prove to be a challenge. I could feel it in my gut. This Werewolf was intelligent.
I wasn't exactly sure what that meant for me and my pack. When a Lycanthrope made the plunge into eating human flesh, the line between the rational and the irrational mind was blurred. Their minds reverted into a more primitive state, the rational thought that had set humans apart from animals for the better part of a few millennia gone in the blink of an eye.
And all it took was one bite. That was all it took for the Curse of Lycaon to take hold. One small taste.
I don't know how long I stood staring at the entrance to the trailhead lost in my own thoughts, but Ezra's familiar presence next to me was enough to bring me out of my reverie as we glanced at each other, the both of us lost in the moment.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked as I bit my lip.
"Nothing," I lied.
Ezra stared at me for a few long seconds before he glanced upwards at the moon.
"Are you scared?" he asked.
It was an innocent enough question, and yet I didn't know how to respond.
Was I scared? Sure. Just because I was used to doing this sort of thing didn't mean that it still didn't scare the shit out of me. Hell, I would be lying if I said it didn't scare me. It absolutely terrified me, but not for the reasons that Ezra thought. My fears were different and far less material than that. I was scared because every time I did this— every time I hunted down a rabid man-eating Werewolf, I was forced to stare into a dark mirror.
Because when I stared into the face of a monster, I was staring at a reflection of myself. A dark one albeit, but a reflection, nonetheless. A mirror image with two different faces, one that of a normal human being and the other of a hideous monster.
Any Lycanthrope could become like Lycaon. All it took was one bite; one small little taste.
"When have I ever been scared?" I asked jokingly, the corners of my lips tugging upwards as I punched him teasingly in the shoulder. I tried to sound confident, but the smile never quite reached my eyes as I tried to mentally reassure myself.
"Yeah," he swallowed. "I suppose you're right."
"Are you scared?" I countered, watching as his shoulders sank, as if a sudden weight had been placed there. I couldn't help but feel as though I had placed it there.
"I don't know," he replied, truthfully. "Like you told Brenda, I've never done anything like this before."
I cringed at the words, guilt flooding me like a tsunami. "You weren't supposed to hear that," I said, softly.
He scratched the back of his neck, "kinda hard not too when you have super hearing, sis."
"Ezra, I—"
I wanted to apologize or maybe even explain myself, but he cut me off before the words could escape me, his green eyes settling on me as he gave me a stern look.
"You don't have to explain yourself to me," he responded, shoving his hands into his pockets. "I know I don't have the experience that you do in these situations and I'm not going to pretend like I do. But that doesn't mean I'm not entitled to my own opinions."
"I never said you weren't," I replied, a soft sigh escaping my lips. "I'm sorry that I've been gone as much as I have. Brenda's right. I'm not around as much as I used to be and that's not fair to you."
"Shay," he deadpanned. "I'm twenty-two. I think I can handle myself now just fine without you."
I snorted in agreement, "I know, it's just— you'll always be my little brother," I said as I ruffled his hair. "Just 'cause you're an adult now doesn't mean I don't care about you anymore."
Ever since our parents had died, I had been taking care of him. Even when we were in the foster care system and getting bounced around from home to home, I had always protected him and looked after him. I practically raised him after our parents had died. Not only that, but I had protected him from the abuse that we had been subjected to in the system. And even now as adults, I was still very protective of him.
I couldn't help it. Old habits die hard after all.
He swatted my hand away from his perfectly styled locks as he muttered something under his breath that rhymed with duck you, which elicited a grin from me as he did his best to fix the misplaced strands of hair.
"You're the literal worst," he groaned. "Why do you always have to ruin my hair?"
"Maybe if you didn't spend two hours styling it in the morning, I wouldn't be so inclined too," I smirked.
He rolled his eyes as he opened his mouth to respond, but a lone howl echoing throughout the woods stopped him dead in his tracks as all four of us snapped our heads in the direction from which it originated. It sounded close— really close. Too close for comfort as I peered into the dark expanse of trees.
"That was close," muttered Brenda as she stepped forward, her grip on her crossbow tightening instinctively as her eyes traversed the landscape like a hawk.
"What do you think?" asked Ezra, glancing surreptitiously in my direction. "Werewolf or Wolves?"
Another howl echoed through the woods before a few more accompanied it, the sounds drawing closer and closer by the second as the wind carried the familiar scent with it. The scent of the Wolves that I had encountered on the road into town lingering at the forefront of my mind.
"I don't know," I said as I chanced a glance over at Mason, noting the way that his entire body went rigid. His gaze hardened as he clenched his jaw, his foot beginning to shift restlessly as he stared at the tree line, never once taking his eyes off the expanse of trees.
I half expected for a pack of Wolves to come bounding out of the woods, but the trees remained still. If there were Wolves out there watching us, they made no move to attack us or approach us.
And then, just as soon as it had started, it stopped as an eerie silence settled over the land.
However, I knew that we were not alone.
We were in the company of Wolves.
OoO
Coming Next: Reluctant Allies, a heated discussion, and another look into Shay's past.
AN: As I'm sure you are all aware, we are in the middle of a global pandemic. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy. Social distancing is so important right now to not just ourselves but others as well. On the bright side of all of this, now I have plenty of time to start writing the next chapter!
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Thank you for all the comments!
