Three years ago.
Hunter walked out of the guard post, bored out of his mind. Lilith had sent him all the way to the left forearm to make routine check, and he was already wondering how he'd get his revenge.
"Golden Guard," one of the scouts said, "we've received a summons for you from the emperor."
Hunter perked up. If his Uncle wanted to see him, then it must have been important. "Did he give any details?"
"He wanted you to pick up some concentrated Ocari Venom. They sell some at a stall in the town."
Hunter nodded. "Is it easy to spot or do I need a guide?"
"It shouldn't be too hard to spot, the stall is rainbow colored."
Hunter gave the scout a puzzled look. Despite the golden mask, its meaning was still recognized.
"I don't know, the owner is kind of… eccentric."
Hunter shrugged. "Thank you." He began walking to his destination. He looked around the small town. It was pretty late in the evening and there were a few people walking around most of whom stopped to stare at him. He smirked. It felt good to be famous, especially when a few years ago, he was a completely powerless witch.
His thought was interrupted by a scent. He looked at around for the source. It smelled like an Omega had run through the street right before he got. An Omega that smelled like fear.
He began walking towards where the scent felt the strongest. A spike of fear was something worth looking into. He only needed a second to make sure nothing was…
Hunter lost his trail of thought as he caught a second scent. An Alpha.
He started running.
He came to a stop in an alley and froze.
A dark-skinned female Witch was pushed against the wall struggling as her clothes were torn off by the large redhead Alpha using two of his four arms to restrain her. He completely ripped her shirt off before noticing that she was holding her breath and grabbed her face.
"Come on bitch," He said. "Just take a deep breath of my Alpha musk. We wouldn't have to do this if you hadn't led me on for so long. Now's not the time to play hard to get. Just let me do this, and I won't even mate with you."
The woman glared at him in defiance, but with very visible fear.
Hunter decided that he'd heard enough and began running.
At the last second, the man noticed the approaching footsteps in time to turn his head and get a face full of the sole of Hunter's boots.
With a perfectly executed flip, Hunter launched off the would-be rapist's face and landed in a crouch.
"What the-" The redhead screamed before he began drawing a spell circle.
Hunter was faster and raised his staff. The ground beneath the Alpha turned red and he sunk to his knees. Parts of it rose and encased all four of the man's arms preventing him from drawing any spell circles.
Hunter then ran forward and kicked him in the gut making him bend over coughing.
"Really," Hunter said, "I don't care how ugly you are, there have to be better alternatives than that."
The captured Alpha glared at him. "Hey, don't look at me. She's the one who was playing hard to get."
Hunter glanced at the coughing witch. She seemed to be a year or two older than him. "Let me guess? She looked in your general direction?"
"No! She was always hanging out with me. Even after she found out I was an Alpha. How else am I meant to take that?"
Hunter gave the man a flat look before realizing that his mask was blocking it.
"I thought we were friends." The girl said, looking betrayed.
The man laughed. "Please. You're an Omega. I'm an Alpha. It's only natural."
"Hey," Hunter said poking him with the edge of his staff, "the savage ages called. They want their ideology back."
The man glared at Hunter, indignant at being mocked before his scent spiked.
Hunter instinctively unleashed his own scent, enough to drown out his prisoner's before leaning in close. "Are you sure you want to get into a dick measuring contest? I doubt your pride can take it."
The man stared at him in fear. He was in a very disadvantageous position and even as the Alpha in him hated being looked down upon, he knew it was a losing battle. Then he noticed something behind the golden guard and laughing. "So you're an Alpha?" He asked.
Hunter narrowed his eyes. "Yes. And?"
"Well let me ask you. How many female Omega friends do you have?"
Hunter blinked at the question.
"I thought so."
Hunter glared. He would have said something, but it felt too pathetic to admit that the closest thing he had to a friend was an Alpha woman in her late 30s he didn't like half the time. Though Eberwulf seemed to like him, but that was just the Lilith situation again.
"The fact of the matter is that it's only natural to want to mate. I was simply doing as my instincts demand. There's a reason Alphas and Omegas don't interact if they aren't interested. I was only following my instincts."
"So you're just a weak slave to your instincts?" Hunter asked. "That's your defense? It must be, you said it twice."
The man had the audacity to laugh. "You say that, but you know I'm right. In fact, I dare you to try interacting with an Omega's scent and not do what's natural."
Hunter rolled his eyes. "I'm under no obligation to do what you say. You're going to jail and I'm never meeting you again."
"Oh yeah." The would-be-rapist looked behind Hunter. "Golden guy seems kind of pent up. Why don't you give him some oral?"
"What are you-?" Hunter froze as a new scent washed over him.
He turned around.
The Omega was on her knees with her mouth open. Her eyes were wide and obedient. Hunter flinched at the sight of them. The defiance of her would be rapist and the sadness of her friend's betrayal. Even the fear was all gone.
He hadn't realized he'd affect her when he flexed his scent. And while he'd had classes on what it was like, he'd never seen an Omega be overwhelmed by an Alpha's scent.
"Well…?" The Alpha said. "Do you think you can…" That was as far as he got before the end of Hunter's staff slammed into his temple, knocking him out.
"Asshole." Hunter said before turning to the Omega.
He took a breath and gasped at her pheromones. Then he looked at her. She was more attractive that he first thought.
"Close your mouth."
As soon as she did, the wooden end of Hunter's staff slammed in between her eyes.
Hunter walked out of the alley and took a breath of fresh air.
"Instincts?" He asked. "Please. You're just pathetic. Take responsibility for your actions, Alpha."
Still…
Hunter looked back at the unconscious woman in the alley. She was attractive and she had looked so… submissive.
Hunter stumbled back, almost physically hurt by his own thoughts. He shook his head. It was nothing. Not enough to make him lose himself.
But that meant that there was an amount that would.
That night, Belos gave Hunter a nod of acceptance for the reason of his lateness and Lilith gave him a pat on the back.
And after that night, the Golden Guard began limiting his already limited contact with female Omegas where he could.
/
Hunter hopped off his staff as soon as he was at Blight Manor and ran to knock on the door. Then he stopped.
What was he planning to say? Hello Mr. and Mrs. Blight, I accidentally raped your daughter?
He walked down the steps before walking back up of them, running his hands through his hair. He needed to do something. But the question was what. Apologize? Maybe they hated him.
But the girls had pulled him out of the destruction and even dressed him.
But they were good people, and he was clearly not. That might just be something good people did.
Good job Hunter, he heard in Belos' voice.
Hunter looked back at the Manor, then he looked at his staff.
He knew he needed to do something, but he had no idea what to do.
And then there was the matter of Belos. Belos would know that he was awake and had left to find the girls. Would he demand Hunter bring them back?
Hunter squeezed his grip on the staff. No, he wouldn't take them back.
He walked back up the stairs before realizing that he still didn't know what to do.
As if to answer the doors swung open by themselves open.
Hunter flinched and guarded himself. Then he blinked. There was no one there.
He took a step back before taking a deep breath. "Come on Hunter," He said walking forward. "This is your respon-" He gasped as something heavy hit his chest and he was sent flying back.
He blinked and tried to say something, but he coughed in pain. He forced himself to sit up to see what had hit him.
The doorway was empty. Then, three figures simmered to life. One was a rather bulky looking abomination. The other were two teenagers that made his stomach drop. Amity Blight's 19-year-old siblings.
"Well," the male one said, spinning a spell circle in one hand. "Dad's security is still top-notch."
The female twin walked up to him. "That was for our sister."
At that moment, Hunter passed out.
/
Hunter woke up. His first note was that he was still alive. His second was that he couldn't move. As he finally came to, his third thought was that his first thought might not be true for very long.
Six feet above him, the Blight twins glared down at him, shovels in hand, the moon above them illuminating the blank looks on their faces.
Hunter would later deny that he screamed like a little girl.
Edric and Emira looked at the panicking witch for a total of five seconds before Edric broke and started laughing. Emira joined him shortly before snapping her fingers.
The illusion disappeared leaving Hunter lying on the forest floor and looking up at the two. The shovel in the girl's hand turned into his staff.
"What?" He asked. He looked up. The moon wasn't even above them. It was almost dawn.
"You should have seen your face." Edric said.
Hunter blinked. "You aren't going to kill me?"
"Well…" Emira said. "We didn't say that."
"What?"
"Our sister… explained what happened." She elaborated. "However, as innocent as she believes you are, you can imagine why we're hesitant to trust you. Or let you near her."
"Innocent?" Hunter asked, confused. "She thinks I'm innocent?"
Emira blinked. "Are you not?"
Hunter looked at her hopelessly. "I couldn't control myself," He said. "And… I'm an Alpha." He stared at the sky, his eyes stinging from tears. "They had to obey me. And I…" He stopped, unable to go on. "I'm pathetic."
Emira took a step back. She hadn't known what to expect. She knew what Amity told her, but Amity was his… his mate. Her judgement was clouded.
But the crying boy in front of her wasn't what she expected. She looked at Edric for help.
Edric sighed, walked up to their captive, and crouched in front of him before grabbing the ropes around his chest, pulling him into a sitting position. "Why are you looking for Amity?" He asked.
"Amity… Luz… they didn't deserve this." Hunter said. "No one deserves this. And, I have no idea how this will affect their relationship. Amity isn't attracted to me at all, except now she is, which she must hate because of what I did, and Luz trusted me when I told her not to and if they're pregnant they have to deal with so much that they shouldn't have too because I couldn't keep it together. All I had to do was keep it together.…" Hunter trailed off, his voice becoming small. After a few seconds, he continued. "And on top of that, they're still in danger. The emperor won't let them get away."
Edric looked at Emira. They had hoped for some guilt at best, but not on this level.
"What about you?" Emira asked. "You're head of the Emperor' Coven."
Hunter blinked. "Oh… right." He had completely forgotten that.
Good job Hunter, Belos' voice echoed in his head.
"They aren't safe here." Hunter said. "Belos has eyes everywhere and the support of everyone on the Boiling Isle."
"And you?" Edric asked.
"Me?" Hunter asked back.
"How will you be safe?"
Hunter didn't understand what he meant. "What do you mean?"
"How will you be safe?" Edric repeated, growing annoyed. "After what Belos did, do you think you'll be safe around him?"
Hunter stared at the twins with a dumbfounded expression that made it clear he hadn't thought of that. Finally he spoke. "Why do you care?"
Edric balked. "What do you mean?"
"It's not like I'm the one in danger. I hurt them. I'm hardly the victim here."
"Do you really believe that?" Emira asked.
Hunter looked down at the ropes holding him then raised a questioning eye to the older witch. "You're the ones who felt it was necessary to tie me up."
Edric got up and walked to his sister. "I'm starting to think we may have jumped the gun a bit." He whispered.
Emira gave him a flat look before looking at the tied-up Alpha. The image her fearful mind had created of a dangerous guy manipulating her sister's mind and pleasuring himself with both hers and Luz's bodies was gone, replaced by this tired looking creature of self-loathing in need of a hug. With a wave of her hand, the ropes on Hunter fell apart surprising him.
"We should have been more considerate of your feelings," Edric said, "you're a victim too. Belos took advantage of your instincts to force you to do something you didn't want to do."
Hunter stood up, glad to no longer be restrained, but… "If I didn't want to do it, why did I?" He asked.
Edric wanted to answer, but Emira stopped him by grabbing his shoulder. Blaming his instincts wouldn't help. "The girls don't hate you," She said. "Their feelings are more… complicated. We just wanted to screen you first." She held up Hunter's staff. "This stays with us though."
Hunter didn't protest but being refused his staff only made it clear that they really didn't trust him. "Where is Amity?" He asked.
"The Owl House." Edric said pointing behind Hunter. "It's in that direction."
Hunter nodded. Then he paused, "do I have to walk there?"
"Yes." Emira said.
Hunter sighed and turned to walk through the forest. Then he stopped. "I didn't catch your names."
"Seriously?" Emira asked. "I'm Emira, that's Edric."
"Hunter," Hunter said before he began his trek to the Owl Lady's home.
Or at least that was the plan, until twenty steps in, he walked into a clearing with a house he'd seen in a lot of pictures.
"What?" He looked behind him at the grinning twins.
"You didn't think we just stood around while you were unconscious did you?" He heard Emira ask behind him.
Hunter turned and looked at them with annoyance before he unconsciously reached out and caught the staff Emira threw at him.
The twins gave the golden Alpha a smirk. Annoyance was better than guilt.
/
Next chapter should be more focused on Luz and Amity.
What did you guys think? I hope the interaction between Hunter and the twins was alright and the flashback should give some context to Hunter's actions and beliefs.
