Hunted

by DJ DeSmyter

  “Lily,” Alex murmured from behind me. “Don’t move.”

  I didn’t listen and began backing away from the wolf. It was stupid, but to my surprise, the wolf didn’t move. By the time I was beside Alex, two more wolves emerged and joined the first one. With teeth barred, they slowly advanced towards us. I gripped Alex’s arm.

  “John!” Alex yelled “John!”

  One of the wolves barked and lunged toward me. Alex took my hand and pulled me back, but not before the wolf’s teeth caught the bottom of my dress. I screamed and fell down into the snow. The front door burst open and Dad came running outside with a rifle in his hand. Turning their attention to Dad, the wolves turned away from me and Alex had enough time to pull me up. Our eyes met and the dark look in his startled me. It was a look of a sadness and fear.

  “I’m so sorry.” In the blink of an eye, Alex transformed and a fourth wolf appeared.

  21. Alex

  As soon as I knew Lily was okay, I shifted without hesitation. I knew John would kill me for exposing myself, but the wolves were going to kill him first. By the time I changed, John was scrambling away from the biting wolves, their teeth sinking into anything within reach. John’s clothes were becoming nothing but torn fabrics and his exposed skin was painted with blood. Despite this, he didn’t scream. I assumed he was swallowing it in an attempt to keep from terrifying Lily any more.

  Using barks and body language instead of words, I tried to tell our attackers that John was not the hunter as they thought. Failing to listen and understand, they continued attacking. With all the strength I could muster, I charged at the nearest wolf and succeeded in knocking him to the side. He yelped as he slid through the snow. A sharp pain shot through my body as I felt another wolf’s teeth rip into my skin. I heard Lily scream and I had to force myself to stifle a yelp. I wasn’t about to scare her even more either. I stole a quick glance towards her, but she was no longer huddled in the snow. I looked for her in fear, but was relieved to find her on the porch, gripping the handrail with white knuckles.

  The wolf tore at my skin again, so I rolled over, making sure my attacker took the blow of the fall. After freeing myself, I returned the favor and attacked him. I prayed Lily was safe inside and couldn’t see what I was doing. I didn’t want her to see how violent I could be. The wolf limped away and retreated into the woods. The other wolves followed, but not before taking one last swipe at John.

  “Dad?” Lily screamed. “Dad!” Her hysterical sobs caused her voice to crack.

  I looked up, saw her run towards John and fall to her knees next to him. He was groaning, but made no attempt to move. The rusty smell of blood filled my nostrils and it was a scent I couldn’t escape from. It was everywhere.

  Head low, ears back, I cautiously walked over to them. Lily looked up and stared at me. Confusion and bewilderment filled her eyes as she shook her head at me.

  “Don’t. Please, Alex, just don’t.” The sound of her voice was enough to break me.

  “Dad?” She said, returning her attention to John. “I’m going inside to call 911, okay? It’s going to be okay.” Taking one last look at me, she rushed inside. I heard her frantically dialing the phone and struggling to tell the police what happened. I wanted to go to her, to comfort her, but she was afraid of me and had every right to be.

  22. Lily

  Despite hardly spending any time in a hospital, I hated them. I hated the bleach smell, the dull lights, and the way no one told me what was going on. Oh, and the food was definitely worthy of my hate. I refused to think about how long it had been since the food in the vending machines had last been replaced. Everything about the hospital was too clean, too sterile. How could the patients feel any hope in such a place?

  Slumped in a chair in the waiting room, I fidgeted with my dress in an attempt to keep myself busy, but nothing could keep me from thinking about the wolves— and Alex. What I saw was unbelievable, something only in movies and books. I knew werewolves weren’t real, but I also knew what I’d seen was true, that Alex had changed into a wolf. It wasn’t a trick of my mind or a delusion caused by fear. Still, I didn’t know what to make of it. How on earth was I supposed to face Alex? The last thing I had told him was to stay away as if he was a creature to be feared. When the ambulance had arrived, he was nowhere to be seen.

  Looks like I’m about to find out, I thought as he walked towards me, fully human.

  “Hi,” he said softly when he reached me. “How’s he doing?”

  I kept my eyes on my hands. “I don’t know. They haven’t come out to tell me anything.”

  “He’s going to be okay.”

  I nodded. Tension hung in the air and I could tell I wasn’t the only one feeling awkward. Alex squatted to be at my level. He reached for my hand and I let him rest his on top of mine. I think he was prepared for me to swat his hand away as if he had a deadly touch. I raised my gaze and met his eyes.

  “I’m so sorry,” he said sincerely. “I didn’t mean for you to find out, let alone like that.”

  Tears filled my eyes and every time I blinked, they spilled down my face— my own little version of the Niagara Falls. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

  He shook his head.

  Anger swelled inside me. “What, did you think it wasn’t important? News flash, Alex, it is.”

  “Your dad made me promise not to. He just wanted to keep you safe.”

  Thoughts of what the wolves could have done to us filled my mind.

  “Safe from being ripped to shreds?” I guessed.

  “Yes.”

  I sighed and furiously wiped the tears from my eyes. “How?”

  Alex titled his head to the side in confusion.

  “How is it possible for you t— to be what you are?” I kept my voice low.

  “Genetic disorder,” he stated matter-of-factly.

  I expected a different answer, one involving magic. “So my dad won’t become one because he was bitten?”

  “Oh, Lily, no, he won’t. You don’t have to worry about that.”

  Relief caused me to cry even more and I buried my face in my hands. My whole body shook. Sitting down next to me, Alex wrapped his arms around me. I crashed into him and continued to sob, not caring that I was soaking his shirt. I let his warmth and scent comfort me as I cried out all my fear and pain.

  “Ms. Atwater?” I heard a woman say.

  Pulling away from Alex, I sat up and looked up to find a nurse staring at us. “Yes?” I replied with a thousand sniffles.

  “I’m sorry we couldn’t tell you this sooner, but your father is doing fine. We needed to make sure his injuries were cleaned and that he received the necessary rabies shots. He’ll need to stay overnight for observation, but he’ll be able to go home tomorrow.”

  I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you so much.”

  “Would you like to see him now?”

  “Yes,” I said as I sprang up. Alex let go of my hand and I didn’t like how naked mine felt without his. “Can Alex come too?”

  “Sure,” the nurse replied.

  The nurse led us to Dad’s room and then disappeared down the hall. Taking a deep breath, I carefully pushed open the door and walked inside the room. It smelled just as bad as the waiting room.

  “Hey there, Lils,” Dad said from his bed.

  “Hi, Dad.” I rushed towards him and gave him the gentlest hug I could give. “How are you feeling?”

  “A little bruised, but not broken.”

  “That’s good.” I bit my lip, unsure of what else to say.

  Dad sighed and glanced over at Alex, who was leaning against the wall. “I’m sorry you had to find out like this, Lily.”

  “How long have you known?”

  “About twenty years give or take.”

  I stared at him not in anger, but in shock. “Twenty years? You’ve known werewolves existed for twenty years and you didn’t tell me?”

  “I was trying to protect you, Lily.”

  “I wou
ld have been safer knowing the truth!”

  “You’re right. But I wasn’t trying to protect you from just werewolves. I also didn’t want a hunter thinking you were a wolf.”

  I turned and looked at Alex, hoping he could give me the clarity I needed. He made no attempt to and instead he lowered his gaze to the floor. Turning back to Dad, I cleared my throat. “Why would someone think that?”

  Dad said nothing and after what felt like an eternity, he shattered the silence. “Because your mom was a werewolf.”

  I slowly sat down on the edge of Dad’s bed. “So she didn’t just like to hike.”

  Dad sounded amused. “No.”

  I was too afraid to quit speaking. I figured if I kept asking questions, then the answers would provide some sort of comfort and the clarity I craved.

  “Does this mean that I’m a werewolf, too?” I was all I could do to spit out the question.

  This time, Alex was the one to answer. “No. The gene that carries the mutation is dominant in males. It’s very rare that it appears in women.”

  “So, I’m not a werewolf?” I needed reassurance.

  “No,” Dad said with certainty.

  “Okay. Good. I didn’t want to feel the urge to pee on a tree.”

  Alex laughed and grew serious again. “Are you feeling any better?”

  “A little.” It wasn’t a complete lie; I was feeling better. Not a lot, but enough to keep my tears tucked in my eyes.

  “Where do we stand in all of this?” Alex asked.

  I looked up at him and smiled. “As long as you don’t hump my leg, we’ll be just fine.”

  He laughed again. “I won’t, I promise.”

  “You better not,” Dad chuckled.

  I couldn’t help but enjoy the lightened mood, but I knew I couldn’t continue dealing with my new knowledge of werewolves and Mom with jokes. So, I put my serious face back on. “Why did the wolves attack us?”

  “They thought you were the hunter,” Alex said to Dad. “They smelled your scent on Lily and me, so they assumed we were hunters too. I tried to tell them otherwise, but they wouldn’t listen.”

  I raised my brows at Alex. “You can speak to each other?”

  “As any other dogs do.”

  “Oh. I thought you would have telepathy or something. I read a book that had werewolves in it and they were telepathic.”

  “Sorry to disappoint,” he teased.

  Dad interrupted our tiny lighthearted moment and steered the conversation back on the serious path. “So the hunter has killed another wolf. At least we know it wasn’t someone in your family.”

  Alex nodded.

  “Wait,” I said. “You don’t know where your family is? Or is it your pack?”

  “In my case, family is more accurate. We don’t have the wolf hierarchies or anything. Lone wolves who have formed a pack can act like one, with alphas and all that.”

  “Why?” I asked, veering away from my original question.

  “Because lone wolves usually aren’t used to working with others, so they use the hierarchies to establish who is in control. For packs made of a family, there’s no need to function like an actual pack due to family dynamics.” He dropped his gaze and the action was filled with sadness. “And no, I don’t know where they are. We were separated when the hunter found us.”

  “I’m so sorry.” I gave his hand a squeeze.

  “Don’t be, it’s not your fault.”

  “Lily,” Dad started. “There’s one more thing you should know.”

  I leaned into Alex for comfort and support. “What is it?” I searched Dad’s face for a clue and in his moist eyes I found one. “Mom was killed by a hunter, wasn’t she?”

  “Yes.”

  23. Alex

  Before walking into the hospital, I envisioned Lily running away from me screaming her head off or coming at me with an axe. When I found her in the waiting room, none of those scenarios played out, much to my relief. She was shaken up, but for the most part she was surprisingly calm. Even when John told her about her mother, she held herself together.

  It wasn’t until I took her home that she fell apart.

  As soon as we stepped inside the house, she bolted to her room and slammed the door shut. Her sobs were loud enough that I didn’t need to use my enhanced hearing. Her pain made me feel helpless and with each sob the feeling grew. I couldn’t tell her everything was going to be okay, not honestly. The hunter was still out there and what if he thought she was a werewolf because of being with me? Or, worse, what if another pack of wolves attacked her, thinking she was connected to the hunter? I would never let any harm come to her, but I was no superhero. Sure, I was a werewolf, but that didn’t make me infallible. With a single silver bullet or perfectly planted fangs and claws, my life would be over; Lily’s too.

  Flicking the light on as I entered the kitchen, I went to work fixing Lily something to eat. I was no master of the culinary arts, so I made her a sandwich and poured a glass of water.

  With the plate in one hand and the glass in the other, I headed upstairs. I paused at her door before gently knocking with my foot.

  “Lily, I brought you something to eat.”

  “I’m not hungry,” she mumbled from inside.

  I sighed and set the plate and glass on the floor. “I’ll leave it out here in case your stomach disagrees.” I backed away from her door and leaned against the opposite wall to wait for her mind to change. Worried and impatient, I ran my hand nervously through my hair before resorting to pacing. About an hour later, I heard Lily’s stomach grumble and when she finally opened the door I greeted her with a grin.

  “You win,” she said as she reached down to pick up the plate and glass. “Thank you.” She retreated back inside her room and sat on her bed.

  I followed her inside, but lingered by the door. “Do you need anything else?”

  She shook her head before taking a giant bite of the sandwich. “I actually feel better,” she said once she swallowed her food. Judging by her steady heartbeat and even breaths, she was telling the truth. Distress no longer clung to her body.

  I closed the distance between us and joined her on the bed. “I’m glad.”

  Once she finished eating, she set the plate and glass on her nightstand. “Will you do something for me?”

  “Anything,” I replied.

  Her eyes fell to her hands. “Will you, uh, change for me again?”

  I chuckled. “You still don’t believe that werewolves are real?”

  “I just need to see it again. To prove to myself that this isn’t a dream, that I’m not crazy.”

  “Okay, I will.”

  “But not tonight,” she quickly added. “I’m exhausted and I want to see you change with a clear head.”

  “Another time then.” I took her hand and kissed each finger. “I’ll leave you to sleep. If you need me, just say my name and I’ll hear you.”

  “Super hearing?” She grinned.

  “Yeah.”

  “Okay. Thanks, Alex. Goodnight.” Without removing her clothes, she slid under her covers.

  “Goodnight, Lily.” I got up and left her to sleep, praying her dreams would give her some peace.

  24. Lily

  Pushing my legs to move faster, to carry me away from danger, I went deeper and deeper into the shadows— into the woods. Behind me, the wolf moved with agility and grace, barely touching the ground as he ran. A low, guttural growl erupted from the depths of his being. I made the mistake of glancing over my shoulder to look at him. His black eyes showed nothing but hunger as he grinned at me, taunting me with his pearly fangs. With a yelp, I tripped and fell to the ground. Scrambling, I turned around and expected to see the wolf barreling towards me. Instead, I found a man cloaked in shadows standing a few feet away with a rifle pointed in my direction. I had every intention of getting to my feet to start running again, but I couldn’t move. My whole body felt as if it were made of lead, not blood and bones.

  The woods
melted away and a suffocating darkness settled in. It swallowed up my screams and the only sound I could hear was the thumping of my heart. The hunter took a step towards me and the click of his rifle echoed through the hollow space. Suddenly, a single voice called out my name, cutting through the darkness.

  My eyes flew open and I frantically sat up. My sheets clung disgustingly to my body and I felt as though all the air had been sucked out of my lungs. It took me a minute to realize Alex was kneeling by the side of my bed holding my hand.

  “Are you okay?” His soft voice was laced with concern.

  I shook my head. “I— I was being chased by a wolf, but then it was a hunter and he had his gun pointed at me and—” I began to shake.

  Alex pulled me into him and kissed the top of my head. “It was just a dream, Lily. It wasn’t real.”

  “But it felt so real.” My voice shook as much as my body.

  “It wasn’t and never will be. I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”

  For the rest of the night, Alex lay next to me. I rested my head on his chest and he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer. Through his shirt, I could feel his lean and smooth muscles. A grin spread across my face at the thought of how good he probably looked shirtless. I was such a girl sometimes. Soon, all my thoughts swirled into a fading mess as the soothing rise and fall of Alex’s chest lulled me back to sleep.

  Q

  The next time I woke up, sunlight was shining through my window and illuminating the tiny specks of dust dancing in the air. The space next to me was empty, but Alex’s scent and warmth lingered. I wondered if the comforting, yet strange heat that emanated from him was part of his werewolf nature. I had a lot of questions, so many that I was positive he would get sick of answering them. Maybe Dad can answer a few of them, I thought as I got out of bed.

  An hour later, while Alex drove to the hospital to pick Dad up, I stayed home to cook Dad the best breakfast he would ever eat. Unfortunately, my skills in the kitchen were limited, unlike Dad’s, but I still managed to impress myself with the hearty plate of food I ended up with. As soon as I put the finishing touches on Dad’s meal, I heard the crunching of snow as the truck pulled into the driveway. As soon as Dad shuffled in from the cold, I threw my arms around him and carefully hugged him.