Hunted

by DJ DeSmyter

  I was so bored I decided to work on the homework my teachers cruelly assigned for over the holiday break. I finished reading the Shakespeare packet for English and even managed to stay awake long enough to read the three chapters for Government. I saved the best for last, though.

  Math.

  Mrs. Evans assigned two chapters and a worksheet filled with problems related to the required chapters. It took me almost an hour just to read the two chapters and when I finally got to the worksheet, my head was ready to explode. For once, I wished I understood math just so I could finish the homework. Frustrated, I shoved my textbook and the worksheet away from me and went to the window. The sun was just about gone and gray clouds were starting to roll in and dirty the sky. I wondered where Alex was and prayed he and James were safe.

  They’re fine, I told myself. If Amelia thought it was okay for them to go out, then it was. You’ll see them both tomorrow. I could have reassured myself a thousand times and the confidence I needed to believe myself still would never have settled in.

  Exhausted from worrying, I completed me nighttime routine, turned off the lights, and went to bed. My eyes refused to stay closed, so I positioned myself so I could gaze out at the brilliant moon. I could faintly make out the craters on its surface before passing clouds obscured my view.

  I couldn’t help thinking about Alex and how much my life had changed since he entered it. I was no longer alone and I also learned more about Mom, which was something that brought me a subtle, quiet joy. I may not have felt an emotional connection with her, but I still liked knowing more about her, about the person she used to be. And that person just happened to be a werewolf.

  What is it with my family and werewolves? I thought, grinning to myself.

  Q

  When I woke up the next morning, I awoke to find Alex lying next to me with a smile on his face. I don’t know how long he waited for me to wake up, but knowing him he would have waited forever if he had to. Sunlight streamed through my window, drenching him in light.

  “Good morning,” he said softly. His eyes sparkled in the morning light.

  Giggling, I smiled back. “Hi.”

  “Did you sleep well?”

  “Mhm— hm.”

  “Did you dream of me?” He playfully asked.

  Rolling my eyes, I said, “Of course. Who else would I dream about?”

  He laughed and leaned in to kiss me.

  “Did you and James have fun yesterday?” I asked as I sat up.

  Alex rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling, his hands folded on his chest. “Yeah, until we smelled the hunter.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing happened; we’re fine. We caught his scent, but we ran away before anything could happen.”

  “I guess my worrying wasn’t all for nothing then.” I clenched a fistful of sheets, pretending to squeeze the life out of the hunter. If only it was that easy. “Stupid hunter.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me and James, Lily. We can take care of ourselves.”

  “I know, I know. But I can’t help it.”

  Alex sat up and gazed at me. “I have an idea.”

  I sighed and imagined my worry leaving my body with the breath. “Let’s hear it.”

  “How about we go on a date to take our minds off of the hunter.”

  I was surprised by the suggestion. Our only real date had been to the dance and even though we were dating, it never occurred to me that we never actually went out on dates. “That sounds great, actually. What did you have in mind?”

  “Well, we could go out to eat, see a movie, or we could see if there’s a concert happening, if you’re into that kind of thing.”

  “I haven’t been to a movie in awhile, but if it’s too cliché or something we can do something else.”

  “If you want to see a movie, then we’ll see a movie,” he answered.

  “But what do you want to do?” I didn’t want him to do anything just because I wanted to. I may not have had much experience with relationships, but I was fairly certain the other person’s feelings had to be considered.

  “A movie sounds great, Lily, and I would do anything you wanted if it meant being with you.”

  “Because we don’t spend enough time together already. You know, one of these days you’re going to get bored of me.” I grinned.

  “Never.”

  “I am human, though, which is way less interesting than being a werewolf.”

  “Seeing as there’s a shortage of female werewolves, dating a human is really my only option,” he said slyly.

  I punched him in the arm and laughed. “Come on, let’s go downstairs. I’m hungry.”

  “Hungry like a wolf?” He mused.

  I snorted and threw the sheets off me. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I hopped off it. Alex crawled off after me and took my hand as we made our way down the stairs.

  “Do you know if my dad already left?” I asked him.

  “No, he didn’t,” Dad’s voice said from around the corner. “I don’t have to go in until a little later.”

  “Oh, good morning, Dad,” I said, chuckling.

  “Good morning. So, what are you two up to today?”

  “We’re going to plan our date,” I answered eagerly.

  Dad nodded. “It’s about time you guys went out.”

  Alex agreed. “We kind of skipped the dating part, didn’t we?”

  “What are you going to do? A movie? Dinner? Dinner and a movie?” Dad asked.

  “A movie,” Alex replied.

  “Dinner’s not necessary,” I said. “I plan on filling up on popcorn and licorice.”

  Alex glanced over at me. “Will you share with me?”

  I thought about it and gave him an honest answer. “Probably not.”

  Dad laughed and turned towards the kitchen. “Are you hungry? I can fix you guys something before I leave.”

  “That would be nice. Thanks, Dad.” I followed him into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Alex sat across from me and picked up the paper. I watched him as he scanned the headlines.

  “Anything worth worrying about?”

  He shook his head. “Nope.”

  “I didn’t see anything either,” Dad said. “But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t continue being careful. You never know what a hunter will do next.”

  I turned in my chair and looked at Dad. “What happened to the one who killed Mom?”

  Dad faltered and I immediately felt bad for bringing up Mom’s death.

  “I’m sorry, Dad. That was insensitive.”

  “No, no, it’s fine, Lils,” he assured me. “His name was Tom Ellis and he died from a heart attack.”

  “Do you wish you had, I don’t know, confronted him or something? For closure?”

  Dad shrugged and rubbed his neck. “Sometimes, but it still wouldn’t have changed anything.”

  35. Alex

  “What movie do you want to see?” I asked Lily before taking a sip of orange juice.

  “Something happy,” she said brightly. “I’m not in the mood to be depressed.” Her vibrancy made me smile.

  “Okay, but it can’t be anything too sappy.”

  “What’s wrong with sap?” She asked, arching her brow.

  “The endings are always too happy.” A montage of the cheesiest romance movies played in my head.

  She shrugged. “I like happy endings. I don’t like it when a movie adds to the world’s sadness.”

  I handed her the paper with a list of movies currently playing. “Well, take your pick and I’ll be happy to see whatever it is you want.”

  “You’re too perfect,” she said with a grin. “You’re almost unbelievable.”

  Curiosity swept over me. “How so?”

  With a look of fascination and wonder, she raised her eyes to meet mine. “You’re a perfect gentleman, almost too perfect,” she said, still grinning. “And you’re musically talented, as well as smart. Oh, and you’re
a werewolf, which really makes you unbelievable.”

  I laughed and leaned back in my chair. “Would you like to know what you are?”

  “A goddess?” She mused.

  “You stole the words right off my tongue.”

  She rolled her eyes and pretended to gag. “Very funny. For one thing, I suck at math. Aren’t goddesses supposed to be really smart? I prefer reading a book than socializing. Before you, I had never been asked out or been kissed. I—”

  “Stop,” I whispered, holding my hand up. “You’re too hard on yourself.”

  “I know, but I can’t help it.”

  “Just because math’s not your strong suit doesn’t mean you’re not smart. And do you know how much I love to just sit and watch you lose yourself in a book?”

  She exhaled loudly and blushed. “Thanks.”

  “Plus, you’re also an amazing photographer and pianist. Your photos capture the moment perfectly and your songs are beautiful. Just like you.”

  Her ears and cheeks grew red and I could hear her heart quicken its pace. “You think I’m beautiful?”

  “Don’t you?”

  She shook her head. “I’m ordinary, but that’s actually okay with me,” she said earnestly. “Beauty doesn’t matter to me, but there’s no denying that you, sir, are beautiful.”

  “I beg to differ.”

  “On me being ordinary or you being beautiful?”

  “Both.” She may have doubted why I found her beautiful, but part of me wondered how she could love me, a supernatural beast. I would never hurt her, but did she really feel as safe around me as she led me to believe?

  Lily chuckled and went back to eating her breakfast. She decided on a movie that was showing around seven o’clock. Once we finished eating, I went upstairs to get ready and I saw Lily sit down at the piano. I undressed and turned the shower on, all the while listening to the beautiful melodies she played.

  Clean and dressed, I silently descended the stairs and surprised Lily by wrapping my arms around her waist and kissing her neck. She giggled and placed her hands on mine. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

  “You smell good. Did you know that?” she said. “Like trees,but not in a car freshener kind of way. In a natural, woodsy kind of way.”

  “Well, I’m glad my odor is appealing to you.”

  “It must be from spending half your life outside.”

  “Probably.” I let go of her waist and sat down next to her. The bench creaked under my weight.

  “And what do I smell like?”

  “Like a human,” I teased.

  She nudged me with her shoulder. “Do humans smell differently than werewolves?”

  “Oh, definitely. Everybody and everything has a different scent.”

  She played a few notes. “What does the hunter smell like?”

  “Wolf blood— I’m not kidding.”

  Little wrinkles of disgust formed on her face as she scrunched up her nose. “Gross.”

  “And extremely unattractive,” I countered.

  “Why do you think he’s killing normal wolves?”

  I shrugged and pretended to play the piano. “He’s just hoping to catch a werewolf, he probably can’t tell us apart.”

  “Did he just get lucky with your family?”

  “Maybe, or he watched us long enough to discover we really were werewolves. Our house is in the middle of the woods, so our location alone practically gives us away.”

  She nodded and watched me pretend to play. “Hey, didn’t you say you play the cello?”

  “Yes, but I’m not very good at it,” I reminded her.

  “I hope you can get your cello back soon so I can judge for myself whether you suck or not.”

  “We could go to the house and I could play for you,” I suggested. I knew it would be dangerous, going back to where the mess with the hunter all started, back to where he knew we lived, but as long as I stayed alert and watched for any sign of the hunter, our visit would be sound.

  “Wouldn’t that be dangerous?” Lily asked, mirroring my initial doubt. “What if the hunter is watching the house in case your family shows up again?”

  I knew she was right and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t ignore the fact that the hunter would indeed be watching the house. “It’s probably not a good idea after all I guess I just miss my home.”

  Lily fell silent and then her face lit up with excitement. “I have an idea!”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a secret, but you’ll need to put on your shoes and coat.” She stood up and bounced to the front hall.

  “Where are we going? Can you at least tell me that?” I asked, stifling a laugh.

  “We’re going on an adventure,” she said innocently. “And it’s going to be filled with music.”

  “You’re not going to burst into song and perform a huge dance number, are you?”

  “Maybe,” she replied with a smile.

  Our adventure turned out to be a trip to quaint music store in the heart of Victor Hills. Leading me by the hand, Lily walked us past the guitars, drums, and pianos, only to stop at the back corner of the store where the cellos sat, caked in dust, waiting for someone to play them.

  “Excuse me,” she called out to a sales clerk. “Can my boyfriend try one of the cellos out?” The way she said boyfriend, with such happiness and pride, made my lips stretch into a smile that reached my eyes.

  “Sure,” the clerk replied as she turned to retrieve a bow. She not only returned with a bow, but with a chair. “For you,” she said to me as she scooted it towards me.

  I nodded and took the bow. “Thank you.”

  The smile the clerk flashed us was mostly done out of kindness, but also mandatory courtesy. “Please let me know if you need anything else.”

  Once she was gone, I began examining the cellos. There weren’t many to choose from, but I ended up sitting down with one stained auburn like autumn leaves. The swirls and lines of the wood bled through the rich stain, adding even more beauty to the elegant instrument.

  Closing my eyes and raising the bow to the strings, I began to play. A tiny sigh of wonder escaped Lily’s mouth and I opened my eyes to glance up at her. Her hands covered her smile as she watched and listened intently to my song.

  One, two, three…

  One, two, three…

  One, two, three…

  Even though it was an original song and I could play it however I wanted, I still felt the need to play it with musical theory in mind. It had to sound perfect for her. The bow glided over the strings, which hummed with a rich and haunting sound. When my song ended, my whole body relaxed and I looked up to see Lily’s reaction.

  “You wrote that, didn’t you?” she asked.

  I didn’t have to answer; she already knew. “I’m a bit rusty, I’m afraid,” I said instead.

  “It was— Oh, I can’t even come up with a word to describe it. And you think you’re bad at playing the cello!”

  “Well, you have to admit, my guitar playing is better.”

  She dismissed my opinion. “It’s more— more natural. Not better.”

  I stood up, carefully placed the cello back in its waiting spot, and returned the bow. After we left the store, we decided to grab something to eat, and headed to the nearest café. Lily insisted on ordering and made me wait at the table. Unable to keep my eyes off her, I watched her as she stood in line. She looked over at me and looked surprised to find me staring. She smiled and gave me a little wave. Waving back, I suddenly breathed in and absorbed the hunter’s assaulting smell.

  Dressed in a down vest, red flannel shirt, and jeans, he looked like many of the men in Victor Hills and to any other person, he looked like an average guy simply waiting to order his coffee.

  But I knew the truth.

  I knew the slight wrinkles on his face were most likely a result of his anger and hate towards werewolves. I knew the hungry look in his hazel eyes was for his desire to kill every last werewolf,
not his desire to eat. And there he was standing two people ahead of Lily.

  Swiftly, I went to Lily’s side and grabbed her hand. Surprise filled her eyes and then concern.

  “What’s wrong?” She whispered in a volume she knew only I would hear. Her heart sped up and her palm became damp. My fingers never loosened.

  As much as I wanted to punch the hunter and take him down, I kept my gaze forward and my body close to Lily. “He’s here.”

  “What? Oh. Oh.”

  “It’s okay. I’m hoping he won’t recognize me.”

  “Hoping?”

  My voice caught in my throat and I could barely keep it stable enough to say, “I don’t know if he saw me as a human before I shifted and fled.”

  “Alex,” she murmured. “You’re hurting me.” Her voice was full of panic and she was tugging at her arm.

  I hadn’t realized my grip had tightened. Her heart was no longer racing in fear of the hunter— it was racing in fear of me. I immediately let go and silence settled into the space between us. Her wrist was bright red, a painful color, and she was rubbing it to ease the pain.

  Head hung low and eyes to the floor, she ducked out of line, rushing past the other waiting customers to reach the door.

  “Lily,” I finally said once we were outside and a safe distance from the café. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you.” I felt like tearing myself apart. My need to protect her had burned so fervently that I had ended up being the one hurting her, not the hunter. Maybe I really am a monster.

  Tucking loose hair behind her ears, she looked up and nodded with a tight-lipped grin. “I know.”

  “I’m so sorry,” I repeated. “I— I—” Anything I said would sound like an excuse and there was no way I could ever excuse my behavior.

  “Can we just go home?” She sighed. I tried to read her eyes, but found nothing that calmed my worries.

  “Of course. Let’s go.”

  36. Lily

  By the time we returned to the house, my wrist was no longer burning in pain. Instead, it tingled as a reminder of what had happened. I knew Alex’s insides were all twisted from guilt and hatred for himself over what happened at the café. He hadn’t hurt me on purpose. He would never, ever do that, but I couldn’t deny I was shaken up and flooded with concerns that I should have contemplated earlier. We had retreated to my bedroom and I sat curled in a ball on my bed while Alex leaned against the windows.