Chapter 6: Hunter's Threat
625words
I sat on the balcony of my temporary room, watching the sun climb over the mountains. My phone buzzed—my boss wondering if I was ever coming back to work. What could I say? "Sorry, career change to werewolf"?
A knock interrupted my existential crisis. Griffin stood at the door, expression grim.
"Ready to see the final territory?" he asked.
"I thought we'd seen them all?"
"There's one more place you need to see. The Neutral Zone."
An hour later, the four of us were driving toward a location in the mountains. The atmosphere was tense, the competition between the three Alphas almost tangible.
"What's the Neutral Zone?" I asked.
"Where territories intersect," Lucien explained. "Also where we're most vulnerable to hunter attacks."
"Hunters," I repeated. "You keep mentioning them but never explain."
"Humans who know we exist and want to eliminate us," Griffin said shortly.
A loud bang interrupted us. Our vehicle lurched violently, then spun out of control.
"Get down!" Griffin shouted, pushing me below the seat level.
The sound of shattering glass, twisting metal. When the car stopped spinning, I saw a massive bullet hole in the windshield.
Through the broken window, five figures emerged from the trees, carrying rifles.
"Hunters," Griffin growled, his eyes beginning to glow. "Lyra, stay in the car."
But the three men were already moving. Griffin charged toward the hunters, shifting into a half-wolf state. Lucien flanked to the side, hands glowing blue, while Valerian... disappeared.
What followed was like a nightmare. Griffin attacked with incredible speed, but a gunshot rang out, and he stumbled. Silver bullets. Lucien wasn't attacking directly but performing some kind of magic that made the hunters' guns red-hot.
One hunter had his sights on me. I watched as the barrel pointed at my face, time seeming to slow.
Then he dropped, his throat cut clean. Valerian stood behind him, a bloody knife in hand, a cold smile on his face.
"Griffin!" I rushed to him, seeing the wound on his arm. Silver-tinged blood seeped from the injury.
Back at the base, I stood alone in the hall, hands shaking, adrenaline still coursing through my veins.
"First time seeing hunters?" Valerian appeared behind me.
"Where did you go?" I demanded.
"Gathering intelligence," he smiled. "And taking care of two more hunters who were lying in ambush."
"There were more?"
"There are always more," he shrugged. "This attack was organized. They knew we'd be there."
I collapsed onto a sofa. "How did I get dragged into this supernatural version of The Hunger Games?"
"Because you're special, Lyra," Valerian said seriously. "Female Alphas have unique abilities. Hunters fear those abilities."
"Tonight is the full moon," Lucien reminded us, entering the room. "Griffin will be fine, but you need to make your choice, Lyra."
I looked at these three men—each with different strengths, each vital in today's battle.
"If the hunters find us again..." I said slowly.
"We'll protect you," Griffin said, walking in with his arm bandaged. "Regardless of who you choose."
I took a deep breath. "That's just it. I saw how you all fought today. Each of you has different skills that I need."
The three exchanged glances.
"What are you suggesting?" Lucien asked quietly.
Before I could answer, a deafening explosion rocked the building. Windows shattered, and alarms blared.
"They found us," Griffin growled, eyes glowing amber.
"How?" Lucien looked shocked.
Valerian's expression darkened. "We have a traitor."
As smoke filled the room and shouts echoed through the building, I realized my choice had just become more complicated—and more urgent.
The hunters were here. The moon was rising.
And someone among us had betrayed the pack.
