Changed (The Hunters #1)

by Rose J. Bell

  “Are you going on this trip?” Jason asked Rosa.

  “I have no choice.”

  Matt turned around. “Guys, I don’t want to go on this trip.”

  “Then we’re two,” said Philip.

  “Ah, why are you complaining about that? This trip is paid for us. In the afternoon we just have to see the sights, and in the evening we can do whatever we want,” said Jason.

  “Do you have something else other than parties in mind?” Rosa asked.

  He grinned broadly. “Of course I do.”

  “Let me guess. You have girls on the brain.”

  He nodded. “But when I see you, I forget all the others around me, and just want you.” The sarcasm in his voice was unmistakable

  Philip rolled his eyes. Matt looked at Jason, unsure of what to think about their conversation.

  Rosa snorted. This behavior corresponded with her image of a Nephilim.

  He gave her cocky smirk, and then turned around. Matt looked at Rosa. His eyes asked Rosa what that was about. Rosa only shrugged.

  She could tell by the glint in his eyes he was jealous, and she just could not bear his gaze right now, so she looked away.

  The rest of the classes they spent talking about the trip. Rosa didn’t want to go to Vancouver, but it would be a nice change from Boston. School passed quickly, and Rosa was glad to finally be out, but she had to tell Matt that it would not work out between them.

  Matt and Rosa went to her car. “What was that with Jason?” Matt asked her, as he got in the car.

  “Jealous, Blair?” Rosa teased, and closed her door.

  “Why do you flirt with him?”

  “I didn’t flirt with him, Matt.”

  “Do you find him cute?”

  Rosa snorted. “Matt, I think you forget that he is my enemy. I certainly don’t find my enemy cute.”

  He arched his eyebrows. “But you could still find him cute.”

  She sighed. “Even if I think he’s cute, doesn’t mean I’m going to make out with him or something.”

  “So you admit you find him cute!” Matt pointed his finger at her.

  Rosa drove the car out of the parking lot.

  “Matt, leave me alone. I don’t want to talk about it.”

  She felt him watching her, until he finally turned away, just staring out the window. The entire drive Matt was silent. Rosa parked her car in Matt’s driveway, and they headed into the house.

  “Matt?” Rosa heard a voice from the kitchen.

  “Yes, Brenda!” Matt shouted back and threw his bag into the corner. “Come,” he said to Rosa.

  They walked into the kitchen. Brenda, Matt’s foster mother, stood at the stove cooking. She turned, seeing Rosa, and a wide smile spread across her face. She wiped her hands and stepped towards her.

  “Hello, sweetheart. Glad to see you,” Brenda said, hugging her.

  Rosa returned the embrace. “Hi, Brenda. Nice to see you, too.”

  Brenda broke away from her and looked her over. Brenda was mid-forties, with long platinum blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She did not look like a woman in her mid-forties because of her athletic figure. Only the little wrinkles on her mouth and on the corner of her eyes revealed she might be older.

  For eight years, she had been Matt’s foster mother, and not just his. Brenda and her husband, Jeffrey, were unable to have children of their own, so they adopted children.

  Matt was only eight-years-old when they adopted him. They didn’t want a baby so they choose Matt. Brenda and her husband loved Matt like their own son, even though Matt never addressed them as mom or dad.

  Brenda was a very nice person. You could say she was like the mother Rosa never had. She cared about Rosa as her own child, but she didn’t know Rosa was a hunter. Which was good, as that would change everything, as she would not even be allowed in their house.

  “What happened to your leg and your face?” Brenda asked anxiously.

  “Ah, nothing bad. I broke my leg in training, and the bruise is from training, too,” Rosa lied. She hated to lie to Brenda. Brenda was an honest person and did not deserve to be lied to.

  “You should stop your training. You are always getting hurt.”

  Before Rosa could respond, she heard a small, sweet voice calling her name.

  “Rosieeeee! Rosieeeee!”

  Rosa turned around, seeing the three-year-old girl with white blond hair and chocolate brown eyes running toward her on wobbly little legs.

  It was Grace, the smallest child in the house. Grace liked Rosa very much, and Rosa liked her too. Grace couldn’t pronounce her name, so she called her Rosie.

  Rosa walked with her crutches a few steps. Then, throwing them on the ground, spreading her arms, as Grace ran into her arms, laughing. Rosa picked her up and tickled her, which made Grace laugh with such joy. Rosa stopped, balancing Grace on her hip.

  “Well, Gracie. How are you?” Rosa asked, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

  “Good, you?” she asked. Although she was only three years old, she could speak very well. Rosa believed Grace was a highly intelligent girl.

  “I feel good, too. Don’t I get a kiss on the cheek?” said Rosa and smiled. Grace pressed a big kiss on her cheek.

  “Thank you, Gracie.” She giggled.

  “Hey, don’t I get any kisses?” Matt asked, and stepping up beside Rosa and Grace. Grace giggled, and shook her head no.

  “Well, Matt, she likes me more than you,” Rosa said, grinning. Matt made an insulting expression.

  “Oh look, Gracie. Brother Matt is offended,” Rosa said to Grace. “Go ahead, say hello to him.”

  Grace nodded as she held out her little arms to Matt. He took her in his arms, and gave her a kiss. The relationship between them was like one of true siblings. They truly loved each other.

  “Do you want to eat?” Brenda asked.

  "Yes, please,” Rosa said, just as her stomach growled. She had not had anything to eat since yesterday. Rosa took her crutches, and sat down with Matt and Grace at the table.

  “And how was school today?” Brenda asked as she put the plates down on the table.

  “Shall I help you?” Rosa asked.

  Brenda shook her head. “No. In fact, with those crutches, you wouldn’t be much help anyway.” Brenda winked. “We’ll be making a trip to Vancouver from Friday to Saturday,” Matt said, answering Brenda’s question about school.

  She turned to face him. “With such short notice? What will it cost?”

  “We don’t have to pay. The trip is being paid for by the hunter clan.”

  “By the hunter clan?”

  Matt nodded. “Yes, and I don’t understand it either.” Matt looked at Rosa with a quizzical look. She shrugged. She didn’t know why either.

  “Vancouver is ruled by the archangel. Why would they send you there? The angels might hurt you.” Rosa heard the concern in Brenda’s voice.

  “Brenda, don’t worry. We will be fine,” said Matt.

  Brenda nodded, as she put lasagna on their plates. Seeing the lasagna, Rosa’s stomach growled even louder.

  Grabbing a knife and fork, Rosa took a large bite, and moaned with pleasure.

  “Brenda,” she said, with full mouth. “I love you and your lasagna.”

  Brenda laughed. “I’m so glad you like it.”

  “Gracie, come sit over here so Matt can eat, too,” Brenda said, as she took Gracie from Matt.

  “Where’s Jeffrey?” he asked.

  “He’s still at work,” she replied. Jeffrey was like Brenda, a very nice person. Rosa did not find it fair that those wonderful people could not have children, but then there were women who also killed their children.

  Life really was unfair.

  They heard the front door open, and close again.

  “Mason?” Brenda called.

  “Yes,” they heard an annoyed voice.

  Mason was the third child Brenda and Jeffrey had adopted. He was sixteen-years-old and a rebellious teenager. He
was a troubled child, but the reason lay in his past.

  Matt had told Rosa about Mason’s mother. She had been addicted to drugs, and wasn’t caring for her son. In addition, Mason’s stepfather abused him. His mother allowed the abuse, because the stepfather supplied her with drugs. Obviously, the drugs were more important than her own son was to her. Mason started abusing drugs at the age of thirteen. He used drugs and drank alcohol every day.

  The youth welfare office became aware of Mason’s situation, removing him from the home, and put Mason into foster care. Since then, Mason had stopped drinking and doing drugs, but he was inclined to violence, and already had many criminal complaints. Brenda wanted to send him to therapy, but Mason had refused vehemently. She was still trying to persuade him.

  Mason came into the kitchen. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. Bigger than others’ his age, and more muscular, as he trained and worked out regularly. That was sort of his aggression therapy.

  “Want something to eat, honey?” Brenda asked him.

  He sat down at the table.

  “Hey, Mase,” Matt greeted him. Mason just nodded.

  “Hi, Mason,” said Rosa and smiled.

  Mason nodded again, and noticing her injuries to her face, he stared for a moment, but said nothing.

  “Mason,” Brenda said again.

  “No, I’m not hungry. I ate on my way,” said Mason, and took Grace in his arms.

  With Grace, Mason was a very different person. He talked to her, teaching her things, not aggressive or offensive, but loving, patient and gentle.

  “How was school, Mason?” Brenda asked, and sat down a plate.

  “Okay,” he replied, and dishing some lasagna on his plate, although he’d said he had already eaten.

  Matt drank his coke and stood up. “Thank you, Brenda, for the dinner.”

  Rosa, rising from the table, thanked her, also. “Bye, little mouse,” she said to Grace, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

  “And Mason.” He looked at her and smiled weakly.

  Matt and Rosa went up to his room. Matt’s room was like any other boy’s room—untidy and littered with video games. Rosa sat down on one of the big black pillows. Matt sat down beside her, and looked at her.

  “So, what do you want to talk about?” he said.

  Rosa rocked back and forth, not knowing how to begin. She thought for a few minutes, and then she decided to just be direct, as was her usual, anyway.

  She took a deep breath and looked at him. “Matt, are you in love with me?”

  Matt said nothing, but crooked his head to the side and looked into her eyes. She didn’t know why he said nothing. Was her question ridiculous?

  “Matt, please say something,” she begged him. What she did not like was when people were silent after she had said something. It made her nervous, like now.

  He still looked at her. She tried to interpret his gaze.

  Then she got her answer from his blue eyes.

  He was in love with her.

  Matthew Blair, her best friend since childhood, was in love with her. He did not say it, but Rosa could read it in his eyes.

  Her heart stopped. Although she already knew he was in love with her, she secretly was hoping she was wrong.

  Apparently, she wasn’t.

  Matt turned to face her, taking her hands, and stroking them gently.

  He looked her in the eyes. “Yes, Rosa. I love you. I have loved you since I saw you for the first time. You’re so different and so wonderful compared to all the other girls.” Matt chuckled. “I love you more than I think I should.”

  “Matt ...” Rosa sighed. How could she tell him the truth?

  Matt folded his fingers into hers. Then his lips met hers. This time, Rosa did not pull away, but let it happen. She wanted to make sure she had no feelings for him.

  His lips were warm and full on hers. He kissed her gently and quietly.

  Rosa was waiting for the butterflies in her stomach or the tingling. But nothing…

  She felt nothing.

  It was as if she were kissing her brother.

  Rosa pulled herself slowly away from him. “Matt, there’s something I have to tell you,” she said slowly.

  “What?” he asked, smiling.

  “I can’t be with you, Matt.”

  The smile disappeared from his face. “What?”

  “I cannot be your girlfriend. It wouldn’t work,” Rosa repeated. When she saw Matt was confused and hurt, she felt a sharp pain in her chest.

  “Why not, Rosa?”

  “I’m in the hunter clan, and hunters can’t love “normal” people. If I love you, and we come together, you would be killed by the hunter clan. And I can’t that let happen to you,” she told him.

  “Rosa, are you serious?”

  “Of course I am! Do you think I would make up something like that or what?”

  He shook his head. “No, of course not. So, that means that we can only be friends.” She could see that he didn’t like that, and he was hurt, but Rosa couldn’t change it.

  “Yes,” she replied quietly.

  “But we can pretend that we are friends, but still be together.” Hope was shining in his eyes, and Rosa hated herself for destroying his hope.

  “No, Matt, it wouldn’t work. I’m going to marry a hunter.”

  Matt looked at her in surprise and confusion. “What? That can’t be true, can it?”

  Rosa sighed sadly. “It’s true, Matt. The hunter clan will choose someone for me, and I’ll marry him.”

  He stood up now. “That’s crap! They can’t choose who you will marry.”

  Rosa looked at him. “They can, Matt. They own me. They can do anything.”

  Taking her hands in his again, he said, “Rosa, you cannot just accept it. You have to determine your own fate, your own life.”

  Rosa smiled sadly. “Matt, I owe my uncle so much, and in return I stepped into the hunter clan. For me, the same rules apply as for the other hunters.”

  “Always your uncle! Uncle! Uncle! You never think of anything else, just your uncle!” said Matt, angrily. “Be with me! Forget for once your uncle or the rules!”

  Rosa shook her head. She couldn’t forget her uncle and the rules, not with Matt’s life in danger.

  “If I’m with you, the hunter clan will kill you, and I cannot let that happen. Your life is more important than love, Matt. Please understand.”

  Matt just shook his head, but said nothing. She took a deep breath. Now came the hard part.

  “Matt, I cannot be with you ... because I don’t … love you. Not in that way.” She swallowed hard, trying not to look away. “I’m sorry.”

  Matt looked at her incredulously. “What?”

  “I’m sorry.”

  He retreated a few steps. His face was expressionless as he stared at Rosa.

  “Would you please leave me alone now?” he asked coolly.

  “Matt, please.” She reached for his hand, but he shook his head.

  “Go, please.”

  With a sigh, Rosa took her crutches, and at the door, she turned back toward Matt.

  “Please don’t hate me, Matt,” she said and left the room.

  “Gabriel had called,” said Philip as Jason walked through the door. Philip stood at the doorway and had his arms across his chest.

  Jason closed the door and put the key into his leather jacket.

  “Oh yeah? What did he want?” he asked.

  “He wants to see us.”

  “Since when does he want to only see us? I’m sure there lies more to it.”

  His friend shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “I wanted to look for Jasmine.”

  Philip sighed. “I know, but you know we have to appear before your dad when he calls us.” He grabbed his jacket, which lay on the ground. “We should go.”

  “Oh yes, I forgot. Dad esteems punctuality, only not by himself. He can come whenever he wants,” Jason grumbled surly.

  “He’s the Arc
hangel Gabriel and you’re only a Nephilim. You’re inferior to him, Jason,” Philip said.

  Jason glared at him. “I’m not inferior to him!” he snapped. He did not like being called inferior to anyone, certainly not his father.

  Philip looked at him with amusement. “You don’t like him, do you, Jason?”

  He growled. “Can we go?”

  Philip grinned and nodded. They left their apartment to ascend to the roof of the building. Jason would rather they take a car, but it was a long drive to San Diego. The sun was high in the sky as they listened to the traffic below.

  “Ready?” his friend asked Jason.

  He nodded. “Ready when you are.”

  Jason didn’t feel anything when his wings appeared. No pain.

  Even if he didn’t like to fly, he still loved his wings. They were a part of him. They were what made him a Nephilim.

  He flapped his wings a bit to stretch them out, as feeling returned to them. His wings were pitch black and glistened in the bright sunlight. The feathers of his wings waved in the wind.

  As a Nephilim grows up, his wings grow with him until he turns eighteen. Jason was twenty-years-old and so his wings were completely full and grown. Philip’s wings were black and already full-grown, also.

  Jason’s wings fluttered as he rose into the air.

  “Let’s go,” said Jason, feeling the fresh breeze on his face.

  “You mean fly,” said Philip, as he began to levitate off the ground.

  “Flying, walking. All are used for travel, so it doesn’t matter what I say.”

  “You’re right.”

  Jason looked surprised. “Since when do you agree with me?”

  “Oh, man! You’re right. I never agree with you. I must be crazy!” Philip said with a grin. Jason gave him a punch on his arm.

  “Jerk,” he replied, grinning

  Then they flew over the rooftops of Boston. The wind blowing across his face. Jason breathed the fresh, cold air. Even if he didn’t like to fly, he enjoyed the feeling of being free.

  The only time he felt free was when he was flying. When he was in the air, his problems were blown away. In this moment, he had no worries or responsibilities.

  Jason was free.

  The flight to San Diego didn’t last longer than an hour.