by J. E. Cluney
Insane. That’s what they were.
I drew my rifle back up, breathing carefully as I rested my finger on the trigger.
I’d take out the brother. He was sitting, therefore a more difficult target for my aunt, wherever she was.
I hoped she was in place, because once I fired, his sister would know I was there.
I tried not to examine the man sitting in the chair, covered in some poor man’s blood. No need to think of him as anything more than an animal that was sick and needed to be put down.
I relaxed, settling into the task at hand. It was strange, like everything had slotted into place and I felt at ease all of sudden. My mind was quiet, no shadows dancing at the corners, threatening to hurt me. I was the hunter now.
I drew in a deep breath, and as I let it out, I squeezed the trigger.
The shot rung out, and I watched as the man’s head flew back, blood spraying from the impact.
His sister shrieked, and I waited for the shot to ring out from Neema.
It didn’t.
“Fuck!” I cursed as the woman began hurtling in my general direction, snarling and screaming as she ran.
I reloaded, hearing the woman’s frantic cries and crashing growing closer.
I pulled the rifle up, not needing to use the scope this time as she screamed towards me. I fired, but I hadn’t taken correct aim.
She shrieked as the bullet pierced her shoulder, her eyes flashing yellow as she bared her teeth, her blonde hair a wild mess and soaked in blood.
“I’ll kill you!” she wailed.
So much for Neema handling her.
I dropped my rifle as I lurched backwards, falling into a defensive position as the rogue woman launched at me.
I struck out, my fist colliding with her cheek as she howled and stumbled to the side. I could feel my Alpha energy pulsing through me, and I dropped low to pull out my new blade.
The woman shot to her feet, her eyes glowing and claws showing as she came for me again.
I dodged her swipes with ease, seeing her movements slow down as my Alpha energy took over.
It was almost too easy as I caught one of her wrists, her face twisted into a bloody snarl as she bared her fangs.
I used her momentum to pull her forward, slicing up with my other hand and driving the blade between her ribs like I’d been taught.
I drove it deep, making sure it plunged right into her heart.
Her face dropped to shock and disbelief, like she hadn’t expected such a thing was even possible. I hated the look on her face, but the blood marring her mouth and chest were the reason for this. She was a killer.
A rogue.
She gasped, sputtering once and then collapsing against me as the life left her body.
I dropped her to the ground, unmoving and limp as her yellow eyes stared up at the sky. I just stared down at her, watching as her eyes glassed over and blood soaked through her grey tee, mingling with the other blood staining it.
Her face could have been sweet once, and she couldn’t be much older than me, but now it was stained with blood.
How had someone like her become a rogue? Why’d she continue to kill after the first one? Becoming a rogue was not exactly something that happened randomly. It was like becoming an addict to drugs. You did it once, but you could stop, if you really wanted to. The more you did it, the harder it got.
I sighed as I knelt down and cleaned my blade off on her tee. No point in dirtying my own.
Where was Neema anyway? We needed to report this to the Council so that they could get a clean-up crew out here.
I chuckled at the thought of them trying to make their trained Hunters and Huntresses clean up after themselves. I’d almost give the job away if I had to lug around the bodies and either burn or bury them.
That wasn’t our job, we did the killing, end of story.
“You did well.”
I smiled as I turned to Neema, a smirk taking its place at her pleased expression.
“This was a test, wasn’t it?” I asked. I now knew why she’d been so unusual, having no earpieces and suggesting her possible miss.
“Yes,” she admitted as she cocked her head. “And you passed.”
“What was the test for?” I asked as I checked my blade to make sure I’d cleaned it enough. I’d give it a proper wash once I got home.
“To see if you would still doubt yourself in action. To see how you’d handle it on your own. I think you’re ready,” she said with a bob of her head.
“Ready?” I frowned, and then it dawned on me. “You really think I’m ready to become a proper Huntress?” I murmured, my heart hammering at the prospect.
“You handled this situation well, your training paid off. And with your Alpha power, you’re more than capable,” Neema said as she glanced at the dead rogue she-wolf.
I stared down at my kill, not feeling sorry at all for her. Something I’d wondered if I’d struggle with when I first began training with Neema. But it was their own choices that had led them here. They brought it upon themselves.
“I’ll do up my reports and feedback and send it in. You’ll have to be prepared for the trials,” Neema said as she pulled out her phone. “Now, how about you call this in, let them know we have a clean-up required?”
I nodded as she handed me the phone. I’d memorized the number for the clean-up crew request line, and I punched it in and waited for it to ring.
“Hi, you’ve reached Madison,” was the cheery answer.
“This is trainee Taylor Ashwood reporting in,” I said.
“Let me check,” the woman’s voice dropped immediately, switching to business in a split second. It was a safeguard they had in case someone else happened to call. The woman, ‘Madison’, if that was her real name, would pretend to be a wrong number if needed.
“Right, Taylor, do you need a crew at the gps co-ordinates of this call?” she asked.
“Yes,” I confirmed. They tracked our calls to save us trying to explain the location. It used to be that we needed to give them the longitude and latitude of the location, but now with today's technology, they just tracked us.
“Location locked, you should have a team there within the hour.”
She ended the call, and I handed the phone back to Neema.
“Good job,” Neema congratulated me. “I can wait around if you want to head on back, you’ve done great.”
“Are you sure?” I hesitated. I did want to go home and wash off the blood that had gotten on me, and throw my bloody shirt in the wash.
“Of course. I’ve got it from here,” she smiled warmly and I sheathed my blade.
“Okay, well, I’ll see you back at the ranch,” I said. I almost went to hug her, but decided against it. I wouldn’t ruin her clothes too.
“When I get back, you’ll be cleaning that,” Neema said as she pointed at the discarded rifle.
“Of course.”
My welcome home involved a scowling Jaye, and a relieved Ray. They’d busied themselves watching some Netflix, which we’d gotten as soon as possible to help entertain us some nights until the new lodge was built. With me being unable to perform in the sexual department, nights were rather boring now.
“Went good?” Ray asked liked an eager puppy.
“Yeah, Neema is actually putting me forward for my rank,” I grinned.
“Are you sure that’s the right call?” Jaye asked.
I turned on him in a huff, and he bit his lip as I narrowed my eyes.
“It’s her call. I did well tonight. Despite being a bit nervous, everything fell back into place. I felt the most normal that I have in a long time,” I snapped.
“Look, I was just worried,” Jaye said as he threw up his hands non-threateningly.
“Why? Because I’m some wounded animal that needs protecting now? You’re all so careful with me now, I see how Scott and Nathan look at me, like I’m something they pity. You didn’t, not really, but now…” I huffed, clenching my fists as the s
cent of blood washed over me again.
I needed a shower and some new clothes.
“I don’t pity you. I was just worried. I didn’t want anything making you freeze up,” Jaye softened.
I sighed, rubbing my arms as Ray stood awkwardly to the side biting his cheek.
“I’m sorry. I just know you’ve struggled, a lot. The nightmares, the memories. I just want you to be yourself again,” he murmured.
“And I felt like I was tonight,” I admitted softly.
It was true, before I’d pulled that trigger, there was no darkness in my mind, no disgusting laughter or faces. Just a focus and a task at hand. And to feel my Alpha energy flow through me, reminding me of who I now was, it had strengthened me.
“That’s good,” Jaye said in relief. “If it helps you, then I won’t stop you. It’s what you’ve always wanted to do.”
I managed a small smile as he relaxed now that we’d cleared the air. I knew he was just concerned for me. I’d been quite a mess after Richard and his men. But this duty I had, this drive, it did help. A lot.
“I need a shower, how about you guys find us a good movie to watch?” I suggested as I let my shoulders drop. I didn’t want to be annoyed, not tonight. Not when I was so close to becoming a Huntress finally.
“Of course, they’ve got this awesome one, Guardians of the Galaxy, I vote for it,” Ray grinned.
“What’s it about?” I asked as I unsheathed my knife. I needed to give it a good clean first.
“Well, it’s a superhero movie, I don’t want to spoil it, but Bradley Cooper plays a raccoon apparently,” Ray said as Jaye strode over to the couches.
We’d gotten a nice new plasma on the wall, and we planned for this lodge to become a men’s area for the Pack, set up the living room with pool tables and such.
“Mm, Bradley Cooper,” I mused. Now that was a good-looking man right there. Probably not so much as a raccoon though.
“We’ll get it ready,” Ray stated as I headed into the kitchen.
I gave my new knife a proper clean before leaving it on the counter to dry.
Then it was shower time.
I went back to my room, the same room where all this had started.
As I stepped into the room, I caught my breath as I looked around. I’d hated it for so long, hated what memories it had.
But those memories, they were just acts of survival. I’d survived, I’d fought and won.
I smiled softly to myself as I felt for the iPod in my pocket. I dumped both it and my phone on the bed before gathering up some clothes and heading into the bathroom.
And for the first time in a long time, I showered in peace, not a single ugly thought slipping into my mind as I rinsed off the blood.
“New knife?” Ray asked as I joined them on one of the couches. I slotted between the pair as I looked over at the plasma screen to read the blurb of the movie.
“Yeah, hand-crafted silver blade. Neema gave it to me,” I said. Ray had obviously picked it up, and I’d left the sheath for it in my room.
“Nice,” Ray nodded as he handed it to me.
“The design is beautiful,” Jaye remarked as he leaned into my side, his warmth seeping into me. I relaxed between the pair as I set the knife down on the coffee table.
“It is, it came in handy tonight,” I sighed.
“How so?” Jaye questioned gently.
“Neema tested me. She made me fend for myself with both the rogues. I shot the brother first, since he was bigger and more of a threat, not to mention he was seated. Neema was meant to use a sniper rifle to take one of them out, but she didn’t. Then his sister came for me. I ended up stabbing her in the heart,” I said.
Ray fell quiet as he took it in, but Jaye just managed a smile.
“You really are a Huntress,” he said. “I’m not sure how I feel about Neema just dumping that on you though. I mean, I guess she would’ve come to your aid if you needed her.”
“Of course,” I agreed.
“Did you hesitate? What was it like?” Ray asked carefully, as if it was a tender topic.
“No. Rogues are dangerous, they chose that path, and once they go beyond a certain point, there’s no going back. These two, they enjoyed killing, they weren’t going to stop. The woman, she was dancing around the fire holding some poor dead guy’s arm, while her brother was eating his leg,” I shrugged. “By putting them down, we’re saving lives.”
“That’s fucked,” Ray recoiled, shuddering at the image.
“Yeah, it is. Usually when they go full rogue, they don’t even eat all their kill, only a quarter at most, then they move on. They like everything just fresh,” I spat.
“Monsters,” Jaye agreed.
“Are there any rogues who don’t choose it?” Ray asked.
I bit my lip at this. “To be honest, I’m not sure. You have to eat human flesh in order to become rogue.”
“Are there any who don’t turn full rogue?” Ray asked.
“Well, there are those like the pair tonight. Somehow they don’t completely reach full rogue, where they’re just crazed killers. I mean, these guys were crazy tonight, but you could tell they were still capable of thought. True rogues only have one thing on their mind. And that’s to find their next kill. Somehow, instinct keeps them from just killing publicly in open places, they usually take victims in alleys or out camping. It’s like they’ve retained the part of their mind that knows that they’ll die if they do that, that they still have to hide what they are from mankind,” I explained. It was interesting that Ray didn’t know much about rogues, it was normally taught a bit in the schooling systems. Then again, home-schooling had been the norm here.
“Huh, interesting,” Ray murmured.
“How about we watch the movie?” Jaye suggested as I sunk into the seat cushion between the pair. They were so warm and pushed against my sides, it was perfect.
“Right,” Ray nodded as he reached for the remote.
I settled between them, holding Ray’s hand as I rested my head on Jaye’s shoulder.
And we sat in a comfortable silence as the old music started up.
11
I sucked in the cool morning air as I leaned over, holding Belle’s reins tight. I know I’d said I should let her settle in, but in the early hours of the morning, I’d slipped away from the comfort of my two men and headed to the stable. Belle had been standing nearby, and her ears perked up when she saw me.
We both could use the escape, the mad dash of freedom.
I clung to her with my thighs as her legs stretched out, cantering through the pines along the same trails I’d explored yesterday with Ray.
Belle’s muscles rippled and moved fluidly as she shot through the forest, and I grinned stupidly as I spied the fallen long coming up. Braveheart had forced me to walk him around it, refusing to jump the small obstacle.
Not Belle.
She soared over it with ease, landing and doing a small kick out before taking off once more. The wind tore at my clothing, and I laughed as we raced, completely free and wild.
How I missed this.
“Such a good girl,” I murmured, my voice lost on the wind as we rocketed through the forest.
Eventually, Belle slowed, falling back to a walk as sweat lined her neck and she panted softly. I settled back into the saddle, drawing in the scent of horse and pines, listening to the birds and the breeze, the strong clip-clop of her hooves on the worn path.
No shadows today either.
I was surprised when I noticed that, and I frowned, not wanting to push my luck by exploring the corners of my mind.
Right now, I felt at peace and right where I belonged.
When we returned to the stable, Belle was excited to be given an early feed as I stuck her in her stall and gave her some hay and topped up her water. I’d make sure she was let out later into the field, but at least in here she didn’t have to fight the others for food.
I entered her stall, brushing her after having give
n her a quick hose outside to rid her of her sweat.
I hummed softly as she focused on eating, and I slipped into a peaceful moment of methodical brushing. Belle’s sides heaved softly as she breathed, snorting as she ate and turning to glance at me here and there.
I’d told her some time back that I’d want her to be mine one day, if possible. And now here she was, as my mount.
“So you liked your gift?”
I jumped and Belle stomped her hoof at the intrusion, drawing a laugh from Nathan as he leaned against the gate of the stall.
“Yes, she’s perfect,” I smiled as I walked over to him.
I caught his lips, those soft, delicious lips, and he cupped my face as he deepened the welcome.
“I thought you would,” he breathed as he broke the kiss.
“Here, let me out,” I indicated for him to step aside, and he obeyed.
I exited Belle’s stall, leaving her to eat in peace as I gave Nathan a once over. Wearing those tight jeans that made his fine ass prominent and the long-sleeved blue button-up tee, he looked like the usual Nathan, ready for ranching.
And those forest green eyes were pleased as he stared right back at me.
“How’s home?” I asked as I led the way out of the stable.
“Good, real good. Had some foals born, sold off a fair few steers. Nothing much exciting since last time I saw you,” he shrugged.
It’d been almost a week since I’d seen him last, and Scott was nearly the same. My father hadn’t taken on a third beta yet, so the pair had to handle some extra workload. Not that Jaye had been enlisted with much anyway, mostly just making sure people were fulfilling their duties and the investing was being done. He’d also take over some security shifts, watching the monitors and participating in leading patrols.
“Jaye texted, said you hunted two rogues last night,” Nathan sighed, and I scowled. Here we go again.
“Yeah, Neema said I did well, she’s putting me forward for my rank now,” I said brightly, and Nathan’s face darkened.
“You know it’s dangerous, Tay. Should you really be doing that now that you’ve got such an important position here?”