The Hunter's Triad

Aidan “Time to leave.” I gathered the scraps of material they called dresses from the floor and tossed them over their naked sleeping bodies. I wanted them out of my space. They lay in a tangle of long, bronzed limbs cuddled up where I left them. I didn’t sleep next to my one-night stands, and this set of twins was no exception. I tried to get rid of most of them before dawn, but it was late last night so I let them sleep here. Groans filled the air as they scrambled to escape the bright LA morning sunlight I let in by lifting the blinds. That should do it. I left the room to escape the smell of s*x and perfume. The living room didn’t smell much better as a thin layer of smoke hung near the ceiling. “Trouble getting rid of the Barbie Twins?” Anders said from his position, slumped on the couch. A permanent joint hung out of his mouth and his floppy, bleached, blond hair fell into his bloodshot eyes. I grunted at him and grabbed some orange juice from the fridge. There was always trouble getting rid of women in the morning. I’d been up since six and been for a run and used the gym in the apartment block, but my skin still itched at the invasion of my space. Anders never left the couch much unless he moved to his computer and did some unknown work that served as his income or when he played his guitar while sitting on the stool in the corner. Two panda-eyed, barely dressed girls shuffled into the room, gripping those tiny purses women use. Without the addition of Anders' wolfsbane-laced weed and multiple beers, I agreed with Anders' barbie assessment. Unnatural-shaped breasts spilled out of little dresses, and huge over-puffed lips had nothing to do with last night's activities. “Do you want to meet up later?” said Carmen, I think, although I honestly couldn’t remember their names. “Sure, put your numbers down, and I’ll call you.” “Don’t lie if you don’t want to.” The other one scowled and shuffled her high-heeled feet on the wooden floor. “Okay, I don’t want to.” I blew out a breath. Women were so annoying. Carmen huffed and stuffed her phone back into her bag. “We’re leaving.” They stumbled towards the door like a pair of baby gazelles. “Finally,” Anders muttered, too low for these two humans to hear. The door slammed, announcing their departure. I blew out a breath and sank onto the other couch. “Why do you bring them home if you don’t like dealing with them the morning after?” Anders offered me his smoke. I shrugged and declined the joint. “I’ve got a class this morning, and later I’ve got to go to my brother's pack; he’s found his luna at last.” My wolf stirred uneasily in my mind. He didn't want to return there. My elder brothers were both alphas to werewolf packs. Quinn’s pack New Moon was one of the largest in the US, and he would take over the title of Alpha King from our grumpy grandfather. Perhaps now that he'd found his mate and luna at twenty-six, it might be sooner rather than later. I wondered what she was like. My mom, the current luna, was tiny, delicate, and like a mom to the whole pack, so she had big shoes to fill. I avoided his pack for various reasons. I was technically a member of my other brother, Lan’s pack. His pack was next to Quinn’s but smaller. They were twins, non-identical, although people still mixed them up. My twin Alaina lived at Quinn’s pack with my parents, and I missed her fiercely sometimes. Speaking of the she-devil, my phone rang. “You better not flake out on me, A, or I’ll come down there and kick your butt.” my twin's voice came through the loudspeaker. “Would that be like kicking your own butt, doll? I heard twins can feel each other's pain.” Anders interjected. “Hi Anders, you can come too, it's going to be a big party. I can't wait to meet my new sister. She already kicked the border patrol into touch.” I could hear the excitement rolling off Al and imagined her flapping her arms and bouncing on the tiptoes, bringing her tiny height up to 5 5' at the maximum. “No thanks, doll.” Anders returned to rolling another joint. Wild dogs wouldn’t drag him from the apartment. I suspected he had a weapons stash to prevent that exact outcome. I wasn’t sure how old Anders was, but I thought around thirty. Curiosity over my brother's new mate tugged at me. “What happened to the border patrol?” “Na-ah. I’m not telling you until you get your furry butt over here. I hardly ever see you.” Al whined, and guilt filled me. I lived in the city away from the wolves. My wolf was a solitary creature. “I told you I’d be there. I’ve got one class, and then I’ll head your way.” At the thought, the hairs on my neck lifted. “Is all the family going?” I asked and held my breath. “Of course… well. Lan is still up north helping out with that pack,” she said. I grunted as if I knew what she was talking about. Lan was technically my alpha, but I hardly saw him. Sometimes I wondered if my elder brothers remembered they had a younger one. Al couldn’t be ignored with her over-excitable presence, but I was forgotten. I reassured her I’d be there and clicked off the call. I didn’t ask Anders if he wanted to go. It was a hard no. Anders had more secrets than Fort Knox had gold, he didn’t question me on my weird family dynamic, and I didn’t ask him why he used scent blockers to pretend he was human and not a wolf-witch hybrid. Hybrids had a hard time, but it was more than that. He stayed high most of the time, and it worked well with us wishing to avoid our pasts. Al knew he was a hybrid as she came around the most, but I’d told her he preferred to pretend to be a human, and despite her natural curiosity, she’d let the subject drop. The class was boring, and the female attention was distracting. Flicking of hair and pouting lips was one reason I’d negotiated doing my accelerated degree mostly remotely. Luckily, aside from a few compulsory attendances like this one, I didn’t have to come here often, plus I’d nearly finished. At nineteen, I ought to enjoy college life, but humans on mass were annoying. Because of my shifter genes, I knew I looked good at a shade shorter than my brothers but well over six feet and more stacked than the college jocks. It meant I could fill my bed if I wanted to, but I had goals outside of meaningless hook-ups that I needed to focus on. The drive to the pack caused a tightening around my neck, and I squirmed about worrying the steering wheel. I am fine. I am fine. Repeating the words in my head as my wolf paced around in my mind. I parked and blew a breath, slipping on the dress shirt I’d brought with me and hesitating before linking Al to say I was here. My tiny twin bounced down the steps, her brown hair the same shade as mine flowing out behind her as she rushed toward the car. Her usual buzzing energy washed over me as I got out and grabbed her up in my arms. It was good to see her. Her flowery scent tickled my nose, and my wolf calmed briefly before resuming pacing. “I missed you, A.” I cuddled her closer wishing for the millionth time that things were different. My sister was my opposite. She was all flowers and optimism, excitable and cheerful, whereas I was a jaded asshole. Her abundant happiness helped me hide the worst, as I slipped on the mask I wore around my family. The one that kept everyone safe. She pulled me inside to the pack house, and my scalp prickled. My gaze searched to see which pack members were present. “I thought the party was outside. I'm starving,” I said. My collar chafed my neck. I wanted to be outside in the open with more room to move. “Hush your grumbly belly.” She danced over, grabbed a bag of chips from the vast pantry, and stuffed them into my hands. “I’m here to meet our new sister before anyone else.” “You've not met her yet?” “No, she arrived all banged up. Quinn told me I couldn’t see her when he was healing.” I had even more questions about the new luna now. Before I could voice them, Al squealed and ran towards a figure that had just emerged from the stairs. The woman was tall with black hair, a pale olive complexion, full lips, and dark eyes that held a frighteningly empty depth. Her figure was toned like a warrior, and her gaze flashed dangerously before she locked her muscles down as Al collided with her and engulfed her in a hug. I started forward on instinct for my sister, sensing the threat from this female. I told Al off for grabbing people, warning her she could get hurt. The female's eyes flicked to mine, and it held all the convincing I needed. She could kill my sister in one small move, yet she held still despite Al's tiny arms squeezing her. Al pulled back all big-eyed and turned accusingly to me. “She wouldn’t hurt me.” “I wouldn’t be too sure about that.” The woman’s voice was low and held a hint of an accent. Al startled for a second but then burst about laughing. I balled my fist at my side. Al’s innocence was going to get her into trouble one day. Al gushed about how excited she was to have a sister and about all the girly activities she wanted. My eyes dropped to the silver knife strapped to this woman’s thigh. Yeah, the sister bonding Al wanted would not happen. I moved closer, and she introduced herself as Irina. I played my part as the good new brother, and despite my reservations about her, she smelled heavenly. Like pineapples and coconuts, something very exotic. I couldn't understand why my brother had her walking around the pack house alone. I asked her about it, and something shuttered behind her eyes, replying about him having work. Was that it? My brother worked a lot. We barely saw him but was he already neglecting his luna? I felt a surge of pity for her. I knew what it felt like to be overlooked in favor of pack duties. Al swept her up and outside, and Irina looked decidedly uncomfortable. I tapped the door frame scanning the pack collected outside. They looked strained, none of the usual easy-going atmosphere. What the hell was going on? Had I missed something while I was away? Damn Quinn, he never looped me in with things. Why would he I’m just the annoying little brother? If s**t was going down here, I ought to know about it. Would you have come back? A nasty voice in my mind asked. Probably not. Irritated, I grabbed a beer from the cooler and ran slap bang into someone I didn’t want to see. “Ah, the prodigal son returns.” My cousin Mike sneered at me over his beer bottle that looked to be his tenth by the smell of his breath. “Mike.” I nodded, my hackles raising. If he was here, then I needed to move away. “What do ya think of the new luna? Quinn bagged himself The Huntress herself. Must think he's the big man now, eh?” Mike leered closer, and I leaned away. “Where is he, though? Trouble in paradise. What do you think, eh, cuz?” The Huntress. f**k, no wonder my instincts flared inside. Irina was the real-life supernatural bogeyman. “Oh, you didn’t know, did you.” Mike read the surprise on my face before I schooled it. “Well, they never told us much, eh.” He clinked his beer bottle with mine. That was true, but I didn’t want to give this prick the satisfaction of bringing us level, so I grunted. “Dad will be here soon.” My veins flooded with ice, and I stepped away, clearing my throat. “Got to mingle, Mike.” I kept the stutter from my voice as he dismissed me with a tip of his beer bottle. I circled the pack ignoring some of the raised hands, and shouted greetings. My pulse pounded in my ears. I shouldn’t have come. I retreated into the familiar forest and braced my arm against a tree as I brought my breathing back under control. When I felt the tingling in my chest abate, I walked for a while to clear my head before doubling back to my car. I knew these woods like the back of my hand. I’d made an appearance and met Quinn’s, new mate. Too bad he wasn’t here for me to congratulate him, always working too much and never asking for help. Leaves crunched up ahead, and I froze. Who had followed me? I circled and entered a small clearing to see a guy with his face upturned in a patch of sunlight that danced off his dirty blond hair. He was dressed smartly for the party, but I’d never seen him before, and as he locked his sea-blue eyes with mine, my wolf rushed forward, feelings of possession and desire washed over me. My wolf didn’t speak as he never had but released a growl, and I knew this was my mate in my bones. I closed my eyes as the realization slammed down on me. A male mate. All those things he’d told me were true. Panic clawed up my throat, and a sour taste flooded my mouth. No, no, no. This couldn’t be happening. My wolf thrashed angrily inside me, sensing what I must do. I started rejecting him with my eyes shut but realized I didn’t even know his name. Anger shot through me at this cruel twist of fate. When I met them, the depth of hurt in his eyes gripped my gut in a horrible knot, but I steeled myself to do what I needed to even as my heart beat heavily in my chest. He made a wounded noise but told me his name. Alec, his name was Alec. We searched each other's faces for a few seconds, but my resolve hardened. “I, Aidan Ryan of the New Moon pack, reject you, Alec Baros, as my mate.” Lightening struck my chest, and Alec crumpled to the ground. I’d heard rejecting the mate bond could be painful, but this was beyond that, and he looked to be feeling twice what I was. “Ah, f**k!” I grunted, gripping my shirt against my chest, doubling over winded. My wolf whined, one of the few sounds I’d heard from him ever, and the vice around my heart squeezed. I had to get this done. I stumbled over and touched his shoulder as the tropical scent I’d scented on Irina earlier filled my senses. He pulled away as if it burned him, breathing shallowly, panting through the pain we shared. It was better this way. “Listen, I’m sorry. I… listen, you gotta say it back.” Sweat blanketed my back, and my hands shook. Alec's figure on the ground rocked, but only a sob came from him. Anger bubbled up again through the pain. I was doing the best thing for both of us here. I needed him to help me. “Stop f*****g around. I need you to say it!” It came out too loud, and Alec whimpered, the sound sliced through me like a knife, and I staggered back. “f**k! I’m sorry. Fuck.” I had to get out of here, so I took off at an unsteady jog, leaving him on the ground. Blindly branches whipped at my face and tore at my shirt. Eventually, I returned to my car, a shrunken shell of myself. I sped away from this cursed pack. What had I done?