Intertwine (Book 3)

Chapter Twenty

Carl slipped out of the room. For some insane reason, he seemed contented enough to leave me alone within the weapon room.

As I sat down in one of the waiting chairs, I looked around, taking in the various pieces were at his disposal.

Small guns. Large guns. Pistols. Machine guns. Grenades. Bombs. Swords. So many other pieces I could not name even if I tried. So many weapons that could take down even the largest prey; pieces that could take down the largest werewolf.

With my heart drumming through my body, I could not help but feel a little concern as he stepped through those doors. Carl returned. With two beverages in his hand, he placed them in front of me before me sat down in the chair just across from mine.

The silence was intense; dense discomfort that would require the sharpest knife to rip through.

I was not sure where to start. I just knew I could not allow him to know that I knew of the other world.

"What is this room? It's like a place made for war." I looked at him with a questioning look on my face.

I swallowed hard as I picked up my beverage to drink. He was a hunter. Hunters were known in the supernatural world and not in the friendliest way.

"Our largest arsenal rooms."

"There are others?" I questioned.

"Three within this building. A few more around town."

“Why ?" I asked. "Are you preparing for something?"

"Not exactly." He chuckled. "But I always prepare us for the unexpected."

"Oh." I looked around hoping to avoid his eyes that searched me for a reaction.

"This is...weird."

"I'm sure we have seen weirder."

He picked up a frozen latte before he sipped it.

"I'm not sure what you mean." I played coy.

"You are insanely predictable." He laughed.

"I'm just...confused."

"About what? About my title as a Hunter or the fact you are not the only one that is familiar with the supernatural world?"

"Supernatural?" I asked as I shook my head in denial. "Like ghost?"

"Really?" His face twisted up before boredom appeared across his face.

"Really what?"

"Do you continue to play stupid even after I admit to you what I do?"

"You hunt."

"What do I hunt?" He pressured as he leaned forward.

"You said supernatural." I shrugged. "So that is what you do."

"You never answered me when I asked where your mother was." He switched the subject.

He was creating pressure. He wanted me to slip up and admit to him I was a part of this hidden and also dangerous world.

"Like I said, she is out of town."

"Hm?" He continued to ask. "Her vehicle is still in town."

"There are other ways out of town."

"Interesting."

"Interesting?" What did he mean by that?

"Oh nothing. It was just funny that her place of employment said they hospitalized her. However according to hospital records, she is not there."

"That is because she is out of town." I refused to make it obvious. Beads of sweat formed on the back of my neck with each question that spewed from his mouth.

"Who is Jason?"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh I'm sorry." He looked worried. "I mean what is he?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you want me to believe he is human?"

"What the hell else would he be?" I became defensive, even though what he was saying was true. A topic that worried me.

"After our prom, our little confrontation outside of the venue, he broke my hand." Even though he kept his appearance strong, I could not help but notice the little anger in his eyes when he spoke of the event. "In multiple places with one hand."

"He works out." I countered his attack. "And you’re a little fragile."

"I'm far from that." He smiled.

His eyes drifted from mine. He leaned over, his head at an angle as he seemed to be looking around me.

"What?" I asked.

"Your neck." I touched the curve of my neck.

"What about it?"

"Those two puncture wounds." He pointed out. "What are those?"

"Bites from a bug or something."

"Two perfectly aligned bites right at the curve of your neck? By the way they are healing, they were a little deeper than a bite-"

"What the hell is up with the questionnaire?"

"Why are you playing with me as if I'm stupid?"

"You’re not stupid, just insane. You have a weapon room beneath your gym as if you are waiting for the next Armageddon or something."

With a smile stretched across his face, he stood from the chair and walked to one of the opened chest. Reaching in, he pulled something out. It was a small cylinder like ball. With its smooth surface and gold color, it seemed to stand out the most.

He juggled it. Tossing it from one hand to the other as my eyes followed.

"Nice huh?"

It was an alluring ball.

"It's called a pixie ball. Something a few hunters came up with just this year. I love it." He tossed it up into the air and caught it upon its return. "Lightweight. Durable."

"It's pretty. Like an orb or something."

"Yeah." He nodded. "But this little thing is not too pretty though. It packs a nasty punch."

"What does it do?"

"On the outside, this pixie ball is so attractive. Pretty color. Smooth surface." He brought the ball closer. "You see, when this little thing is activated, it can either be a show or deadly. It's like a bomb, however, with a little twist to it. What happens is, if this little thing is tossed into a room, instead of an explosion of fire, a large explosion of gold confetti and silver dust fills the room."

"Silver?"

"Yeah. Silver. For humans, it's a gorgeous show. It's like pixie dust filled the room. That's how it gets its name." He informed me. "However to someone, or something else, this thing is a nightmare."

I stared at the ball, watching as he tossed it from one hand to the other. It was another one of his weapons. An abomination that was used to destroy a supernatural being.

"But it’s nothing your family has to worry about right?" He stopped; the orb now clutched between his fingers. "I can toss this little thing right into your window and it would be a magic show right?"

It wasn't until then I realized my once calm demeanor was far gone. My hands had balled to a clutching fist. I strained the little wrinkle above my nose. I realized I had forgotten to even blink.

He was threatening us.

I lunged from my chair and reached for a gun. With the gun in hand, I turned and pointed it at him.

With one swift motion, he grabbed it from my hands. Instead of pointing the gun at me, he stuffed it into his holster before he shoved the ball back into the chest.

"Now that we confirmed that you and I are on the same page here, tell me the truth." As causal as before, he sat down at the table as if I never reached for the pistol. "What is going on around here?"...

I didn't have much to offer him. With limited information to give, I could only give him the information I knew. My mother was taken. No reason. No ransom. Gone without a trace or reason why or even a bargain. Just gone.

It was difficult to explain the story to someone outside of the home but I also found it relieving.

"Why are you a Hunter?" I questioned.

"When the lifestyle run through your family, it doesn't seem like a choice." He admitted. "My father, my stepmother, my step sister, my stepbrother. All hunters."

"A family business?" I asked in wonder.

"Somewhat." He looked distant now. "I'm nothing like the rest of my family. I hunt for different purposes."

"Your purpose?"

"For protection. For balance. I don't hunt what don't need to be hunted."

"What do you mean?"

He sighed as if he had explained this story too many times.

"There are supernatural beings that live their lives as humans. Businesses. Families. A life. Like your family. The Halls. The halls construction site has practically built this town. This building. The Hall's company built this building." He admitted. "Then there are some who do not about playing by the rules. They are the ones I look for."

"The bad ones."

"My family is different. They don't believe in the possibility of harmony between different creatures. To them, humans are superior. So they hunt them without reason.

I have seen the slaughtering. The manipulations. The evil deeds. The greed that came with them."

I always found it funny when they called supernatural beings monsters but what they did, nothing could compare.

"Even your mother?" I thought that woman to be peaceful. Someone who thought otherwise.

"She used to be that monster. Many years ago, she found another path. My way. She always said my step father had changed. He had become greedy and malicious. She took some time to see how she looked."

"So...why was this gym created? A smoke screen?"

"I wanted this gym to be a peaceful place for other hunters to train and also others to workout. We prefer to hide in sight." Carl nodded. He reached into his pocket before he pulled his phone. Guessing it was a notification, Carl stood from the chair. "We have to get back upstairs. I believe Jess is looking for you."

"Ah s**t, Jess."

He opened the door for me.

"Question?" I turned to him. "The night after prom, if you knew he was a werewolf, why did you attempt to fight him?"

"Come on, I had to go down as the best Hunter for fighting a werewolf hand to hand." He shrugged.

"So you knew that kiss would set him off? Is that why you did it?" My eyebrow curved up.

"Yeah I knew it would trigger him. And also I just wanted to kiss you." He toyed; which was followed with a playful wink.

"Dumbass." I hollered over my shoulder as I walked ahead of him...