THE BOUNTY HUNTER LUNA

I remember the purge like it was yesterday, or perhaps that was because I relived it every night in my dreams. Alpha Laric killed his older brother, Theodore, and took the throne, claiming he was too weak and leading us to ruin. He even changed the laws afterward, claiming the firstborn Alpha didn't automatically inherit the throne. His sons had to fight each other once they'd all come of age at 21, and the victor got the title. No matter what excuse Laric gave, we all knew what it was. Just another Alpha obsessed with power and wanting it all for himself. He'd built his entire coup on the fact that the half-breeds were making the Lycan race weak, and it broke my heart how many agreed with the mad man. They came for us not long after the take-over. My family, like dozens of others, ran in the night. All of us were terrified, though the adults assured us everything was fine, but even age the age of 10, I could sense the fear and tension in the air. My mother, Daphne, a beautiful Elf woman with long white hair, pulled me and my brother out of our beds, and made us run. We didn't get far, however, before the soldiers ascended on us, all of them being lead by a large general with a massive scar down his face, that caused one of his eyes to look dead and grey. I'll never forget the screams as men and women were torn apart. My mother's magic was weak off her species land, and my father, Jason, only being an Omega Lycan wasn't a match for the skilled warriors of the capital. I watched with my brother Sebastian, from a tree, both of us cowering as our parents were both torn apart. And then they came for us. "Look, it's two little mutts!" One soldier sneered as he grabbed Sebastian by the hair and ripped him away from me. "STOP!" I screamed and attacked, but it was no use. I was too small, only being 10 years old, and he backhanded me, busting my lip and sending me flying. "Áine," (sounds like arnya) My brother shouted in fear, as the soldier choked him. ''STOP. PLEASE DON'T HURT HIM!'' The man with the scar came over laughing and held out his hands, ''I tell you what, you little half-breed freak, if you can take me down, I'll let him live.'' I jumped up quickly and ran over to him, my fists held up and tried to punch him, but he kicked out his foot, landing it to my chest and breaking one of my ribs. I screamed and fell back, crying and holding my chest. He laughed and said, ''I guess you failed.'' "The boys shifted. I can smell it, but the girl's still too young," The man holding Sebastian spoke, while my brother struggled to get free. "Fine, kill the boy and give the girl the poison to kill her Lycan!" The leader told the others."We can't risk some little Elf b.itch polluting our species." "Let's just kill them both!" The man holding Sebastian said, as I looked into my brother's terrified eyes, before he snapped his neck. "NO!" I screamed, as the second one grabbed me by the shirt and wrenched me upwards. Sending jolts of agony coursing through me. "No, you know the orders, we're not allowed to kill any of the ones who haven't shifted," He leader snapped, King Laric doesn't need a war with the other species!" He pulled out a glowing vile and held it up to my lips, "Drink or die, your choice!" I looked at him with pure hatred I shouldn't have been capable of feeling at my young age, and opened my mouth. He poured the liquid inside and watched me swallow before he tossed me onto the ground, cutting my knees in the process, as I screamed in pain. I felt like there was a fire spreading through my entire body and into my skull, and then the pain stopped, leaving me shaking and covered in sweat. ''One day I'm going to kill you!'' I said as I gripped the grass with my fists. ''I'm terrified,'' He said as he grabbed my hair, and used a glowing dagger to carve an X into my throat in my marking spot area, before he tossed me aside again, and walked away, while I watched the men throwing the bodies onto a fire. The smell was horrific and made me want to throw up, but I held back the vile, and made a vow, as I committed all 13 men's faces to memory. I would kill them all one day. Each and every one of them! 10 YEARS LATER I leaned back in my seat and threw a leg over the table, getting comfortable as Joey, one of my bar maids, rushed over to hand me my wine. It took a lot to get an Elf drunk, but I'd imported this wine straight from the Elf capital Malora, and it always took the edge off after a hunt. "Here we are, boss," She said, as she placed the glass and bottle down, "How was the hunt?'' ''Pretty easy,'' I shrugged, ''The Dragon tried to eat me, but I got him in the end, and I gave the entire pay to Bailey, for the orphans, have chef pack up some supplies and send it to the pack.'' ''Yes, boss,'' She agreed, ''Oh, and I've already spoken to the kitchen, they're bringing out your meal." "Good, I'm starving." I nodded as I lifted a gold coin from my pocket, "Carter!" I called out and tossed the coin to my pianist, "Play." "Yes boss," He said, as he tucked the coin inside his jacket and began to play a soft tune he knew I liked. I closed my eyes briefly, soaking in the melody, before I lifted the glass and took a long sip, nearly draining the entire glass in one go. I put the glass down, and pulled my cloak over my eyes, enjoying the music and warmth of the fire. While I was trying to unwind after my last job, I heard the tavern door open and someone asked my tavern keeper, Anthony, if someone by my name was here. "She might be, who are you and why do you want her?" Anthony asked, sounding annoyed. "I have a job for her," The stranger answered. ''Is she here or not? I don't have all day.'' I peeked at him from under my hood and smelt the air. My Lycan was gone, but I still have some Lycan traits, enhanced smell being one. This stranger was a Lycan, and I a strong one, most likely a Beta. "What do you want with Aine?" I called out, and Anthony turned and went to the back room. "Are you Aine?" The man asked. "I don't ask a question from a third time, what do you want with her?" I told him as Joey brought my food. A large bowl of stew, a few large garlic rolls and a helping of honey carrots, my favorites. My stomach growled as I lifted the fork and pushed my hood back, before I stabbed some carrots and put the fork into my mouth. The man approached my table, moving through the other tables, where most of my men sat tensely, their hands on their weapons. The man seemed unfazed, or perhaps he was just good at pretending. "I want to hire her for a job," He said, as he pulled out a chair. ''Are you Aine? "I don't remember telling you, you could sit." I pointed out, as I put the fork down, lifted a garlic roll and tore it in half, "What job?" "My Alpha was abducted." "Wow, such a sad story, I'll pray for you." The man glared at me for a moment, and pulled out some papers and a few drawn sketches. "We were traveling through this territory to join up with some resistant fighters," He continued, boring me, and interrupting the only meal I'd had in 2 days, "But he was taken by Larics men during an attack." "And?" "And," The man said, sounding frustrated as I scooped some stew onto my roll and greedily popped it into my mouth, smiling and chewing slowly as some of the liquid dropped down my chin, "I want to hire Aine to get him back. I was told that no one knows this territory better, and I need to get to him before he's in Larics territory." "What's so special about this Alpha of yours, that the dog King would want him so badly?" "That's not important." "It is to me," I pointed out, as I wiped my chin on my sleeve and lifted my wine, "So speak." The man's hands clenched into fists. "He is Larics nephew," He admitted, and the tavern grew quieter, as all eyes moved towards us, "His father is the late King." "You l.iar," I exhaled and lifted my spoon and put it into my bowl, "The King's children were massacred during the purge." "The Priests and my father snuck him out through the tunnels, and we've kept him alive in secret until he was older enough to challenge Laric." "Oh really?" I laughed humorously, "How touching, so while we were all being hunted down like dogs and slaughtered, you were all protecting a little pup, who may or may not grow up to be as big of a monster as his uncle?" I asked angrily, "I'm not taking the job. I hope Laric rips your Alpha to shreds." "So, you are Aine. I knew it." "Wow, can't get anything past you." I said sarcastically and continued eating, "What gave it away?" "Please, I need your help." "Oh, well, when you put it that way," I said as I rolled my eyes, "Let me grab my sword, and we'll be on our way." I could tell the man was getting annoyed at my attitude, but I also knew that he couldn't do anything about it. "I can pay you." "I would assume so, otherwise you wouldn't have come at all." "100 gold coins." "I didn't even wipe my own ass for 100 gold coins." "200 hundred...300 hundred!" He increased the amount when I just continued eating. "Deal." "Really?" "No," I laughed, as did some of my men, "Now get out of here. I don't care about your Alpha. If his father hadn't failed us all, we wouldn't living like this, nor would my family be dead." "I understand, but I'll be camping the night in the woods," He told me, "If you change your mind, please let me know." "Bye bye." I waved and kept eating, "Joey, throw this trash in the fire." "Yes boss," She said as she came back over and started lifting the papers, but my eyes landed on a sketch and I pulled it closer. ''Stop, leave them.'' ''Yes, boss.'' She said, and walked away. It was him! The last of the men who'd killed my family, the only one I hadn't been able to find. The rest I'd killed, and I'd kept their canines as souvenirs. They were hanging on the wall over my fireplace. "STOP!" I shouted as the stranger reached the door, and he quickly turned back to me, "300 gold coins, half now, half when we get your Alpha, and we leave at dawn." "Deal!" He said, as he rushed back to me and pulled out a sack of coins, "There's 100 here, I'll have the other 50 brought over before dawn." I exhaled, "Don't bother, just get me the final 200 upon delivery. Anthony, get the Beta, a room and food for the night." "On it." He called out, and gestured to the stairs. "I'm Alex, by the way," He said, and reached out his hand. "I don't remember asking. Goodnight." Alex dropped his hand and walked towards Anthony, but he paused and looked back at me. "What changed your mind?" "I'm a resistance fighter and figured your Alpha is our best chance." "Really?" I rolled my eyes, "No, not really, you really don't understand sarcasm, do you? Just get lost." Alex growled angrily under his breath before turning to march up the stairs. "Boss, you're really going to help him?" Malachi, a Dwarf I'd saved a few years ago, asked me from his table where he was playing cards. "I'm helping myself, saving the dog is an added bonus, that pays for my roof to get fixed." My roof had been damaged a year back during a terrible storm, and it had been leaking ever since. I went back to eating, the whole time glaring at the monster I'd be killing in a few days. I could hardly wait. I took to piles of paper, and went to my room after dinner where Joey had prepared a warm bath for me. The rest of my tavern was a mix of Lycan and Dwarven design, but in my main suite, it was Elf design, down the last pillow, it was all luxury and nature, and I felt at peace here. With a contented sigh, I slipped into the sunken porcelain tub. The water was infused with crushed blossom peddles and eucalyptus, hot enough to melt the bone-deep ache of 9 straight days bounty mission. I leaned my head back against a velvet-bolstered cushion, closed my eyes, and let the quiet wash over me. Once I was sufficiently pruned, I reached out to grab the dry towel, wiped my hands and picked up the papers Alex had given me, and scanned them. My eyebrows rose. King Laric was recruiting numbers again. According to Alex's source, the pompous monarch was quietly massing troops along the border, planning a full-scale invasion of the Elven territory. ''Secure the ancient groves, bleed them out, then move to the capital.''  I scoffed, tossing the parchment aside. Laric would be in for a shock if he tried to take on my kin. Especially on their lands. The next few pages I'd read, were about the men who'd taken their Alpha, who I found out from this report was called, Emmet, and there was a sketch attached to the page. He was handsome, but most Alpha's were. I tossed those papers aside too, and sank under the water. This should be an easy task. Go, kill scar face, who I found out from the report was named Aiden, get the Alpha back, and get paid. 3 days tops, and then I was taking a vacation. I could use a trip to the capital, and I could warn the Queen about the threat, though she probably already knew. After my bath, I pulled on underwear, preferring to sleep naked, and padded over to the massive bed, where I slid between sheets spun from spider-silk and blue-linen, and let the darkness take me. Sleep, usually a blank canvas, turned strange tonight. I dreamed of a battlefield painted in the bruised purple and gold of a dying twilight. The air reeked of blood and scorched earth. I was clad in my armor, with a heavy sword singing in my grip as steel clashed Lycans. Beside me fought the Alpha from the sketch, but he quickly shifted into a large black Lycan. I bolted upright, frowning sleepily at the strange dreams. The sun was just beginning to peek through the windows, casting golden shafts across my ridiculously soft pillows. I rubbed my eyes, shaking off the phantom adrenaline. Just a dream. But as I swung my legs out of bed.