Hunters and Beasts

not so secrets

Faith rose up in her bed, her alarm clock cutting through the darkness. I hate those dreams. Faith walked towards her closet, pausing to look in the mirror. Her ribs were dark black and bruised. It hurt when she took breaths in. She wrapped her arms from where the wolf had clawed her and lower where she had been bitten. She pulled on a thong and a lacey black bra before pulling on a tank top and her cargo pants. She put on her socks and polished her boots before sliding them on. She looked through her closet for a long sleeve shirt but couldn’t find one in dress code.

“you’ve got to be shitting me” she found a tight black under shirt that had long sleeves and slid it on before her tee shirt. She gathered her books and headed for the door. She saw her leather jacket tossed over the couch and she grabbed it as she walked out the door. She slipped her hand into the pocket and touched a piece of paper. She pulled it out and saw Caleb's name and a number scrawled out infront of her. She sat in her truck and stared at the paper. You know what, f**k it. She put the number into her phone and sent a short text before shoving it in her pocket. She drove to the school, arriving before almost anyone else. She felt her pocket buzz and she pulled out her phone.

Hey there Faith! I was starting to think you were never going to text me. She typed her reply smiling.

 It's only been one day, are you terribly lonely, Mr. captain of the football team? She slid from her truck grunting as her feet hit the floor.  This hurts more than normal. She slowly trudged towards the school. Her phone buzzed once more. She pulled it from her pocket and looked down.

Not lonely, just not interested in anyone else.

You are very bold. Faith held her phone waiting for a reply.

I’ve learned that if you want something you don’t play around and you go for it. Faith found herself smiling again.

And what is it you want?  she made her way to her first class, English. She sat in the back of the classroom and waited.

A beautiful girl by my side. The text made her blush as it came across the phone. Tyler walked in just as the bell rang. He had a long sleeve turtle neck on, hiding the bruising from where she had choked him out. He took his usual spot next to her and nodded before lowering his eyes.

“Did you get the updated file information sent i you?”

“Yes Sargent.” He pulled out a file labeled wolves. “we now know Brandon Davis, one of the football players is for sure a werewolf. Good thing you got that evidence before the f**k up.”

“We should vet the students in a sly manner and consult the overseer when we go to class latter.” faith ignored the last bit of what he had said. How long do you plan to hold this grudge?

“sounds like a plan.” Faith shifted in her seat and winced. “Give it a day. They’ll be fixed, they always are.” Faith nodded. He hits me because he knows I heal quickly.

“Yes. My ‘blessing'" Faith felt her phone buzz and pulled it from her pocket.

You want to skip school after third? Faith looked at the teacher who was clearly nursing another hangover.

And do what? She smirked at her phone and Tyler raised an eyebrow.

Depends on if you want to come. She watched the teacher put in a movie before taking some tylenol.

Alright. I’ll play your game. Where do you want to meet? She set her phone down and looked around the classroom.

I’ll drive you, if that’s okay?

Sure. That’s fine. We can talk more latter. Faith put her phone away and took a deep breath her heart hammering. I haven’t been on a date since…. Sam. Faith squeezed her eye shut trying to push away another memory of Sam. She sighed and put her head down to nap.

Faith fell to her knees out of breath. She dropped Tyler and looked back where she had come from. Tyler groaned and slowly sat up.

“What happened? Where the hell are we!”

“The bus was ambushed. The hunters slaughtered.” Tyler jumped up and looked around.

“And you ran?!?” he jabbed her with a finger and she glared at him

“I'm fourteen years old! What the f**k was I supposed to do?”

“Hunters don’t run!” faith shoved Tyler. “they stay and fight. They take care of their own!”

“I saved your life you ungrateful little s**t!” Tyler looked down and then back up.

“How long as it been since the attack?”

“I'm not sure…”

“they should be done by now. Let’s head back and check for surrvivors.” Faith nodded and grabbed her own bag and walked towards the wreckage with Tyler next to her. “I’m sorry… I know this isn't the life you expected… but thank you.”

“We do what we must to survive right?”

“Yeah… but don’t ever run again, its disgraceful.”

“Yeah… I suppose I should own the life I now live.” Faith looked forward and took a deep breath. “I will become the best hunter.”

Faith heard the bell ring and rose up to go off to her next classes. They were all boring and the teachers were half assing the material. She finally heard the bell ring for third to end. She walked out of the classroom and towards the cadet hall. She spotted Tyler chatting up another cadet, his hand on her hip as she backed into a wall.

“Tyler.” He looked at her as the girl slipped away from his touch. “I have matters to take care of elsewhere, get everyone reading on the lore and practicing. Well get everyone else up to speed tonight at the office.”

“Yeah. Okay Faith.” Faith walked out of the building and towards the back of the parking lot. She tried to hide her limp as she scanned for Caleb. She heard a deep voice call her name and looked over to where Caleb waited, leaning against jeep. His eyes clung to her, brow raising slightly. He knows im hurt.

“There you are! Come on let’s go.” Faith walked towards Caleb her smile turning into a slight frown when she saw Brandon waiting in the back seat. “don’t worry about him, we will be ditching him shortly.” Caleb gave her a warming smile and she sighed before slipping into the front seat of the jeep. She leaned against the seat and took a deep breath. Caleb slid into the driver seat and the cab was silent.

“I didn’t know you had a jeep.”

“you don’t know a lot of things about me, yet.” Caleb seemed nice but there was a hint of a tone behind his words. They drove for a bit, heading into the woods.

“So where are we going?” faith looked around uneasily.

“swimming, well I’m swimming you are just company, unless you like swimming.”

“If only I had time to prepare, I might partake.” Caleb laughed and pulled off on a trail. Faith twisted her ring. Something isn't right.

“Hang on, it gets a little bumpy.” Faith got a sour feeling in her gut. There was a wolf a mere two feet from her and she was in the middle of nowhere. What the hell am I thinking? but presence is so... intoxicating.

“Uh Caleb, I’m getting a little uncomfortable.”

“No problem, we are here.” Caleb stopped the jeep and they got out. She saw a river in front of her, the water was calm and fairly clear. “I don’t know that this is the smartest choice, but it’s how I’ve decided to do this.” Caleb grasped her arm directly on her scratches and squeezed just tight enough to keep her from pulling away. He locked eyes with her. “still.” his voice came out as a rough command. I... wait... no.

“What are you doing.” Faith’s tone became flat and angry. He pushed her against the brush guard of his jeep and produced handcuffs, locking her hands together on the guard, behind her back. She stood frozen in shock and he quickly covered her mouth with a cloth. He looked at her apologetically before he turned on Brandon. She pulled at the cuffs grunting.

“So, I’m sure you know exactly why it is I brought you out here.”

“Yes, Greymoon. But I don’t understand why you brought her.”

“This is Faith Blackheart as you are well aware. But what you must not be aware of is the fact that she is a hunter, as are all of the Spartan guard.” Faith’s mouth fell open. He knows? Oh f**k he knows!

“The Guard are f*****g hunters! I’ll f*****g kill them!” Brandon lurched toward Faith but Caleb reacted lightning fast and caught him by his throat.

“I wasn’t don’t talking to you welp. Respect your alpha.” Caleb growled and threw Brandon through the nearest tree. Wait. Alpha?! “And then you were stupid enough to be caught and DEFEATED by this hunter.” Caleb ripped faith’s sleeves showing the bandages. “She had you at her mercy and I could have let you die to her, rightfully so after your stunt yesterday.” Brandon slowly got to his feet and faced Caleb. “But I decided to make an example out of you.” Caleb ripped off his shirt exposing a god like chiseled body. Oh my. Wait. Snap out of the glamor moron. Faith pulled at the cuffs again, struggling.

“You wish to fight me?” Brandon laughed and ripped off his shirt and transformed. “you are no alpha of mine.”

“We shall see.” Caleb transformed into the huge white alpha she had encountered last night. f**k. f**k. She watched Caleb catch Brandon as he lunged and ripped him completely in half. Oh my god. Caleb was showered in a spray of blood. “sorry brother.” His fur dripped blood and he turned towards Faith. “I wanted you to witness this.” He said as he walked towards her changing into his human form, still covered in blood. “so that you might accept that idea that I am on your side.” He removed her gag. “I’m sorry this is how I had to do this.” Faith eyed him, saying nothing. “but I ment what I said about not wanting to hurt you, and I do like you regardless of what we are on the inside.” He removed her cuffs and backed away kneeling.

“You. You are an alpha wolf?”

“No. I am THE alpha wolf.” Holy f*****g s**t. Faith’s sword appeared in her hand and she pointed it at Caleb’s chest.

“I could kill you. I cant believe that you glamoured me that hard.”

“I wouldn’t stop you if you tried, I'm sorry for using it, but I needed you passive until now. I will never do it again.”

“I'm so stupid I cant believe I didn’t see through you. I didn’t sense you.”

“I've been doing this a long time faith.”

“why…. Are you doing this? How did you know what I was?” she pressed her sword to his skin, blood dripping off the tip. He winced but did not move.

“Your jacket, werewolf leather, correct? I know that it is because it is my lost brothers smell you use to hide from us. And to answer your other question, I am tired. I am tired if this senseless war of us killing one another.”

“I… I’m sorry…” Caleb met her eyes with a look of understanding.

“You did what you had too, of that I am sure.”

“i could be doing it for the thrill, you don’t know, you know nothing about me.”

“I can tell the difference. I've been at the tip of many swords.”

“so what's the catch? What do you want?”

“I offer you my loyalty and my word that my kind in this place will not attack you or they will be slain by me. I want to stop this war and I feel like you are the right person to stop it with me.”

“i am hard pressed to believe what you are offering me is true, but I accept the offer you give, although I cannot speak for my people.”

“the offer is for you, and you alone. I am drawn to you; I have been watching you for some time now.”

“have you learned anything useful?” she glared at him. He dropped his head trying to hide his shame.

“just that you are driven and you have not many people in your life. But also that I am not the only one watching you.”

“who else?”

“i am not sure, they are shadows and whispers in the wind.”

“that's really helpful.” she said lowering her sword. “are you ready to take me back to my car?”

“you’d trust me to take you home? id like to clean off first. I'm going for a swim.” Caleb removed his pants and jogged towards the water in his boxers. Faith tried not to stare but couldn’t help herself. Even without his glamor she was attracted to him.  She sighed and leaned back against his jeep closing her eyes. “the water is nice, do you not like swimming?”

“I'm not undressing right now, thanks.” Faith watched him swim, her mouth gaping. She had been around many attractive men, the hunters shared locker rooms and had no issue being around one another. Hunters were taught that the hunt was more important than anything else in their lives. She hadn't thought of anyone in a s****l way since becoming a hunter.

“you don’t have to.” Caleb’s voice pulled her eyes to where he was swimming laps.

“i don’t want to soil my bandages.”

“oh right. Let me take care of that for you.” Caleb emerged from the water, droplets running down his abs. She bit her lip. My god he is perfect.

“and what are you going to do?”

“just expose the wounds for me.” 

“i don’t understand what you are going to be able to do.”

“humor me.” Faith sighed and pulled off her layers down to her tank top. Caleb set her on the hood of his car and she gasped. “be still.” he carefully removed her bandages and looked at the wounds. He lightly touched the claw marks. “I am sorry, I didn’t want to hurt you.” he lightly kissed her arm and she pulled away scoffing. She looked to her arm as the wounds closed. What the...?

“how...?”

“magic.” He gently kissed the other side making her shiver. His lips are so soft. He helped her down, hands lingering on her hips. “i didn’t want you to turn from that bite.”

“i am immune.”

“immune?” he looked at her as if she had just sprouted extra arms. “To wolf curse? How can that be?”

“not sure. Something in my bloodline.”

“that is fortunate. My bloodline is also strong in mysterious ways.” He walked over to his clothes and pulled them onto his still damp body. “are you ready to go now?”

“Yes.” Caleb opened her door and ushered her in. 

“I again apologize for how I acted.”

“That’s uh, okay?” Faith twirled her ring on her finger.

“that's a fancy ring.”

“uh yeah. I picked it up shortly after I left training camp.”

“its a very nice magical item. I actually know the history of that ring if you are ever interested in knowing about it.”

“oh, thank you.”

“i hope that I didn’t scare you with what I did.”

“its not what I was expecting and it definitely isn't something I know how to react to.”

“if you wish for me to leave you alone…”

“No… no that’s not what I want.” She looked at Caleb his green eyes pulling her in. “I would like to try to figure this out.”

“That makes me happy. I find you to be stunning.” Faith looked down at the floor in silence from what had happened.

“i... I don’t believe that.”

“you don’t have to for it to be true.”

“I have a few questions.”

“I’d love to answer any you bring to my attention, but I think that will have to wait for another time.”

“Oh?” Faith turned her attention back to the floor. She saw Caleb tighten on the steering wheel. 

“We are being followed.”