The Hunter's Lunar Ties

Chapter 5

Camilla stayed true to her word and introduced her to as many people as possible. They were

all nice, to Faye's surprise.

All that made her think she was just a bit paranoid. Being a hunter made her so aware of

everything, her eyes had started deceiving her.

She slowly got more comfortable and got lost in the music and her designated wine. She was

still curious about the wine everyone but her was drinking though.

Later, a guy approached her, his skin deathly pale in the bright light. He had a smile on his

face as he offered to dance with her, to which she refused.

“No, thanks," she said.

But he persisted.

Faye's instincts screamed at her to get away, and she politely declined his offer to dance,

turning back to the party.

But then she felt her phone buzz. She glanced around looking for Camilla and contemplated

telling her, but decided against it since she'd be coming back anyway.

As she stepped outside to answer the call from her father, Faye felt a sense of relief wash

over her as she heard the man's voice. "Hey, Dad," she said, telling him where she was and that

she'd be home soon.

Don't forget you have something to do tomorrow night," he reminded. “You're going to be

doing this all alone for the first time."

“I know, Dad," she said. “And I haven't forgotten."

Just as she was about to hang up, someone approached her. Faye didn't bother looking up,

assuming it was just another partygoer. But before she could turn back to enter the mansion, a

hand clamped over her mouth, and she was dragged away from the lights and music.

Panic set in as Faye realized she was being attacked. She struggled, but her assailant was

too strong. Much stronger than anyone she’d ever net.

She reached around her body for anything. A weapon.

But just then, a piercing pain shot through her neck, and she felt a wave of dizziness wash

over her. She was being bitten.

She couldn't scream in pain but she felt a drop of tears fall at the intense pain as the person

bit further, as if trying to eat deeply into her neck and rip it apart.

Somehow, Faye's hand closed around a dagger in her pocket, and she stabbed it into her

attacker's side. The grip on her loosened, and Faye took advantage of the distraction. She

broke free, running as fast as she could into the nearby woods. Her heart pounded in her chest,

and her neck throbbed with pain. She didn't dare look back, fearing what she might see.

She found a spot to hide by logs of wood and covered her mouth and neck with both hands.

The pain was so intense that she tried to call someone. Camilla. But she wasn't able to because

she fell unconscious.

Faye slowly came to, her head pounding and her body aching all over. She was lying in the

woods, her clothes torn and stained with dirt and blood. As she sat up, her hand instinctively

went to her neck, where she had been bitten. But to her surprise, there was no pain, no injury. It

was as if the wound had never existed.

She frowned deeply as she touched her body, finding nothing wrong with any part.

Memories of the previous night began to flood back- the party, the attack, the dagger. Faye's

mind reeled as she tried to process what had happened.

She forced herself to stand up, her legs shaking beneath her. The sky was lightening, the sun

beginning to rise. Faye stumbled out of the woods, her mind a jumble of confusion and fear.

She had no explanations for anything yet, but she did need shelter first.

When she finally made it home, Faye went straight to the shower, washing away the dirt and

blood. But she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had settled inside her. She felt...

different.

As she was getting dressed, her phone rang. It was Camilla.

Faye hesitated, unsure of what to do. She didn't understand what had happened, but she had

a feeling that she shouldn't answer her. And so Faye ignored the call, her heart racing with

anxiety.

The rest of the day was a blur. Faye called in sick to work, citing a bad flu. Her father and

sister reached out, reminding her again that she had a mission tonight- a werewolf to catch.

Faye agreed, still feeling dazed and disconnected from reality.

She had no choice anyway.

But as the night drew closer, Faye snapped out of her trance-like state. She needed to get

moving.

Taking in a few deep breaths, she got to work. She'd think more about this later.

As the night sky grew darker, Faye found herself by another side of the woods, her mask on.

However, as she walked through the trees, her senses were on high alert. Her head was

hurting. She got flashes of memories, disjointed and unclear.

That's when she saw it- a werewolf, moving silently through the underbrush. Faye's instincts

kicked in and she got rid of her confusion, and she took out her gun, shooting without hesitation.

The werewolf was skilled, and it avoided her attack with ease. Then it attacked her before she

could do anything more.

Faye felt a searing pain as the werewolf's claws raked across her arm. And then, the

werewolf's teeth sank into her shoulder.

Before it could do any more damage, Faye felt a strange sensation. Her wound began to heal,

right before her eyes. The werewolf paused, obviously surprised. Faye's body began to change,

her muscles contorting and shifting.

“Wh- what's happening?" Faye asked, scared, shocked and in so much pain.

She felt a scream building in her throat as her bones cracked and reformed.

The pain was indescribable, consuming her. Faye's scream echoed through the woods, a

sound that was no longer human. She was no longer human.