The hunter's daughter

2

The boy lay on his dirt bed and was tired from being in the silver shackles. Max had Monica feed him some drugged food but he didn't eat it. He could smell the wolfsbane and knew that it would weaken him more than going hungry. Monica watched the boy with interest. He was the youngest werewolf she had seen. Most were old or weak. They had been easy to capture but never had there been one that looked like the boy. Her father must be right about him being a rogue. No pack would allow a boy his age to be alone, he wouldn't be able to control shifting into a wolf.

"Aren't you going to eat? It's leftovers from our dinner. A beef stew with vegetables. I cooked most of it myself" Monica told the boy.

He didn't answer and didn't even look up at her.

"You should eat something. I know that this isn't what a home should be like. I could look after you" Monica told the boy.

"No," he growled at her.

Monica looked at the boy and saw his brown eyes staring at her. She was worried that he was going to change the colour to entrance her again. but the boy looked away.

"This will never be my home" he whispered to her.

"I know but wouldn't you want to have me look after you?" Monica wondered.

"Let me go" the boy told her.

"I can't, my father will punish me" Monica told him.

"You can't look after me, if you can't help me" the boy told her.

"I could make sure that your meals don't get drugged" Monica started.

"How does that help me?" the boy growled at her.

"The wolfsbane makes you weak. I can help you stay strong. Then you might be able to escape, yourself" Monica suggested.

"You will do that? why?" the boy wondered.

"Because despite what my father says, I don't believe you are dangerous" Monica admitted to him.

"I could be, I won't be alive long enough to become dangerous" the boy told her.

"I don't want you to die" Monica told him.

"No but you want me as a pet" the boy told her.

"Yes, it's true. I know you are a werewolf and not a pet. but even as a pet that can be better than death. Please, be mine and I will help you escape" Monica told him.

"If I'm your pet then you will have to look after me. What will you do for me? What do I have to do for you?" the boy asked her.

"First you have to tell me everything I want to know. What is your name? Why were you left alone to shift by yourself?" Monica wondered.

"I have no name. I left it behind when I ran away. I was expecting to shift late at night" the boy admitted to her.

"Well, I have to call you something. What name shall I call you?" Monica asked the boy.

"As my master, you can name me" the boy smiled at her.

"What about Reggie?" Monica smiled at him.

"Reggie!" the boy laughed at her.

"Yes, Reggie" Monica laughed.

" Very well, I will now be called Reggie" he smiled at her.

Monica smiled at him and gave him food without any drugs. Reggie ate it and Monica started to feel like she didn't have a pet but a human friend.

Max decided he was going to start experimenting on Reggie. He couldn't wait to torture him and get him ready to fight other werewolves. He woke Reggie up and dragged him outside by his shackles. Reggie was worried what Max was going to do to him.

"Monica, help" he began to call her.

"Shut up, you don't get to call my daughter. She can't help you" Max shouted at him.

Max started to hit Reggie until he began to whimper and growl.

"You need to learn to obey me, not Monica. She isn't your master, I am" Max started to stick him with the electric cattle prod.

This made Reggie start to shift. He tried to hold back but the pain was too much. Monica heard Reggie shout and had run to the stable. She saw Reggie start to shift into his wolf form.

"You shouldn't be able to shift. You were given wolfsbane" Max shouted at Reggie then looked at Monica.

"You did give him wolfsbane, didn't you?" Max asked his daughter.

"I'm sorry daddy, I forgot" she sobbed.

Reggie had now become a large golden brown wolf and was snarling at them.

"You forgot, you stupid b***h. Have you not learnt anything? Don't trust werewolves, always make sure they are drugged or held with silver" Max shouted at her.

Max went to hit Monica but the wolf stepped in between them. Monica was shocked but Max seemed amused.

"The wolf has a thing for you. He thinks you're his master. I will make sure he knows I'm his real master" Max informed them.

He went towards the wolf with the electric cattle prod turned on full. The wolf managed to dodge the prod but he was limited to where he could go in the shackles. The wolf kept moving until Max decided he was going to pull out his knife instead.

"No, daddy. Don't hurt him" Monica pleaded with him.

The wolf was unable to avoid the sting of the silver blade. He stopped and was struck by Max.

" I won't hurt him too much. I still want him as a fighter. He will learn to obey me. Now Monica, go up to the house, while I teach this puppy a lesson" Max ordered her.

Monica looked at the wolf sadly.

"Yes, daddy" she cried. She slowly left as she heard her father strike the wolf.

Monica cried as she heard the wolf whimper and howl with pain. The howl became unbearable to her as she ran to the house.