The Werewolf Hunter

Chapter 2- Unanimous Assembly

Alina's POV

Jayce and I returned to his camping site after saying a few prayers for my dead parents.

"I thought you were going to take me somewhere," I asked with my eyes furrowed. I was starting to feel worried that this stranger was lying to me just to make me feel better.

"And I will, but not now," Jayce replied while kneeling to light the firewood.

"Why?"

"Because it is about to get dark soon, and there is a possibility that it will rain."

"And so? We could still walk."

"Kid, I know how hard it is to lose your parents and how you are all fired up with your plans of vengeance. But I will not again take care of a teenager who will pass out while we walk out of this forest. I need you to be full of energy and focused. This is why we are leaving tomorrow."

"But I was able to rest earlier. I am not tired anymore. I could get out of here, don't worry."

"How could you say that you are not tired? You just dug and shoveled to bury your parents. Listen, kid, you are not a superhero here, so stop acting like one. The first step of perfect revenge is ensuring you have enough strength and your body is in perfect shape. The place we are going to is not for the weak. It's brutal there. They cannot have someone looking like soon she is about to follow his parents in heaven. Do you understand me?"

The words brutal and not for the weak kept ringing in my head. What did he mean by that? Where are we going? So many questions formed, but at some point, it got me to a point where my head was saying, 'Wherever the hell it was or what it was, I need to get in.'

I nodded without saying anything.

"Do you know how to cook? Because I don't. If you don't like to eat meatloaf again, you can cook something else."

"I am not in the mood to cook and eat. Whatever you will have is the same thing I will have."

"Suit yourself."

Jayce boiled some tea and opened two cans of meatloaf using his Swiss knife. I watched him skillfully open it in just a minute. I had never done something like that. We had a can opener at the tent where I used to stay. My parents were not expert campers. They were there for research, not for survival.

"So, will you tell me where we are going?" I asked while taking the opened canned meatloaf he was handing me.

"Have you heard of the Unanimous Assembly?"

"You mean The UA?"

"Yes. You know about it?"

"I heard my parents discussing it when I was 12. However, I have no idea what it is."

Jayce smiled. Everybody knew the name and reputation that the UA had built except for this girl in front of him. The UA was built anonymously for protection, but the number of werewolves they killed couldn't help the people searching for information about them. However, the people only knew they were a group that haunts and kills a werewolf. Nobody knew the members nor the training they did to combat the strength and skills of the mighty beasts living alongside humans.

"The UA was built some centuries ago by three strong-willed and intelligent individuals: Damien Argent, Jared Grimaldi, and Chase Flanagan. They were called The Founding Fathers and aimed to protect the extinction of human beings against werewolves. With that in mind, you can now imagine how arduous, rigorous, and painful they have to train just to have the skills that almost match the wolves. They were not even close, but at least they could fight, which lessened the number of people being slaughtered. Do you think you have the skills to be one of them?"

"I will do anything just to kill those beasts," I said, gritting my teeth.

The difficulties that lay ahead of me had not sunk into my head yet. All I knew was I couldn't live without having the wolves pay for what they did to my parents. My parents didn't do anything to hurt them and for them to deserve such a cruel death. And I shouldn't have been orphaned as early as now.

Jayce looked at me like he was studying me. I didn't know what was happening in his head or his connection with the UA. I just hoped he would not kill my only chance of avenging my parents. He had to get me inside UA by hook or by crook.

"Then you better rest well tonight. Tomorrow would be a long day going out of this forest, and there would be little time to sleep when you are in the UA."

His cell phone rang all of a sudden. He was lucky to get some signal into this depth of the forest. Usually, there was none. Jayce stood and walked a few meters away from me.

"You are right. There was another killing, but I was too late. Anyway, I will be coming early. Send someone to pick me up on the highway."

My eyes furrowed hearing Jayce's words. Did he know that the wolves would attack my parents? How come he didn't tell me? But if he was a UA member, then he would have sources.

"I have another tent. I will set it up for you to have a place to sleep. You better sleep after you eat because we need to wake up by 03:00. Someone will pick us up at the highway by 07:00, so we better start walking early."

I nodded and then helped him set up my tent. Before I went inside, I looked at Jayce and said, "Thank you!"

"No worries, kid. This is what we do. Save humans."

I didn't realize how tired I was and quickly dozed off after thirty minutes. But the werewolves had invaded my sleep. Instead of having dreams of good memories with my parents, it took me back to last night's murder.

I woke up panting and full of sweat. Luckily, despite having nightmares, I wasn't screaming. I didn't want to wake up Jayce, whom I had tired and bothered a lot already. After calming myself down, I drank some water and tried to go back to sleep.

"Ali, wake up! Wake up, kid!" Jayce was calling me outside my tent after a few hours.

I groaned in protest.

"Sorry, kid! I know you are tired, but we must leave by 03:00. We don't want to miss our transport."

I was indeed tired, but remembering UA had made me fully awake. I fixed myself, then went out of the tent to find some prepared food. There were some omelettes, cookies, some fruits, and tea.

"I thought you didn't know how to cook," I commented.

"I don't. Omelettes are the only thing I learned," Jayce said and chuckled.

We began eating, and I was surprised that I was hungry. I thought I would not be able to eat for how many days like other people who suffered trauma and death. But I guessed I was hyped with what Jayce said about the UA. I needed to be strong and healthy.

"So, who is going to pick us up?"

"You will meet them later."

I didn't press to ask more questions. I didn't want Jayce to feel irritated. I just wanted to reach UA and start my journey there.

After thirty minutes, we began our walk out of the forest. I knew it was a long way. I had been in and out of these woods so many times. Usually, it takes 3 to 4 hours before you see the highway.

We barely talked to each other during the walk. I wasn't ready to talk about my past life with my parents. I didn't want to recall their death. Jayce seemed to be a private person as well. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he was a member of the UA. He couldn't divulge much information. But it didn't stop me from wondering what he does in the UA.

"What was your parent's profession? You mentioned you were constantly in the forest because your parents were doing some research."

"There were zoologists."

"Oh, nice! Then, maybe you would fit to be one of the researchers."

"Researchers?"

Jayce chuckled and said, "Sorry, sometimes I couldn't keep my mouth shut. Later, you will know what they are and what they do."

"If you think I have the skills and brains like my parents, I don't. I was just reading, not really applying what I was learning, so you could not rely upon me that much."

"Don't worry, you will learn. And you are a fast learner."

I didn't respond. I just hoped that Jayce was right. And after almost 4 hours of walking, we finally reached the highway.

I saw two muscular men like Jayce standing beside a black jeep. They were in their late twenties and seemed to have been waiting for us to arrive.

"Hi, boss!" one of them with military-cut hair, wearing sunglasses, said with a smile.

"Hi, Jacob! How is everything?" Jayce responded, and they shook hands.

"Everything is okay, boss. So far, we have only had one reported death since you left."

"Only the one I told you yesterday?"

"Yes."

"Good job!"

"But who is this girl?" the one who looked older among the two asked when he spotted me.

"Jacob and Chris, this is Alina Bynes. It was her parents who died last night."

"Oh, s**t! I am so sorry," Jacob said.

"Sorry," Chris repeated.

"It's okay," I answered softly, wondering why Jayce was called boss.

"Shall we take her to the recovery center, boss?" Chris asked.

"No. Ali is one of us now."

"What! But she is a fragile teenager. How is she going to survive there?" Jacob asked in shock.

"She will. Right, Ali?" Jayce said with a smile, and he winked at me.

Before I could answer, another Jeep arrived, and I smelled that sweet first cut of pine trees. I didn't know where it came from, but the smell was strong and captivating.

Four men went outside the red vehicle. One of them seemed to be almost the same age as me. He wore a gray t-shirt with a black leather jacket on top, black jeans, and gray boots. He was tall and wearing black eyeglasses. He had that strong, handsome aura that I couldn't help but notice. And for some reason, I think he was the one who had that sweet smell.

I saw Jacob and Chris becoming tense. Why? Who are they? Aren't they one of them?

"Easy, boys! We are here to camp for tonight. We are not here to cause trouble," that younger fellow said.

"You better make sure of that, Kaden. We are watching you," Jayce answered.

So, his name was Kaden, and who he was. Why was the UA watching him? I had no idea. Questions formed in my head, but I didn't want to interrupt them.

"I know, Jayce. Don't worry. We are just here to haunt some wild animals. It's not against the law, right?"

Jayce and Kaden stared at each other in silence. There was some friction between the two, but they were holding back for some reason.

"Enjoy your haunting. Let's go!" Jayce said and turned to get inside the jeep.

I followed him right away. I didn't want him to change his mind and leave me behind. But when the jeep passed Kaden, he turned to look at me. His smell caught my nostrils again before our jeep skidded at full speed, leaving them behind.