You Are the Moon That Breaks the Night |Virgato|

Chapter 17: Contravene (Part 2)

It was evening when they came. Chris leaned over the kitchen sink, struggling to shake the rest of conservation water out of a can of peas that he wanted to add to the salad he was trying to make. He heard them before anything else. The low hum of engines, too quiet for it to be cars, but still strong enough for the undergrowth to be crushed beneath the wheels.

"Joel!" Chris yelled as soon as he saw the vehicles emerge from the woods. They were quads. Chris counted three of them in total, each carrying a figure. Chris could hear the sounds of the TV being muted, followed by the padding of bare feet over the wooden flooring.

"What's up?" Joel asked him as soon as he had reached Chris.

Chris jutted his thumb in the direction of the window. Joel took a single glance out of the window, then he dashed for the front door. Chris followed hot on his heels.

"Those are hunters. I have to get Emanuel inside the house. Wake the others, go!"

Chris didn't question what was happening. He just moved. Joel jumped down the front porch steps, disappeared into the barn a second later. Chris ran to where Erick was curled up into a ball on the ground in between the house and the barn, peacefully dozing. Richard was curled around him, his head bedded on his forelegs, the multi-colored fur shimmering in the setting sun. The wolf's breathing was going even, but his eyes were open. Richard was awake. A single glance into his determined eyes told Chris that Richard knew what was happening. The wolf's head lowered until his nose was hovering over Erick's head. Richard snuffled, his fur jostling.

"Erick!" Chris tried to push the black haired boy awake, but Erick merely grunted, pushed his hand away before curling further into Richard.

Richard forgive me, Chris directed at the heavens before he pulled his arm back and punched the younger boy in the shoulder, hard. Erick's eyes flew open and a split second later, Chris found himself on the ground, a bright red paw pressing him further into the grass. Richard barked once, sharp and pronounced before lifting his paw off of Christopher's chest.

"I know, I know," Chris mumbled.

"What's going on?" Erick asked, rubbing a hand over his face. The hair on the left side of his head was sticking up, sleep-mussed fringe falling into his eyes.

"There are people here I don't know. Joel told me to get you."

Immediately, Erick's gaze cleared, his lips pressing into a hard line. He exchanged a quick glance with Richard, who took off a second later in the direction of the house. A foot away from the front porch, the rainbow colored wolf jumped, his frame blurring and then it was Richard's human form disappearing into the house.

"He's getting pants, come on," Erick explained before pulling Chris to his feet with him.

_

Joel was standing in the middle of the field behind the house. His shoulders were squared, head held high as he watched two of the new arrivals dismount their vehicles. The third figure remained on their quad, while the other two began to cross the field towards the werewolves.

Chris took a stance to Joel's right, Erick behind the alpha. Richard arrived a few moments later, now clad in basketball shorts like the rest of them. Out of the corner of his eye, Chris could see Richard throw a sweatshirt at Erick. The black haired boy caught it, quickly pushing the fabric down his body before he pulled the hood up so far that his face was cast in shadows, only his pose and mouth visible. It reminded Chris of that one time the boys had hunted him down at school.

"What do they want?" Richard mumbled, inaudible for anyone without supernatural hearing.

"I don't know," Joel gave back, just as low. "But we'll find out."

Chris took in a shaky breath. For a split second, Joel turned to look at him and shot him a reassuring smile. Then the alpha directed his attention back to the two figures walking towards them.

It was a man and a woman, clad in an all black array of combat pants, shirts and jackets. Chris schooled his expression into something neutral, but his heart was pounding. Even taking into consideration his werewolf strength, the guy's upper arms were as thick as his thighs.

"This is private territory," Joel spoke up before any of the intruders could. His tone was authoritative, yet as calm as usual. "You are trespassing."

"The head huntress sends us," the woman spoke up, her tone unyielding. "We are supposed to survey if you are prepared to rein in the new beta during his first full moon."

Chris swallowed. They were here because of him.

"We are."

"Yeah," the male hunter spoke up. "We'd rather see that for ourselves," a condescending smile making his lips part, "Kiddo."

Chris knew it would happen even before Richard had taken the first step forward. During every interaction with the hunters Chris had witnessed so far, there had always been a mutual understanding of respect. An understanding of respect the male hunter in front of them was severely lacking.

"You wanna say that again, hunter?" Richard asked, plastering a mock-innocent grin onto his face. "I couldn't hear you the first time. What did you just call my alpha?"

The hunter's eyebrows drew together, but Chris could see the hint of danger flash in his eyes, "Step back, dog."

"Richard," Joel said, but his reprimand was in vain.

Richard took another step forward, his eyes flashing golden for just a fraction of a second, and like that, the hunter's hand wrapped around his throat in one quick motion.