Hooked [Complete]

54. Beltane Part 2: A Lover's Betrayal

Author's Note: Beltane continues with Saturday's Boar Hunt.

Song for this Chapter: Ain't No Rest for the Wicked by Cage The Elephant. This is Finn's song. Finn's neither a good guy nor a bad guy, though. He's more of a pragmatist.

Finn's POV

Hate is an exaggeration, for most people. People hate so casually these days.

I hate pesto sauce.

You have the flu? Oh, I hate that!

Love the sinner, hate the sin.

None of that is really hate. Hate is when you can destroy without the slightest regret. Hate is when murder seems too easy. Hate is when you want eternal pain for someone. Hate is when nothing else matters anymore, and when betrayal is of no consequence at all.

Hate is the only thing I have felt for the last thirty-six hours.It's Saturday. I hated all day yesterday, while the others were playing at Dru's Scavenger hunt.

But right now, I don't have time to hate.

Right now, I'm in the woods. Right now, I have to pay attention. Right now, I have to stop thinking about hate, and start thinking about how to stay alive when I betray the Horned God.

I hear the stretch of a bow, and I stand erect, making sure that my orange ball cap is visible above the brush, making sure I'm not mistaken for an animal. The bow releases, and I hear it swoosh to my left. The sound is quickly followed by the horrific squeal of pierced pig. The hog is running away to my left, and I see Sean ahead of me. He steps from behind a tree, sees me and jerks his head. We've been hunting this boar together for the better part of an hour.

We both take off running, behind the hog. We've already lost sight of the beast, but it's easy to see where it went. At first we follow the trampled groundcover. After twenty yards or so, the blood trail starts. Together, we follow silently, until we come upon the animal, heaving on its side.

We both stare down at it. Sean lays his bow on the ground, takes out his knife, but he doesn't move towards the animal.

"You ever made a kill?" Sean said quietly.

"No," I say dispassionately. "You?"

"Yeah, couple times. Martin used to take me and Leander hunting when we were boys. It's been a long time, though. I didn't really miss it."

His hesitation gives me the perfect opportunity. I gesture for the knife. The trusting fool gives it willingly. I slit the hog's throat without hesitation. I don't have any more time to waste.

When I turn around, Sean has his phone out.

"Who are you calling?" I ask casually.

"I'm just texting the retrieval crew with the GPS location, so they can come pick it up...Hey, what the hell—HEY!" Sean shouts as I snatch his phone, cancel the text and pocket it. In the same instance, I hook his bow with my foot and snap both limbs.

He backs away, realization dawning on his face. "You traitorous motherfucker," he hisses.

Before he can shout, before he can run, I surge forward, and knock him out with a single blow.

"You're right," I say to him, as I heave his unconconcious body over my shoulder. "I am a traitorous motherfucker...to everyone but one person."

I check the GPS on my own phone. I'm about five miles from where I need to be—the northwestern border of Hearne's wards. It's a long damn hike, with a six-foot-two unconscious dude over my shoulder. It's a good fucking thing I'm at least three times as strong as the strongest of mortals. Mercury tells me I rival a demigod's strength, but I don't see how.