The Selected

There Lived a Hunter

Two Years Ago

I hate Conrad for being so damn paranoid because now I am too, jumping at every little noise or shift in the breeze that might actually be a psychotic juiced up hunter waiting to take me out.

It doesn't help that the hunter's parting words are constantly replaying in my mind, "I'll see you later." It was something so mundane, something I'd say to anyone when leaving but knowing we'd see each other again soon. But his words were more than that; they were a threat, a promise.

Shifting uncomfortably in my seat at the thought of it, I tried to push it from my mind. I told myself to build my mental walls back up, to keep stacking bricks, but it didn't do much. Not when I went through every day so far this week literally jumping at a squirrel that crossed my path.

But I figure my paranoia is justified, or at the very least my fear, because Conrad is a man who is scared of very few things, and yet he's horrified at the prospect of this breed of hunters, of this human-but-not man and the idea that I've been marked for him to come back and hunt down. But if Conrad, one of the biggest and baddest Alphas is scared of them, then I should probably be petrified.

Conrad seems to notice my discomfort and looks up from his papers and across his desk at me, curled up in one of his arm chairs and staring out the window as snow falls lightly, "Addie, you alright?"

I lifted a brow at him, "Seriously?"

He sighed, "Okay, let me rephrase. What are you thinking about over there that's got my best and most composed warrior squirming and fidgeting?"

"Nice," I snorted, but answered anyway after a few moments, "I didn't even scratch him, Con. I mean he tackled me to the ground, sliced my arm open-- which still hasn't healed fully by the way-- and I couldn't even nick him."

"Okay..."

Rolling my eyes, I hugged my knees to my chest and let that tough exterior of mine drop, knowing that Connie could see through it anyway, as I said, "I guess I'm scared that if he does come after me again, I'll lose."

Conrad stood from his desk and walked over to me, squatting and taking my hands in his, squeezing, "Addie, first of all you weren't even shifted when he attacked you, so of course you were at a slight disadvantage. Second, you didn't know how fast and strong he could be, but now you do. He might be outrageously fast and strong for a human, but you're still better than him by a mile. He caught you off-guard, it won't happen again."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

I let out a shaky breath, and that must've been the trigger because Con lifted me up so that I stood in his arms as he held me tightly against him. I held onto him just as tight, appreciating the affection, the touch, the warmth that came from him. Being Pack Warrior meant that most people were either afraid of me or expected me not to really have any emotions. I was fine with it, and I didn't help myself much when I walked around constantly with my bricked-in psyche and my caged up heart, but sometimes it meant more than I could express that I could be vulnerable with Conrad and that he never judged me for it. No, he comforted me, and walked me through it all.

Squeezing him even tighter, I was surprised that he even had the breath in him to speak, "I don't even know that he'll be back, Ad. It's been a week and nothing, not even a whisper near any of the borders. I think you're safe."

"You think so?" I murmured.

"Yeah, I do," He spoke softly as his hand rubbed up and down my back in a soothing motion.

All week I've seen that hunter's face in my mind whether it was when I slept or during my waking hours every time I blinked. I nearly took out one of the trainees because in my sleep deprived state, I thought he was the hunter with his short blond hair and beard. Luckily Connie had been there to pull me back, just as he was here now to keep me together.

"Thank you, Connie," I mumbled into his chest.

He sighed, definitely because of the nickname that he still hates, but said anyway, "You're welcome, Addie."

Later that day I went on my first round of the week with Sebastian, who was finally fully healed. We were both a bit skittish about running patrol again and so we decided to do it together, knowing there was safety in numbers, although no one outside Conrad, Johnson, his Beta, and myself knew the full extent of what this specific hunter could mean. That would only cause a panic within the pack.

"How are you feeling?" I asked as we walked through the tree line, making our way to the marked trees where we would shift and leave our clothes before running the patrol.

He shrugged, "My shoulder's still a bit sore, but I guess a silver blade will do that to ya. How are you?"

I mimicked his shrug, "I was super paranoid, but Conrad said it's been a week and nothing, so the likelihood of him coming back is pretty slim."

Sebastian nodded, and looked like a weight lifted off his shoulders, "That makes sense."

Giving him a casual smile, I nodded as we made it to the tree we would hang our clothes. Motioning for him to turn around so I could strip without him seeing me naked, I only managed to shrug off my coat before I smelled it; human but not.

I went to turn and locate the source of the scent, to find the hunter I knew was here somewhere, but I was too slow as a heavy force connected with the back of my head and darkness encompassed me entirely.