The Human In The Wolf Pack
Chapter 30

“What do you mean, your sister?” Rider asked, shocked.

I grimaced slightly, ringing my wrists as I struggled to explain.

“Well, you know that I’m adopted. That my mom and dad found me in the woods and decided to keep me, but I had parents before, a family. They were wolf hunters…”

Flash back

My Father was a man as big as a house. If he wasn’t so against werewolves, his build would be enough for him to be mistaken for one. He had bright blue eyes like mine, and a laugh that could shake the house. He wasn’t pretty though, he was scarred all over and rough, but to me, he was sweet. He smiled down at me and ruffled my brown locks lovingly, with his large, calloused hands.

“Clea, one day, don’t you want to work with mommy and daddy? You can protect everyone, and you could even become a council member. Uncle Jermaine says he senses that you will be very powerful,” He said, kneeling down to my height.

He was a giant of a man, and to my small stature, he seemed more like a house than a man. He had to duck his head in doorways and was thick with muscle. Mama often called him Papa Bear, affectionately. My mother stood in the background, looking like some sort of mural, a beautiful piece of art all on its own. She was graceful, and had auburn hair that was always braided down her back. She was a quiet woman, who would always hug me tightly whenever I scrapped my knees. She smiled at me, but glanced over worriedly at my older sister.

“What did Uncle Jer say about Revi?” I asked, eager to hear my siblings future alongside my own.

Mama glanced at Papa worriedly. Reviera saw the exchange and reacted the way she usually did. She was three years older than me, but acted more like a child than I did. She was quick to anger, and petulant. She was also fiercely competitive, and even though I wanted to be close to her, she only saw me as a competitor.

“You’re keeping secrets!” She shouted, indignant, standing from the couch, her small form tense, and her little fists clenched.

‘”You will find out soon enough, Reviera,” Father spoke, his tone scolding.

He hated whining, and Reviera would usually work herself up more and more, even if things were explained to her. She responded with a glare.

“Well, if Clea is supposed to be strong then so will I. I’m older and the first born! In all your stories, the first born hunter gains all the strength,” She pointed it, huffing out a breath as she crossed her arms, attempting to reassure herself.

“If they are true of heart, Reviera. And can you say your jealousy is a good thing?” Mama asked her, her voice gentle as she tried to teach my sister.

Revi’s face turned b***d red before she stomped angrily to our shared bedroom down the hall. I flinched when I heard the door slam. Papa sighed and stood, his knees popping from kneeling for too long, then his eyes went to mama.

“That was too dark an omen for what Jermaine said to be false.” Papa told Mama.

“We can’t let it happen, Maxwell. They’re our daughters!” Mama said, tears in her eyes, as she averted her gaze, distraught.

Papa sighed.

“We’ll take Clea to stay with Vivian for awhile then, until it gets sorted out.”

“We can’t leave in the middle of a hunt, Max. It will have to wait until tomorrow.”

He nodded in agreement.

“Papa?” I asked, a question coming to mind that I had never thought of before. He looked at me smiling.

“Yes, Clea Pea?”

“What do we hunt?”

At this, a face I’d never seen him make before twisted his expression. It was dark and violent and made my heart freeze. His soft blue eyes turned as hard as stones, and his smiling face twisted slightly. His large hands, which had always been so gentle with me, clenched hard. I swallowed, something in me wanting to run away from the man towering over me.

“Monsters, Clea. They wear human skin, but underneath they crawl on all fours and are covered with black hair. Their eyes gleam red in the moonlight, and they growl and snap at you with their fangs. They’d kill you if they ever got the chance,” He whispered, face twisted with memories of the beasts.

Fear caused my body to go rigid. How could I kill such a monster? Mother smiled at me, her small hand patting my head, as if to clear the scary thoughts away.

“It’s time, Maxwell,” She said, her smile changing into something with a wild edge, her eyes eager.

I knew what that meant. They had done this countless times. How many hunts had it been? How many monsters had they fought?

“Off to bed then, Clea.”

I nodded eagerly, the image of my loving father’s b***d l**t still thick in my mind, settling like dust on my thoughts. I ran to my room, and climbed in bed. I thought Reviera was already asleep, her red curls spread across her pillow like flames. I took in a calming breath and reminded myself, Revi is with me. I’m safe, she’ll protect me. The thought helped me drift to sleep. But then, I couldn’t breath. It felt like something was squeezing me to the point where I’d explode. I choked for breath, but oxygen refused to fill my lung. My eyes were squeezed shut as I clawed at the hands wrapped around my throat, but to no avail.

All I could think was “I’m going to die, I’m going to die, I’m going to die” but I didn’t want to die. It was like a burning in my b***d, an itch that wouldn’t leave. Mama and Papa said I was strong. I wouldn’t die now.

“NO!” The word ripped out of me and pushed my attacker away and they flew across the room, their back hitting the wall with a loud thud.

I expected to see a monster’s face stare back at me with it’s eyes shining red in the moonlight, it’s body covered in dark hair, and it’s fangs sharp, ready to rip me apart, but that was not what I was met with. Reviera’s eyes were filled with a sick determination, a hatred that made me flinch as I gasped in breaths, clutching my aching throat. Her red curls framed her young face, her coal eyes filled with malice beyond her years. I couldn’t understand. This was my older sister. Was it just a dream? But why was she looking at me like that?

“R-Revi? What were ya doin?” I asked, rubbing my throat with a shaking hand.

“I was trying to kill you, Clea. Are you stupid? How could Papa think that you could be strong? How could Mama say that you’ll be better than me? You’re pathetic but Papa thinks you could be on the council? No. You’re nothing, Clea! I will kill you! Because you are disgusting! And once you’re gone everyone will see how much better I am than you! But even if they don’t, at least I won’t have to call something like you, my sister,” Her words were sharp, as she began to pick herself up off the ground.

I was terrified and as tears began to fall down my cheeks. I couldn’t breathe, no matter how many breaths I sucked in, it wasn’t enough.. My own sister… all I could do was run. I darted out of the room, and out the front door. Through the woods, away from our little house. As fast as I could. Mama could help, she’d talk to Revi! Make her see I’m good! But what I stumbled on instead was a battle. Fire ate at the trees and thick, red goop soaked the ground. And that was when I saw Mama and Papa. They were wearing thick, leather like armor and were killing animals. Killing them ruthlessly, but still they smiled. Their eyes were wild as they cut into their prey, b***d splattered on their faces, and their leather armor looked slick with it, reflecting off the light of the fire. Large dogs fought to protect themselves, but Mama and Papa just laughed.

They liked to see their pain. And once they died, they turned back into people. Men and women young and old, then they hurdled up children in a large circle and shot them all. Babies and kids barely older than me, all sobbing. They killed without a second thought, they didn’t care at all. I couldn’t move. I knew that I could have stopped them, said something, but I didn’t. I watched them kill children my own age, or younger without a moment of hesitation. What was to stop them from killing me to? I stayed there because I knew these animals weren’t monsters, my family was. I was thirsty, weak and cold when more big dogs showed up. They sniffed the dead, before shifting to people.

“Look for survivors,” The man said, sadly. And they did. And that’s how my pack found me…

End of flashback

“Reviera has been attacking The Gifted for months. She has acquired some abilities by making deals with demons, and has the backing of the remaining hunters” I told Rider. He looked at me shocked. It was eerily quiet, the sounds of the pack and the Gifted outside had gone silent. I wondered if they heard, or if the wolves could sense that something was wrong.

“Demons?” Ri repeated, obviously not believing me. I laughed.

“You’re a werewolf, I’m a former hunter now mated to a werewolf and exhibit unnatural psychic abilities and you question the existence of demons?” I asked, amused.

Rider seemed thoughtful about this but then nodded.

“We will need to prepare. We have maybe a month, but we need to rally up all the wolves we can and destroy her. If we don’t, Reviera plans on summoning Ragnarok.”

“Wait, whose Ragnarok?” Rider asked, overwhelmed.

I let out a heavy sigh, the weight of the world on my shoulders.

“He’s the bringer of the Apocalypse.”