The Hunter

Chapter 2

My Father was going to be there

Three wolves reign over a region. These three are higher than the alpha of a pack, and they are there to keep order.

The first is the enforcer. They enforce the law, hint the name. They usually settle disputes from pack to pack, adjust lands, make sure no packs go to war against each other. Things like that.

Then there is the Shadow. He knows everything about every pack like their finances, new lands, new wolves. He takes in all new information, slightly stalkerish to me. The one that is in that position now gives me the creeps, but it is a creepy job. Maybe it's in the job description to make people's skin crawl.

The last is the Supreme, my father. He has the right to remove whomever from whatever position he chooses. His job also includes but is not limited to drafting up treaties, meeting with other supreme from other countries. He’s kinda like an alpha with a huge pack without the mundane task of the day-to-day.

You would think coming from a father with such high standing would mean I lived a life of privilege. that is very much untrue. My father made it clear he did not want a half-human as a child, only seeing me a hand full of times in my life.

He made sure my mom and I never wanted finically, at least that’s what I found out after her death. My mother always seemed to struggle with a small cottage that always needed work. She worked near a small town close to the pack borders. It wasn’t until she died I found out about the account with half a million dollars just sitting there.

She left me a note, how melodramatic of her, explaining to me how I was the greatest gift and she would not take money from a man who did not see that. as if it was a payment for a mistake.

she wrote that the money was mine to do with what I wish. I cried over the letter, realizing to the end my mom thought I was something worth more than 500,000 dollars.

I thought long and hard about that money. I considered just letting it stay there untouched or withdrawing it all and burning it up. I never once considered keeping it, I felt it was an insult like my mother.

In the end, I wrote a check for the full amount to him and mail it to his office. I attached a note saying my mother is dead, she did not need this and I sure the hell don’t. I didn’t wait around to see if the check was ever cashed. The next day I walked away from that account and that pack and never looked back.

Thinking about that now, looking back at that same mirror, I knew I could not go looking like this. I needed to go shopping. It's been over five years and when I saw him again I did not want to look like a worn-down person beaten by life. I wanted to look like the proud strong twenty-year-old hunter I was. One out of a hand full of female hunters in the country and the best. Alpha's shivered at the sight of me and so would he.

The next morning, I got up early. I went to the bank and instead of depositing the 500 from yesterday as I normally do, I withdrew another 500; living in shitty motels and only having to care for yourself, you rack up a lot. For tax purposes, I have my occupation as a bounty hunter. It was kinda true and when there was a slow week in wolf world I made do hunting human criminals.

I walk into the high-end hair salon and felt so out of place in my torn jeans and tank top. The receptionist first looked me up and down before she plastered on her fake smile and how can I help you voice.

“I was wondering if any of your hairdressers are free,” I ask

“well we have to see, on such short notice, you know. by the way, we only take cash and credit, not food stamps. do you have actual money?” she looked at me straight in the eye like she was talking to a toddler. Was this girl trying to get her pretty face broken?

“Tiffany leaves this girl alone,” a hairdresser said coming to my defense and her rescue. He was tall, dark-skinned, and had the best set of hills I had seen on anyone. I am not a hills girl but even I can apricate a good pair of shoes. “I can take you right over here”

“thank you”

“it's no problem, my name is Donte and you are”

"Charlie”

“Charlie? um well okay Charlie, now you better have my monty after this because you're going to look fierce and I do not do fierce for free.”

“I do” I laughed.

Okay, I’m a bit of a hypocrite, but hearing Donte confirming my money status did not come off as insulting as, snobby mac bitch in the front.

“great, any ideas what you want,” he said taking down my ponytail and coming through my hair.

“not really, I don’t usually get my hair done, but I need to look good tonight”

“really, for a boyfriend?”

“no”

“ohhhh a girlfriend,” he said wiggling his eyebrows

“no it's for my father. I’m going to be seeing him for the first time in a while and I need to look, like...I need to look...put together. Does that make any sense” I said looking back into his eyes. he pursed his lips but nodded understandingly

“you need to look like you got it all to figure out, even though you don’t have a clue”

“exactly”

"well, I got you, gurl. and Donte loves working with a blank canvas. I see curls.”

By the time Donte was done puling, pressing, and slaying I turn in the mirror and looked shocked. the curls formed my caramel face perfectly, my cheekbone looked higher and my face looked more defined. I looked like a girl. I jump out of the chair and gave him a hug “thank you Donte” I quickly paid him and left the hairdresser for the store.

it had to be over an hour since I got into this store, but I still could not find anything remotely my style, or the lack thereof. It seems the sales lady took pity and pulled out a few dresses in my size.

The black one was where my eyes drew to. It was April so everyone would be wearing light colors but black was the signature color for a hunter. I went to the changing room and it fit like a glove. It had a high neckline and stop mid-thigh and it stretched so if I had to spring into action I could. I step out of the dressing room with a small smile liking that I finally made a decision.

“I'll take it,” I said to the sales lady. “okay but it's not spring colors, would you rather have something more bright”

“I'm not a bright person, I’ll take this one,” I said more firmly. She blanked back unsure but in the end, she put on her fake smile and said “let me just ring you up”

” you have any shoes, flat preferably flats, that goes with the dress”

“We have wedges”

“great'll take them” I gave her the money and walk out.

I was back at my motel and the new enforcer introduction started in an hour. I looked in the mirror for the hundredth time, feeling awkward in a dress and heels instead of tennis shoes and jeans. I even tried to see about makeup, but I decided to scratch that idea. First I had never worn it before and didn't have clue how to put it on. Secondly, I didn't want to look fake, just put together. Would he look at me like this and see that I didn't need him?

Would he care?

It was a question I had to ask myself a lot throughout my 20 years. The first time I could remember seeing him in the hall in the big house we lives in before we moved. I clean up my room, so he could play with me. would he care? The first time he came to visit in our new pack, I put on my nicest clothes and cleaned up the house. Would he care? when I got in my first fight or did something rebellious. Each time that question played in my head. would he care?

All those times he didn't. I laugh at myself realizing, here I was again. my phone beep bringing me back to reality. It was Voren

'no matter what happens tonight, you will always have a place in my pack. My son can chew on rocks” I laugh. Alright, let get this over with.