His Accidental Luna

THE HUNTERS

CHAPTER 3: THE HUNTERS

“Spill the beans.” It was Lily.

It’s been a week, when she first noticed that Devon has been acting strange ever since. She seems lost, thoughts unfathomable that made her suspicious that something had taken place right when she and Jasper came back from their hunt. She did not question them being empty-handed as it happen most of the time. They could get some rabbits, or either there’s none, but to settled on fruits harvested at the back garden or from what they have stolen.

“P-pardon?” Devon snapped out.

“You’ve been watering the same plants since then, are you planning to make them drown, Devon?” A dead-pan look on Lily’s face had left her stunned.

“O-oh! I’m sorry!” Flushed, Devon quickly turned off the host, and bit her lips.

She couldn’t bring herself to meet Lily’s eyes, because she knew she can see through her. It’s been a week, since her encounter with her own mate. Those torturous days, wherein she bear along with her wanting, and longings. The mere thought to be cradles and feel the warmth of his arms against her skin drove her mad and feverish. It’s nearing full moon. What made her more worried is when her heat take over, and that phase were much painful than the rest of turning into her wolf form for the very first time.

“Just tell me exactly what’s going on.” Lily crossed her arms above her chest.

“The thing is…” Devon bit her lips. Why can’t she just admit everything from her? “Well—”

“Lily! Devon!” She could almost confessed, but Devon were cut off by Ali’s interference. His mood seems great. A smile stretched wide his pale lips. Behind him in pursuit Jasper’s silhouette. Their eyes meet. His orbs unreadable, but Devon’s look wanted to seep through and see whether Jasper has already professed their encounter with her mate. But so far, the other seems oblivious, which Devon is thankful about. She wanted to break the news by herself. To admit it, and be honest, because she knew that their astonishment would follow suit by questions after another.

Lily did not tore off her gaze from her. She can feel her trying to solve tinniest bits of thoughts that puzzles her. Before she shrugged her shoulder and whipped her head across the pair.

“What’s with the deal?” She faced Jasper and Ali.

“Well, look what we found!” Proudly, Ali stretched his hand. On there grasp ahold a tiny rabbit, wriggling its way, but seems to be enjoying itself with the carrots Ali had baited it to befall on his trap. “Can you believe it? I’ve caught it all by myself—”

“Can we eat it?” Straightforward, said Lily.

“W-what?!” Ali quickly retrieved back the poor creature. “Of course, no!”

“Then it will be of no use—”

“At least it could be my pet! Hmmp!” Ali bites back.

“You’re a wolf, you don’t need a pet unless—” Lily walked closer towards the male. Meanwhile, Ali has been caught of guard by the sudden stunt that he almost lost his balance if it wasn’t for his reflexes. With face flushed, and cheeks slowly turning crimson, he was forced to take several steps behind just so he could get away from Lily’s invasion of his personal space. “—it would become your prey.”

“I-I don’t want to!” His voice quiver.

“Well, whatever.” Lily steps away from him. “As long as it won’t ruin our garden, it could stay, but if it does—” A foreboding aura suddenly radiated from the girl. “—I’ll cook it myself.”

Ali’s eyes widen.

“I-I promise!” He gulps.

The tension on Devon’s shoulder loosened. A smile stretched across her lips. Amused at Lily, and Ali, when she felt Jasper’s gaze solely focus to where she was. His obsidian blue orbs seems to be implying something. It didn’t take long for her to notice, when he turned his back.

“Hey, where are you going, Jasper?” It was Ali who first noticed, but all he earned in return is a brief wave coming from the male. “Huh? What was that for?” baffled, but he brushed it off.

It’s Devon’s turn.

“Hold this for a moment.” She put the host on Lily’s hand.

“What? Where are you going too—Hey! Devon!”

Mimicking Jasper’s action, she apologetically wave back to her.

“And what was that for again?” Lily puffed her cheeks. But Devon’s already disappeared from their sight.

Meanwhile, Devon run after Jasper. His pace is kind of slow, but his legs were long that it take toll for her to run just so she could walk alongside with him. The cold breeze mildly touch her pale complexion, her hair bounce behind her as she chase and once she does, a vivid silence thickly envelope the pair.

“So, what was it for?” It was Devon who broke the serenity at first.

“What do you mean?” said Jasper, intrigued.

“Like, you’re giving me the eye like you wanted to tell me something sort of the way?” Devon faced him.

“Did I?”

“You did! Just earlier! Look, like this one.” Devon momentarily stop on her tracks, and mimic the way Jasper had looked at her earlier. The latter laugh.

“You almost made me looks like a creep.” His chuckles reverberated through his chest.

“Hey, I did not! I am juts copying you!” Devon huff, and pursed her lips.

She’s defensive that only made the male more amused. Nevertheless, seeing through her eyes, the spark of life they haven’t seen before, but an utter oblivion leading to blankness when they first run onto each other. How can he just break the news to Devon of who really her mate was? His smile loosen, the joy and the tranquility he felt were slowly being stolen. How can she handle something, when she knew who he was? And what she hold dearly that were taught to her before must come to an end as they do not offer any future ahead? It would break her definitely. It would shatter her soul more than the pack that discarded her dejected of life and strip from home she thought would she belongs to until she had finally have her pup of her own.

“Hey, would you mind going to the market?” Out of nowhere, Jasper blurted out.

“Market?” Devon asked, before her lips protruded from one of her ear shattering smile. “I don’t mind as long as it would be your treat!” Added by her.

“It’s a relief that I still have some coins left.” Jasper matched her enthusiasm.

“Then to the market! Here I come!”

And soon the pair laughs.

DEVONSHIRE MARKET

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. It’s crowded. People are filling in inside the Devonshire Market. Some are merchants, the others are mildly seeking some herbs, if not fruits to take away on their home and packs. If there is something they could look for, nobody would hesitate to travel from afar just so they could have a taste of what the Devonshire Kingdom could offer. In fact, it was more flourishing than the other 2 kingdoms. On their world, they have the DEVONSHIRE, who ruled over thousands of werewolves hidden from human eye. They keep the peace and the balance, while the next Kingdom, the REINSWORTH solely belongs towards the otherworldly creature, the vampires. Their clan may have been enemies before, but that doesn’t mean a truce to maintain their people and ensure their safety wouldn’t be possible. Although, they are wary of each other. Meanwhile, the last Kingdom ruled over covens. The witches from the North, who remain an ally for the two strong bloodlines. The MOTHERLAND SALEM.

“This is so delicious!” Devon grins. She’s holding an empty bowl she’d just gobbled down. A freshly made noodles with some meat and garnishes that were rarely found nowadays.

Jasper just shook his head, and continue filling in his stomach.

“Slow down, Devy.” The old man, whom she grew acquainted with laughs heartily.

“Your cooking is really great, Alberto!” She gave him a thumbs-up.

“I know.” The old man winked.

“Mind if I get some?” Devon offered her empty bowl.

“As you wish, my lady.” It was Pietro, Alberto’s son, who grab it for her with a wink. Devon scrunched her nose and stick her tongue out at him.

“Don’t flirt at me, Pietro!”

The latter only responded with a laugh.

Suddenly, the door were pushed open. A defeating silence filled in. There is a sudden shift on the air that even Alberto pay a heed towards the new guest of his place. Oddly, Jasper’s shoulder tense. Devon noticed his sudden change of behaviour although his exterior appeared to be calm.

“Jas—?” But before she could ask, Devon were cut off.

“Give up some beer, aye.” A male on his late 30’s stood beside Devon. His voice is rough, and there’s something off about his tone.

A suddenly coldness run across her spines. Her guts churned. Devon’s demeanor change. Her wolf howled inside her head, and the warning bells came ringing on her ears. And so realization dawn onto her. Cold beads of sweats piled up on her forehead. Now, she knew why strangely Jasper seems stress, shoulder straightened up as they mirrored how tense he was. The two men are most unlikely to be hunters if she isn’t wrong at all.

“That would be two copper.” Alberto began to prepare their beers.

“Just make it quick.” The wooden ground creek underneath him as he move. He throw 2 coppers of coins to pay. It made a low cling clang sound, which Alberto swooped away, and put it where the other was.

“And here you go.” Alberto serve two mugs filled with the yellowish liquid. “Enjoy your beer, lads.”

“Thanks, aye.”

Devon could almost feel her relief, when the man turned around.

“By the way, I know you may have been wondering what the two of us were doing here—” The grin on his face made her sick, perhaps almost everybody on the shop that day. “—we gotta hunt some rogues we heard roaming, aye.”

Her heart skipped a beat. The man goes back to where his company was, but the defeating sound of how her chest pounded came ringing on Devon’s ears. She’s breathing slowly. It’s wasn’t the first time she encountered some hunters. But she wished, this would be the last as they were known to be one of the merciless killers roaming around. They hunted rogues as a vigilant, they do not obey laws, but took the matter on their own hands. They couldn’t get punish no matter how much they killed those lone wolf, as each Kingdoms or many of its people benefit from their hunt. The death of rogues would mean peace. Their life meaningless as it doesn’t matter whether they could get killed into one of the most painful death that those hunter could offer. They are more horrible, and more evil.

Jasper stood up.

“Let’s go—” He picked up her hand.

“But my noodles.” She whispered softly, enough for him to hear.

“Worry about that later on.” He had a serious expression on his face.

Devon were left with no choice but to comply. They did not wait for Pietro, and made their way outside. Unnoticed as what they hope for. Devon and Jasper finally made it outside Alberto’s shop, but the threat of the hunters never ends there. Haste, the male quickly pulled her to where the vast of trees laid across. Quick pace, and the dead look on his eyes told Devon something that doesn’t mean any good news at all.

“W-wait—” But Jasper cut her off.

“It wasn’t a coincidence that they are there.” Said he that confused her for a bit.

“W-what?” Then she realize something. “The hunters—”

And soon enough, there’s a sudden explosion coming from the place. A scream resonated, and a maniacal laugh that tailed behind them. Devon forced herself not to look back, but once she do, she could almost felt the fear growing each seconds upon seeing the two man’s twisted expression, and the familiar silhouette of the guards they’d run into a week before.

Her eyes widened.

“H-hunters.” Full of fear, her lips quiver and trembles.

“RUN!”

Without further much ado, Devon were left with no choice, but to transform—in escape to the death that could either brought them hell or chaeron himself. Because once caught, she won’t end up hurried 6ft on the ground, she would be an entertainment for torturous days until she no longer breath and wake –for them to play with… For them to enjoy themselves with…

@cycy