Chapter 66: Inevitable Curiosity
My eyes suddenly felt watery, and a tear did drop from my left eye. Why am I crying?
‘Who was he?’ The question he left me.
“Who was he?” Someone said it out loud. All I could do was take a sigh.
“How was everyone?” I asked and hid my bow and arrow.
“Fine, you?” I did not bother to answer. He could see I am perfectly fine.
“Are you going to avoid me just because I like you?” He said carelessly, he did not care that everyone would know his dear feelings towards me.
“Why do you think I am avoiding you?” I asked back and heard him walk next to me.
“You’d usually answer me casually, unlike now. You are ignoring my question.”
“You fix your question before accusing anything.” I hurriedly left him and try to find a private place. Why did I suddenly feel down and sad? Like something hurt inside my heart. Who was he?
The cape man tried to steal the she-wolf from Dion’s pack. It was him, but unlike that time he was hiding his face. He was Dion’s puppet too; it was just a trap. He was starting to move now. And I shouldn’t fall into any trap. That man, no matter how my heart would react to him, I should end him before he could end me.
I need to move now.
‘We’ll hunt tonight, with Gunner’s and Gilo’s team.’ I notified them through our link.
I waited for them to prepare for a few hours, and at exactly midnight we gather. “We’ll hunt with a twist.” I have secured the perimeter for this.
“We’ll play hide and seek, each one of you should bring me whatever you catch while I am hunting you. Once I find it, you’re out. No exception, leader and underlying. Hide your scent, hide your shadows, hide your presence, and hide.” I heard someone scoff about it while Gunner and Gilo were confused.
“Hide like a ghost, walk like a cat, and hunt like a Lion,” I said while eyeing everyone.
“How will we do that? You can smell us easily.” Gilo said.
“Then do something about it, I have drawn the line around, you can not go beyond that line.” Everyone was confused, so I decided to give them a hint on how to do it. “To do that, you must be one with your inner wolf’s mind and soul. Tip on how to do it, hunt like a werewolf hunter, do not shift but let your inner wolf take over.”
That way, they’d be sensitive as they are in their wolf form without shifting.
“What is the point of this, you are teaching us how to be a werewolf hunter?” A woman from Gilo’s team said.
“I am teaching how to fight wiser against any kind, you have encountered them do you? They move like a hunter, but they were strong like a werewolf. Because they are werewolves, Dion’s army to be exact. I was their mentor do not worry. I can teach you how I taught them and even teach you more. You only need to trust my words and trust your instinct.” I heard no complaints then we must proceed. “Let’s start.”
“Those who’d be able to bring any kind of prey, and escape from my watch, will be having a price. And those who would fail will have a session with me.” I could see how eager they were to do it.
“Go,” I said, and everyone ran into the woods. “I’ll give you five minutes to hide.”
I closed my eyes and smelled their scent before they could go far enough. Gunner and Gilo should master it at once, their team should too.
After five minutes, all scents were gone. But only because they had gone too far. ‘I feel generous today, so I’ll give you chance to hide again once I’d find you but the second time you’re out.’ I announced, it was not hard for me to find them.
“Fear will not save you,” I said while walking when I passed someone who was shaking in nervousness. I see no one, no shadow but I feel a presence. “Don’t think that a hiding place would be safe for more than three minutes.” I turned my heel and snatched the arm that I saw.
“This is harder than I thought.” She mumbled and pulled her arm away from me.
“You have so much to learn, first to respect me and second to listen to me.” I glared at her and she bowed her head. I walked again and ran after someone who suddenly ran off obviously. I broke a twig while running and thrown to him. And he failed to avoid it. I ran faster and caught his shirt.
“Another tip, be one with the place around you like a chameleon, not run like a horse.” Said and made him face me. “Do not let your fear eat you and lose your focus, you may be running but pay attention to the one who’s after you. That twig could be a knife.”
I touched his forehead and ran my hand down to his face to close his eyes. “Use all your senses, listen, smell, and feel everything around you. Let your inner wolf take over and then open your eyes.” I pushed him to the bush and turned to another target.
I jumped up on the branch stealthily, “Don’t just use your eyes as your guard.” I whispered and Gilo almost fell. “You did not even feel my presence.” I pushed him down the tree.
I squeal of a deer resounded so I instantly turned my heel to it. There were traces of blood, but no one was there. I smiled when finally, someone got it.
“You did it, came out now,” I said and I was surprised that it was a lady. A blond she-wolf with beautiful golden eyes.
“It was fun, Alpha.” She said and bowed her head. She showed the deer she caught.
“I’ll be handing your reward tomorrow, this is yours.” I let her take what she caught. “Great job. You can stay longer or go and rest.” I said and she nodded. And everyone thought that they only need to go far enough from me to do it.
Very careless, I could hear heavy footsteps running away.
I change my route and wait to take the other way, I waited for him and catch one. “I told you to walk or run like a cat.” I got another one.
Someone suddenly fall from the tree, so I swiftly moved to catch him. “Not all branches are strong.”
I got a stone and threw it at someone hiding near me. I saw his shadow and he avoided it then he hid again. I smiled when I realized he got it already. I gather twigs and throw them at everyone I find.
“Out,” no one can cheat. They immediately caged in a bubble I made, and they’d float back to the village.
I was about to run when I felt someone behind me, I turned and saw Gunner with a boar. “As expected, Gunner. You can stay or leave; we’ll continue the game until we’re done.” He only nodded and left. Impressive, no sound of the boar when he hunted it.
Then finally the whole forest went quiet, even bugs shut their little mouth for a while not to meddle with us.
I caught another again, “out.” She was hiding far enough from me, but she hasn’t hidden her scent.
“Fear won't save you,” I said and sniffed the air.
I ran to the left and caught a she-wolf. “Out.”
“Hunt now, we’ll not stop until I find you all,” I said and ran after the one who tried to escape. I smile when she managed to hide again, they’re doing great. They now mastered to hide their scent and presence, the problem was to move and hunt.
“I think this will do.” I turned around and meet a wide grin of Gilo. He waved a rabbit in front of me.
“Good, what took you so long.”
“You scare almost all of the animals out from your barrier.” He reasoned out, yet I doubt it. I could even hunt easily by now. I tilted my head to let him leave.
One jumped in front of me with a proud smile.
“Good job, Lanz.” I complimented him and let him leave.
Three men followed to present what they hunted.
“Out,” I eliminated the last player. Not long enough the sun has shown itself. I find nine bubbles floating in the air. I popped all the bubbles and they fell.
“To those who failed, meet me here again tonight, you’ll be playing with the next teams. And to those who mastered it, keep practicing. I’ll be sending your reward, dismiss.” I said and they all bowed their head before leaving.
While walking to my office, all I could think about was his face. Curse him!
“What do you need, Lizo?” I asked him without looking back.
“Isn’t this what I should be doing? Staying by your side as your gamma.”
“You stick around than my beta,” I stated and he only chuckled.
“She has had a lot to deal with recently.” I knew that well. She could be working without my watch, but I knew what she was doing.
“Not a problem,”
“You took longer to hunt.”
“We weren’t just hunting, Lizo.” I opened my office and took my cape off. I was surprised he helped me with it. He took it from me and hung it on the holder.
“Is that why there was a barrier to where you had gone hunting?” I knew he would follow and stick his nose to our game.
“Yes,”
“What is it?”
“You’ll know. I sat down and faced him. “Tonight will be Timor and Devon’s group.”
“Would that last until morning again?” I shook my head and poured water into my glass. I drank it all straight. That was tiring though.
“I don’t know.”
“Do not overdo yourself, I think you need a rest.”
“I would rest,” only if he had not followed me. I should have dived into my bed. I was only waiting for him to leave.
“Do you need anything else?”
“Nothing, I was just checking on you.” He bowed his head, and I watched him leave. I’m sure he’d use the technique more often around me so he’d be the last I would be teaching.”
He’s creeping me out, with too many questions and always watching my move. I hate being watched.