Satisfied the morons are coming home, Mum heads out to the shops. Her attempt at distracting me with the promise of what ever I could want doesn’t work and she makes me promise not to leave to do something stupid.

Please, I don’t need to leave the house to keep amused and I’m definitely not going to do anything stupid.

Not yet at least.

Going into the guest room, the beds made and his duffel bag is half tucked under it. Going over I’m careful to remember just how far the zip was undone and opening it, I’m only rewarded with the stench of BO and the first thing I manage to touch is dirty underwear.

“Yuck!”

After going through it all I’m certain I’ll need an injection and I give up on the idea on the fact he might have a diary like we are told to keep. Until I find his car keys in the end pocket and going to the window, his car is sitting outside in the driveway. I can practically see the heavenly glow surrounding it and with a devilish grin, I head outside.

“Jackpot!” Opening the boot, there are two bags. One is full of snares, knives and other things you wouldn’t the cops to find in a car search and the other is a nicely packed over night bag. The pocket inside the bag has what I’m after and I take out his diary that looks identical to mine. Maybe there was a shop somewhere that sold only this style, and it’s been used more than mine.

Flicking through, the appearance is the only thing we have in common. Pages of traps, sketching’s of shifters, notes on the moon cycle and werewolves, remind me more of a workbook at school than a diary. The entries are a mixture of thoughts and theories and its more interesting than what I was expecting. In fact there aren’t even any doodlings of boobs or smiley faces turned dicks like I saw in Jordan’s once.

Maybe us Buntings don’t take this as seriously as we should.

Flicking towards the end of his entries, I wonder if he has anything about Jordan. Does he have anything about me?

A car passes and I’m reminded where I am and what I’m doing, so I make it quick and the first Jordan that catches my attention is where I start to scan over the pages.

I met Jordan’s sister Elise today while looking for the bear shifter who told me about the death of the bear cub and its Mother. Jordan never told me she was so, I want to say hot but it’s not worth it. When he said look after her, I know that’s not what he meant.

Then again, I think she can look after herself.

I was expecting a princess and instead I got more attitude than I knew what to do with and she managed to surprise me further by slamming me against the office wall. The things I could do with that. She told me I don’t know her, and compared to what Jordan told me, I really don’t - but I want to.

I don’t have time for this kind of shit or for her. What the hell am I doing even writing this?

Yes Logan, why are you writing this?

Maybe because she has tits and I need to get laid….

I stop reading, feeling slightly better knowing I wasn’t the only one who thought about our first meeting after it happened, but the comment about the bear cub and its Mum distracted me.

Was that Lisa’s sister? Oz never mentioned a child being killed too.

That skin prickling, uneasy feeling that tells me something is nearby fired up before I could ready any more and turning behind me, I’m suddenly flying across the driveway into the lawn out the front. My chest is already on fire, the ache in my side telling me something is broken.

“What the..” Looking up three shifters approach and I drop my chin to my chest closing my eyes for a moment. “Just let me put the book away.”

“What?” The tallest one asks, the trio spreading out to surround me.

“This. I need to put it away otherwise I’ll be in deep shit.” I hold up Logan’s diary and point at the boot of the car. “Then you go all kind of kung fu on me ok?”

They’re actually considering it.

Idiots.

The blonde roughly grabs me by the shoulder and the pain now throbs all the way down my side and shoulder. Thankfully I manage not to scream out in pain and he shoves me towards the car. “That’s really nice of you guys.”

“Selene was right, she isn’t much of a Hunter.” The tall one mumbles to the other guy.

“What is that?” Blondie calls out.

“Library book. If I die I want to do it with a clean conscious.” I zip up the bag exactly how I found it and in the process, open up the weapon bag, annoyed he doesn’t have a gun.

“Oh.” The tall one nods and the trio close in on the car.

They’re absolute morons!

“How about we take this out the back? Humans live around here and that would be hard to explain.”

I’m making sense to them, and I’m a good girl who cares about her library books so why wouldn’t they do what I tell them? At this rate, I should just tell them to let me go too.

Leaning over the boot, I tuck a knife down my shirt and into my bra, thankful it had a sleeve over it and a couple of other things in my pocket before they drag me around the back. The second we’re out of sight on the main road, I pull out the dagger from up my arm, and slice Blondie across the cheek before going in again and taking the blade across this throat. He is on his knees as a gurgling bloody mess in seconds and the duo charge.

Just like last night with Logan, I drop and kick out only this time I’m to quick to get back up and ignoring the sparks of agony that are going through my torso, I reach into my shirt and get the knife. It’s a nice piece, the handle is leather and fits well in my hand. Holding it up and ready to go, the taller guy laughs.

“Does the Hunter want to play a game?” He coos, mocking me.

“Sure, but it better have some kind of challenge to it!” Before he can charge, he is falling down in front of me instead. An arrow protrudes from his back and a thick fountain of blood begins to erupt from around the wound.

Just like Blondie, he doesn’t move again and looking up, Mum is loading up another arrow in her bow.

Wow.

I’m standing there open mouthed and in awe at what my Mother, yes my Mother just did. For all her stories of her being out on patrol or working with Dad on the hunt – I never really believed she had it in her to kill.

She’s a Mum.

The final attacker, looks between his two companions knowing his options were limited now.

“No loose ends Elise.” Mums voice isn’t even one I recognize. It’s deadly and again I wonder just how our family went wrong in order for something like this to be counted as a fun weekend activity.

“Selene sent you here to kill us?” I ask, lowering my knife Mum has the silver tip facing his head and I know she wont miss. So does he.

“To kill you as a message to the Tracker and Hunter.”

“Since she doesn’t use email, lets send her one back.” Before I can raise the blade, Mum had him falling beside the tall one and after a few gasps and groans, the trio are quiet.

I’m being checked over and hugged in seconds, her more gentler maternal instincts returning. I can’t hide how much pain I am in and she gets me inside for a more thorough check up.

“Mum, you kicked ass out there!”

“I am part Slayer Ellie, and I have done all the training you did plus have a good twenty odd years on you.” She smiles at me knowingly and once I’m laying on the sofa, she gently pokes and prods my side. Already the skin is turning purple. Judging by the damage not only on me, but my shirt the jerk must have had his claws out when he hit me. The scratches from his nails slowly stop bleeding as Mum gets a cold pack to rest on my bruise.

“I don’t think anything is actually broken, it’ll take a couple of days to heal though.” Part of genetic makeup is quicker healing abilities. We’re not immortal or superhuman, but we get by.

“Great, so now I have a weak spot. How can I attack..”

“No. Don’t even think like that. Clearly we’re unsettling them, so we’ll have to be on our guard and lie low. When your Father is back, he might alert the Council or maybe the Grimms for help.”

“Grimms?” I drop my head down on the cushion groaning and not from the pain. Well kind of from the pain. The Grimms are like the Van Helsings, typically all pizazz with no substance. Sure their ancestors started up the fairytales today’s humans know and love, but so much of their stories and adventures were made up. They make weak Hunters and at least the Van Helsings don’t mind getting their hands dirty rather just pretending they did what they said.

“Not another word. I’ll get you some pain relief, then go rest in bed.” Mum orders and I remember I used Logan’s stuff from his car. Getting up, I awkwardly make my way outside while she is in the upstairs bathroom. Cleaning the blades off on my already ruined shirt, I make it to his car when Mum returns. “What on Earth are you doing?”

“Long story and I’ll you about it after you help me put these back so Logan doesn’t know?”

She mutters under her breath the whole time and follows my instructions before relocking the car. I lean on her as I hobble back inside and supervise her putting the keys back.

See – normal parents don’t do shit like that.

Thanks to the blood and dirt on me, I’m led to the shower. I can’t hide my pain as she helps me bathe and dressing me in a pair of sweats and sports bra afterwards, she ends up putting a bandage around my side and leaves me with a fresh ice pack.

I’m waiting for the demands of an explanation regarding Logan’s things, but instead I’m quick to fall asleep.

I blame the pills she gave me.

--

Waking up everything is dark apart from the faint glow of the lamp beside me. Yawning I go to stretch, instantly being reminded that I can’t do that just yet. It takes me a few goes to get up, gasping as I make it to a sitting position and looking up I jump as I see Logan asleep in the chair in the corner of my room.

He looks so peaceful asleep. Happier than when he was putting the dishes away too. Getting up, I grab the knitted blanket off the end of my bed and drape it over him. He barely stirs, simply shifts a little to the left as his head rolls to the side.

Going downstairs I don’t try and sneak down, unwrapping the bandage the bruise is already more of a purple green than the blackish color from earlier. Dads asleep in his reclining chair in front of a mute TV which has flashing infomercials on and seeing me walk in, Mum is up in an instant as if I’m disabled and I shoo her away. Already moving around is helping me loosen up and my stomach rumbles loudly.

She goes about making me toast and hot chocolate, not saying much.

“When did Dad get home?” Looking up to the clock on the wall, it’s nearly midnight.

“They got home about ten. I had to stop your Father from waking you up and after getting them cleaned up and fed, he crashed out in front of the TV and Logan went up to check on you again.” She looked at me as if waiting for something, but I ignored it.

“Yeah he is asleep in my reading chair. Did you find out what happened?”

“Nothing happened. They got there, she was quite rude and uncooperative. A few words were said, your Dad had a look around and found nothing. Selene was made to end her bid to expand her territory and given a warning for disrupting the peace.”

“And her three little friends?”

“She denies knowing about them and declares it was a revenge attack for your shooting one of them.”

“God she’s a bitch.”

“Language please Ellie.” My mother killed two werewolves a few hours ago and she cares about my cursing?

“Well she is.” I eat my toast, still ignoring the look for information. “I don’t get how a species so stupid can keep what we’re missing from us. I know she knows something!”

“All races and species of every kind have the leaders and the followers. She is a very good leader even if her followers are, um…” Mum is trying not to say it without being politically correct.

“Stupid fucking dogs?”

She rolls her eyes, but nods making me laugh.

Dad comes in then and gives me a kiss on the top of my head as he passes. I don’t miss the bruise on his cheek or the slight limp. Maybe it wasn’t so simple after all.

“Glad you’re alright Ellie.”

 “You too Daddy.” What is about a possibly near death experience that brings out your into four year old when it comes to your parents? For the new few hours at least, he was my Dad who was in danger and I’m lucky to have back home – Daddy.

By morning he will be back to Dad or Sir if I want to piss him off; Victor if I want to do a good job at it and there will be an argument about him leaving without me in the first place.

Just not tonight.

We all go our separate ways to bed and just as I get back into mine, Logan wakes up.

“Did I wake you?” I sit up, looking over at him in the shadow-controlled corner.

“No, sorry, I came up before but you were still out of it. How you feeling?” He rubs his eyes and stands up, coming over to sit beside me on the bed. The blanket is put back into place and I offer him a small smile.

“Better. I’ll be as good as new in the morning.”

“Good to hear.”

He sits there awkwardly for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck before getting up to go.

“Hey Logan, I don’t have mice on my floor if you want to stay?” What? Why did I just say that?

“I only sleep on beds and really as a host, you should be the one on the floor.”

Scooting over, I pat the empty space beside me and I tell he is unsure about joining me. Just when I think he isn’t going to do it, he does.

I roll onto my undamaged side and get comfortable. He seems to curl around me like we’ve slept together a hundred times not just once and rests his hand on my hip – avoiding the sore spots. His head is practically on the same pillow as mine and I can’t stop myself from enjoying the closeness.

If Mum hadn’t come home in time, would the outcome have been the same?

“You smell nice.” He whispers into my ear, and I instantly break out in goose bumps.

“Same rules as before buddy, hands above the blankets and no funny business.”

“I know, I know. Night Bunny.”

“Asshole.”

He laughs softly before settling in beside me as he sighs content.

But I can’t sleep yet. “Hey Logey.”

“Mmm?” He mumbles, clearly having no trouble in falling back to sleep.

“I’m glad you’re both back and I wont have to waste my time working out what happened to you.” I admit and it’s true. A missing brother is hard enough let alone a missing, friend?

“Just admit it, you love me. And ah, since this mornings breakfast didn't happen - what are my chances tomorrow?”

“Go to hell.”

He laughs again, slipping his hand from the top of my hip so his arm is curling around me. “Good night Bunny.”

This time I don’t have any issues falling asleep.