The next morning, I was off. Off to change the history of the world, whether common humans knew it or not. I pulled on a pair of camouflage pants that had been purchased for me and a neutral shirt. All of it was specially designed to control scent. In theory, if a deer could not pick up my scent, neither could a wolf. Which was why I was not taking any food with me, no matter how it was packaged. Surely me slamming a pepperoni stick into my mouth would grab attention I didn't want. And that was fine with me. I wasn't feeling particularly hungry anyway.

Once my hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail and I had rechecked my gear, I called Cassey to come pick me up.

The ride was awkward. I knew she wanted me to say something. I didn't feel like I owed her or anyone else any words at this point. If I wanted my last moments to be in silence, then so be it. When we arrived at the drop off spot, I dawdled off to the ditch, wrinkling my nose as I smeared mud onto my cheeks. There were other options, sure, but Armond convinced me that this was the best. Using a cosmetic could carry a smell. This would help me mask any odor I was carrying too, making me smell just like the nature around me. It was just unfortunate that I was covering my own smell with something so pungent.

Then, and only then, did I force myself to talk to Cassey.

"I know Armond gave you strict orders to leave after three hours. Follow them. I have my cell phone on me. I don't think I'll have service when I'm on their territory, but I'll text you when I'm out, okay?"

Cassey's throat worked as she swallowed, unable to meet my eyes. "I don't want to leave you. I don't mind waiting all day if that's what you need."

I never thought that I would say it, but, deep down, I didn't want her to leave either. Now, it was too late to say those things anyway. "Hey, they don't call me Huntress for nothing, right? I'll get it done and be home before you know it. in the meantime, I don't want you getting in trouble with Armond. Go home after your three hours, okay? We don't want you raising suspicions while I'm in there. If they see a car parked here for that long, they might come investigate."

"Right." She nodded her head repeatedly as if she were trying to convince her heart as well. "Just be careful in there."

"I will be, promise."

Then the long trek began. It was one of the cleanest routes in and out of the royals' lands with multiple different lines to exit from. Since the first route was a mess and since I got caught there, it was an automatic no. with this option, there were very few challenges. No steep inclines, no ponds to weave around or creeks to leap over. And because it was so straight and flat, I had many options if I happened to get tailed or cut off. Which really just meant that I could die running instead of cornered.

For all of the anxiety that I had last night, I was surprisingly calm now. My mind was not racing with what-ifs. I wasn't considering all of the time I would miss out on with my parents. I wasn't worried about who would take care of them. I didn't think about my cell phone blowing up with missed calls and texts from Ryder after weeks of silence.

I could do my best to face what was coming, but I could not control it.

I trudged through the forest, hardly aware of the surroundings passing me by. The only thing I was searching for was wolves. Anyone other than the royals were explicitly not my target. However, that didn't mean I wouldn't defend myself if I came across one. I kept one hand on a small silver knife I had tucked away in my waistband. My mind kept returning to that black beast. I was sure that I had struck him. I was sure that knife should have made contact. And if my eyes hadn't deceived me, what was I supposed to do if I came upon him now? How was I supposed to kill something like that?

Thankfully, it didn't matter.

I ventured farther onto the royal lands than I had previously. Back when I first scouted it out, I hadn't wanted to be noticed. Now, I still feared being caught, but I needed a clear shot for the majority of the area. It was only a small cabin with a couple outbuildings, but the cleared area much have been over an acer. I was cautious, scouting out every step before I took it, making sure no other soul was in the area before I moved.

Then, I spotted a tree, one that would conceal me and bear my weight. Wide branches that I could perch on as long as I needed to. I climbed up that tree, becoming acquainted with each dimple in the bark, each fresh branch. This old being and I were going to be the best of friends for a while.

It all seemed so strange once I reached my perch. I could see it all. A cute woodlog cabin, a nice little shed in the back, a garden with little sprouts in it. Were they blooming flowers or vegetables? I knew that these creatures caused wolf-drain. I knew that my family was torn apart because of the affect these beasts had on humans. I knew all of that in my head. And I also knew that I had to end them. I had to cut off the head.

But sitting here, looking at all of it, something settled in the pit of my heart. It was all so normal, really. The little vacation cabin was a place anyone in the wealthy community would want to retreat to. I could picture a woman kneeling beside her flower bed, tending to ruthless weeds, cursing them but enjoying her time outside. I could see a husband tinkering on his car or starting up a barbeque. And a child running around, shrieking as they leapt over a sprinkler.

It could just be so...human.

But it wasn't. And I knew that.

So, I stayed in that tree. I kept my bow ready for the first hour, pulled tight and poised to shoot. When nobody moved, my arms slowly relaxed. Eventually, I adjusted my position, letting myself sit on the branch and allowed my legs to dangle. They regained some of their feeling while I toyed with one of my arrows. Then slowly, ever so slowly, it became harder and harder to tell time. when had I left Cassey? The sun was moving through the sky, descending, but there was no way that hours had passed without movement. These were the royals, surely, they were doing something, anything.

I waited and waited.

I shifted, maneuvered, scouted, pretended. I did anything to pass the time. I watched for great beasts that roamed low to the earth. I studied birds in tree that were watching me just as curiously. I checked the sun what felt like every five minutes, in disbelief that so much time had passed. But the rumbling in my stomach told me that it was true. The water I had lugged in with me was only doing so much to keep me sated. And the sun would be gone soon. I had maybe another hour before it disappeared behind the mighty mountains.

But I could do nothing other than watch, even when my legs screamed, even when my eyes blurred. I needed to stay vigilant. But the intensity was wearing off. I had whirled around so many times at the sound of a shrub rustling, only to find the mischievous wind playing with my mind. I felt like I had prepared myself for every possibility known to man with Milo. But I hadn't been ready for this, for the boredom, for the ache in my bladder.

The sun was fully gone now. I knew it didn't matter. I would not be returning home until an arrow had been released from my bow. But I wasn't about to piss myself up in a tree just because I thought Armond might turn his nose up at me. Maybe, if I was lucky, I would stumble on a berry bush and have something to fill the bottomless pit that had become my stomach.

Like always, I surveyed the area before descending, but it was getting harder. My eyes could hardly make out shapes in this low lighting. It was now or never. I scuttled my way down and made sure to count three hundred paces before I relieved myself in the quiet of the woods. Then it was a long trek back to the tree that I had chosen. Part of me resented the piece of nature already as I stared up at it. I hated that I would have to climb back up it, would have to lose feeling in my legs again. My fingers dug into the bark.

That was when I heard it.

"Alright, alright." It was a man's voice. I released the tree, whirling around to see light spilling out of the cabin. And in the doorframe was a silhouette that could only belong to a man, tall and broad.

"Ajax, don't stay out too late. We are working on bedtime," a woman called out.

Ajax. The king. The leader of the werewolves.

Shit. I wasn't in position. I didn't have my knives ready. But there he was. In the door way.

It wasn't what I planned, it wasn't what I had prepared for so extensively. But it was all second nature to me. I pulled that string back as easily as I breathed. I focused on my target with the eyes of a sniper. One breath in. steadying my hands, steadying my head. One breath out. I moved to release.

"Daddy!"

It was a child. A little girl's voice. My fingers fumbled. My arrow soared, but it had gone astray.

There was nothing for a second. Then a roar that could have shattered the earth.

"Ajax!" the woman screamed. "Clementine. Clementine, come to mommy!"

My task wasn't done. It had hardly begun.

I grabbed the silver knives that had been prepped for easy access so I could throw them after releasing my arrow. I held them tight in my fist and I ran into the darkened woods, away from the royals that I could not kill.

~~~Distraction Section~~~

Happy June 30th!!! 

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