42. Chapter 42

Chapter 42

T he Hunters had access to weapons that could seriously injure him, but all Jax could see were handmade traps or antiquated weapons. He'd easily overpowered the kid and tied him up on one of the pillars that separated the lounge from the dining area.

A rookie. Not important enough to the Hunters to know all the details, but the details of any missions he went on the past few weeks would help.

If the kid talked.

He threw an old crossbow across the lounge and looked back at the Hunter. His blood was pouring out of all the places he had clawed him. He would bleed out if he didn't get help, but the kid's lips remained sealed.

Maybe it was part of their training. He'd have thought facing death would change his mind.

"Do you even know what you're fighting for?" he growled as he stalked the kid.

He picked up the knife the kid threw at him after his gun ran out of silver bullets. It was wider than a butcher's knife and a little rusty. The same strange smell came from it, the same one on the arrowheads mixed with the wolfsbane. Cain was as wary of the new scent as he was.

"Do you know why they train you to become an asshole, killing people who haven't done anything to you?" he continued. "I bet they never teach you what a wolf can do to you. One snap of my jaws and all your training would be for nothing."

The kid remained silent. His hazel eyes spat so much hatred that talking was a waste of time. Besides, Hunters were born that way. The instinct to hunt them was as natural as breathing.

But this Hunter wasn't as strong as the ones he fought at the hotel. He was a young version of what he'd always known Hunters to be. There couldn't have been a new breed born while they weren't watching; it would have been widespread news already.

"What's this shit on the knife?" he asked.

"You'll find out soon enough," the kid grinned.

His teeth were red as blood dripped from his mouth. There was no fear as there would have been had he been dealing with a human. The kid remained confident even when he'd beat the shit out of him.

He threw the knife at the pillar just beside the Hunter's head. Fresh blood fell to the kid's dislocated shoulder from where it nicked his ear.

"I suppose we'll both find out."

Surely, if it was poison, it would affect the Hunter, too.

But the kid just grinned and didn't lower his gaze.

He'd used the silver chains to bind him to the pillar and tied his wrists behind it. The kid could hardly stand but he wasn't letting his knees give out.

Stubborn. He was too stubborn for his own good. Hunters had no weaknesses that they could exploit. They were taught to be monsters their whole lives. It would take too long to break the kid down.

The sun was about to rise, but he was no closer to finding Layla. This kid was his only hope.

He turned away from the Hunter and continued to look around for clues. Receipts, phones, notebooks...anything with a hint about the Hunters' base or his next search location. If he didn't find anything, he'd have to continue heading north. But if he went in the wrong direction, it could cost Layla her life. And his.

His eyes narrowed as he turned back to the cocky Hunter.

The kid wasn't scared for his own life, but what if...

He picked up an upturned chair and placed it in front of the kid.

"Did you enjoy your date the other weekend?"

The Hunter's brow twitched slightly. Not enough that anyone else would have noticed.

"It must have been something special for you to pay so much for a room and go so far out of your way just to fuck," he continued as he crossed his legs and arms.

The Hunter's mouth remained closed.

"I mean, your boyfriend lives a few blocks away from here. Samuel, is it?"

Another twitch.

"Why couldn't you just find somewhere nearby to spend time together? Oh, I get it. You're not allowed to, are you? You're not allowed to fuck for the sake of fucking. You're not allowed to enjoy having your partner in your arms," he said. "I've always wondered what happens when they tell you to have children. Do they pick a woman for you and lock you in a room until she gets pregnant? Is there some sort of factory?"

Another twitch.

"I don't know what they taught you in school, but I doubt you'll be able to function as they expect you to when your turn comes. Unless, of course, you swing both ways?" he asked, cocking his head as he met Irvine's gaze. "Either way, your secret won't stay secret for long. It can't be fun thinking about what would happen if you got caught. But don't worry. I'm going to end Samuel's misery tonight. Maybe yours too, so that you can meet in the afterlife."

"Leave him out of this," the Hunter hissed.

A slow grin appeared on his face as he watched more hatred bleed into the kid's eyes. So they did have feelings, after all. They had weaknesses.

"Oh, I can't do that. You took my mate, so I have to take yours."

"I had nothing to do with that!"

He shot to his feet and closed the distance between them until he was only a hair's breadth away from Irvine.

"Then who did?" he growled.

"I'll never help a wolf," Irvine spat out.

"Then you will watch Samuel die," he said calmly as he stepped back.

A thumping heartbeat. It was funny how it seemed dead until that point, but the Hunter's heart started racing. It sounded loud in the confines of the bungalow.

He walked toward the front door and opened it. The sky had a pink tinge as dawn broke. Was Layla awake? Could she still feel him, the way he could feel her life force?

"If you kill us, they'll know it," the kid shouted. "They will obliterate the whole fucking town, you included."

His voice echoed out into the quiet street. A few early risers were already active in their homes, so his time with Irvine was up, anyway. Humans were nosier than most beings. Frankly, he was surprised they hadn't called the police when he attacked Irvine. They'd made enough noise to wake the dead.

He turned back to look at Irvine. Now the fear was clear on his face.

"Is that right? So I just have to kill you, and someone will come over and lead me right to my mate."

"I didn't do anything wrong! I just started training; I have no information to give you," the boy shouted again.

Just as he guessed. Useless.

He closed the door and turned to face his enemy. The red haze filled his vision as he finally let his fury show. He was still naked after his shift, so nothing restricted him as his body started to stretch. As his face morphed and his jaws extended.

The transition was seamless—half man, half beast in the blink of an eye.

The Hunter's eyes widened and his Adam's apple bobbed.

"What's the matter?" Cain asked, his deep voice rumbling through the house. "Am I scaring you?"

His patience ran out long before he imprisoned Ambrose, and this kid did nothing but waste his time.

No, not really. He'd given one useful piece of information.

"What the fuck are you?" Irvine whispered.

"Something you really don't want to fuck with. Tell me what I want to know."

"They'll kill me," he whispered again.

He stepped forward and Irvine's chains rattled. But there was nowhere for him to go.

"Them or me. Choose," Cain growled.

Irvine's heartbeat grew louder. The fear on his face increased. But it was only for a few seconds.

Suddenly, it was like a switch went off in the Hunter's head. The eyes cleared, and ice-cold fury replaced the fear. His heartbeat returned to normal.

"Neither. I choose my fate," Irvine spat out before he lifted himself on his toes and turned his head.

He realised what the Hunter was doing only a millisecond before he did it.

Blood squirted across the room as Irvine's body jerked, denying him the satisfaction of ending Irvine's life himself. Not that he would have done it. Even in the dead calm he found himself in, he wasn't sure if he would have killed Irvine.

The sounds of the man drowning in his blood filled the room.

"You coward," Cain growled.

Birds started to chirp outside. More people rose from their slumber, unaware of the horror so close to them.

Was Irvine friendly with any of them? How long until a neighbour knocked on the door to borrow a cup of sugar? How long until Irvine's boyfriend showed up for a stolen moment before work?

He sighed as he left the house and closed the door behind him. There was no time to waste now.

He made it back to his car and changed quickly before he drove out of the street just as somebody came out of their house. He really hoped what Irvine said was true, that they would know if he died. The trap was set; all he had to do was wait.

When he parked his car at a shopping centre, he pulled his burner phone out and called Dylan. It was official now. His Beta would have to officially become the Alpha. He couldn't drag any of them into this.

Dylan answered on the first ring.

"Dylan—"

"Come home. The Circle is here."