25 Hunters

"What the hell is wrong with you?! Get out of my bed!"

I jumped out of my bed and ran out of my room to see Wes throwing anything he could find at Anthony as he ran out the front door.

"What was that all about?"

"He was in my bed trying to with me cuddling. Who knows what else that bastard could have been doing?"

"Were you cuddling back with him?" I asked, teasing him.

"Don't start with your shit right now. It's too early in the damn morning to be this shit."

"You're going to get yourself placed in chains again," Bryanna said from behind me.

"Don't remind me…"

We were interrupted by Anthony calling us from outside, "Hey, you guys… were we expecting any company today?"

Wes yelled back, "No! Why!"

"Because we have company, and they don't look too friendly."

We all walked outside to find three men in black long trench coats with matching black hats on our property. Two of them had tactical rifles on their backs. From where we were standing you could not see their faces because of the hats and masks that they had covered up all the way to their eyes.

Wes turned to look at me, "Whatever you do, do not cause a scene."

"Who are they?"

"You are about to find out." Wes walks up to these men and the rest of us follow closely behind, "What can I help you boys with?"

The guy on the right flicked his hat up and pulled down his mask revealing his face.

"Wait?! I know him! Your Mathew from class! What are you doing here?" I asked pointing at him.

"You might also recognize my partner here, come on, show yourself."

"What the?! Josh?!"

"Yup. And this is our other partner, Mark." Mathew pointed at him.

Next to me, Bree clings to my arm, pale and trembling. I heard her start breathing heavily and since my arm was by her chest, I could feel her heart racing. I whispered to her, "Are you okay?" but got no response. It was as if she had seen a ghost.

Mathew told Wes, "We are here on official council business." He pulled out a letter from the inside of his trench coat and handed it to Wes.

"I see. The council sent you guys, but it doesn't state for what purpose."

Mathew responded, "The council caught wind that you have yourself here some new witches and the council would like to know why you haven't had them registered yet."

"Because I haven't initiated them yet. Once I do, then I will take them to go and register. There is no point in taking them if they haven't taken or passed the trials yet."

Mathew nodded, "I see where you are coming from, but you know how the council is. Also, it does not show anywhere in our records that Paul has been registered either and he has been living with you for quite a while. Care to explain that?"

"I have different plans for him. I am still undecisive if I genuinely want to teach him."

Mathew pulled out a notepad and started to jot some stuff down, "Look, I'm going to give you some extra time so that you can conduct the trials since you guys are my classmates."

"Since when have you been working with the council?" I asked.

"My parents have been working under them for years and I was just born into it."

"What do you do exactly?"

"If it isn't obvious, we are monster hunters or bounty hunters. However, you want to call us it isn't important. Just know we kill stuff for the council."

I saw the guy standing at the far left just staring at us with cold dead eyes. I know Bree isn't scared of Mathew and Josh because we have them for class, so maybe, it might be this guy. I just don't understand why she would be. I know that I have never seen that guy before.

Mathew also said, "We will be in town keeping an eye on you guys since it was also the order of the council. They find it weird that a group of witches suddenly popped up in a small quiet town and they want us to make sure that there isn't any funny business going on. We will keep in contact."

Once they left, I turned to Bryanna who was still holding on for dear life, "What's the matter with you?"

"It's nothing!" She said looking in the other direction, "Please… can we go inside now?"

"Sure." I could have sworn I heard her cry for a moment as we walked back inside.

She went straight into my room and told all of us that she did not want to be bothered.

"There is something strange going on and it's not like her to get shaken up like that."

I looked at Wes, "So you noticed it too. Do you think that she knew about the monster hunters?"

"It's a strong possibility. If you want, I can look into it tonight just to make sure of things."

"No. I am quite sure that she will tell me on her own. I just need to give her some time and let her come tell it to me."

I can hear her… she is in her feelings… I am glad I have super hearing, but I hate hearing her cry…

I gave her space and waited it out in the living room.

"AAAHHHHHHHH?! WWHAT THE FUUUCK?!"

I jumped when I heard Anthony scream, "You scared the crap out of me!"

"My eyes burn! Why does it hurt so much?!" He ran into the bathroom, and I heard him turn on the faucet all the way because of how hard the running water sounded.

I was trying to figure out what could have happened when something caught my eye where he was sitting at, "What's this." I laughed because he picked up one of Wes's books and tried to read it without asking for his permission. I need to let Wes know that his spell is still in tack and working just fine.

"Splashing water in your eyes isn't going to work. It's a spell Wes put on his books for anyone trying to read his stuff."

I walked into the bathroom; this guy did not even hear a word I said. He has his entire head submerged underwater. Oh well, he will be fine…

"How long does this spell last?!" Anthony shouted from the restroom.

He did hear me, "I don't remember. Maybe one hour, give or take. You can ask Wes if there is another way to break that spell, but I highly doubt that he will just give it to you since you did just try to go through his stuff without asking him for permission. I believe that he would put another spell on you if you told him. He is outside tending to some yard work if you want to give it a shot."

Anthony came and sat next to me crying with bloodshot eyes, "No. I'm fine… It hurts so much… help…"

"Don't get me involved. You did that all on your own. No one told you to do it, now deal with the consequences."

The nerve of this guy! Asking me for help with something that he did!

It was four in the afternoon and Bryanna still had not come out of the room. I am starting to get even more worried because she missed breakfast and lunch. I know that girl too well, she is a fat-ass when it comes down to food, and for her not to eat and reject it is a good sign that something is wrong.

My train of thought was broken when Anthony spoke to me.

"What are you reading?" Anthony asked me.

"Oils. Wes asked me the other day to make some of them since he got some of the material the other day. I don't know the spell on how to infuse them with magical energy, but I can at least make them and put them in a vile."

"Can I read it?!" Before I could even react, Anthony yanks the book away from me. "OH GOD?! WAY?!!!"

Again, he ran into the bathroom to try and flush his eyes out.

"Why didn't it burn you?!" he demanded.

"Because I am in training, and you haven't even been initiated yet. Also, I got permission to do it."

"This fucking sucks!!! That is it! I am not touching another book from here on out."

I could not concentrate knowing that Bryanna was still in her feelings. I closed the book and placed it on top of one of the unopened boxes and slowly opened the door to my room and walked in. Bryanna was lying in my bed and hid herself under the blanket when she heard the door open. I sat at the edge of my bed with my back turned to her, "I am not going to force you to tell me what is going on, but you have to eat something. It worries me because I have never seen you refuse food before; especially when Wes makes it."

I felt Bree jump on my back and wrapped her arms around me while sobbing loudly.

"WAAAH! That guy, I dated him for a w-while. While we were dating, he constantly called me ugly and fat! He would always belittle me and make me feel awful. He would push me around until I eventually fell to the ground and kicked me while I was down. The things he said were terrible!"

I turned around and held her hand. She caught me by surprise, I was not expecting that. I did not know what to say.

"He hit me a lot and left me bruises, swollen, and bleeding. I would cover up with makeup in the mirror, and I would make myself believe that he would never do it again, but I was wrong again and again. He forced me to get naked for him and tied me up while he took pictures of me and sold them to people, and some of those same people he would sell me to as a sex slave! He would use scare tactics against me to keep me scared and do whatever he wanted. When I would refuse, he would threaten me and call me a horrible girlfriend and I would cry alone. One day he pushed me down a flight of stairs, I was bleeding from my head, and he told me that he was sorry and that he would never do it again because he swears, he loves me. Later, he then told me next time to do as he says, or he will kill me. He would take my phone away from me and hold me hostage in his home and no one ever tried to look for me. He burned me with cigarette tips and forcefully put things inside of me and it hurt a lot, so I ran away, I had enough, and I am now here hiding in your room from him! I don't want anything to do with him! WAAHHH!"

So, this was recent! That would explain why she would go missing for days!

I held her in my arms tightly and placed my head on top of her, "Go ahead and cry your heart out. I will always protect you. You are safe here and no harm will ever come to you! I promise!"

Why didn't she tell me before?! I was always here willing to help her if she ever needed me.

He now knows that she is here; to top it off, he is a monster hunter.

Poor Bree, I laid in bed with her while I was still holding on to her, and she cried herself to sleep. I am furious.

What is this feeling?! I started gasping for air.

Am I having an anxiety attack?!

I left Bryanna's side and left the room walking sideways while knocking stuff to the floor.

"Are you okay?" asked Anthony in the living room.

I pushed him to the side to make my way outside and Anthony followed close behind, "Wes! Come here! There is something wrong with Paul!" Anthony shouted.

There was rising anger in me, and it felt like something was trying to claw its way out from deep within. My insides hurt and I felt immense heat.

I was scared at the same time because I did not know what was going on.

"Fight it!" yelled Wes.

My vision was becoming blurred.

I looked at my hand and my fingernails started to fall off, "Ahh?!" That hurt and I felt something sharp starting to push its way out, "Are those claws?!" My right hand did the same.

I got up from the ground while still panicking and when Anthony saw me, he backed away five feet.

My teeth started to fall off and I held them in my hands while new ones took their place.

"What the fuck is going on with him? Does he have claws, fangs, and elf ears? Why are his eyes glowing blue?!"

"He's transforming! Stay back!"

Anthony ran behind me and got next to Wes; I gave both of them a growl that came from within me. I never heard of an animal or creature that could ever growl like that, and it even startled me.

I fell on one knee when I felt my leg break, "AAHHH!" All I heard were cracks from bones breaking and I saw my body swelling up. If I died a hundred times, this is what it would feel like.

Why is it so hot?!

My right hand started to claw off the skin on my left arm, and where I removed the flesh, I saw patches of long black fur take its place.

Shit that hurt to tear off my own skin. How am I still conscience?

It did not stop at the arm, I continued to do it to the rest of my body. I do not know how long it took me, but it felt like forever.

I stood up and I was now starting to lose the last bit of conscience I had, and the only thing I had on my mind was Bryanna. Everything looked faded as I stepped closer to Wes and Anthony who were walking slowly backward.

"Paul control yourself! You don't want me to do this!"

That was the last thing I heard before I blacked out.