Sapphire A Huntress no more (Sapphire Book 1)

They were all bathing in blood. The metallic scent was overwhelming as if one was tasting it as bodies fell one after the other. There were more fallen men than wolves, five men to one werewolf. Their armies were equal in number but not in strength. The hunters had researched everything there was to know about their opponent and yet they underestimated the werewolves. What they did not expect was for werewolves to ally themselves with the witches. They knew little about magic and how to counter it and because of that the hunter chief had to improvise. He had some notion of what harms a magic user. Fire was easy to procure, they were safe with that. One other thing he had to take in mind, was the fact that the enemy still had its leader. A werewolf king was hard to handle, he or she being the most powerful wolf. The first time he had faced such an opponent the hunter chief was wise enough to kill the former king’s mate. A deathly blow that weakened the king enough for them to strike and kill him with ease. This time though he had to think of another plan as this current werewolf king had no mate, that he knew of. Due to him being mate-less Cole had to think of another way to weaken his enemy. He sent scout after scout to the werewolves’ layer in order to find his enemy’s weak point, and after many failed attempts he found something he could use. A cousin was as good as a replacement for a mate in absence of anything else. His plan had at its core the notion of family love. Surely the werewolf king cared for his family. How much he cared was here the unknown.

Cole Bates was watching his men die one after the other in annoyance. Up on the hill he could see all of them fight for their survival rather than for the cause he drilled into them. Even so the man was angrier at himself more than on his minion’s lack of willpower. He had a plan put in place but it failed quicker than he expected it to. He thought the wolves cared for each other, how wrong he was. No matter he thought, he had one more scheme in mind.

‘Come out, come out wherever you are, my little traitor.’ He began to shout.

He was looking for the only one who had the power to annoy him. The small little girl he had found in the woods all those years ago.

The cold had reached their bones by the time they returned from their hunt. The werewolf settlement they had come upon the month before was finally taken care of. The woods were colder this time of year, more so at night. Moonlight slipped through pine and spruce trees giving them enough light to make their way back home. One more hour through the wood and they would arrive. The hunter chief was leading the way, he was content with the events of the day. His good spirits were halted by a cry. A child’s cry deep into the woods. He signalled his men to stop. He went alone toward the origin of the cry and after ten minutes of walking he found what he was looking for. An infant girl was what he found judging by the pink blanket. He looked around for any sign that suggested they were not alone. But nothing was around. He took the little girl into his arms. Cold and hungry, are you? He said as the child kept weeping in his arms. The hunters were shocked to see the child but said nothing as their chief ordered them to hurry up. They obeyed and he moved on with a crying child in his arms.

That day had been as clear in his mind as the present one. He had no intention to father a child or get attached to anyone ever, he was not that kind of man. But the truth was he let himself care for that baby girl. He taught her how to be a hunter, he nurtured her to be his successor and what did she do? She went and threw it all away. And for what?

The smoke had risen from the earth making the field look like a river of clouds over the mountain. The fire started out of nowhere from one of the stables…it was a distraction. One of Cole’s men, frightened by the turn of events took it upon himself to set a fire that would spread into the fortress and make the wolves change their focus. Cole had little time to think his actions through as he saw Erin make her way to where he was. A path was made for her and as he watched her every step Cole realised how much she had changed in those months she was away from him. She seemed different somehow, more confident, more charming than before. She stopped in front of him, two werewolves behind her. A woman who had the same eye colour as Erin and a man. He looked at the two women and it clicked.

‘How is this possible?’ He said with anger.

‘How is what possible?’ Erin said pretending not to know what he spoke about.

‘You pretty little traitor, a werewolf now, are you?’

‘Ah, that. Well I had always been like them. I am a late bloomer that is all.’

‘You are a liar now too. I have raised you since you were an infant. I would have realised you were not human.’

‘I had no idea I was one Cole. You might think about yourself as a know it all but you have no idea what werewolves are.’

‘I know all there is to know about them.’

‘And that is?’

‘They are an abomination.’

‘No Cole they are not the abomination here, you are.’

His anger had reached its peak. How dare she go against him in such a way. These beasts brainwashed her, changed her. There was no such thing as acceptance when it came to wolves. She was his handiwork and now all his plans were ruined by those...monsters. This was the second time he had lost someone to them, someone dear to him.

They were taking a walk through the woods. He preferred the towns with their loud busy streets but his sister was a nature lover. She loved looking at plants and trees whenever they entered the woods. Today though, she was distracted by something. She looked at nothing but the cold winter earth.

‘What is on your mind sister?’ He said worried.

‘I don’t know how to tell you this.’ She said shyly.

’You can tell me anything. You know that.′

’Ok then...I fell in love.′

‘That is wonderful. Who is the lucky man?’

′Mmmm...it is the Alpha of...′ She began happily.

‘A WOLF? YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH A WOLF?’

‘Brother please...’ She began trying to calm him down, just a bit.

’I take my eyes off of you for a month and you go fornicate with the enemy? DON’T PLEASE ME.′

Due to the noise, they did not hear someone approach. Only when a wolf come out from the shadows did he stop yelling at his sister. Cole looked at the giant wolf and slowly went for his gun, only it was not there. His sister on the other hand was going were the wolf was, his gun in her hand.

‘What are you doing women?’

‘Cole, this is Brian, my mate.’ She said. The colour vanished from him at those words.

That was the last time he had seen his sister. That day she had left with that wolf and he never saw her again.

He should have killed his sister then and there rather than let her leave with that monster. This time he would not let another on escape.

Not for a second time.