HUNTED

Aila sat in the car on yet another little trip to take out some hunters. This time they were on their way to a compound; she was nervous about it. The last time she attacked a compound, there was more than just three of them, and even then, they left severely injured. The hybrid wondered what Cassius was planning with this; they already knew Clint would not be with the hunters. 

The idea infuriated her that they wouldn't see him anytime soon; anyone they'd interrogated didn't know where he was or were loyal enough to die than giving out such information. Even Cassius' torture methods didn't get the answers they needed. 

"What are you thinking so deeply about?" Cassius' voice drew her back from her reverie. Aila's unfocused gaze outside the car window returned to the vampire and hybrid in the car. 

She glanced at Cassius driving and muttered. "I'm just wondering why we are attacking a compound. It took more than three of us last time, and we had a plan."

"You shouldn't be nervous. I'm here, and Davian is also powerful," Cassius replied nonchalantly. "I don't think it is a big compound either."

"I went with Gabriel last time.." Aila trailed off and inwardly cursed at her stupidity. Cassius didn't say anything, but she could tell from his hardened gaze that he wasn't happy at the mention of his brother's name. It made her wonder how he pretended to be him the whole time she kept calling him Gabriel. 

They sat in silence for the rest of the journey, but Aila didn't mind. Cassius pulled up on the side of a country road before turning in his seat to face his 'children'. "We kill everyone and rescue those held captive," Cassius looked at them sternly. "You've got guns, but we will try and do this quietly."

"Cass.." Aila stopped him from leaving the vehicle, her hand placed on his arm. Cassius looked at her, his brow raising as he waited for her to continue. "What do you gain out of this?"

"I told you before. I'll make sure your goals are met." He smiled, gripping her chin with his thumb and fingers before releasing her.

"How do you know my goal is taking out a hunter's compound-"

"Why wouldn't taking out hunters not be your highest priority? Not even just as the Alpha Queen. They have been terrorising all creatures. Haven't you noticed from the countless we have killed? I know going to this compound, and a few others will motivate you more." Cassius nodded his head then turned away, climbing out of the SUV. Aila frowned and shared a look with Davian before they exited the car.

The pair followed behind their master, sprinting quickly across fields. It annoyed her that the white clothes she wore would get ruined, but all of her previous clothes had also been stained in blood. Cassius preferred her in white for some reason, and because of that twisted sire bond, she kept dressing up in white and taking more care in her appearance. However, she changed into something more comfortable for their 'mission'.

Her white skinny jeans matched with a silky white vest, but instead of heels, she made sure to put white trainers on. Her hair was pulled back behind her, the rest of it flowing down her back in a half-up hairstyle. 

Cassius was as usual in an Armani suit, and Davian for once wore shoes. She was getting used to seeing his bare feet and jeans without a shirt look. It was very.. werewolf-like and daydreamed about Damon walking around like that. Then she felt jealous of the she-wolves at the packhouse seeing her mate still. 

Cassius clicked his fingers in front of her face, and she snapped out of her thoughts, smiling sheepishly at the vampire. "Now is not the time to be daydreaming." His voice resonated in her mind. 

They were waiting behind a tree as Davian cut through the fencing at the back of the compound. His claws screeched against the complaining metal until he pulled away the netting, forming a hole big enough for them to climb through. He swiftly jumped through and hid behind a building nearby. Cassius grabbed Aila's hand, and the pair sprinted through the gap, meeting behind Davian. 

"On second thought, I'll just kill all the hunters at the radios, so they don't call for backup. You guys should have some fun," Cassius smirked and suddenly disappeared. 

Aila looked at Davian, and he sighed. "Let's do this as quickly as possible."

Aila nodded, her eyes void of emotion as she went through the motions of slicing, biting and shooting her way through the army of men and women. Among them, she didn't see any like Chase or Everett, so she put them down like the rest, merciless and cruel. She stopped at the end of the barracks, her chest heaving from the onslaught, her clothes drenched in their blood with only a little splattered on her face and luckily none in her hair. 

"Aila, do you smell that?" Malia asked, interrupting her from checking her hair out in a makeup mirror one of the hunters left on their bedside cabinet next to the metal bunk bed. 

Aila placed the mirror down quietly as she sniffed the air. It was blood, but not the blood of humans. It was faint, but she could still follow it. Aila set off quickly out of the barracks and into another building, cursing when a silver bullet pierced her right shoulder. She hid behind a wall and pulled her pistol out, checking the chamber for bullets. There was only one left. 

Aila slowed her breathing and listened intently for the footsteps and breathing of the hunters nearby. She could tell there were three of them down the corridor stepping ever so quietly towards her. She wondered about going down the hall she was on and sending them on a 'wild goose chase', but there was the possibility of them sneaking up on her when she would get distracted.

Instead, she waited until the first hunter was only a few feet away from her; Aila peered around the corner and jumped back after he let loose a bunch of bullets from his AK47. She waited and smirked when she heard him curse and reload; she took her chance, rounded the corner and shot him in the head just as the bullets were put into the chamber. He flopped to the ground, and she jumped to the floor with him, out of the array of shells shot her way from the other two hunters.

Aila scrambled for the assault rifle and pushed down on the trigger, aiming at the remaining hunters. She kept a hold of the gun and sniffed the air again; the unfamiliar yet familiar scent of the blood led her down some stairs, and she stopped in front of a large bolted metal door. It reminded her of the one that kept her and the others locked away in the compound she found herself in. 

"That feels like aaaages ago now," Malia murmured. They may not have been able to communicate, but her wolf watched 'on the side lines', and she was right; it felt like more than a year had passed. But it was because of everything that has happened since. Staring at the keypad made her a little nostalgic, not that her memories at the hunter's compound was anything to be fond of. 

"Are you just going to stop and stare at it?" 

Davian's voice whipped her head back, and her brows rose at how dishevelled he looked. The shoes he wore were gone now, and he stood there in just jeans again. He must have shifted and attacked in his wolf form. "My wolf needed to let loose. You haven't let yours out much. I'm surprised she hasn't tried taking control," Davian said as though he'd read her mind. Or maybe it was the look she had been giving him.

"She does try, but.. Cass.." Aila trailed off and shook her head, not letting her emotions get to her now. She guessed they were nearly done, considering Davian was beside her. 

Davian growled in response, his upper lip pulling up and twisting, his eyes blazing. "I can't believe he knows her true name. I'm sorry I can't help with that," He sighed before stepping forwards. "Here, let me."

Davian grabbed the handle and yanked on it, pulling it loose from the hinges, surprising Aila at his strength. But the blaring alarm system made her flinch and kick the keypad, which did absolutely nothing. "Man, the movies are so fake.." She muttered before stepping through the broken door and halting at the cells and torture chamber with wide eyes.

The blaring noise vibrated through the walls, and loud growls and banging on the cell doors made Aila inhale sharply. 

"What the.." Davian trailed off as he stepped around her, frowning at the beasts inside the cells. 

"They're.. I thought they stopped creating them.." Aila whispered and walked past the hybrid and stopped in front of the middle cell. The two beasts on either side of the middle one tried to swipe their clawed hands at her but missed while she stared at the huge lycanthrope being whose eyes matched her own. This one was calm, and it stared down at her. 

"Aila, what do you mean?" Davian asked and stepped towards a table with one of the beasts unconscious and strapped against it with tubes sticking out of it. Aila glanced at the other two trying to attack her, her eyes glowed a brilliant golden hue, and they instantly stopped and whimpered, crouching down to her level. However, the one in the middle was looking at her with much higher intelligence. His eyes were crystal clear as he gazed upon her.

"How were they making these?" Aila whispered in wonder.

"Fuck," Davian dropped a vial as he hissed. "They were putting wolfsbane into him. I guess it works on them as well."

Aila sighed a trembling breath, glancing at the large beast whose feet were on the ground, and only their back and backside barely fitting on the table. She slowly looked back at the lycanthrope who had slowly lowered himself to meet her eyes; his large furry hands were wrapped around the bars as he snarled. "Do you understand what we are saying?" Aila asked, making Davian chuckle from the side. 

But the lycanthrope nodded its head. 

"Of course they do. They were werewolves before they were injected with your blood," Cassius spoke from behind them. "You have command over them, so free them and tell them to follow us."

Aila looked at him, her eyes going wide. Was this what Cassius was after? The lycanthropes? 

Cassius tilted his head to the side. "Aila, why have you gone so pale? We are helping them, no?"