“Shit, shit, shit. " I said to myself as I dashed through the trees and shrubs. It was late and I needed to get back home but this hunter wouldn’t allow that. I had a silver bullet in my shoulder and it burned like the mother fucker. Bullets whooshed past me and I knew she had to be close. My fur was matted and stained with blood as my shoulder leaked its crimson liquid. My legs were ready to give out as I slowed to a trot. I had to find somewhere to hide but this bullet in my shoulder left a nasty trail she could follow. But either way I needed to rest, she would catch me for sure if I kept running.

 

So, I sniffed out one of my hideouts, luckily one was nearby. It was a hollowed-out tree stump with a small room just underground. There was a bed and a first aid kit but that’s about it. I reverted to my human form and groaned in pain as my body contorted back. I then hopped in and closed the opening behind me, hoping it was going to be enough. I sat down on the bed as I grabbed the first aid kit.  The gauze was the first thing I grabbed. I patted away the blood so I could see the wound. It looked nasty. It reminded me of half rotten hamburger meat. That bullet really did a number on my shoulder. I reached my fingers into the wound and grit my teeth as I pulled on the bullet. The cursed metal burnt as I touched it causing me to stop.

“Fuck me!” I yelled, my frustration was clear. I reached back into it once again and yanked on it but it seemed to be wedged between the bones in my shoulder.

“Son of a bitch! What the hell am I gonna do?” I asked myself aloud. I couldn’t remove the bullet but I had to stop this rapid bleeding. I shoved some more gauze on it and quickly wrapped it with some medical tape, or at least as quick as I was able with one hand. Once it was wrapped and the bleeding had stopped I laid back on the bed.

 

                I hoped that I finally lost that crazy bitch but I’ve dealt with hunters before, she was dead or I was. It was only a matter of time.

                Fuck, how do I solve this problem? Maybe the local bat coven would help. I thought as I devised my next plan of attack. The damn bats were my only hope. They always enjoyed the overzealous hunters. All I knew was the fact that my feeding was a trap and I fell for it. That’s not usually how things go. This hunter was good but none of that mattered, this wound had me dying for some sleep to let it heal a bit. So, I laid down on the bed and slowly drifted asleep.

 

                My so-called safety didn’t last long when a cough awoke me. I opened my eyes to meet the barrel of a silver pistol and a masked woman wielding it.

                “So, any last words, pup?” She asked me. Strangely enough I didn’t expect her accent. They rarely sent foreigners after me but she sounded like she was from the UK or maybe Australia.

                “Fuck you.” I replied. I reared back and hocked a nasty ole lugie in her face. Sadly, it hit her mask but I was sure she got the message. That was when I noticed something amazing. She left the door to my hide out open. I still had a chance, I just had to stall a bit longer.

                “I like em feisty but this is the end for you, pup.” She said as she moved her thumb to cock the gun.

                “So, you don’t want any more information then?” I asked.

                “What else do you have to offer. I mean you could offer that body but I’d never…. Not with a fuckin wolf. So, what else do you have?” She asked me with her finger on the trigger.

                “What if I told you where you could find a vampire coven?” I asked. She slowly pulled her finger down off of the trigger and she seemed to perk up slightly.

                “I think my superiors would like to know that information. Tell me!” She demanded.

                “They are in the city.” I answered but before I finished explaining, I saw a stoke of good fortune. One of the bats I was about to rat out had just flown into the room underground. Obviously curious as to why there was an underground room beneath a stump. I saw him smile as he looked at the hunter. She still hadn’t noticed him yet. She was too focused on me. He swooped in and bit her on the neck and I smirked as she groaned in pain. He released her and started to fly out. I took my chance and bolted for the door out. I shifted once again back to my wolf form. My claws retracted back out and my pearl, white fur sprang forth from my flesh as my body twisted its shape once again.

 

                My safe house was exposed and I needed to abandon it being as it no longer provided me the shelter I needed. Once I was back to my wolf form I dashed through the forest once again. My shoulder was no longer bleeding so I decided it was safe to return home for the time being. As I ran I heard monstrous howls and screams. It had to be the hunter. Only a newborn vampire could make such a devilish noise. Either way it didn’t matter. I doubted she would give me much more trouble now that she was either going to turn or die in the process. Good riddens I thought.

 

I ran until I reached the edge of the forest. The town of Riddleton wasn’t huge but it wasn’t a small town either. I had to reach my apartment and fast. So, I played the part of a stray dog, which was easy since it was just after midnight and most people were sleeping. I ran through the city streets and alleyways until I got home. My apartment was on the fifth floor so I took the elevator up and when I reached my door I opened it and went inside.

 

I immediately locked all my doors and windows, along with any other points of access. I needed to get some sleep before I had to go to work. Oh shit, that was another thing. Work, I had to work with a bullet in my shoulder. There was no way I’d get to the Doc in time if I wanted a proper amount of sleep. So, I slept.

 

When I woke up, I had to be at work in an hour, just enough time to shower and prepare myself. I worked as a personal trainer at a gym in town. So, I showered and wrapped my shoulder again. I left my apartment and took the bus to work. I arrived a few minutes earlier than normal but today I had an appointment with one of regulars, Kasula Bellrose. That was a unique name to be sure but I wasn’t here to judge. Besides she was easy on the eyes. She arrived a bit earlier than her scheduled time, which I didn’t mind. It meant I could get started earlier and be done earlier. Something seemed strange about her though. Something was off. She was paler than I remembered.

 

                She walked into the gym wearing her usual workout gear. She approached me while I stood next to the receptionist desk. When she was close enough, I really took myself an eye full of her. She was a gorgeous red head with a tight body. What’s not to like?

                “What happened to the shoulder, big guy?” She asked. I did sense a hint of sarcasm in her tone but I took no mind to it.

                “I got a minor injury from my weekend with the guys.” I replied. I had to lie, I couldn’t tell everybody I was a werewolf and I got shot. Could you imagine how people would react? Honestly they would probably think it was a joke or possibly that I’m insane. That’s beside the point. Either way, I had to come up with a story quick.

                “Oh yea? What happened?” She asked curiously.

                “Ah, it’s nothing I assure you.” I insisted, hoping she would drop it. No such luck for me though.

                “C’mon, big guy. You can tell me.” Kas pressured. I had to come up with something or she would question me and I couldn’t have that.

                “Fine, the boys took me out skeet shooting for the first time and my shoulder is pretty sore from the 12 gauge.” I spat out in a desperate attempt to hide the truth.

                “Skeet shooting?” She asked.

                “Yea its where you shoot these clay pigeons—“ I started to explain.

                “I know what skeet shooting is. Just doesn’t seem like something you would do.” She explained.

                “Well, like I said, it was my first time. Besides, enough about me. Let’s get to work. Today is legs, right?” I explained as I tried to divert her attention.

                “Righto, mate. Legs it is.” She replied. Kas and I walked to the back room where we normally workout and began our regiment. After a couple of hours, we were both exhausted and I was dying in pain from my shoulder. I really needed to get to the Doc and fast. I hadn’t check my schedule yet but I needed to see how many more people I would see today. Kas left the gym and I went back to my office. I sat at my desk and smiled when I saw the schedule was clear for today. I walked back out front and over to the receptionist.

                “Hey, I’m out. She was my only one for today. Have a good day, Lauren.” I said to her as I turned to leave.

                “You too Nathan. Later.” She replied.

 

                I didn’t care about going home, I had to get my shoulder checked out and I only knew one person I could trust for that, Dr. Hart. He was a shapeshifter that became a veterinarian and he worked on me from time to time. I always helped him when he needed it too, so we had a mutual respect for each other. Luckily, I was immune to infection which would have likely started by now but I did have to fear silver sickness from the bullet’s contact with my flesh. That’s could lead to something bad down the road. So, I made haste and found my way to Dr. Hart’s office on the outer rim of the town. When I arrived, I knocked hard on the door three times and waited. A moment later he slid open the speakeasy window on the door. When he saw it was me, he quickly opened the door.

                “Get inside. Now!” Dr. Hart demanded, “So what have you to yourself this time, Nathan?”

                “I really fucked up, Doc. I fell for a trap and nearly died, but clearly I got away. I just need you to patch me up.” I answered, “I’ve had this silver bullet in my shoulder since about midnight last night.”

                “Tsk, Tsk. You should really be more careful.” He replied, “Well it’s a gunshot wound obviously, and a silver bullet to boot. Let me remove the bandage and see the damage.” He said as he peeled away the tape and gauze from my shoulder, “Damn, its turning black, that’s a bad sign. You got her just in time. I think if I cut away the black, remove the bullet and give you a couple stiches, you can be on your way. But as you know, this will be painful. Would you prefer the muzzle again, or a wooden spoon?”

                “I know, this isn’t my first rodeo. I’ll take the spoon this time.” I answered as he handed me a foot-long wooden spoon. I bit down on it and waited. It wasn’t long before he pulled out a scalpel. I felt each cut as he sliced away at my shoulder. It honestly felt like acid was melting my skin away, something like a flesh-eating virus was just having a fiesta on my shoulder. But before I knew it I heard metal on metal as he dropped the bullet into his tray.

 

                “Almost done, Nathan. Just a few stitches and you can be on your way.” He said as he pushed the needle through my skin and looped it through. He did it at least five stitches before he cut the thread. I took the spoon out of my mouth and set it on his tray next to the bullet.

                “Thanks. What do I owe you this time?” I asked.

                “I’ll let you know later when I have more details about it. I’ll just say that I need a favor is all.” Dr. Hart explained.

                “Okay, you got my number. So, call me when it comes up and I’ll be there.” I replied as I stood up. I stretched my shoulder a bit and smiled, “Ah, good as new. Thanks again.” I left his office and started to walk home but something felt off. The air grew thick and began to suffocate me. The strangest part about it was that I smelled nothing, like nothing at all. There was no scent in the area and that threw me for a loop. That’s when it hit me. There was a hunter nearby. That was the only thing that explained the eerie feeling I had. I shifted into my wolf form and turned around. I heard the click of a gun cocking behind me and bolted for the alleyway nearby. The gun shot was nearly silence, clearly they had a suppressor on their gun. As I dashed through the alleyways I heard near silent footsteps behind me. I knew no human could match my speed so ran faster. I pushed myself harder and harder until I took a left down another alley and the hunter stood in my path, their pistol aimed at me. I turned and ran down the opposite alley.

 

                I faced a dead end with a hunter directly behind me. So, I turned to face her. I figured if this was how I was going down, I’d go down fighting. I shifted into a more beastly version of myself, somewhere between wolf and human. My body popped and twisted as my bones realigned yet again. She aimed her gun at me but pulled out a dagger in her free hand. All I knew was, this bitch would not give up. Even after being bitten by a vampire she refused to give up the chase. She had to have turned by now. This put me at a disadvantage. She had her skills as a hunter and the improved reflexes, speed, and strength of a fuckin bat and I only had my skills as wolf. Either way it didn’t matter, I had to face her here and now. I charged at her and she fired several shots at me but I easily dodged them. Once I was in range I immediately threw a punch at her chest in hopes to bust through and steal her heart but I had no such luck. She jumped back after the punch and grabbed her chest.

                “Ouch, that actually kind of hurt a little bit.” She taunted.

                “I’ll eat your heart out, Bitch!” I growled at her.

                “We’ll see about that. But now say hello to Shazza.” She replied as she dashed towards me. She tried to stab me with her dagger but I caught her wrist and grabbed her by the throat. I threw her into a wall and held her there. I tried to choke the life out of her but she just smirked just as she chuckled.

               

                “What are you laughing at?” I demanded.

                “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.” She replied but her laugh had me distracted and she knew it. The hunter used her free hand to grab me by the wrist. She twisted and I released my grip on her neck. She flung me to the ground and sat on me. She was surprisingly heavy for somebody with such a small frame. She placed her dagger at my throat and took a deep breath.

                “Look I don’t want to kill you right now.” She said, “So can you relax for a minute?”

                “Okay sure. What now?” I asked. This was not the usual behavior of a hunter, so this had me thrown off guard.

                “So, I came here to talk but you attack me all gung ho and I had to defend myself.” She replied. I took a deep breath and she removed the knife from my throat entirely. She even holstered her pistol and sheathed the dagger. 

                “What exactly do you want then?” I asked. I was curious what she could want to talk to her prey about. Either way I was about to find out.