Chapter Three

Aiden

I look down at the man who threatens my group. No, my family. He is tall for a human, but I still tower over him.

"And who are you?" I practically snarl at him.

"I am no one. I am everyone. I am the hunter of all hunters. I am the one who has hunted down and killed thousands of supernaturals. And you are next." He waves his hand in a forward motion and the men surrounding us release a volley of shots aimed at us. But none of them hits us. Instead, they hit the shimmer, see-through pink shield surrounding us. I look over my shoulder to find Elia standing with bright pink mist circling her arms. The look of anger on her face is slightly concerning but if it is fueling the shield I'm not going to stop it.

"El! How long can you hold it?" I scream at her. She meets my gaze and her pink eyes shine.

"If all they have is these weapons, a long time." She answers back.

"How long can you hold it against that?" Akira asks from next to me. I look over and follow her gaze to three men coming at us with very large guns in their hands. Bazookas. I turn back to her, worry in my eyes.

"As long as I have to," Elia says back, determination thickening her voice. Meaning she will hold it as long as she can, giving her everything to keep us safe, despite what it will do to her. I nod and turn to the middle of the group.

"Meera, can you use the water from the lake?" I ask.

"Of course." She says. I nod, a smile spreading across my face as a plan forms in my head.

"Good. Akira, create a thunderstorm, assist Meera's wave as much as need be. Roan, throw as many daggers as you can. Non-fatal wounds guys, we are not the monsters that they think we are. El, let our attacks come through the shield." They all nod.

"What about me, boss?" Wilder asks. I grab his shoulder.

"Watch Elia's back." He nods. A bazooka is fired and hits the shield, causing an explosion. Elia sucks in a pained grunt and her knees buckle a little. Wilder is there in a second to support her as she turns to the explosion. She raises her hands and shoots pink magic into the shield, strengthening it. "Go!" I call out and everyone turns around, battle-ready. I call on my fire and create an additional barrier along the ground outside of Elia's shield before I start firing shots at the incoming hunters. Roan throws a plethora of daggers that meet their targets, legs, and shoulders. A wave passes through the men, knocking them off their feet. Meera's wave combined with Akira's instantaneous thunderstorm quickly takes care of our attackers. It is over so fast, it's suspicious. I look around. No one but us are left standing.

"Anyone else think this was a bit too easy?" Roan asks, breaking the silence. Wilder groans.

"Man, I wish you hadn't said that. Things always get worse when someone says that." Wilder sighs. "Have you never seen an action movie?" He chastises Roan who just shrugs. Ignoring them, I set my gaze on the forest.

"El, lower the shield," I say softly and Elia's shield slowly fades away. "Check around guys-" A whistling sound interrupts me. I look up in time to find a small grenade being thrown towards us by a guy who just emerged from the tree line. "Get down!" I grab Akira and Meera's hands and pull them down with me, using my body as a somewhat shield over them. The grenade explodes just before it hits the ground. The sharp shrapnel hits my back and I hiss through clenched teeth. I push through the pain and raise myself onto my arms. "Report! Guys report!" I yell, trying to take stock of everyone.

"Got some in my arm, but it'll heal," Akira says from beneath me.

"Same here but in the leg," Meera answers as I gently move off of them.

"Roan? Wilder? Elia?" I call out. No response. Fear races through me as I turn to the rest of my friends. They are lying spread out in different directions. I jump up and race to Wilder, ignoring the pain in my back. "Wilder? Man, can you hear? Wilder!" I shake his shoulders and he grunts in response. Relief flows through me. He's alive. He coughs and rolls to the side, mumbling something. I lean in closer.

"Wolfs...wolfsbane..." He says. I curse and turn to the others.

"The grenade was laced with Wolfsbane!" I yell at them.

"And vervain!" Meera yells back from where she kneels next to Roan. "He won't heal!"

"Akira! How's Elia?" I shout.

"Unconscious! She's got shrapnel in her torso!" Akira calls back. I curse again. Both Wilder and Roan will heal but it will take them a while, but Elia is the only one of us who doesn't have any self-healing abilities. "Aiden!" Meera cries out. I look up at her to find a gun to her head. Yet another curse comes out of my mouth as I feel the cold steel of a gun barrow press against the back of my head.

"So that's your name. Aiden. Well, I wouldn't move, Aiden." The cold voice of the hunter comes from behind me. "I have incapacitated three of yours. The werewolf and the vampire will heal soon enough to still give me the satisfaction of killing them slowly, but I don't know about our little witch, she doesn't look too good. And don't forget the fact that I have guns pointed at the rest of you. So, you're coming with me." The gun barrow leaves my head, only to be replaced by a hard hit by the gun. The last thing I see is Akira and Meera falling to the ground, unconscious, and some hunters grabbing Wilder and Roan and dragging them across the meadow as well as three more hunters each pick up the unconscious girls and then ...nothing.