Chapter 7

Returning to the village, Hybreed notices everyone looking very fearful towards him as he makes his way to his father and mother's house. As he enters, he kneels in front of his father and is ordered to sit, but Hybreed can hear the sheer disappointment in his voice.

Hybreed: What is troubling you, father?

Kargan: It's Jasper.

Hybreed: What?

Kargan: He's with the doctor. I'm afraid he was accidently shot by one of the townspeople.

Hybreed: How does something like this happen by accident? It's clear those people don't trust us.

Renee: Son, please.

Hybreed: You know I am right, mother. You said it yourself they can't be trusted. How did it happen?

Kargan: He was training. Apparently, the hunters were tracking wildlife and mistook him for a deer or elk.

Hybreed: And they shot him? You know our only weakness is silver.

Kargan: The doctor found the rifle was loaded with silver rounds.

Hybreed: Why would they be packing silver? Deer can be taken down with normal rounds.

Renne: That's what we find suspicious about this.

Hybreed: It was intentional.

Kargan: Let's not get carried away, son.

Hybreed: Not get carried away? With all due respect, father, my king, did you two not tell me to always be mindful and to not trust them too much? This is me questioning why they were packing silver rounds for wildlife?

Renee: Unless he was hunting "him."

Kargan looks at Hybreed and his wife silently, coming to the realization this could have been intentional and not an accident after all.

Kargan: Go into town, find the one who shot Jasper and interrogate him, but do NOT kill him.

Running through the woods at superhuman speed, Hybreed makes his way to the town and without hesitation, enters unannounced, startling several people. Angry, Hybreed looks around when he spots the pub. He storms inside, making everyone look at him. He scans the entire pub but doesn't get a whiff of the hunter and leaves without saying a word. As more people venture onto the streets, Hybreed catches the whiff of the hunter closeby and enters the market to find him there. Again, not saying a word, Hybreed grabs him and throws him onto the streets as he circles him like a hungry wolf circling its prey.

Hybreed: For years, me and my tribe have defended this town. Protecting all of you from the dangers that roam these woods and in return you gave us offerings as gratitude. So, why did your fellow human shoot one of my own?

The townspeople stare at the hunter, some looking disgusted at the man that shot Jasper. The man, intimidated and terrified of Hybreed, pleads for his life and reminds Hybreed it was an accident.

Hybreed: An accident? You were tracking a deer, yes? So, what features on my pupil made you think he was a deer? Deers have fur. We don't unless we turn. He wasn't in form. I know my pupils and know they don't turn unless it's a full moon.

Town man: I swear on my wife and son, I didn't mean to shoot him. The deer ran in front of him, and I took a shot, but it missed and hit him.

Hybreed: They found silver in the bullet.

Town man: It wasn't my rifle.

Hybreed: No?

Hybreed kneels down to his level and looks him directly in the eye, which turns to his wolf color, further scaring him.

Hybreed: Do you know what we do to those who hunt us?

Hybreed grabs the man by his shirt and lifts him off the ground!

Hybreed: We take their lives.

Hybreed draws his claws when a hand on his shoulder stops him and a familiar voice asking him what he is doing. He turns around to see Katherine there and realizing his actions and that he was about to disobey his father, Hybreed looks at the man he is holding and releases him then turns to face Katherine. She gently touches his face to calm him down then remembers what she told him - Enchantress will deceive the town, forcing one of them to kill a member of the Iris wolf pack because it never got its annual sacrifice or kill a young woman of the village to appease it.