Chapter 3 - Hunters

Olivia's POV

Humming a merry tune, I made breakfast for my little pups, though they aren't that small anymore. I needed to butter them up for the topic of conversation I wanted to have. My babies were the best, but hated their fathers. I tried my best to make sure they didn't despite my own hate for them. Their note that they had left me on the table broke my heart and it's only because I never confronted them again that I was alive.

Their note was enough for a partial rejection but due to the fact that they didn't use my name and never rejected me in their presence, I was able to keep going. Mateo, Chris and now the Miller Organization was helpful like that. My friends had helped us settle down and now all of us were involved in something more to help others. I guess it's my destiny as I had been destined to be a Luna whose job is to help care for the pack.

The Miller Organization was just an idea of mine from after I gave birth. Mateo and Chris however ran with it. First by the time the triplets were 2, we set up a legit human business to cover up future supernatural dealings for rogues. Mateo and Chris had tried to keep me out of the next step. They had set up a human mafia by the time my babies were 5. They hid it for a year, but I finally confronted them and they admitted to it. When my babies were 7, we had managed to become a known rogue Organization that functions like a pack.

Sadly, this also put a target on our backs. Mostly because we protected everyone. If you are human who knows about the supernatural, we would take you. A Hunter that wants to escape his lifestyle, we welcomed them. A werewolf, vampire, fairy or even half-breeds, we would take them in. Of course, there was the rule that if you broke a serious rule instead of being kicked out, you would be killed.

The thing that got us the most hate from the Alpha Kings was that we protected witches. Witches and warlocks have been hunted for their power for ages. If they give up their power to someone, they are forced into servitude into their death. The Alpha Kings were obsessed with that and resulted in quite literally a witch-hunt. I didn't believe in that. Witches were tortured to force them to give up their power and most often killed. Our first witch was Giannawho escaped after they had killed her mate and child. Her family tracked her here and joined us as well. Now, she has a second chance mate and is doing better. However, by doing that, the Alpha Kings hated us even more. They kidnapped my pups when they were seven. My intelligent babies escaped thanks to their training, but that was the first time they took someone's life.

Now, they were all 16 years old, having shifted into their wolf for the first time at 12 due to their Alpha blood. The Miller Organization grew and now we have branches all over the world: Russia, Japan, France. . . On the topic of my pups, they were a handful in their own right. Since we are hiding among the humans, I was forced to send them to public school. It took Mia two weeks to get suspended and later expelled from that school. She got into too many fights because the human boys thought she was "weak" because she was a girl. Mia was much too prideful and took them down. Elijah and Levi weren't bothered because it was normal for boys. I nearly killed the principal for this.

In the end, I home schooled them and was therefore able to give them more training here. Mia has every intention of inheriting the Miller Organization. Levi and Elijah are less interested but I know why. They were meant to be the next Alphas of Blood Moon after their fathers. It's in their blood. And that's the subject I want to talk about. It isn't going to go well.

Speaking of the devils, I heard the arrival of my babies. As they are teenagers and came back from an assignment last night, they are taking their sweet time, not morning people. Mia sniffed the air and muttered, "Food."

Levi shoved Mia over and grabbed a plate of food, "Pancakes!"

Elijah stayed quiet, like always. There had been a time where that fact worried me. I thought maybe he was shy or had other problems. Especially with Levi and Mia being so vocal, I just wanted my baby to be okay. It even got to the point where I confronted him about. He simply smiled at me and said, "The quiet one is always the person you should look out for. After all, no one plans a murder out loud." He got a laugh out of me for that statement.

Later, I had the same conversation with Mia who reassured me, "Don't underestimate him. The quiet people know more than they say, think more than they speak, and notice more than anyone realizes." Talking with my pups gave me clarity on a lot of topics. They have trained most of their life and been doing work such as rescue, or scouting for the Miller Organization since they were 10. It had been Mateo and Chris' idea. They had the dynamics of a well trained group.

Mia talked a lot and no one saw past her air-head disguise. Levi was the dumb jock while Elijah was the quiet kid qualified as a nerd. In different times, we sent them to schools to help other rogues. All that could change. Mia could act like a boy obsessed girl, Levi the popular kid and Elijah the bad boy. Everyone always over looked the calculating look in their eyes and their lack of hesitation in everything. Their eyes were guarded and cold.

Be kind, be professional, and a plan to kill everyone you meet. Those were words we are forced to live by. I didn't want that for them which is why I need to talk to them. I want them safe, not looking over their shoulder all the time. I want them to have a chance to be children and be able to befriend people without wondering when betrayal will come. I want them to smile without the cynical touch and hidden plans of murder.

After all three of them finished eating their pancakes, they all looked up at me. They could tell by the stiff way I was holding myself that I wanted to say something. I am sure that Mia or Elijah figured out the topic I wanted to start with. I mentally braced myself for their annoyance as I asked quickly, "What do you think about meeting your fathers?"

Levi exploded, "HELL NO! The bastards rejected you through a motherfucking letter. I have no need to see the assholes who are killing you!" His breath was uneven as he finished his rant. I winced slightly, his words hit home, but I still berated, "Language!"

My wolf has the next thing to dead. My healing was the same as humans, I had no super-strength or speed. I couldn't shift. I was basically a human who knew of the supernatural. I never outright told my pups, but they know. The only reason I wasn't dead is because they never used my name to reject me.

I sigh before turning to my two other pups, "What do you two think?"

Mia shrugged, "I want to go see these pathetic Alphas, punch them, then leave."

I rolled my eyes as Elijah choose his answer carefully, "Eventually Levi and I will be forced to go and give up the Alpha title formally if we don't want it."

Levi looked at his brother confused, "What?"

I hugged my pup, "There was a reason why you two have no interest in leading the Miller Organization. It's literally in your blood to lead the Blood Moon pack. Mia, for some reason, doesn't have that. It's why she is inheriting the Organization. Even if the two of you give up your right as Alphas, you could never adapt to be the Boss of the Organization. The roles are too similar with key differences."

He frowned, "Let's just talk about this later, Mom. We just finished the scout assignment and got the next witches to the base. I want to have a family day."

Mia nodded, "That's a good idea. How about a walk in the woods as humans? We havent' done that in a long time."

My pups were careful to not mention my inability to shirt or let that slow us down. I smiled gratefully, "Sure, that sounds fun."

There was a nearby Miller Organization base, but we lived in a big house near the woods. Since we are also a human mafia and business, this will make sure if the police gets interested, they won't find our base. There also isn't any huge Hunter bases nearby. We wiped them all out. The closest one was the original Hunter base and was huge. We are trying to take them down, but the Miller Organization doesn't have the man power that we want to risk to do so.

The Organization is a place of refuge, not attack. We never attack people unless they do it first. We all have to just avoid any Hunters, but no one of them usually come here. Everyone is pretty good at covering their tracks and not getting caught. With the witches covering our scent and power, it would take a lot of luck or any act of a god to let them find us.

***

Soon enough, we were ready to head out to the forest. Everyone had changed into athletic wear that was more comfortable. We started off with a comfortable jog. The silence was blissful and we all listened to the sound of the forest. It's where wolves like that are meant to be. Since my hearing is like a human, I wasn't the one to pick up the oncoming footsteps. No human ventured this far and when my pups froze, I knew that something bad was coming. Through the mind-link created by the witches, I asked, "What's wrong?"

Mia answered first, "Footsteps. At least twenty of them, the vibrations of the floor suggest that they are either heavily armed or on a camping trip."

Levi frowned, "I hear the clicking of the bullets entering the chamber of a gun."

When the first shot was fired into the clearing where we had stopped, Elijah yelled through the mind-link, "HUNTERS!"

My pups burst into action, dodging the bullets. I followed their lead, but I was human-like and got hit once. We took off in a random direction with only the thought of getting away on our minds. I already knew I wouldn't make it. Despite running in a zig-zag pattern, I was hit at least twice. My pain tolerance was such that I could keep running, but I was slowing them down. I knew that these Hunters had to have come from the original group. They must be out for a hunting mission to have traveled this far. Either way, we are screwed if they stay with me. I needed to slow down the Hunters for my pups to be able to get away. Technically, I am like these Hunters, human, except they had guns. However, the strength of a mother protecting her pups is stronger than natural law. Making sure that my pups didn't notice, I turned around and shocked the Hunters by jumping on the nearest one.My wolf burst from her death-like state to protect her pups. She wouldn't let them die. It was then that my kids noticed my choice. The mind-link was blowing up, yet I pushed them out focusing on the fight. I recognized my surroundings as the one of my old pack. I couldn't resist one last smirk as I fought. I guess the circle of life is real. I was back where I started.

The Hunters eventually managed to push me down and I gave my children one last message, "Run, only your fathers can help you." I knew they wouldn't abandon me and the Organization couldn't help. It would be a suicide mission. I knew that their fathers would make sure that their pups lived even if I knew that I wouldn't survive this night. I felt the darkness tugging on mind and soon I gave into it. I don't know if I would ever leave it again. I smiled as I felt that my pups passed into pack territory where the Hunters won't follow.

Perhaps, one day, they'll understand the sacrifices I will always gladly repeat for them out of love.