Wolves Bite

-Rina-

I pulled my cap down low over my eyes, attempting to make myself as small as possible as I walked along the dimly lit streets. While I passed by a few groups of people, I had no fear of them. No, my fear was directed at something far more menacing than the humans struggling to live their lives under the oppressive cloud that hung over us all. In a world dominated by werewolves, there were plenty of reasons to fear for your life, especially when we humans were utterly powerless compared to them. Thankfully, the werewolves preferred the vast expanses of the forests and mostly stayed away from the cities, making the urban areas a safer refuge for lonely souls like myself.

I drew closer to the bar where I worked, pushing open the door to find only a few local regulars sitting at the bar. It was still early, and I knew that the place would soon fill up with more patrons.

"Hey, Rina," Joey greeted me, the owner of the bar.

"Hey, Joey."

"Are you sure you should be out tonight?" he questioned, looking wary at me.

I shrugged. I knew it was the worst night to be out, as today marked the day of the yearly hunt. A hunt to remind us that we humans were small and always under the control of the werewolves. However, I had only myself, and I needed the money.

"I think I would rather be here than at home," I told him as I walked into the back.

He followed me, leaning against the doorframe as he watched me. He was an older man, but he had never acted inappropriately toward me. Sadly, he was probably the closest I had to a friend. School was expensive, and I couldn't afford to fail any of my classes, leaving too little time to bond with others. I just had a year left in college, and then I might be able to get an even better-paying job.

"Rina, I think it's better if you were home," he told me as I threw my cap and jacket into a tiny closet and then wrapped a small apron around my waist.

"Joey, if I am here or at home, it won't change anything. If I am chosen, then I am chosen, and no one can save me," I reminded him.

"I am just concerned."

"Well, no one will notice if I am taking time off from my apartment. Both my parents are gone, and my sister was taken in a hunt two years ago. There is just me left. So if I am here, at least you will see me disappear."

"I would know if you didn't come to work," he reminded me.

"Yeah, I know," I replied, giving him a small smile. "Joey, I just want a distraction."

"Very well."

Joey held up his hands and walked away to serve the drunks waiting for him. I closed my closet and followed after him. I began wiping off the tables, taking care of cleaning before the bar began filling with more people. It was a Friday, and soon things were lively and filled with people, keeping both Joey and me busy.

"Here," he said, placing some drinks on a tray.

"Where to?" I asked.

"Table at the far end."

Joey pointed toward the back where two men clad in complete darkness sat. They looked like hitmen, but a small bar like this often attracted sketchy people. I grabbed the tray and walked toward the two men.

"Here are your drinks," I told them and placed the beers in front of them.

They said nothing, simply looking me up and down as if they wanted to devour me for breakfast. Yet, that look was something I had grown accustomed to. As a woman in a bar mostly filled with men, I was used to inappropriate comments and sometimes unwanted touches as well. But Joey was like my guard dog. If you touched me, you were never served again. I wondered if these two huge men were going to take the chance, but they simply watched me, not even touching their drinks. It made me feel quite uneasy, but I slid over to the bar and helped Joey serve the many humans who filled the area.

When it was busy, time simply flew by, and I barely noticed how late it got until Joey told me to make a round and announce last call. The drunk patrons, of course, were not happy about being sent home, but I knew many of them barely realized how late the hour was. We closed at 1 am, and we began ushering people out a little before that, emptying the place. However, as I started cleaning the remaining tables, I noticed something strange. As I moved toward the back of the bar, I saw that the drinks I had placed in front of the two huge men were left untouched.

I looked around, wondering if they had gone somewhere since they hadn't taken a single sip, but the bar was slowly emptying, and the men were nowhere to be seen.

"What are you doing, Rina?" Joey called out.

"Oh, um…" I didn't give him an answer and instead hurriedly began cleaning up the glasses, gathering all the dirty ones to take them to the back for cleaning.

"Did you see them leave?" I asked as I walked over to Joey.

"See who leave?" he questioned.

"The men."

"What men?"

"The ones in the back."

Joey seemed to take a moment to try to recall, but he just shrugged.

"I served them beers, but they never drank them," I informed him.

"And?"

"They just left. Why order if they aren't going to drink it?"

"Sometimes people just come to hang out," he explained.

"It's just strange."

"Are you worried?"

"Worried?"

"The night is almost over. You shouldn't worry about being chosen," he assured me.

"I'm fine. In a few years, I will be too old for the hunt," I reminded him. "I just have to keep my head down until then."

"No one knows the exact age when they stop choosing you," he reminded me.

"It's often those in their twenties."

"Yes, but it doesn't exclude you completely just because you hit your thirties. Besides, you're only 24. You still have six years before you hit 30."

"Are you trying to scare me?"

"No, just trying to look out for you."

"Joey, if they come for me, not even you can stop them."

I could see how deeply my words affected him. Joey had lost a cousin long ago to the hunt as well. I knew he was doing his best to make sure he didn't lose me too. I appreciated it, but we couldn't stop it from happening if it did.

Joey and I cleaned up the bar, assisted the last few drunks, then shut everything down and left together. He locked the door before turning to me.

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home?" he asked.

"It's 1 am," I reminded him. "I should be safe. They come for you before midnight."

"Still, just to be sure," he suggested.

"No, I'm good. I'll see you tomorrow."

Joey didn't look too pleased, but he turned on his heel and walked in the opposite direction. I headed around the corner, leading to the street where I lived. That's when I heard footsteps behind me. I barely had a chance to turn my head before a cloth was placed over my nose, and I inhaled the drug, falling into a deep, dark world.

-Brody-

I grabbed my jacket as I made my way out of my bedroom. I walked through the large pack house, and many of the members glanced my way as I went by them. I knew they knew where I was going tonight, and they all harbored mixed feelings. Of course, I would have preferred finding a mate among the she-wolves, but we all knew that things weren’t as simple as finding a mate who was born a wolf. We needed new blood, and this pack needed a Luna.

I walked downstairs where Kai and Nick were waiting for me, going on the hunt as well. As my beta and third in command, for them to find a mate was equally as important. We all had an important role that made sure this pack was run properly. However, I could see the worry on their faces as I neared them. This was the first time we had decided to participate in the yearly hunt, but we weren’t getting any younger, as they said. Kai and I were 26, and Nick was 25. Normally, werewolves could find their mates at 18, but with the dwind