HUNTED-Chapter 348: Taste of Vengeance (3)

Aldric paced inside the conservatory of Cathy’s house, his large feet stepping loudly across the wooden floor. He only made three long strides before turning around and continuing while he fought to keep his wolf under control. Mark was tied up in the living room, and Callan wanted to kill him every few minutes.

Aldric did, too, but he was more rational and patient. He reminded Callan that Harry was guarding him, and their children were upstairs. That didn’t matter to him, though, their mate was dead, and the man responsible was in the living room. But he wasn’t the only one responsible.

Aldric scrolled through Mark’s phone, taking note of the others in the group responsible for burning down his house, killing his mate, and almost killing his children. He sent their images and the details he found through online social media platforms they used, stating their full names, ages, and even the places they went to school to his phone. None of their stuff was private and easy to access.

He then went on to send the information to Chase.

[19:41 Chase Hunt: On it. Won’t be long.]

Although Aldric didn’t like the idea of working with hunters, he found Chase extremely useful. The guy didn’t complain or comment further on what they wanted to do. It made him wonder just how many of the hunters were like him, wanting to be action heroes, fighting for justice and not wanting to kill supes that don’t deserve it. That was what Aila told him, anyway.

So far, though, Aldric hadn’t seen anything suspicious about the golden boy. He wouldn’t completely trust him; he was son to Silas Hunt, but so far, he had come through, and the lycan would give him the benefit of the doubt.

Speaking soothingly through his mind to his wolf, Aldric returned to the living room, Mark’s phone in his hand. He slumped down on the sofa that groaned under his weight and faced the man who had now been gagged. The fucker wouldn’t shut up, and the more he begged and spoke, the more he was going to slit his throat there and then.

But he respected Cathy enough not to stain her carpet. Besides, this was hard for her as well. A man she trusted killed her sister and tried to kill the ’demon spawn’. Callan snarled in his mind, and his growl rumbled through Aldric’s chest, eyes glowing a bright blue.

"You thought I was a demon before seeing my bad side, human," Callan growled through Aldric’s lips. His voice was rougher, darker, lower, and chilling compared to Aldric’s usual one.

Mark’s eyes widened, almost to the point they were bugging out. Aldric smiled sinisterly, his wolf in complete control. He worried in the back of his mind that Callan really would kill him then and there, ruining their plans as he got up and leisurely walked to Mark, leaning his knee against the sofa and leaning down to Mark’s ear.

"I will teach you the meaning of pain before sending you to hell," he drawled into his ear, delighting in his trembling form.

Harry watched him warily before both the lycans’ heads snapped towards the window. Headlights shone through the curtains in passing, and the sound of an engine rumbling caught their attention. Callan was gleeful and retreated to the back of Aldric’s mind, releasing the reins back to him.

Aldric leaned back, releasing a breath and turned to the door, opening it as Chase Hunt stepped up to it. His golden locks had been combed back, his attire like that in secret forces wearing all black. On his back was a crossbow, and his hips were pistols.

Behind him were two black vans, both parked slightly on the pavement of the narrow road.

"It’s good to see you were able to shift," Chase greeted him with a nod, his expression professional, but Aldric could see a slight sadness in his hazel eyes. "I’m sorry about what has happened. Truly, I am."

Aldric nodded, his wolf calming at the tone of the hunter’s voice. He opened the door wider, watching as two bulkier men with the same attire, minus the crossbow on their backs, step forwards. "Shall we?" Chase asked.

Aldric widened the door for them and stepped away. Chase nodded at his men, and they came through the small hallway to the living room and lifted the trembling man from the sofa. Mark tried to kick out and wiggle in their arms, but their grip held firm.

At the sound of the shuffling and muffled screams from Mark, Rex came down the stairs. Luckily Mark was already out of the house when he flew down, his bright blue eyes scanning the living room, ears pointed and alert as he sniffed. Aldric watched Rex come to the realisation that what he could smell was Mark’s fear.

Rex’s expression became fearful for a moment, then his eyes moved to the man being dragged to the back of one of the black vans, and Rex became pensive, eyes hardening, and a slight growl vibrated his chest. "Good riddance," He exclaimed.

Aldric should have been worried about his son, but the circumstances were not normal. Rex lost his mum and was acting protective of his sister. Aldric realised he was aware that Mark was the one to kill her.

He clamped his hand down on Rex’s shoulder. "Go back upstairs. I will return when it’s all over."

Rex glared in Mark’s direction again, though he was now inside the van, and then he went upstairs. Chase had been quietly watching the exchange before pointing in Rex’s direction.

"Has he managed to shift back yet?" The hunter asked.

Aldric’s eyes slid from his son, pausing at the top of the stairs after hearing Chase and the pair both looked at the hunter. "Not yet. It just happened. You look like you’ve seen this before?" Aldric observed Chase’s face.

He was right. Chase was calm and looked indifferent to Rex’s half-shifted form. His wolf growled at that, thinking of dark thoughts about how the hunter must know about such a dilemma. Reading Aldric’s expression, Chase frowned and cleared his throat, guilt flashing behind his eyes.

"I have. There were a few other half-human shifters. I wouldn’t worry. They shifted properly once they turned the appropriate age. Some kept the ears and tail until that age, and others could shift to and from until they were ready to shift into a wolf," Chase explained, then sighed. "They..

kept them captive for years and recorded the results. I read the reports.."

Aldric’s hands fisted, but he inhaled deeply, calming himself and his wolf. There was one good thing out of this, though, Chase confirmed that whether Rex could shift back or not when he was at the normal age of sixteen or possibly fourteen, if he already had his wolf, he could shift fully.

"Do you want to see the reports?" Chase asked as he hovered outside the front door now.

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Aldric shook his head. "No. Let’s see what happens trusting a hunter.." He half-joked and glared at Chase in a warning.

Chase smirked, amusement flashing behind his eyes. "I’ve been right so far. You are in your human form now."

"That’s right," Aldric replied. That was what he based this small amount of trust on. Chase helped with his shifting, bringing the information to Aila. It was shit luck that it was too late, and he didn’t make it back to Emma in time.

Aldric’s gaze lowered to the floor, lost in thought as he started to follow Chase outside. Sensing Aldric’s shift in emotions, Harry wrapped an arm over his shoulders, needing to go on his tiptoes a little bit to do so. The rogue was tall and muscular like Aldric, but he wasn’t quite as tall.

"Rex will be fine, and now we can sort these sick fucks out," Harry growled at the end, his eyes glowing blue for a moment.

At the mention of the men, Aldric and Callan’s sorrow turned to rage once more, and his eyes glowed, and his chest rumbled deeply.

"Aldric.."

The pair stopped and looked back to the sound of Cathy’s voice. She stood there, holding a glass of straight vodka without anything mixed. "Are you.." She drew a breath. "Are you going to kill him?"

Harry’s arm slid away, and he moved to the van beside Chase, leaving Aldric to deal with Cathy. "Don’t ask me what you don’t want to hear, Cathy. He killed my mate, your sister and almost took my children from me. This is not the world you grew up in, and he is being dealt with accordingly."

Cathy nodded, a single tear trickling down her face, but she nodded, understanding the words he would not say and seemed to somewhat accept it. "When this is over.." Cathy began as Aldric began to turn from her. He paused again and looked at her. "Take the children somewhere safe."

Aldric nodded once before climbing into the back of the van and facing the men from the group chat. The men who killed his wife. The men would be wiped from the earth, and nobody would shed a tear.