My Neighbor is a Wolf

Chapter Eleven

Hunter

Sunday Night

A heavy weight laid across my chest. Guilt wrecked my body. I laid on the floor in my living room, unsure what else to do. Staring at the ceiling, I wanted to barge into Rachael's apartment and apologize.

But that would be pointless.

So I distracted myself. The day went by too slowly. Her smell was everywhere and all I could do was fight off the memories of our time together. They seeped in through the cracks. Even sleep evaded me. Every time I closed my eyes, her scream echoed in my ears.

I had hurt her.

The one person who I had come to love. It may be crazy saying that after only one weekend with her but something inside me knew. Rachael was my forever.

And I fucking screwed it up.

My wolf screamed at me to leave and I wanted to. It would be better for everyone if I disappeared into the woods, shifted, and let the curse take its course. If I had hurt Rachael in my sleep, the only person I truly ever cared for, there was no telling what else could happen as my impulse control dwindled.

“Damn it!” I groaned into the empty space, throwing my arm over my eyes.

A meow echoed my curse. I sat straight up as a flash of black fur preceded the sharp prick of claws dragging through my bare skin.

“What the fucking hell?” I looked around for the offending bastard and found Thor perched on the arm of my chair. “Seriously?”

It would seem the weight I had been feeling was, in fact, real and not just my overbearing anxiety trying to suffocate me.

I stood from the floor and made my way over to the cat. Thor seemed unphased by my approach, casually cleaning his paw.

He hissed as I scooped him up. “You seriously need to stop coming in here, you little asshole.” I dangled him out in front of me, keeping his tiny weapons away from my bare skin. The scratch on my chest stung as the open air made contact.

Thor was meowing but I refused to open my mind and chat with him. This little fucker needed to stop breaking in to my apartment. I opened my front door, ready to throw Thor out, when I noticed Benny standing there posed to knock.

“Hey, Hunter,” he said. “Have you seen– THOR, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS!”

Benny grabbed his cat from my arms, sat Thor down at his feet, then pointed down the hall. “Go home. Before I drop you off at an animal shelter myself.”

Thor walked away, his tail swishing behind him until he disappeared.

Benny turned to me, pointing his finger towards my chest. “Your turn.”

“Not right now, Benny.” I tried to close the door but he stopped it.

“Oh no you don't.” He stepped into my apartment, letting the door shut behind him. “I’ve got a bone to pick with you, too. You hurt Rachael.”

“It wasn't intentional, Benny!” I yelled and spun to face him. My wolf scratched at the edges of my mind. “It was the full moon and I thought I was just dreaming but it turned out– Wait, you talked to Rachael?”

“Yeah.” He folded his arms over his chest and glared at me. I closed the distance between us in one large stride, grabbing his shoulders.

“Is she okay? Is she hurt? Do we need to get Liliana?” Concern flooded my body. I shouldn't have just let her run away without checking on her.

“Physically she's fine.” He shrugged me off. Sidestepping me, he walked to the kitchen and rummaged through my fridge. I stared at his back, waiting for him to give me more.

“You got anything good to eat?” he asked over his shoulder.

“Are you kidding me, Benny?” He turned, closing the fridge door. There was a glass bottle of something in his hand and he popped the lid off of it.

“You broke her heart, man.” He took a drink then glared at me.

“I know.” My shoulders fell.

“So what are you gonna do about it?”

“What do you mean?”

“How are you going to fix that?” He gestured to the ceiling with the bottle in his hand.

“I don't think I can.” I shook my head. There was no fixing this. Rachael would be crazy for even considering forgiving me. I didn't deserve it.

“Never say never.”

“I can't be who she needs me to be. Not now.”

“Does this have something to do with your hunting trips?” He tipped the rest of the liquid from the bottle into his mouth.

“Maybe.”

“I had a feeling there was always more to them. But who was I to push you?”

“I should have told you and Liliana sooner.”

“Well, you can tell me now.”

Rubbing my hand down my face, I took a deep breath then walked to the kitchen. I searched the cabinets for the bottle of whiskey I kept around for the rare occasions I craved a drink. Finally finding it, I filled a random mug halfway with the amber colored liquid.

Then the truth came out. I told Benny about my great grandpa and the witch's curse. Pacing the kitchen floor, I spilled my guts about how I felt for Rachael and how stupid I was for putting her in danger. When I finished, I refused to meet Benny's eyes. They would hold judgment and I couldn't handle that.

“Hunter,” Benny whispered, “will you stop pacing, please?” I froze and gripped the edge of the counter.

“Let me see if I understand this.” He came up beside me, leaning against his back. “Your family lineage was cursed to hunt during the full moon. And if you don't, the next time you shift, you're stuck as a wolf? That's kind of screwed up.”

“That's the gist of it.” I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Fucking hell, this is all sorts of messed up.”

“You can say that again.” A dull thud rang through my skull as Benny’s hand smacked the back of it.

“What was that for?” I rubbed the spot, not that it hurt any worse than Rachael hitting me with her bat.

“You definitely should have told me and Liliana sooner. We could have helped you, figured something out!”

“I've never felt this defeated, Benny. It feels like my heart has been ripped out of my chest. My wolf is telling me to leave and I might listen. Because I'm not sure there is anything left for me here.” I clutched the counter, my knuckles turning white.

“Hunter…” His hand on my shoulder was barely noticeable as anger coursed through me. My muscles tightened and the cracking of laminate filled the kitchen. Particleboard crumbled around my feet.

I could hear Benny speaking but couldn't make out what he was saying over the haze settling in my mind. My impulse control dwindled as the animal instincts started to take over. This was it…

But then, a scream rang through my ears. One that was far too familiar, but not in the way my mind remembered.

“Hunter!”

I stood up straight, turning to Benny. His brows were raised in question at my sudden change. He hadn't heard what I did. Shit.

“What's going on?” Benny yelled behind me as I ran from my apartment, not bothering to explain to him the fear coursing through me.

Rachael was in trouble.