Hunt of the Cursed
The first bullet hit the cabin wall at dawn, wood splintering inches from Kael’s head. He jolted awake, hand flying to the silver axe propped beside his bed. Elias, who’d been dozing in the armchair—still weak from Seraphina’s attack—was already on his feet, fangs bared, eyes sharp.
“Stay behind me,” Kael growled, pushing Elias toward the back door. But Elias grabbed his wrist, nodding to the window. Through the glass, Kael saw them: three figures in black coats, rifles raised, silver bullets glinting in the sunlight.
“Hunters,” Elias hissed. “The Order of the Silver Cross. They kill anything supernatural—wolves, vampires, even witches.”
A second bullet shattered the window, narrowly missing Kael’s shoulder. He cursed, yanking Elias toward the back door. “We need to run. Now.”
They burst into the forest, boots thudding against the damp earth. The hunters’ shouts echoed behind them, followed by the crack of rifles. A bullet whizzed past Elias’s ear, and he stumbled, grabbing Kael’s arm for balance.
“Your leg,” Kael said, noticing the blood seeping through Elias’s pants—Seraphina’s wound hadn’t fully healed. “Can you keep up?”
Elias nodded, gritting his teeth. “Just don’t slow down for me.”
They ran for miles, until the hunters’ shouts faded into the distance. When they finally stopped, they collapsed against a pine tree, gasping for breath. Elias pressed a hand to his leg, his face pale.
“They’re not gonna stop,” Kael said, wiping sweat from his forehead. “The Order doesn’t quit. Not until their targets are dead.”
Elias closed his eyes, taking a shaky breath. “I know. My coven fought them years ago. They wiped us out—all except me. I’ve been hiding ever since.”
Kael frowned. “Why now? Why are they coming for us now?”
Elias opened his eyes, a dark look crossing his face. “Because of the Blood Moon. The barrier breaking—even for a minute—sent a signal. The Order can sense it. They think we’re the ones who caused it.”
A twig snapped nearby. Kael tensed, grabbing his axe. A figure stepped from behind a tree—small, with brown hair and a familiar scar across her cheek. Kael froze.
“Lila?” he whispered.
His sister. The one he’d thought Seraphina had killed. But her eyes were wrong—pale, almost white, and there was a silver collar around her neck, a red light blinking at its center.
“Kael,” she said, her voice flat, no emotion. “Come with me. The Order wants to talk.”
Kael stepped forward, but Elias grabbed his arm. “It’s a trap. Look at her—she’s not herself. That collar… it’s controlling her.”
Lila’s lips twitched, like she was trying to speak, but the collar beeped, and her expression went blank again. “Come. Or I’ll have to force you.”
She lunged, faster than Kael remembered, her claws extended. Kael dodged, but she grabbed his arm, her grip like iron. Elias jumped in, sinking his fangs into her shoulder. Lila screamed, releasing Kael and stumbling back.
The collar beeped faster, and Lila’s eyes flickered—for a second, Kael saw his sister again, scared and confused. “Kael… run,” she whispered, before the collar’s light turned red, and her expression went blank once more.
She charged again, but this time, Kael didn’t dodge. He grabbed her arms, holding her tight. “Lila, please. Fight it. I know you’re in there.”
The collar beeped, and Lila screamed, thrashing in his arms. “Let me go! The Order will kill you!”
Elias stepped forward, his hand hovering over the collar. “I can break it. But I need you to hold her still.”
Kael nodded, tightening his grip on Lila. Elias placed his hand on the collar, his fangs bared. He closed his eyes, and a faint blue light spread from his hand to the collar. Lila screamed, thrashing harder, but Kael held on.
The collar beeped one last time, then cracked, falling to the ground. Lila went limp in Kael’s arms, her eyes closing.
“Lila?” Kael said, shaking her gently.
She opened her eyes—brown, like they used to be—and tears filled them. “Kael. I’m so sorry. They took me. They turned me into a weapon.”
Kael pulled her into a hug, relief flooding him. “It’s okay. You’re safe now. I’m gonna fix this.”
Elias stepped back, a grave look on his face. “We don’t have time. The Order will be here soon. That collar—when I broke it, it sent a signal. They’ll be here in minutes.”
Lila pulled away from Kael, her face pale. “They have a base. In the old mine, north of town. They’re holding other supernaturals there—wolves, vampires, a witch. They’re gonna execute us all when the next full moon rises.”
Kael’s jaw tightened. “We need to stop them. Save the others.”
Elias nodded. “But we can’t do it alone. We need help.”
Lila hesitated, then said, “There’s a pack of wolves. In the mountains. They lost their alpha to the Order. They’ll help us. If we ask.”
Kael looked at Elias, who nodded. “Let’s go.”
The mountain pack’s camp was hidden in a valley, surrounded by tall pines. When they arrived, the wolves were wary—growling, circling—but when Lila told them about the Order, about the prisoners in the mine, their alpha stepped forward.
“Jax,” he said, extending a hand to Kael. “My pack will help. The Order killed my brother. I want revenge.”
By dusk, they were ready. Twenty wolves, Elias, Kael, and Lila—all armed with silver weapons, all determined to take down the Order.
The mine was dark, the air thick with dust and the smell of fear. They snuck in through a back entrance, Jax leading the way. Inside, cells lined the walls, each holding a supernatural—some werewolves, some vampires, a young witch with purple hair.
“Quiet,” Jax whispered, as they approached the first cell. He used a silver key—stolen from a hunter—to unlock the door. A werewolf stepped out, his arm in a cast, his face bruised.
“Thank you,” he said, his voice hoarse.
They freed the others, and soon, they had an army—thirty supernaturals, all ready to fight. The Order’s guards were posted at the front of the mine, their rifles raised.
“Now,” Kael said, gripping his axe. “Let’s end this.”
They charged. The guards didn’t stand a chance. The werewolves tackled them, their claws tearing through flesh. The vampires sank their fangs into necks, draining the hunters dry. The witch used her magic, sending bolts of lightning at the remaining guards.
Kael spotted the Order’s leader—tall, with a silver beard and a scar across his eye—standing on a platform, a rifle in his hand. He aimed at Lila, and Kael lunged, pushing her out of the way. The bullet hit his shoulder, and he fell to the ground, gritting his teeth.
“Kael!” Lila screamed.
The leader laughed, aiming his rifle at Kael again. “This is what happens to monsters. You don’t belong here. None of you do.”
Elias appeared behind him, his fangs bared. He grabbed the leader’s arm, twisting it until the rifle fell to the ground. “We’re not monsters,” he said, his voice cold. “But you are.”
He sank his fangs into the leader’s neck. The man screamed, struggling, but Elias held on until he went limp.
The fight was over. The remaining hunters fled, and the supernaturals cheered. Kael pushed himself to his feet, wincing at the pain in his shoulder. Lila ran to him, wrapping her arm around his waist.
“You okay?” she asked.
Kael nodded, smiling. “Yeah. I’m okay.”
Elias walked over, a faint smile on his face. “We did it. The Order’s gone. For now.”
Jax joined them, clapping Kael on the back. “My pack will keep watch. If they come back, we’ll be ready.”
They walked out of the mine, the moon rising in the sky—full, bright, and peaceful. Lila linked arms with Kael, and Elias walked beside them, his shoulders relaxed.
“Peace,” Kael said, looking up at the moon. “For real this time.”
Elias nodded. “For real this time.”
But somewhere in the distance, a hunter’s radio crackled. A voice spoke, low and cold. “The supernaturals are still alive. Send in the elite team. We’re not done yet.”
The radio fell silent. And in the shadows, a figure watched—waiting.