The half-breed

The hunter and the pray:

Diana closed her eyes, listening for the sounds of hunt, the sound of their pray running. It was her first hunt, her people had always been hunters; they kept people safe from the others who lived in this land; although she had never seen a witch, a vampire or wolf she knew they were there; she could smell them. Tonight, her job was stay one mile from the entrance to the village to protect the citizens, if anything ran towards her, she was to kill it; there was only an hour or two left till dawn, so far nothing had escaped from the woods they hunted in. As the suns first rays touched her feet Diana smelt the most amazing scent, it was like sandalwood and jasmine mixed with something she couldn’t place but against her training and instincts she moved towards it.

Finn had been waiting in the tree line trying to out wait the hunters; he lived in the village and until the last full moon the hunters had left them alone. Most of the town had run or hidden days before but his grandmother Alvar, was ill and unable to shift; she had raised him, and he was unable to leave her unprotected. He had been too scared to shift in case he was found; hunters could only smell them in their wolf state. He saw the girl moving towards his hiding spot and as he smelt the delicate scent of rose and lavender his wolf claimed her as his mate.

Diana raised her silver sword until her eyes met his through the trees; she almost went towards him until her brother Chase’s voice called her name “Diana! What’s wrong is something there?” She lowered the sword slowly almost against her will “No just a rabbit; I guess I was a bit over excited”. Chase laughed and pulled her in for a one-armed hug, “never mind little sister, next time you can come with me” he raised his other hand showing her the tails of at least 50 wolfs. Finn let his tears fall silently fighting his wolf’s urge to avenge his friends and packmates.

The hunters left and returned to their home, claiming victory over another ‘wild’ pack and the safety of the village they left. What was left of Finns pack slowly returned, some were bloody, others had limbs missing and would never shift again. His grandmother was safe and the village untouched, they had been luckier than some. His grandmother, a pack elder spoke in the village square “my brothers and sisters; this was not a random attack, they knew we were here; they needed to train and test the new hunters before they go after the bigger packs. We should be safe for a while at least” and they tended to the injured.

Finn couldn’t get past the hunter girl not turning him in, did she know that they were mates? After a while he could bear it no longer and started roaming the nearby towns seeing if he could sense her, Diana was doing the same unable or possibly unwilling to acknowledge that she should have turned the boy in. They found each other in flower filled meadow, the smell of cornflowers, daisy’s and dog roses filled the air; they asked no questions that would ruin the moment, just names. All through the summer they met in this meadow never speaking of their lives, never acknowledging that they were breaking all the rules, never admitting but never denying what the other was.

Diana was distant during training, never confiding to Chase or her elders her fear that her mate was a wolf; if they never acted on the mate bond both were safe. She started to opt out of missions, stating that her first had made her too jumpy and she needed more time so not to risk her team and the innocents in the villages they protected. Finn had spoken to his grandmother about his hunter mate, although rare it was not unheard of; but it never ended well for the couple. As autumn started to draw near Finn pulled her close and held her tight against his chest “Diana my love, you are the stars in my sky, the moon of my soul; I can’t bear...” Diana silenced him with a kiss, it was deep and full of unspoken passion, Finn let out a slight growl unable to contain his wolf from wanting to claim her. In that moment they both knew the time had come, they must part forever or fulfil the need they had of each other “we must stop, I don’t know how this will end” Diana whispered against his lips “with us together forever” replied Finn as he kissed her, his fingers finding her long hair and as he pulled her back to look in her eyes he felt the burning pain of silver against his hand; the clip holding back her long locks. Releasing her gently Finn lowered his head so she wouldn’t see the change in his eyes “meet me here tomorrow night; then we will let fate decide our path” he walked away not looking back knowing he would have to claim her if he did. Diana sat till the sun got low and the rain fell gently, she went home and packed her bag knowing that when she met Finn again, she would never return to the Hunters.

Chase had been following his sister for several days knowing her behaviour was odd and out of character. Seeing the wolf so near to her enraged him and he followed the boy back to the village using all his skills not to be seen. When he returned to the hunter encampment Diana was just getting back; he followed her to her room and saw the packed bag “Diana! Consider what you are doing; if you go with him you will never be able to return” he hugged her and went on his patrol, unknown to them both someone else was listening.

The next night Chase ensured he was on sentry duty and as Diana crept towards the outer boundary, he stopped her “I love you little sister; be safe” and he let her go with his blessing. Watching from the tower was a young man named Alastor, he was in love with Diana he had been for many years he watched her leave and went straight to the head-hunter to inform him.

Finn waited in his wolf form a dark grey, with black and white threaded throughout his fur; his blue eyes ringed with gold, Diana took one look at him in the light of the full moon and rushed to him; stroking his soft ears and leaning into his soft coat. She climbed onto his back and felt the wind against her face as they ran to the village. Finn used the pack mind link to inform the guards of their arrival, when they reached the village the pack was waiting eager to meet his mate. That night they prepared for the handfasting ceremony that would start to cement the mate bond; at sunrise in the village square in front of the pack they met and said their vows. Finn was in tight suede trousers with a white linen shirt, Diana’s dress was white silk embroidered with gold and silver flowers chained together by joined moons and suns; they were both bare footed and both wore daggers at their waists. Finn’s grandmother tied their hands with ribbons and they said together; “With this cord of white I give our love purity, with this cord of blue I give you fidelity, with this cord of red I give you my passion”; other pack members tied more ribbons saying “we give you this cord of green may you be blessed with fertility and growth, we give you a cord of purple so you may always have spiritual strength, and we give a cord of gold and silver for wisdom and long life”.

As the cords were knotted over their hands his grandmother spoke the final words “With the fashioning of this knot do I tie all the desires, dreams, love, and happiness wished here in this place to your lives for as long as love shall last. In the joining of hands and the fashion of a knot, so are your lives now bound, one to another”. They looked at each other and kissed, married and welcome within the pack. After the wedding feast they went into their new home almost shy with each other as they walked towards the bedroom. “Finn…” Diana looked at the floor suddenly unable to ask the question, but then she whispered “in training hunters are taught that wolves only mate in wolf form; no matter what their mate is…” Finn went pale “it’s a lie, if the couple are wolves they can do it any form, if one is human then it’s only ever in our human form”. Diana went red and looked anywhere but at Finn, he took her hand and led her to the bed, he slowly and gently undressed her kissing every inch of her, worshiping her beauty. He laid her on the bed, looking for permission to join her; Diana motioned with index finger, calling him forward so that he could continue, Finn took his clothes off, letting Diana see him then climbed in the bed with her; the explored each other with their mouths and hands, until finally Diana whispered from him to take her. As they reached the height of their passion Finn leaned into the crook of her neck and bit her, marking her as his mate for all to see.

Back at the Hunter camp Chase was being tortured, he wasn’t allowed to sleep, every other day he was being whipped but they fed him after the whippings; he was a good hunter no one wanted him to die, they just needed to break him. This continued for two years, until one day he couldn’t take it anymore; “she left to be with her mate, a wolf…I don’t think she knew. He was from Hame; the village of her first raid” Chase started to cry, secretly hoping they had moved on. They moved him straight to the infirmary and brought him some broth, it was time to bring Diana home. Alastor was sent to scout out the village.

It takes wolves just over two months to give birth, humans around nine, Werewolf cubs take four and half months; some come quicker it depends on their bloodlines really. Diana and Finn had been happily married for two years, they had a beautiful daughter Valentina who had been born under a hunter’s moon and were awaiting the birth of their twins any day. It was a lovely day and Diana and Finn sat under the oak tree just outside the village while their daughter slept at home with her great-grandmother; the sound of a twig snapping caught their attention, without moving they looked at the tree line, it was Diana who spotted the Scout, and Finn who could smell it was a hunter. They slowly got up making sure they didn’t give any sign the scout had been seen “do you think they’re looking for me? Could it be another training exercise”? Finn closed his eyes as his hands gentle touched her back and the large bump that held their children “it doesn’t matter which it is, you will be leaving; my grandmother knows a place, she will tell you and you will go”. Looking into his eyes she understood that he would not be joining her and would have no idea of where she was. Later that night Finn walked around the boundaries of the village, talking with the pack warning them of the possible danger, Diana was packing her bag and preparing to leave; it was almost the new moon, she would leave when there was less chance of being seen.

At the new moon Diana crept from the village, carrying a sleeping Valentina under her dark cloak; following the path Finns grandmother had made her remember. The cottage was quant, hidden behind a small coppice of oaks and hawthorn trees; the garden was picturesque but untidy almost wild, there wasn’t a single sound or sign of life, it was perfect. Diana looked behind her as if checking no one was following, sensing it was all clear she moved towards the cottage. Inside was a different story, it was clear someone had been there; the fire was lit, and food was warming over it, and beds had been made up. Diana thanked Finns grandmother silently as she fed, washed and put Valentina into a clean soft bed; as dawn began to break the contractions started, biting back her screams of pain Diana let nature take its course. She knelt on all fours and pushed, just as had with her daughter; using a mirror Diana was able to see when to stop and when to push, after several difficult hours two small but perfect sons laid wrapped in soft blankets beside the fire. When Valentina woke up, she crept to her sleeping mothers’ side and gave each child a kiss, although young herself Valentina knew she would never let harm come to her brothers and although no one saw her blue eyes flashed amber. Diana pumped enough milk to last a few days, ensured there was wood for the fire and held her children close to her; “Valentina, I’m going to get Daddy; you must stay here and look after the twins” Valentina’s eyes widened even she knew it wasn’t a good idea to leave a two year old in charge “mamma, I’m scared”, Diana almost changed her mind but something else pulled her to leave “I have to baby girl, but it will be ok…” grabbing the cloak Diana left the cottage not daring to look back at her three babies.

In the Village those who couldn’t or wouldn’t leave waited knowing death was coming, as dawn began to brake Finns grandmother smoothed his hair just as she had done when he was a child “shh it’s ok, she knows how to breath, she knows what to do” Finn shifted into his wolf as the pain became too much, his grandmother chuckled “Finn, shift back you won’t be able to find her; and you will lead them to her and the children” struggling to control the need to be with his mate who was in pain, Finn turned back; “I wish I could have gone with them grandma, I didn’t realise her time was so close”. The next day Finn had to fight his need to follow Diana, he walked and walked not paying attention to the world around him, the village was quiet; no children played outside and in the woods beyond the village nothing moved. The hunters had gathered around the village sure that Finn’s pacing was due to Diana’s confinement; he looked at his men and signalled that tonight was the night.

In the darkness their movements covered by clouds the hunters entered the village, two men to each house; except one where there was ten men outside; when the signal was given, they started burning all the houses bar one. They broke down the door to Finns house searching each room; they found only two people in the house. Finn’s grandmother lay bleeding in the hall; her head caved in; she was half shifted as they pulled Finn from his bed. They pulled him from the house in chains of silver, the burning was unbearable, they tide the chain loosely around his neck so it only touched him if he strained and locked it behind the ancient oak that was as wide as it was old, facing the village, they spread his arms wide and using silver stakes they impaled his hands to the tree. “When we find Diana, we will take the monster you put inside her and this is its fate! Burn the village!” when Finn tried to close his eyes, they removed his eyelids, so he was forced to watch through tears of blood. He could hear the screams of his pack dying, the smell of burning flesh turned his stomach, it was then he realised the sliver holding him was quenched with wolfsbane the burning smell was him. The hunters laughed as they watched the destruction of the village, then slowly as the screams became less often their eyes came back to Finn. His hands were almost gone so they moved the nails further up to his elbows ensuring they missed major arteries, when the arm was almost burned away they moved the stakes to his shoulders; then they moved to his feet, removing and cauterising each toe, when he ran out of digits they cut off his feet, cauterising each wound as they moved up. Every time he passed out; they would wake him with smelling salts. By the time his legs had been cut off and cauterised Finn had burnt his neck and chest when he had pulled against the chain, but still he didn’t beg for death although he longed for it. The hunters castrated him with a steel blade, removing his cock and ripping open his stomach, but not enough that it would be a quick death, then they tightened the chain just a little so he couldn’t slump forward; then they left him there to die and for animals to eat.

Diana was almost at the village when the pain started, she fell to ground screaming; the pain was unbearable, she could her feel her limbs burning; fighting against the pain Diana crawled into the village the smell of burning and death was everywhere. Suddenly it felt as if her eyes were being torn from her body; Diana could see a figure on the oak tree where just a few days before they’d had a picnic; her heart told her it was Finn. Dragging her body towards him she reached out not seeing the damage or the danger. Alastor smiled as he dragged Diana away from the tree with Finn unable to do anything as she screamed for him.