Chapter Six #2
With deadly silence, I reach back and slide out a simple wooden arrow, placing it in my rudimentary bow.
Back in the thirteenth century, my brothers and I had formed a friendship with the Lenape tribe in the northeastern region of what is now the United States.
Now the cemented world of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, back then, the land was our playground and the Lenape made excellent hunters and warriors.
We didn’t have to tell them what we are, they sensed it and accepted it as part of nature. Our laws forbid us from intervening in anthros’ business, but we did, sometimes, help out our fellow inhabitants of Turtle Island or what we call today, North America.
The Lenape mythology believed the continent was created on the back of a giant turtle, hence the name.
As a sign of respect and friendship, Mahowik, “The Great Leader”, offered me a bow with ten arrows in the hand-made deerskin quiver. The same I carry now on my back as I watch the hare sniff me out.
With the hickory-wood bow in my left hand, I nock the arrow onto the sinew bowstring with my right hand and pull back as far as it will go. I aim for the hare then pull up one inch above its head.
I’m not hungry and I don’t kill for sport, so when I release the string and let the arrow fly, I know exactly where the flint arrowhead will land. It won’t be touching the innocent rabbit.
The whooshing sound is like a lullaby, calming my errant thoughts and nervous energy. There are so many things I could be doing, but this is the one activity that takes up the entirety of my concentration, helping me to focus and keep my mind off Aiyana.
The hare runs away, unharmed. Standing from my crouched position, I take my time walking the almost-three-hundred feet to the trunk of the tree where the river cane arrow fletched with turkey feathers is well embedded into the bark.
Eight hundred years old and it still works like a fucking charm.
Humans don’t make shit today the way their elders and ancestors did once upon a time.
“The fuck you doing, Hack?” Well, there goes my calm and secluded afternoon.
“What does it look like I’m doing?” I slice my gaze at Slash with his black and purple hair braided in the style of the Vikings.
He misses the old days so much he won’t change his hairstyle, not that it matters.
One thing I can say about the twenty-first century, it’s easy to be whatever you want in this era.
“Obviously not hunting because I know your vision and your aim are perfect.”
I shrug. “I don’t like killing for no reason.”
Slash knows me. We all know each other perfectly.
“So, it begs the question…what the fuck you doing out here?”
I stall with my answer, knowing damn well his advice will be the opposite of what I’m trying to do. So I make sure my arrowhead is clean before placing it back in the quiver and hang it off my shoulder with the strap hooked under my thumb.
“I saw Aiyana today.”
It’s like time freezes, the Earth stops spinning, and the universe pauses while that bomb drops in Slash’s lap.
One one thousand. His eyes widen.
Two one thousand. His mouth drops.
Three one thousand. His brows furrow in confusion.
“Are you fucking kidding me? What the actual fuck are you doing here pretending to hunt while your chosen one is…” He stops because he doesn’t know anything about what happened. I choose to take pity on him and help him out.
“In Staten Island.”
“You came all the way back here and just, what? Left her there?” This asshole then proceeds to punch me in the face.
“What the fuck, Slash?” It doesn’t hurt. Well, maybe my pride for not anticipating his stupid move.
“Sorry, just checking you weren’t a shifter pretending to be you.
Because you can’t be that fucking stupid.
” I choose to ignore his jab, the literal and spoken ones, and just shoulder check him as I head back home.
“You’re just going to drop that bit of information in my lap and walk away? The fuck is wrong with you?”
And there it is, my frustration and anger and every other fucking emotion comes back to the surface and Slash gets the brunt of it.
“She doesn’t remember me, all right? I kissed her with everything I’ve got and she slapped me, then basically told me to fuck off.” I raise my arms to either side in exasperation before letting them fall right back down.
“I’ve always liked that girl,” Slash says, his goofy smile lighting up his face. Cocky motherfucker. “You, on the other hand, are an idiot.”
“And you’re an asshole, what’s your point?” Fuck this, I don’t need the abuse today. I can whip my own damn self just fine, thank you.
“Why the fuck are you here, Hack? You should be there with her. What if she dies and you’re over here licking your non-existent wounds?
So she doesn’t remember you. Make her. You’re charming when you want to be, use that shit to your advantage.
Have I taught you nothing over the fucking centuries?
” I cock a brow at his little monologue because, no, he hasn’t taught me shit about courting, but he has shown me what I do not ever want to do.
In seconds, he’s in my face, the warrior who devastated land after land has never been more clear in his expression than right now. “You go and fucking get your woman. This shit is not acceptable.” Then he pushes me and I push back. He punches my shoulder and I punch his jaw.
We both growl, our teeth clenched and our eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, everything is clear.
“That’s it, brother.” Slash stands to his full height and so do I. “You got this shit.”
I know exactly what I need to do, and it turns out I won’t be taking the high road paved in Pierce’s intentions. I’ll be going full-blown Slash on my chosen one.
Thirty minutes later, after I change and put away my hunting gear, I’m standing across the street from the Mystic T. She can’t see me, I’m hidden in the shadows and watching all the comings and goings of the customers.
A sudden calm washes over me knowing she’s so close. The fantasy of walking in and just touching her, kissing her, holding her in my empty arms is all-consuming.
“Hey! Watch it, buddy. This is my corner.” I ignore the guy trying to talk to me, or better yet, telling me in no uncertain terms that I need to get off his turf. “You deaf?”
Do not engage with anthros. Do not engage with anthros. Do not—
“Hey! I said to back the fuck off!” The guy hits me with a baseball bat and I see red.
Before he even registers that I’ve moved on him, I latch my fingers around his neck and slam him against the wall.
He may be a big guy but in my state of mind, he feels light as a feather as I drag him well above my head.
High enough, in fact, that his feet no longer touch the ground of this narrow alley smelling of stale piss.
“Touch me again and I will fucking end you.” My voice is so low, I know it sounds off to anthros ears. My demon is talking and I can see the deep-rooted fear in this man’s eyes. It’s not his fault I’m on edge but this guy needs to learn when to back off.
“Yeah, yeah. So–Sorry. You can stay, man. My bad.”
I growl for good measure before placing him back on his feet.
“Come back later.” My order leaves no room for arguments because until she closes up, I’ll be standing here, watching her. Then, I’ll follow her home to make sure she’s safe there, too.
Movement catches my eyes just above the shop sign where a black raven stands guard.
I nod at it.
Guess there are two of us watching over Aiyana. And I’m okay with that, as long as it’s gone by her thirtieth birthday.