• CHAPTER 109 - THE HYBRID AND THE HUNTER

    Okay, it's the full moon...pull yourself together, Arisa. What's the worst that could happen? I get shot by the crazy lady or I get eaten by a Werewolf-Vampire hybrid. Could be worse.

    I had spent the next few hours just sitting around and peeking at the clock on my phone every few minutes. I would have to wake up Ai soon; I wanted to get to the restaurant before sundown. It was more than likely Mayura and Hitoshi would be back during the full moon where they're even more powerful. I hadn't had a Werewolf encounter for a long tiem; I hardly remembered what to do. I packed my small bag for work ahead of time, making sure my gun was snug in my bag.

    It was finally time to wake Ai up. I tip-toed into the bedroom and gently shook her awake. She groaned and turned over onto her back, rubbing her eye, "Nana?"

    "Ai, it's time to go," I whispered. "We're going to my work until midnight."

    Ai obediently sat up and stretched while yawning. I felt guilty for waking her but it was worth it if I wanted to get her our of the house. I sat on the bed in front of her and gently peeled off the bandage over her eye. Her skin was healed but her cornea still had a tear in it.

    "Can you see out of this eye?" I pointed to her injured eye.

    She shook her head, "Not very well. Hitoshi hurt me bad."

    It made my heart jump in anger that Hitoshi, a so-called man, would think of something so cruel to do to a six-year-old girl. I was sure Ai's eye would heal completely within the next week but still. I helped the sleepy Ai off of the bed and gave her one of my sweaters which, surprisingly, almost fit her. It was either she was too tall or I was too short. I grabbed my bag and my car keys and we left the house, locking the door behind us. I hurried us into the car and took off right away, racing to town before the sun would sink past the horizon.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "Oh, she's adorable!" Manager Uratada oogled over Ai.

    "Her name is Ai," I smiled, helping Ai onto a stool at the front counter. "She's six."

    "Where are her parents?" Manger Uratada looked over at me.

    I bit my lip, not wanting to tell her Ai's parents were dead. At least, her mother was, "Her parents are...off of vacation. I'm babysitting her until the weekend is over."

    "Aww, well, she's just the cutest thing," Manager Uratada smiled widely while bouncing Nozomi gently in her arms. "Would you like anything, Ai?"

    Ai looked down and blushed a little, "Some ramen,"

    "She likes her ramen," I smiled. "I'll get you some, Ai."

    Ai's cheeks continued to stay a pinkish shade. She sure seemed to blush easily when she was in public. She was probably like me; blushing while using manners. I hurried to make Ai some quick ramen and mixed some vegetables with them; she seemed to love noodles and veggies with a passion. As Ai was slowly eating her appetizer behind the front counter, Manager Uratada was cheerfully helping paying customers, handled Nozomi, and spoke with Ai. She was like a super mom already.

    ~*~*~*~*~*~

    "Arisa, you may go ahead and bring Ai along anytime you'd like," Manager Uratada continued to smile.

    "I'll be sure to do that, depending on if Ai's parents want me to babysit again," I smiled a little nervously while slipping my jacket on. I didn't want to talk about Ai's parents too much or she'd probably cry again.

    Manager Uratada waved with one hand and held the sleeping Nozomi in the other arm, "Thank you, Arisa,"

    I waved back and smiled and Ai and I left out the front doors instead. We walked a few blocks to the parking ramp. I wasn't too paranoid about parking in the parking ramp because what were the odds a Werewolf would appear in the middle of a city? Surely, Mayura and Hitoshi could be waiting for us in the living room of the house with the oven turned on. Wait, why would the oven be on? Good God, I was fantacizing that they were going to eat us. It wouldn't surprise me, seeing as how crazy Mayura was already.

    "Ai, buckle up," I reminded her. Even though she was a Vampire and wouldn't die in a car crash, I didn't want to look like an even worse person than I already was.

    Driving home took less time than normal. I was surprised I didn't crash the car; my eyes were glued to the exposed full moon the whole way home. The night was so clear and every star was visible, even the Milky Way. Knowing Takeuchi, he was either playing tag with Kai again or just howling at the moon, making a nuisance to neighboring Werewolves. It made me wonder; would Takeuchi and Miku ever expose Takeuchi to Miku's parents as to what he really was? What about when Miku would become a Werewolf in the future?

    "Nana?" Ai tugged my sleeve a little. "Why are you still sitting here?"

    I blinked a few times and frowned at myself, "Damn, I dozed off again," we were already parked in the driveway.

    We both stepped out of opposite sides of my car at the same time and my ears were greeted with Ai's shriek. I sped over to her in concern, only to be thrown back against the side of my car. My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I saw the threads of Mayura's snow white hair glisten in the moonlight. Her hand was grappled around my throat once more and, standing at the tree in front of the house, was Hitoshi, in his Werewolf form. He didn't appear quite at large as normal Werewolves but he looked even more threatening. I calmly handed my car keys to Ai without taking my eyes off of Mayura.

    "Ai, go inside, now," I ordered. "Stay in there."

    Ai hesitantly grabbed my keys and she ran inside, nearly crying on the way. As soon as the front door shut, Mayura's hand grappled tighter around my neck, putting pressure on the bruises from her defiled hands the day before. There was a menacing glow to Mayura's eyes but especially in Hitoshi's; he looked as though he wanted to eat me in one bite. I didn't know how being a half Werewolf-Vampire hybrid affected his appetite; the transition to his Werewolf form could dehydrate him excessively.

    Mayura smirked, "So you're still in pain from yesterday?" she sneered with her light British accent.

    A low-pitched growl from Hitoshi caused me to react by dislocating my gun from my bag and pressing it harshly against the underside of Mayura's jaw. Surprisingly, I was so much calmer than I thought I would be. Maybe it was a good thing Kai was gone for a few days; I was maturing dramatically. Hitoshi took a step closer and I depressed the barrel against Mayura's jaw harder.

    "You inch any closer to me or Ai, and I will shoot her," I hissed at Hitoshi.

    Mayura snickered sinisterly, "You're so naive; You cannot kill a human with those guns."

    "But I could sure put you through a world of Hellish pain,"

    She snickered again, "Very well,"

    "You still haven't given me a reason as to why you're after Ai,"

    "There's another Vampire living here, is there not?" she changed the subject.

    I pursed my lips together, "Yes, he will be back tonight,"

    "Oh, more game," Mayura halfway sang.

    "Are you going to answer my question or not?" I pressed the gun harder.

    Mayura smiled, "Now, now, you don't have the stomach to pull that trigger," she leaned in a little closer. "I dare you."

    "I dare you to snap my neck," I hissed, also lecturing myself inside because that was exactly what Mayura tried to do yesterday.

    "Such a naughty girl," Mayura frowned. "I wasn't expecting so much anger from you tonight."

    "Try it, b***h," I hissed even more. "Try to push me further."

    She gave off another small smirk and whipped me around to throw me onto the ground right at Hitoshi's feet. I sat up and groaned while rubbing my head; the wound was probably open again. Warm breath oozed onto my shoulder and I froze where I was. Without looking, the barrell of my gun pressed against Hitoshi's neck. With him breathing down the right side of my neck, it reminded me of December, the day I was infected by a Werewolf.

    Hitoshi stepped back and Mayura came into sight again. Her bare foot pressed against my throat and she knocked me flat onto my back and compressed her foot a little harder against my throat. I groaned and peeked over to see Ai standing in front of the window of the bedroom with shock all over her face.

    "Your boyfriend will make for more interesting game," Mayura smirked. "We'll spare you this time but next time, you and your boyfriend might not be so lucky."

    "That's pretty much what you said last time," I sneered at her as soon as she lifted her foot from my airway.

    "Hitoshi," Mayura called out to him. Hitoshi circled around me to get to Mayura and she climbed onto his back. "Maybe next time, I'll explain why I'm after that demon spawn." and they left, taking off into the night.

    As I sat up, the strongest urge to shoot her and Hitoshi was unbearable. If I would end up killing one of them, then the other would kill me. And with my horrible aim, I wouldn't be able to kill both of them. I stopped myself where I was and bit my lip; I was already thinking about killing people?

    "Nana!" Ai called out to me, rushing out of the house with tears billowing down her cheeks.

    Before I could say anything, Ai got down onto her knees and embraced me tightly. I wasn't injured so much this time but it still scared Ai. She saw too much violence in her life and I was trying to make it better; I wasn't doing well at my job.

    "Don't worry, I'm okay," I sighed and rubbed her back as she sobbed into my chest. "Kai will be here in a matter of hours; there's nothing to be afraid of."

    "I'm sorry, Nana," she cried. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

    "Let's get inside," I shivered from the cool evening air. "It's dangerous to be out here with Werewolves running around."

    I helped Ai onto her feet and into the house, locking the door behind me. I was outraged that Mayura and Hitoshi came back and even angrier when they scared Ai like they did. I had a blind moment at one point and actually pressed a gun against Mayura's jaw and I even dared her to snap my neck. Weren't those things Kai would normally say?

    I collapsed onto my bed and Ai climbed on next to me, calming down her crying and slowing her tears. Luckily, my head wasn't bleeding again but I had a hell of a splitting headache. My throat was throbbing again and it hurt to swallow. I clutched my phone close to my chest, waiting for Kai's call to notify me of his arrival.