[ 7 ] 2014

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"We might be brothers, but if you even so much as think of hurting Dempsey, I'll forget about our past bond. I'll forget that we grew up together."

-

When it was all over and done, James had been given him head start to continue being on the run. But James was confident that he and his team of hunters would find the original shifter wherever he may hide. They had been well trained from a very young age to locate and execute their rivals, and James thought a few more months at the most was little time to wait in order to eliminate Jack and Hazel Quimby. Michael fled with them, something that the hunters saw as the ultimate form of betrayal. Not only was he leaving behind his life as a hunter, but he was leaving behind the people he had known as his family for years. He was leaving behind his father, his sister and his friends. James could not understand Michael's reasons for leaving.

"You all have been my family for years and I love you with all my heart." He said to them in a sad voice. His head turned towards Jack and Hazel as he continued, simultaneously reaching out to grab Hazel's hand in his. "But I've found the person who will be my home, the person I want to be with. If my family cannot accept her, I have no other choice but to distance myself from you all."

The other hunters present--all of them had gathered in Australia to take down Jack and Hazel--looked on with tears in their eyes and a bit of resentment. Especially the ones who had known him the longest like James, Naileah, Elaine, Rocky, and Dieter. The two youngest ones and the latest addition to the hunters--Jooyoung and Iva--he had never really interacted with. But others like Dieter he had even spend time with in the garden. The garden was the facility where they had been trained to hunt when they were taken in by Arthur. 

As much as they wanted to fulfill their mission, Dempsey and Paul had been understanding about it. To the point where they had decided to formally back down and continue hunting, but without ever intending to hurt the originals for Michael's sake. The others could not offer him the same kind of loyalty. Michael understood them in some way as well. They wanted to remain loyal to Arthur, who had been a father to them. Arthur was the one who took them in when thy had no one. Had it not been for them, they would still probably some lonely orphans on the streets who could have succumbed to bad habits and bad lives. But thanks to him they felt like they had a purpose in their lives.

As soon as Michael had gone, the hunters and James turned to Paul and Dempsey, their demeanor a much less hostile one than the one they had demonstrated earlier. With a sheepish smile, James scratched the back of his head with one hand and extended the other one for Paul to take. "Look man, no hard feelings, okay? I was just trying to carry out the boss' wishes. You understand right."

Paul took one hesitant look at James' hand. 

The other hunter grimaced, in his mind thinking that Paul wouldn't forgive him. Paul was a bit of an enigma of a person. He was serious, but he was kind. He was prideful, but he was forgiving. He was rough, but he was also gentle. It sometimes depended on the situation, or how he was feeling that day. But Paul knew he had poked his friend right where it would most ache, in his pride. Getting forgiveness from Paul would very likely be more difficult than he thought. But James was surprised when slowly but surely, Paul started to reach for James hand. It was a movement that felt as though everything were moving in slow motion.

James was only surprised when he saw Dempsey step in between them like a flash, pushing Paul's hand out of the way.

"No Paul." She said firmly, looking every bit like a tiny little rag doll in between them. James was six feet tall, while Paul was about six foot one, and they both towered well over her. Still, she was the most intimidating person of the three, and her aura backed her up. Neither of the two boys would dare to challenge her. With her arms crossed over her chest defiantly, she spat an accusation full of venom towards James. "You pushed us down to the ground, your family, and you treated us like dirt. And only now that its all over you want to apologize like words can fix what you did? Paul is too nice and won't tell you what you deserve. But I don't care if you want to hear it or not. We're supposed to be a family. We're supposed to stick together. You went against us."

"Well exactly." James pointed out, agreeing with what she had said, but in his own way. In a way that made him seem like he was the one who was right. "How do you think I felt when my co-leader is trying to protect them instead of siding with the family? We're supposed to be a unit. We are supposed to be one."

His words were only serving to make her more angry.  

"I just want to make it clear that if you ever, ever, hit Paul again, I will personally kill you with my own two hands. And then I'll hide your rotting corpse in a sewer canal. Am I making myself clear?" She shot him a very real threat that had Paul's eyes widening in surprise. He knew she had it in her to make those threats. But never did he think she would ever threaten someone from their own family like that. She was usually good with them. The hunters usually all got along. There was never any room for arguments or fights between them.

James was so surprised by her words too that he just stared at her, jaw dropped to the floor. Without any clear warning, she then cocked her arm back and took a swing at him with all her strength, hitting him square in the face. The blow had been so hard that he stumbled back and she was able to break the skin. Soon there was crimson red blood flowing from his nose where she had hit him. 

Before James could even react, Paul shot an arm out, reaching for her. He quickly pulled her behind him and stood in front of her protectively. James, feeling the blood trickling from his nose, brought a hand up to assess the damage. The other hunters were surrounding him in a second, with Naileah touching his face desperately. James pulled his hand back and saw his fingers stained with his own blood. That was when he pushed past the other hunters. "Don't think I won't hit you back just because you're a girl. Come back here and face me if you're so tough." He barked angrily, trying to look at her over Paul's shoulder.

But Paul stood in his way, pushing back. "I think you need to calm down and watch what you say, James." Paul warned through gritted teeth and a clenched jaw. By his side, his hands were balled up into angry fists. He was one to be rather passive when it came to defending himself. But he would let no one hurt Dempsey. "We might be brothers, but if you even so much as think of hurting Dempsey, I'll forget about our past bond. I'll forget that we grew up together."

Paul had spent one whole year in Perth training with James when he finished up his two years of training in the garden. It was a whole year in which the two had grown close and Arthur had seen the two had a high potential for leadership. Within the studies they had conducted at the garden, Arthur had found that both Paul and James had an alpha gene which made them natural born leaders. The others would naturally follow them. He hadn't taken into account that like in a wolf pack, there could only be one alpha. It had only taken until now for the rivalry to be activated. It was also the reason why things with Rohan hadn't worked out. He had the alpha gene as well and was unwilling to take orders from either Paul or James. He wanted to do his own thing and that was his undoing.

"Please. We're siblings, we shouldn't fight." Elaine cried in her French accent. The others could only nod in agreement.

James, with a bloody face and crimson already staining his lips and dripping onto his shirt, spewed venom in his words. "I said it once and I'll say it again. If you're not with us, then you are the enemy. Take your pick." A sadness flashed across his eyes as he reminded the two. "You should talk to the boss if you think this life is not for you. Remember he promised we could leave when we wanted and he'd help us get settled in our country again. A stable and normal life. If that's what you want then arrange with him so that you can return to Mexico."

"You guys have gone weak on us." Dieter said with a disappointed shake of his head. "Especially you, hermano." Brother, he had called Paul. He was the only one of them that spoke the same language. And he was also the person who had once had a crush on him. 

Dieter had been interested romantically in Paul when they had been in the garden together as early teenagers. When Elained joined them later, he became conflicted and wasn't sure which of the two he liked more. He had later decided, after Paul left the facility, that he was the one he liked. But it had been too late, and Paul had politely declined his feelings when Dieter confessed to him. Now Paul was with Dempsey and Dieter was happy for them. They were a good match and he knew that she made him happy. But things had been difficult, not just for him, but another one of their hunters. Rocky had been in love with Dempsey since he was fifteen, when he was training her in Canada. 

Both of them now had to watch Paul and Dempsey be happy without them.

Paul gave a shake of his head, disagreeing. "Its really not that we've gone weak. We've just started to understand that not all shifters are bad people. Killing Jack and Hazel for the mere reason that they exist is unfair. No one deserves that. I would hope that you all, as my siblings who I care for, will learn to understand that as well." As he was talking, the other hunters looked at him like he was daft and James even found himself rolling his eyes in disbelief.

Taking his hand in hers, Dempsey's words were absolute. She had already made a decision. "We will talk to the boss as soon as he is conscious again, and if we must leave the organization, then we will leave."

James finally heaved a sigh as it all sunk in for him that there was a real possibility that they would leave. What he had been intending to do was to scare them into coming back to their side. But it seemed that it wasn't working. Now all he was left with was resignation. They were the only family he had left, but if they no longer shared his views and the views of the organization, it was better for them to take their leave. "Even after everything. Even right now. We will always be family. If you ever wanted to come back, we would accept you without a doubt."

"We really appreciate that." Paul gave a grateful nod of his head. Pulling his hand out of Dempsey's hold for a moment, he took a step forward and pulled James in for a hug, not even caring that the blood that was dripping down his face was going to stain his leather jacket that they all wore as a symbol of the hunters. When the two boys pulled away, he returned to Dempsey's side and wrapped and arm around her shoulders.

Dempsey was surprised that Paul was able to so easily forgive what their family did to them. She was still feeling a bit upset. But if he was willing to let it go, then she would try not to hold any anger against them either.

It wasn't a goodbye yet, but it was starting to feel every bit like a goodbye to all of them.

-

we have a slightly dramatic filler chapter, since i havent written in a while.

so hazel and jack have fled once more. michael has gone with them since he finally decided that he likes and wants to be with hazel. after like a million years of her pining over him.

and we also have the possibility of paul and dempsey to leave the organization  as well. i may or may not have them return to mexico to live out a normal life. that is still pending. but i mean they would still keep in contact with everyone in australia.

let me know what you think everyone.

we are barely in chapter seven and harley still has regular high school milestones to get through as well. so please stay tuned.

-clary