Exhausted.
Every muscle in my body ached as I pulled the door open to the Hunter HQ. All that was left was to give a short status report before I could head home and take a nice hot bath.
The main lobby hushed as soon as I entered. It didn't take long before the not-so-quiet whispers reached my ears.
"I heard she subdued three werewolves on her own. That's not something a normal hunter can handle."
"Wow, that's very impressive. She could be considered as strong as Leader Mason now."
My lips curved into a small smile. I worked harder than anyone else, training every day. Fighting the werewolves wasn't just a job for me; it was revenge. If not for those rabid dogs, my parents would still be alive.
Their screams from that night still haunt me to this day.
I hated the werewolves with every fiber of my being. All they seemed to know how to do was hunt innocent humans, playing their sick and twisted games.
I didn't bother stopping to chat with any of the other hunters or recruits and made my way straight to the director's office on the top floor. Just as I lifted my hand to knock, the door suddenly swung open.
"Oh, Esther! It's good to see you back. I'm assuming your mission was a success?"
I smiled and nodded. "Hello, Secretary Masi. It was. We got them just as they were shifting, though there was one small complication."
She stepped aside to let me in. "Well, I'm glad to have you back. Go on and report to the director."
"Thank you. Have a good evening," I said before stepping into the office.
The moment I stepped inside, I was nearly blinded by the wall of gold behind the director's desk. Multiple awards and plaques hung from the display wall, bathing the office in a golden hue.
"Director!" I said, greeting him in the standard military fashion.
"Ah, Esther. You're finally back. I already received the report from Trent, so you don't have to waste your breath. You did a fine job and will be rewarded for your performance," he said as he took a seat behind his desk. "Come, take a seat. I have another thing to discuss with you."
I walked over and took a seat in front of his desk. My eyes traveled up to his head, taking in the sight of his perfectly grey hair. 'Even the director couldn't escape the flow of time.'
"What is it, sir?" I asked, curious about what he had to tell me.
"I know you have just come back, but tomorrow is the day of the peace conference. I need to make sure you're ready. Your role is the most critical part of this mission. Last time we spoke, you insisted on going instead of Hunter Anna. Will you be ready?"
My eyes widened slightly. Having been away on a mission, I completely forgot that the peace conference was happening. On the surface, the plan was to be sent over as an ambassador to learn about werewolf customs and promote peace between us. In reality, it was humanity's first opportunity to kill the Alpha.
"I'll be ready," I said with determination.
Killing the Alpha meant turning the tide of this war. Something that we'd only dreamed of being able to do.
Anna was also my best friend, and though she was a skilled hunter, her body was frail. She required a lot of time to recuperate between missions.
The director looked me in the eyes and nodded. "Very well. Don't be late tomorrow."
I stood up and bowed respectfully. "Yes, sir!"
By the time I made it over to my car, my legs were ready to give out.
Werewolves were stronger than humans on every level. They were naturally more agile and could easily outrun the fastest human. Their strength was also several times greater, making them a tough opponent.
To combat them, I had to not only move quickly but also utilize the environment to my advantage. The goal was to strike them before they had a chance to shapeshift.
My car rumbled as I turned the engine on.
'Just a little longer before I'm home. I wonder what Mason is up to.'
I couldn't help but smile as I thought of my fiancé, Mason. He was the top hunter in our generation, someone I looked up to for a long time. We had just recently moved in together and were planning on getting married later this year.
"Maybe he'll take me out to dinner to celebrate my mission completion," I said with a big smile. There was no doubt in my mind that he would. He'd always been very attentive to me, constantly surprising me with flowers and my favorite snacks.
My favorite thing about him was his morals. He never pushed me to do anything, and agreed that we should wait until marriage before having sex. Every once in a while, he'd kiss me on the cheek, but that was it.
I drove into the underground parking garage of our apartment building.
Ever since the initial war with the werewolves, humanity had begun to struggle with the land. The increase of factories and labs led us into a crisis, so now it was standard practice to build up and down instead of outwards.
Our apartment was about halfway up the building, on the seventeenth floor. I gathered my remaining strength and slowly made my way towards the elevator. The ride up took a few minutes, but the doors soon opened.
Excitement and joy bubbled up inside me. I couldn't wait to tell Mason all about the mission and hear about what he's been up to while I had been gone.
"Maybe we can watch a movie together tonight," I mumbled as I opened the door to the apartment.
But just as the door opened, I quickly noticed that something was off. There was a pair of bright red heels tossed carelessly across the kitchen floor. Heels that I knew for sure I didn't own.
I took a step forward, noticing that the trail didn't stop there. As I stepped into the living room, I saw the mess. Pillows and couch cushions were scattered across the floor, and the couch was moved out of position. Hanging off the side of the couch was a black dress and a button-up shirt.
My stomach sank. I followed the trail of undergarments until I reached the bedroom door.
"Ah- Mason, you're being so rough with me!" a female voice cried out.
My stomach knotted, causing nausea and disgust to build up inside of me. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. No, Mason loved me. He would never do something like this.
Still, the moans and sounds of the mattress creaking continued to come from inside.
I could feel my pulse in my head. The world around me began to spin, but I reached out and turned the handle.
It's not my Mason. It can't be. Maybe I'm in the wrong apartment...