### ALEXA'S POV
As the atmosphere grew tense, my mother's voice cut through the stillness like a knife. "You keep whining that you can't do this or that without even giving it a shot! Why can't you just be like your sister? She approaches every task we give her with confidence and skill, and it's always done right! If you were even half as capable as she is, we wouldn't have a thing to fret about. Sometimes it feels like you're completely useless. What's the point of being the best fighter and the fastest in the family if you can't even handle a simple hunt? Honestly, I don't get why you even exist if all you're going to do is take up space."
Her harsh words echoed in my mind long after she'd thrown them at me. Yes, it was definitely my mother, and at times, I struggled to understand why she felt the need to say such things.
"I'm sorry for not being like my sister!" I shot back, fury boiling inside me as I braced myself against her unending criticisms. "If she's so much better, why not just send her on the mission when she and Dad get back? If she knows how to handle it all, then give her the responsibility and quit yelling at me! Is it my fault you didn't have two of her? If you had, maybe we'd both be easier to deal with!" My words, a mix of hurt and defiance, hung in the air as I stormed out, retreating to my room. I slammed the door shut behind me and locked it tight—a rebellious act that felt both liberating and claustrophobic.
But before we dive deeper into my Life and untangle the complicated web of chaos that led to this explosive fight, let me introduce myself. I'm Alexa Riley Hunter. Yeah, the last name says it all—I'm a hunter. A supernatural one, to be precise, but lately, it feels more like I'm navigating the battlefield of my own turbulent life than chasing down the dark forces my family has dedicated themselves to taking down.
In our tight-knit family, it's just the four of us: my mother, Andrea Mitchell Hunter; my father, Jack Andrew Hunter; and my cherished little sister, Lily Andrea Hunter—who, funnily enough, shares our mom's name. It's obvious that my mom's admiration for Lily borders on idolization; it's a nickname that highlights their special bond. Even though I'm two whole years older than my sister, I can't shake the feeling of living in her shadow, not just with her achievements but also under my mother's constant scorn.
Let's not pretend family dynamics are simple here. My parents had me before tying the knot, and I can't shake the feeling that my very presence may have pushed them into marriage—I still wonder if they adopted me out of guilt. My dad has always been kind, but my mother? She seems incapable of going a single day without reminding me how much she dislikes me, while showering Lily with endless affection. Because of this imbalance, my sister feels free to treat me however she wants, and believe me, she takes full advantage!
Our small, close family bears the marks of a tragic past that nearly wiped us out. My father was the only survivor of whatever disaster struck us, and he eventually met my mother, an orphan herself. This left Lily and me without grandparents, aunts, or uncles—just the two of us in our own little world. We've spent all these years side by side, but my parents have always been the warriors of our family, accomplished hunters with unmatched skill and strength, while I've felt like a ghost floating alongside them, never truly belonging.
You might wonder why I haven't embraced this so-called "hunter" fate. The truth is, I've never found peace in the idea of killing supernatural beings, especially not after realizing I share their blood too. It was a stunning revelation when it first happened: I was seven years old, playing outside while the rest of my family went on yet another hunt. That day marked the first time I transformed, and sheer panic engulfed me. I couldn't comprehend how I had changed into something my own family hunted with such fervor and ruthless intent.
In the aftermath of my transformation, I was desperate to change back before Mom and Dad returned, fearing they would turn on me like they had turned on the others of my kind. Miraculously, I managed to revert before their return, acting as if nothing was amiss. Can you imagine? A household of hunters blissfully unaware that a wolf resided among them—all because I was clever enough to mask my scent and keep my dual nature hidden.
From that day forward, I learned to run far and wide under the cover of night with my wolf, taking painstaking measures to hide my tracks so that my parents could never discover my secret. But even now, as I sit here and think about it, I'm still baffled. How did I end up like this? Was my mother unfaithful, or could it be that I am simply the product of some cosmic karma for all the innocent supernatural beings my family has dispatched over the years?
Now, as fate would have it, there's an imminent threat looming on the horizon—my parents are planning to send me on a mission to eliminate an entire pack of supernatural beings. This assignment is not just my first kill; it's my third mission, and it has ignited the very argument that fueled my impending storm. This time, it's a test that could expose my secret to the people I fear the most. The stakes have never been higher, and I find myself standing at the crossroads of my existence, tangled in the web of family loyalty, personal identity, and a desperate need for acceptance.