Red Hood: The Hunt Read Online Free PDF Page B

there were already people gathering on the outside.  It had never been like this as long as I can remember.  Any walled city is usually hit by wandering packs on a full moon, maybe twenty to thirty wolves.  But lately the entire city would be surrounded by thousands of wolves.  Nobody had any clue why.
    Dozens of uniformed officers were taking their places.  I checked the time, fifteen minutes until the sun set.  The moon was already up over the horizon, and the people outside the gate were pacing around in an agitated manner, staring at the moon.  I did what I have done the past few full moons and walked out of the gate, Victor stayed behind the line, he was such a namby-pamby about his own blood he only left the city when he absolutely had to.
    I noted that the beguiling woman in red followed me out.  She seemed to be looking into the eyes of every male she passed.  I stopped in front of a woman who looked terrified as she watched the moon.  I got her attention by placing my hand on her arm.  “Miss?”
    She looked at me then at the moon, she looked like she wanted to flee.  “Miss?  Why are you here?  It's obvious you don't want to be.”
    She looked at me almost pleadingly. “I don't know.  I should be home with the children, in our safe room for the night.”
    My brow furrowed, this wasn't the first time a Lycan infected told me that.  I tried to be non-threatening in my riot gear.  “Then go home.  Can you make it before sunset?”
    She looked back over her shoulder, “I want to.  I can't.  I... I have to be at the gates.”  She looked truly terrified.
    Maireni stepped up to her and put a hand out, tilting her head, her eyes questing at the woman who nodded at her.  Damaschin looked directly into her eyes, her gaze so intent I almost got lost in it.  Then she put a hand on her arm and gave it a squeeze then turned to me.  “She is under a compulsion.  It is not her decision to be here.  Someone is making her.”  She looked around and her voice sounded resigned. “As I am sure the majority of the others are, as well.  Though I do see some who are wild, being drawn into the pack.”
    Compulsion?  Like, hypnotism or something?   I looked at the woman. “Who is making you come here?  You know you will probably die here tonight if your wolf attacks the gate?”
    A tear rolled down her cheek and she nodded once as she stared at the moon.  “I... he... I can't.”
    He?  Ok, that was something.   Red looked concerned.  I thought Hunters reveled in the hunt, in the kill.  Yet she looked concerned for the infected.  She looked at the silvered holding cages outside the city gates that had been placed there in recent months.  Then took her hand and almost dragged her to one.  The woman tried to fight, but Maireni easily moved the woman into a cage.  The woman grabbed the bars of the door as it closed then hissed and pulled back when her flesh sizzled.
    Maireni leaned her forehead against the bars and gave the woman a smile.  The woman looked so relieved as she looked at the moon and Red.  She whispered, “Thank you.”
    Red just smiled reached through the bars and gave the woman's hand a little squeeze and said, “You will be safe tonight, go home to your family in the morning.”  The woman nodded her thanks.  Then Maireni turned to me.
    I must have been gaping.  She tilted her head, and her brow furrowed. “What detective?”
    I shook my head.  “Nothing.  You're not what I expected in a Wolf Hunter.”
    She smiled at that like it was a compliment. “I'm not your average Hunter.”
    I caught myself smiling back. “Apparently not.”
    Then I turned and went about the task with other officers of finding any underage children and ushering or dragging them into the holding cages.  Nobody wanted to kill a child, they would be safe and away from the gates until morning like this.  It was odd I felt no remorse killing an adult wolf knowing a human lay beneath.  Maybe I