The two of them talked, laughed, and talked even more. After spending the days after she parted with Asher alone, Roxanne felt exhilarated to talk to someone.
It took every ounce of self control to restrain her from touching the werewolf aspect of her life. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Donald, she just couldn’t breach a topic so crazy.
Instead, she just mentioned her experiences in a more mundane manner. The werewolf village was replaced with a regular settlement in the woods where her grandma lived. She also mentioned the combat training she did, though it was also watered down by half truths and several omissions.
Roxanne didn’t mention Asher though, she couldn’t .
After conversing for a long period, Roxanne finally decided to leave the Gym, it was getting late after all. Plus, she began to feel guilty for keeping Donald glued to his seat with all her narratives.
“He probably has better things to do anyway…” She thought to herself.
She rose up from her seat and made her intentions known.
“O-Oh, yeah… You’re right. Would you look at the time, ha-ha” Donald laughed, slightly flustered by the forgetfulness he displayed.
Perhaps he too was so enthralled in her stories that he failed to check the time.
“Let me escort you to the front door at least,” Donald smiled.
Happy to have more time with her beloved mentor, Roxanne agreed.
They both slowly descended the stairs, loudly chattering and laughing about the events of the day.
“We should have a round another time” Roxanne said with excitement.
Donald’s eyes narrowed and he grinned knowingly.
“Oh, I’m sure we will soon. You should take care of yourself before then” He implored.
“Gee… Still treating me like a kid, uh? Remember I still won that fight. I can take care of myself, ”she said confidently.
As she spoke, Donald eyes her and smiled to himself.
“Oh, I’m sure you can… That’s why I mentioned it.” Donald responded.
Roxanne didn’t understand his logic, but she didn’t push it any further than that.
“Besides, next time will be different, Roxanne… You can be sure about that”
Somehow, Donald’s voice sounded deep and imposing. Roxanne turned to meet her coach’s eyes, but met his usual cheery expression.
Perhaps it was just her imagination.
They reached the front door, and once again, Roxanne dived into the cold snow awaiting her outside the warmth of the Gym. She braced herself, ready to return to her hotel.
Roxanne turned back to steal one final glance at her coach. With a nostalgic look, her eyes caught his.
She wanted to open her mouth to talk to him concerning what was troubling her, the whole wolf secret. He was like a father to her, and after exchanging blows, she felt closer to him somehow. Still, something within her restrained Roxanne from saying anything.
“Oh, and Roxanne, for what it’s worth… Happy New Year…” Donald suddenly said, giving her a gentle smile.
Even though the official time was in two days, Donald knew they wouldn’t have the pleasantry of doing this anytime soon.
The words spoken to Roxanne made her lips curl up in a smile as she nodded.
“Yeah. You too Coach.”
She waved at him and hurriedly left the place before she burst from within.
As she disappeared into the crowd of people who wore their winter clothes, all in the spirit of the season, Roxanne felt a swirling mass of emotion within her.
Even though she still felt a little conflicted concerning not telling Donald about her little secret, she was still happy. At least, she felt happier than when she walked into the gym.
That much was enough.
After Donald saw Roxanne leave, his soft smile suddenly folded, replaced by a grim look. His eyebrows furrowed and the bright eyes he usually displayed darkened.
He entered the Gym with a fixated look, clearly disturbed about something.
“S-Sir? Is something the matter?” The receptionist asked in a concerned tone.
She had never seen him that way before.
Ignoring the worried receptionist, Donald mechanically climbed the stairs and moved upstairs.
As he nearly reached the top of the first flight, he looked back down and met the eyes of the concerned woman. Her eyes lit up, thinking he was finally going to return to his usual self.
She couldn’t be any more wrong.
“Some guests will be arriving soon… Once they do, immediately direct them to my personal place upstairs.” Donald said to her.
The woman was initially confused about his words, looking down to analyze what he meant. By the time the meaning struck her and she looked up to ask for more details, Donald had vanished from sight.
“Weird… The Boss was acting weird just now… I wonder why…” She muttered.
Donald reached the vast space he and Roxanne occupied not too long ago and even saw the empty stage set in the room. His expression turned into a scowl as he took his eyes off instantly.
Taking paced steps, he went to his private space within the entire establishment and locked the door.
The room was similar to a mid-sized office. With a chair in the middle of the room, behind a sturdy desk. There was also another chair in front of the desk. A sofa also lays the side of the room as well, able to occupy four to five individuals.
He walked past the sofa, the tables, and chairs. Those weren’t important at the moment.
Finally, his steps stopped.
Donald stood opposite the wall behind his chair in the quiet, dimly-lit, office. Slowly raising his hand, he placed his plan on the wall and pressed it forward. The point of contact caved in, making the entire structure to rumble.
The wall made of wood, slowly began to move, shifting to the side, as a hidden compartment was revealed.
As Donald saw the items within the compartment, he picked his phone and dialed a number there.
>Zzzrrrrnggggg<
"Come on… Pick up Luther…" He whispered.
Suddenly, after a few seconds of buzzing, the one on the other end finally picked the call.
"Heyyy, Donald! How's it going? It's been a while since you called. Couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the number displayed on my-"
"Not now, Luther!" Donald barked, refusing to allow the man to complete his greetings.
"Hey… What's the matter here?" Luther asked, his voice sounding confused by Donald's rash response.
"There's no time to explain… Just respond. I'll tell you everything when you arrive here. But I need a favor…" Donald said.
"Donald, don't tell me… You mean, you-" Luther replied in surprise.
"That's right! The other Hunters dispatched to subjugate those demons still remain incognito. At this point, it's safe to assume they've met their end…" Donald muttered.
The person on the other end of the phone also fell silent, as though thinking about something deeply.
"… That's why I need you to assemble the Hunters who are left… Bring them here as soon as possible!" Donald said.
"That will be a bit difficult. I'm sure you're already aware of how thin we've spread just to curb the epidemic around this city. Unless the reason is legitimate, I doubt they would-"
Donald's frown deepened upon hearing this.
"Are you saying you don't believe me?" He asked.
"No, never. I do believe you… But you know how it is. Many of us are currently unaccounted for, and the work must go on… It'll take quite a bit of compelling evidence to make them come with me." Luther said.
Donald chuckled to himself as he heard this.
"Well, how about this then? The epidemic is closer to us than we think. The target is one who has fully integrated herself with everyone else. Your daughter is even best friends with her!"
"W-What?!" Luther exclaimed, now flustered by the revelation Donald made.
"And it's not just your daughter… Their children, or family members, one way or the other, are connected to the target!" Donald also revealed.
"This is… Just who is the one we're hunting?" Luther asked.
"That's the best part… Just as our family is connected to her, the pack is connected to her as well! That means…" Donald trailed his words.
"We have her… We have the pack!" Luther said, completing the statement.
Donald nodded.
"I'll see what I can do, Donald." Luther said with a tone of conclusion.
"Good. I'll be waiting…"
After saying this, Donald cut the call and placed his mobile device within his pockets. His eyes went back to the objects he had, displayed within the compartment that was earlier hidden.
Crossbows. Arrows. Vials of liquid. Widely shaped flowers. Shotguns. Sharpened rods, and finally… An object which stood at the center of all the tools he placed there. The item was placed on a slightly elevated pulpit, sitting at the very top of the erect structure, like a trophy on display.
A wolf's head.
Donald smiled as he looked at the items in his arsenal. He thought about the girl he called Roxanne, now revealed to him as one of the evil beasts he abhorred.
"Ah, it was so exhausting talking to her…" Donald muttered to himself.
He had to act nice, give her his usual smile, though every fiber of his being wanted to kill her off the moment he discovered she was one of the vile creatures he devoted his life to exterminating.
"Fortunately, some good came out of our talk. Though she tried to hide it under superficial details, that's all meaningless when I already know what she is. It's easy to decipher her words…" Donald said to himself.
"Her grandmother. Her mother. The settlement… They're all evil beasts!" He growled.
His hands shook impatiently, eagerly waiting for his fellow hunters to arrive. The thought of how they would lay waste to the abominations of the earth pleased him.
"When we all assemble, our first order of business will be to hunt down the evil spawns, one by one. And this time… We won't fail!"