Chapter Four – There’s More To The Enemy

Hera’s POV

“Wake up. We’re leaving!” I woke up with a start at hearing his voice ringing in my ear. To my utter astonishment, he stood fully clothed and ready to leave. 

“Leaving? Wait! I’m hungry!” He walked away before I could say more, picking up his rucksack. What the fuck! Was he crazy? I dashed towards the washroom before he left me stranded in this inhospitable place. He didn’t seem to have an ounce of patience in his body. The sound of helicopter blades had me panicking. Was he leaving without me? 

I ran out of the washroom, knowing I wasn’t looking my best. What could I do with no change of clothes or time to shower? I saw him climbing down the narrow stairs, leaving me behind. I knew I would fall if I stepped on that! The only way to get down was to jump!

“I can’t climb down those steps! I’ll shift and jump from here.” He turned to give me a pointed look as if I was the weird one here.

“We don’t have all day!” He grunted impatiently, retracing his steps back to me. What was he planning to do now? Push me over the edge? He came over and raised an eyebrow at me in disbelief. I could feel the amusement glinting in his eyes, but strangely, it didn’t reach his lips. He was so weird! 

He grabbed me and hoisted me over his shoulder the way he always did. Without a word, he climbed down the stairs while I grabbed him by the shoulders for dear life! For the first time in my life, I felt glad that the enemy was taking me with him. I wouldn’t want to be left here all by myself for the rest of my life. This place was so treacherous that Zeph would never find me. 

“Where are we going?” He grunted in response while I rolled my eyes. 

‘Did you expect our kidnapper to explain his location to you?’ chuckled Hye. 

‘No, but he’s our mate. Right?’ I groaned at the possibility. 

‘Yes, but his wolf, Freyr, hasn’t accepted us!’ I felt a little snubbed at her admission. Would my mate reject me? Was I so unattractive? 

‘He hasn’t rejected us yet!’ I tried to pin my hope on it. I knew Felixe wasn’t my dream mate, but at least he was drooling hot! I wouldn’t mind getting a taste of him! Something was better than nothing!

“Stop!” he grunted in agony, and I blinked to focus on the guy in question. He reached the last step and dumped me on the ground. I couldn’t help the puzzled look on my face. 

“Stop what?” He grunted again but avoided my eyes. 

“Stop thinking about me!” My jaws dropped to the dirty ground as I gaped at him in disbelief. Could he really read my mind? I had heard mates could! Then why couldn’t I read him? This was so embarrassing!

“I’m not!” My cheeks colored profusely as I followed him down the narrow trail toward the helipad. Was there one in this remote jungle? We hadn’t even gone two steps ahead when Felixe grabbed my wrist and started pulling me with him. 

“Faster. Run Hermione!” I panicked and matched his steps. Why were we running? There wasn’t any opportunity to ask as we rushed towards a clearing. I could see a river meandering through the boulders. So this was the sound I had heard last night! 

Felixe’s helicopter was hovering over the tiny clearing since there wasn’t much space to land. The pilot threw the harness down and he fixed it around us, his movements rushed. Within seconds, his pilot air-lifted us and we started soaring ahead. I clung to my enemy’s body, hiding my face in his burning-hot chest. I could feel the warmth seep through his jacket into me! His pine scent had me intoxicated while he kept on grunting and pushing me away! 

What a horrible mate he was! I was extremely disappointed in the Moon Goddess! I wanted a tall, dark, and handsome mate and he was exactly that, yet he lacked in the other qualities! 

“Just in time!” I peered up at him to see what he meant. I really had no idea why he rushed us when we could have left after breakfast! It was unlikely that my brother was after us! I saw him glaring down at the clearing we just left. I followed his line of vision and gasped to see a dozen Flame hounds stand at the edge of the water, watching us escape! The burning dog-like beasts looked furious, their fire snaps turned into crackling growls. I couldn’t imagine how it would feel to be captured by them.

“What the hell! Why were they after us?” I clutched my enemy closer and waited for his reply, but there was none. With a grunt, he helped me inside his copter. 

The Flame hounds howled to see us escape, but Felixe looked unaffected. He pushed me away as he sat with a cold look on his face. 

“Why are they after us?” I felt too agitated to sit in the corner all alone. The vision disturbed me and I again scooted towards my enemy. 

“None of your business. You’re alive, right?” He grunted and pushed me away while I glared at him, as I trembled with fear. He turned his back to me and I rolled my eyes. Was he feeling guilty for not embracing me? Wasn’t he a weird enemy? It would have been so easy for him to escape while I was asleep! Yet he woke me up and carried me down, risking his life when he knew the Flame hounds were after us. 

I smiled like a creep. Maybe he wasn’t as unaffected as he looked. I wondered what secrets he had hidden inside him! 

The aircraft flew eastwards, and I blinked at the topography. Were we still in the Northern Territories? I smiled, recognizing the place in the broad daylight. From my vantage point high in the sky, I could clearly make out the MacKenzie River basin starting from the Great Slave Lake. So that was where we were! The western forested side of the Great Slave Lake. The river we saw might have been a small tributary of the great MacKenzie River! 

We headed east this time, hovering over a city. From the skyline, I could instantly recognize it as the capital city of the Northern Territories, Yellowknife! So that was where we were now headed. I smiled at the possibility of freedom. I could now easily contact Zeph! He would rescue me from this ordeal in no time. 

Relief washed over me, but it was only momentary! Felixe turned to see me grinning like a fool! In an instant, he grabbed me and blindfolded me! 

“What the fuck! I won’t escape. Take this off!” He grazed his lips against my ear and I shuddered instantly in my defense. 

“It’s not so easy to escape me!” he whispered in my ear. I grunted in fury, all my good moods evaporating instantly. I tugged at the scarf, but it was tied too securely. 

“Take this off me, please.” It turned to deaf ears, and I sat helplessly, my stomach rumbling for food. I didn’t know if I would ever get any food in my system! 

Soon, the helicopter landed and Felixe grabbed me and hoisted me over his shoulder like earlier and carried me out of the aircraft. I punched him on his back, struggling to get free, but it didn’t affect him even a bit. He marched ahead with me over his shoulder. 

“I can’t see! Where are you taking me to? Oh, my Goddess, why didn’t you kill me before granting me such a horrid mate?”

He grunted at my outburst, and I clamped my mouth shut with fear. I was sure now he would punish me because of my runaway tongue! But what could I do? I was bubbling with barely suppressed frustration! 

He dumped me roughly somewhere, and I gasped in fear, but thankfully my butt landed on something soft. He grabbed hold of my head and I gasped. 

Would he kiss me now? 

“Stop, I don’t want to kiss you!” I thrashed, trying to ward off his advances. He grunted again and just untied the knot, letting the scarf fall to the bed. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, feeling foolish at my outburst. My head was reeling with weakness, and I could feel the hunger pangs in my stomach. 

“Thank you. Just go away!” I turned my back to him and scooted to the far end of the bed. Holding onto my stomach, I lay down in a ball, far away from his reach, feeling upset about my predicament. Maybe this was my punishment! To die of hunger! 

He marched out of the room, locking it after him. I closed my eyes, not wanting to see where I was anymore. What was the use? I would be his prisoner forever! 

He was too shrewd for my brother and his friends. They could never locate me!