Chapter 27

I wake up slowly, my back and neck hurting from the awkward position i managed to fall asleep in on the lumpy stained mattress, only, when i opened my eyes i was no longer in the cell. I was back in the room that i had grown used to, and i was alone, Mihai nowhere in sight.

I don’t mind being alone, i had grown used to it since being here, and it wasn’t always a bad thing. The bad things came when Mihai visited me, and when i see him all my common sense seems to drain away, leaving me with nothing but lust.

I keep telling myself that i don’t want anything to do with him, or what he does to my body, but then he makes me melt under the intensity of his gaze and i turn into a living puddle. He is my enemy, and he should stay that way, especially after locking me in a cell just because i shook a man's hand. Granted the Nati got it a whole lot worse than i did, he got his heart ripped out and his body burned.

I shake my head, pushing away the thoughts that try and drown me in sorrow, and i climb off the bed, making my way to the bathroom. I strip off my clothes, knowing that there is no saving them, they are coated in dried blood and dirt, nothing could get those stains out.

I climb into the shower after letting the water heat up and i watch as it quickly turns red, images of the Nati getting his heart ripped out swimming through my mind and lodging itself there where it knows that it can hurt me.

I couldn’t have known that saying hello to another of his kind would send Mihai into a frenzy, i didn’t know that he would kill him. But i probably should have, he constantly reminds me that i belong to him whenever he gets the chance, of course he is possessive. A little too possessive if he is willing to kill someone just for speaking to me.

I scrub my skin until its angry and red, the pain bringing me back from near the edge of sanity, part of me wants to disappear and never speak to Mihai again. But i also know that leaving would be impossible, i wouldn’t make it ten yards before i was caught, and i don’t want anyone else to die because of me.

I dry myself with one of the soft towels and walk into the closet, pulling on a pair of joggers and a long-sleeved black top.

I grab a pair of fluffy socks and walk back into the bedroom, picking up the book i had thrown the day before and settling down on the bed to read it. I consider knocking on the door and asking for food or coffee, but I'm too anxious.

I don’t want to be forced back down into those cells, so if that means i need to behave for a day or two, then that is what i am going to do.

The sooner that i am away from this place, and Mihai, the better.

I lean the pillows against the headboard and sit with my back pressed against them, my eyes skimming over the hundreds of words without really taking them in. I used to love to read, but passion is dying, along with my hope for ever being free again.

Mihai barges into the room, the door splintering on its hinges, he stops when he sees me, his shoulders shaking with rage.

“You will never guess who i just got a call from.” He says, his eyes the colour of fresh blood.

I carefully place the book down on the bed, folding the page that i was on so that i can come back to it later.

“Who?” i ask, though i don’t really care, i just want him to leave so i don’t say anything stupid and wind up back down in the cells.

“The hunter council.” He says, his anger slowly simmering. “They offered me my life in exchange for your head.”

I pale, my heartrate spiking, “What?”

He comes forward and sits on the edge of the bed, his head falling into his hands. “The person i spoke to offered to spare my life, and the life of my entire bloodline if i give you over to them, dead.”

“Do you know who it was?” i ask, panic sweeping through my chest. “Maybe it was some kind of joke.”

He shakes his head, “It wasn’t a joke Mae, they want you dead, and they want me to be the one to do it.”

Why would the hunter council want me dead? I know that i failed them and that failure always comes with a price, but death? Is that really necessary?

Does my father know?

“Are you going to?” I ask, my throat suddenly dry, “Are you going to kill me?”

Mihai turns to me, his eyes suddenly softer, “No, Mae, I'm not going to kill you.”

My shoulders sag in relief, “Then what are you going to do?”

He has the chance to spare his entire bloodline if he kills me, and yet, he says that he won’t. The hunter council don’t offer these things twice, he only has one chance to save his family.

Maybe i do actually mean something to him after all, maybe i was wrong to think of him as a heartless monster.

“The same thing i have been doing for years.” He says with a shrug, “I’m going to fight them, and eventually, destroy them.”

“You can’t destroy the entire hunter council, not on your own.” I say, throwing my head into my hands, “I can’t believe they want me dead.”

“I never said that i was doing it alone.” He laughs, grabbing both my wrists and making me look up at him, “They may want you dead, little hunter, but it isn’t going to happen, not whilst you are with me.”

Tears slide down my cheeks, “i can never go home, can i?”

He shakes his head, pulling me onto his lap, “No, little hunter, you can never go home, it’ll be too easy for them to get to you.”

I stare into his eyes, my chest aching with grief. “Why would you give up the chance of immunity for your family just for a hunter like me?”

“Isn’t that obvious, little Mae?” he asks, stroking his hand down my cheek, “Because you are family.”