Luna's Outcast

Chapter17

Hunter’s pov

My heart thrummed as Madeline’s eyes fluttered shut, and my lips grazed hers ever so lightly.

She let out a shaky breath and my arm around her tightened.

Her eyes pulled open once more and I could see what her parted lips didn’t say…she wanted me to kiss her.

Someone cleared their throat and Madeline instantly pulled away from me with guilt written all over her face.

I straightened and took a step away from her as I turned to Lucas.

My hands balled into fists by my side as I took in his enraged expression.

“Maddy, are you alright?” Lucas asked as he stepped forward and Madeline offered him a tight smile.

“I’m fine, it was just a little chip,” she replied and Lucas stared me down for a few seconds before his gaze returned to Madeline.

“You should regularly clean it so it doesn’t get infected,” I muttered and Madeline’s eyes darted around the room as she avoided my eyes.

“Thank you,” she called out to me as I turned around and left the room.

Different thoughts swirled through my head as I walked away from the cottage. I ignored the glares the wolves threw my way as they passed, and I could only imagine that they were blaming me for the appearance of adorni in their settlement.

What did the adorni want from Madeline? Had she been telling me the truth when she said she had no idea what they were talking about?

What if this was somehow connected to the blood ritual?

“No, there was nothing suggesting it was connected,” I muttered to myself.

“You should just go back from wherever you came from.” Someone called out from behind me and I turned to a petite young woman.

I had seen her before, but I couldn’t quite remember her name.

“Lena,” she announced, and I nodded slowly.

“You think the adorni are here because of me?” I inquired and she shrugged.

“You are one of them,” she pointed out, and I remained silent.

“We’ve all been through so much Hunter, that’s what connects us here. This is our home now, and we won’t let any hunters take that away from us. You don’t seem like a bad guy, and it isn’t personal, but you need to leave,” the woman told me and I scoffed.

“Was that all?” I c****d a brow at her and she shook her head.

I walked away as anger pumped through me.

I should probably take her advice. The best decision would be to leave, but somehow, I simply couldn’t.

I couldn’t leave Madeline here and the last thing I wanted to do was ask myself why that was.

I made my way to my room and for the most part of the night I tossed and turned on my bed until the sun came up, and I dragged myself to the training room.

I tried to convince myself that my eagerness to train had nothing to do with Madeline, but I knew that was a lie. I wanted to — I needed to see her again.

My eyes closed as I recalled the feel of her breath like a whisper against my lips and the subtle feather-like brush of her lips against mine.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” I growled as I wrapped my knuckles with a bandage and turned to the punching bag at the corner.

I poured out all the emotions I had been stifling into every punch as I attacked the puncher badly. Sweat trickled down my back and my muscles ached from the exertion as I kept going for hours, but I needed to do this. I needed to exhaust myself so I could stop thinking about Madeline.

“I don’t think that punching bag will survive if you keep at it.” As though I had conjured her with my thoughts, her voice rang behind me.

“You are late,” I gritted out as I turned to her and I ignored the way her eyes trailed along my body as they lit up with desire.

No, I was probably imagining things.

“Madeline is still healing, she can’t train.” Lucas announced as he walked towards Madeline and handed her a cup of coffee.

“Your arm should have healed, isn’t your wolf helping?” I c****d a brow at her as I ignored Lucas.

“I’m much better and-”

“I think she needs more rest,” Lucas interjected and I glared at him.

“She needs to train. You can’t keep treating her like an egg. What happens when she finds herself in a difficult situation? She needs to build her pain tolerance,” I explained as I crossed my hands in front of my chest.

“It’s fine, I’m actually feeling up to it,” Madeline announced, and Lucas’ lips turned downwards.

“You don’t have to push yourself so hard—”

“Yes, she does.” I cut him off and he shot me a look.

“Fine, but I’ll be right here.” Lucas conceded, and I ignored him as Madeline handed the mug to him and approached me.

“You’ll start with your stretches.” I told her before I turned away from her and I listened as Madeline went about her usual stretch routine.

When she was done, we began to spar and Madeline’s movements were sloppy, and I tried to get her to move quicker, but she barely managed to keep up.

“At this pace, it would be easy for your opponent to-”

I cut myself off as I reached out and grabbed Madeline’s arm, and she cried out as I turned her around and gripped her neck.

“And just like that, you would be dead,” I whispered in her ear, and Madeline’s shoulders rose and fell heavily as she tried to catch her breath.

“Let go of her, you are hurting her, you savage!” Lucas stormed towards us and just as I stepped away from Madeline, Lucas’s fist came flying at my face.

I groaned as his fist landed square in my face and I grunted.