HUNTED - A Paranormal Reverse Harem Romance

CHAPTER THREE - MARCO

“f**k me, this place is wearisome.”

“Wearisome? Who the f**k still uses words like that?” I chuckle. Luca was like a child. If he was without some form of entertainment every other minute, he would throw a tantrum. Thankfully, I have enough experience with dealing with his hissy fits to not pay him any attention. Hissy fits? Maybe I’m the grandpa here.

“I’m being serious, Marco.” He turned to face me and I still paid him no mind. I kept my eyes fixed on the windshield, one hand secured on the wheel as we sat here, parked.

Luca was right, of course. This place was bland. Colourless, mundane and utterly unimaginative. Which was perfect for us. This tiresome wonderland brought no troubles, and so we were free to live in a routine here. Just like humans, we are now blessed with a 9 to 5 and mortgages and weekends. Humans live their entire lives not knowing what monsters walk among them. Careless. Yet, I envied them. Life was simple for them. They never knew of the terrors we had to face. What cruelty really is. What we fled from. Who I lost-

“Marco!” The stinging of my arm pulled me from those dark days. I whipped round to face Luca and I could see he already knew what I was thinking. No matter the time of day or where I was, my thoughts always drifted back to her and her kind eyes. Oh, how I failed her. The familiar ache in my chest returned - well, it never really leaves. It just softens till I think of her once more.

No. No more of this. I have to be strong.

“What the f**k was that for!” Luca howls as he grabs his arm, shooting daggers my way. I punched him twice as hard as payback. I have to confess, I felt slightly better doing so. I chuckled once more, before looking back at the current world.

Ever the child, Luca huffs and turns away. I swear, if anyone were to spend a moment with us, they’d never take us seriously as cops. Let alone believe what we truly were.

“We’re wasting our time here. How are we supposed to protect and serve this town if nothing f*****g happens?” He crosses his arms with a pout firmly on his lips, a very Luca mannerism which manifests when upset.

“Why else do you think I picked this place? Because we can go on high-speed chases and save damsels in distress every other day? Remember what happened-“

“I know what happened. But-“

“But nothing. Be careful what you wish for, Luca. We are alone now, and we can’t withstand another attack. Boring is good for us. Boring keeps us safe. Understand?” I unveiled more of my fears than I had meant to. Images of the bloodbath sprung to my mind, and the ache was now gnawing away at my heart. Yet as I looked at him, I saw that it had worked to deter his recklessness. For now, at least.

“Sorry. I know you only want the best for us.” He bowed his head slightly in shame and I patted him on his shoulder.

We were not brothers by blood, but I treated him as if he was. He was the youngest of our makeshift family and was robbed of a life with his kind. I could not blame him for wanting adventure in his life like Trey and I once had. The stories we had told young Luca of our youth before we all met must have eaten away at him. I have to do better for him. I will do better. There was no force on this Earth that could take them away from me. And I vowed with every breath in me I would do anything to protect Luca and Trey.

Goddess help whoever attempts to harm them.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Luca and I jumped out of our skins, though neither of us would admit it. I have run into the horrible habit of drifting off into my own thoughts, that my hyperactive senses did not even pick up this madwoman. Luca had already sprinted out of the car. This was his answer from the heavens. He can finally be the hero he wanted to be.

With a deep sigh, I got out of the car too. I had no other choice. It was my job after all. Expecting it to be nothing more than another waste of our time, I rounded the vehicle only to stop dead in my tracks.

Something was off.

“What’s going on here?” I asked, standing behind the rabid woman. Luca was holding a sobbing and bloodied woman by her arms as she franticly spoke nonsense. Her eyes were wild and panic-stricken. Her hair was frizzy and fell like a cloak over her face. Her clothes were distressed. She was hurt physically, clear from her limp. This was unlike anything I had seen in this town. Yet very reminiscent of my last days on our ancestral land.

Something was really wrong.

She was mumbling nonsense, attempting to explain something to Luca, but I could see he was having trouble understanding. Frustrated, she groaned before pointing in the forest's direction and babbling something else again. Hysterically, she kept looking back at the forest as if something was hot on her trail.

Luca stole a glance behind her as I kept my gaze on the woman. From the corner of my eyes, I saw him shake his head slightly. There was nothing there. Yet, the hairs on the back of my neck stood tall. Startled, I wondered if Luca sensed something too.

“Slow down. Who did this to you?” I approached her slowly as if stalking a fawn. She was unnerving, out of breath, and looked feral. I commend Luca for taking a gentle approach and trying to coax out information. We both knew I lacked his patience. The poor girl paused only for a moment before going just as berserk as before. Only now her words were a tad clearer.

“We were in the woods and - Oh my God! You have to help them! They’re stuck there. f**k. The screaming! It must have caught one of them!” She wailed as she recounted what happened. I doubled my steps until I stood beside Luca and we both watched this small, hooded woman shiver with fear.

“Who caught them?” I hadn’t realised how invested I had become in her tale. This was bullshit. I came to this specific town to stay the hell away from trouble. But something deep in my gut told me trouble just followed us here.

“Not who, what.” Luca stilled, gripping onto the woman, and turned to me, pleading. He knew the rules of being discovered, and there were no exceptions. Humans were weak, yes. But with their mighty numbers against the mere three of us, we’d be ruined. No, we had to do what was necessary.

“What caught them?” My voice was lower than I’d ever heard as I took a daring step toward her. I may have to do my duty to my family, but killing this already wounded woman would drag me back to the darkness I had just clawed myself out of.

Time slowed as she stopped shaking. Pulled away from Luca, limping, and lifted her chin so her hair parted around her face, which was now clearly in view.

This can’t be.

I staggered back, my hand grabbing the boot of the car for support. If not for the audible gasp from Luca, I would have believed I was still dreaming of losing her again. The ache in my chest was now thumping erratically.

“The monsters caught them.” She whispered before falling forward, perhaps from exhaustion. Luca came to the rescue again, breaking out of his trance and catching her before she hit the ground.

“H-how?” He stuttered, holding the slack woman. I shook my head in response. My mind is playing tricks, none of this is real. I recited to make sense of this reality. How is she back? No. She was killed-

“Get her inside the car. We’ll take her to Trey.” I couldn’t just stand there and stare at her all day. I needed answers, and I was damn sure getting them.

“What about what she said?” Luca carefully placed her in the back seat before sitting next to her sleeping form. I couldn’t bear to touch her. She was an imposter. I saw her death, I was tormented by it.

“I’ll send word around to see what others know.” I started the car and drove like a maniac to our home. Though I knew she was not the same person, my eyes flickered often to the mirror. She looked exactly like my- NO! I couldn’t think like that. For all I knew, she was sent as a trick to kill us or to distract us. She was a danger to us.

So once Trey patches her up and we get a full statement of what happened, I would end her myself. For my family.