June Summerfield

Chapter 12

“What made him so sure I’d get with you anyway?” June crossed her arms and looked at Hunter, waiting for a response. She tried to ignore his soft blue eyes that tried to wrap her into an invisible hug.

“He had to try. Whatever you say he deserves, he gets.” Hunter stood there with his arms crossed, cutting his eyes down at June who just stood there.

She wanted nothing more than to have him tortured and killed, but something inside her just couldn’t do that, no matter how much she wanted to do it. She couldn’t find it in herself to ask someone to torture and kill their own brother.

“I don’t know. You make the decision, Your Majesty.” she mocked as she walked over to the bed and lay down. “He can stay a guard for all I care. If what he says is true, I guess he had good intentions. Too bad it ended so poorly.” her voice was cold and filled with pain.

“Will you let me comfort you?” Hunter asked, wanting to make her feel better. If she knew what he could do, she wouldn’t be acting like this. He could easily make all her pain go away, but he wanted her to come to him first.

“No.”

“Okay. Just know I can do things that can help you.” he finished his speech. “I guess I’ll leave you alone now since you can’t stand me.” he simply stated as he turned and headed to the doors.

“Wait,” June demanded as she sat up. “What things? What are you talking about?”

“June, there’s so much you don’t understand.” he turned around, facing her. She expected him to be mad at her, but his eyes were filled with patience and love, and his body was completely relaxed. “So right now, I’ll give you the very simple version.”

June just stared at him blankly, waiting for this universe to make sense.

“June, darling, I’m a vampire.”

Her eyes widened and she immediately stood up, slowly coming back to her feet.

“Yeah, right.” she crossed her arms, knowing he was full of s**t.

Hunter just sighed and flared a set of fangs, causing June to catch her breath and take a step back, her arms falling to her side.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to hurt you. I only want to protect you. There are things that vampires can do that I’m willing to bet you don’t know.” he offered. June simply stood there, frozen. Waiting. “Vampires can do magic. Not a lot, but some of the simple stuff. Like, I can see different places. That’s how I saw you.”

He held his hand out and an image flickered right above it. It was the dining hall, showing the servants cleaning and organizing the area, getting ready for the next meal.

“I can do other things, too. Like healing. I can ease your pain if you will only let me.” he took a step toward June, not sure if she was going to let him ever come near her again.

“My pain isn’t physical. It’s emotional,” she explained like it wasn’t obvious. Hunter just nodded.

“I know. I can help.” he slowly started walking toward her, noticing her tense up and flinch when he gently placed a hand on her arm. “I just need you to trust me.”

“How can I trust you? You’ve given me no reason to. You hid the fact that you were a magical vampire from me, but you wanted to fall into your arms.” her voice was strong but Hunter could feel the fear radiating off her.

“What can I do to get you to trust me?” his voice was low.

June was silent as she thought. Could she ever really trust him?

“Show me my friends.” she finally said. “Show me that they’re safe, and then send guards to protect them. If you do that, I guess I can try to trust you.” she rolled her eyes.

“Consider it done, my darling.” he held his hand up and her friends appeared, all looking depressed and hungry, but alive and well. “I’m sending guards there as we speak.” she continued to watch as guards slowly appeared around them. “Can you trust me now?” his mouth was near her ear, making her shuffle her feet.

“Just shut up, and do your thing.” She hid her happiness behind a demanding attitude. Hunter grinned as he saw right through her.

They stood in silence for a few moments before June snapped a look at him.

“I don’t feel any different.”

“You don’t fully trust me, yet.” Hunter gave a small grin.

“Well, trust is earned. Not just given.” she spat.

“Okay, so how can I earn your trust?” he shuffled his feet about hip-width apart and crossed his arms. “Cause I’ll do whatever you ask, darling.”

“Stop calling me that. We are not together,” she spoke slowly and clearly as if he didn’t understand. He lowered his head with a chuckle and then looked back up at her with a smirk.

“You really are something else, aren’t ya? I got an idea. How about you move into my room?”

“Not going to happen. I’d like to stay in mine.” June informed him. “Speaking of which, I will be going there now.” she turned with a flick of her hair and stormed out of the room, leaving Hunter standing there with a smirk on his face and a mission.

After a few hours of June laying in her bed all alone, staring at the wall, she heard a knock on the door.

“It’s time for dinner, darling.” Hunter’s voice rang through her ears.

“I’m not hungry, go away,” she called back.

“Fine, I’ll bring the food to you.” she assumed he had walked off, given the silence.

She never knew if he brought the food or not, because she drifted off to sleep soon after their short conversation.

Her nightmares were full of Montana falling to the ground and her desperately trying to save him while she could hear Hunter screaming at someone in the background and people rushing around.

With each one, she woke up gasping for air and covered in sweat. They just kept getting more realistic.

Finally, she put on a robe that she found in her closet and slowly left her room. Where she was going, she wasn’t sure. But she knew she couldn’t stay in that room alone any longer.

She found herself in front of Hunter’s bedroom doors.

With an angry sigh and an anxious hand, she quickly gave three soft knocks.

She heard a noise come from inside and then the door opened, revealing Hunter in a white shirt and gray pants.

“June, what a pleasant surprise.” he leaned his arm against the door frame and looked down at her, even though she refused to even glance in his direction. “What can I do for you?”

“I need help.” she finally let the words out, following them with a sigh.

“You don’t want to be alone.”

“That’s not it at all. I just keep having nightmares and I’d like you to use your magic to make them go away.” she crossed her arms and looked up at his sleepy eyes.

“That’s not how magic works, dear.”

June just stood there, looking at him.

“I know you don’t want to be alone.” he moved aside and fully opened his door, inviting her in.

After stomping her foot slightly she stormed in, walking past a smirking Hunter.

“I’ll sleep on the left side. You can have the right side.” They both walked to the bed.

“What difference does it make?

“The right side is comfier.” he crawled under the fluffy covers and got comfortable. After they were both situated, June felt the pain rise in her chest and she finally broke down, sobbing into the pillow.