Mating Games: The Huntress

Episode 4

RESSA POV

I’ve been working up the nerve to get in the elevator and go up to Senna’s office, but I keep talking myself out of it. I know I shouldn’t do this, shouldn’t lie or attempt to manipulate her. Not because she’s my mother but because she’s my commander.

Christ, she’ll probably see through it anyway and then I’ll probably be dead.

But I’m anxious, edgy. Ever since that talk with Mia I can’t push it all down or hide it away. I can’t pretend that my life as a hunter is enough, because it’s not.

I don’t anticipate that she’ll ever give me any answers about who my father is, and I know that Nana doesn’t know. She swore to me a long time ago that if she knew anything she would tell me. So I can’t show up on the doorstep of some long lost dad and request residence in his pack. There’s hundreds of packs in the states. Hell, Mom even traveled and hunted in the Middle East for awhile. For all I know he’s not even on this continent. I have a better chance of seeing pigs fly then tracking down my bio father.

But I might be able to sneak Mia out in order to get us to the Mating Games. I haven’t visited Nana in a long time and Mia’s gone with me before, so it wouldn’t be suspicious to request a leave for the weekend. But it would be slightly suspicious to request it for both us, especially since Mia already petitioned the council to go to the games. If we were both to disappear during the games it wouldn’t go unnoticed.

Senna would know, she always knows.

So I’d have to request the leave for me and then sneak Mia out. It’s the only way. But if at least one of us doesn’t find our mate we’d be done for. We’d be defected and labeled as rogues. I don’t know what would become of us if that happened, but I do know we can’t do this anymore.

I convinced Mia to forget about the games and wait it out not even twenty-four hours ago, but I changed my mind. We can’t wait. Something is telling me that we shouldn’t, and that’s why I’m on edge.

I went from acceptance to denial in sixty seconds flat. I was so sure one minute that I’d never have my mate and that being a hunter was it for me, that it would be enough. But what if I’m wrong?

What if this subservience to the life that was forced upon me is the mistake? I believe I have a purpose and that being a hunter is part of it. But I also know there’s more out there for me, and for Mia.

Alright, that’s it, I just need to rip this band-aid off. Get in the damn elevator and push that damn button.

And that’s exactly what I do. By the time the doors open and I head down the hall to Senna’s door my nerves have evened out. I’m approaching this lionesses den as a hunter on a mission. I also only have one shot at this, so it’s a good thing I never miss.

I get there and I knock. Then I knock again when I don’t hear anything.

And nothing. No answer. Dammit. Where could she be?

I head back down the hall and halfway to the elevator I pick up on Senna’s voice. It’s distant, but she’s yelling at someone and thanks to my Wolf ears I can hear her clear as day. She’s on the second floor, a floor below me and I’m guessing she’s in Dr. Graves office.

I move as quickly as I can down the stairwell without arising suspicion and by the time I’ve reached the second floor things have quieted down. But as I stand around the corner from Dr. Graves office looking over some kind of labs board I can still hear them. Perfectly.

Senna: I have my issues with my daughter, Connor. But even I think this is wrong.

Dr. Graves: I’m not ecstatic about it either, and my guess is Mia’s request to attend the mating games got this ball rolling. Got them thinking about the long game. Of course, your summation of how indispensable the half-breeds are encouraged this outcome.

Senna: We can’t force this on them, I won’t force this on my own daughter.

Dr. Graves: You will, because you must. The reason you’re personally invested in the first place is because you went against our rules and followed your heart. This won’t hurt Andressa, if anything it will cement her spot in the organization. The half-breeds that we have access to will give birth to a generation of hunters who will tip the scale in our favor. They’ll be stronger, faster, and have the same heightened senses. My tests has proven as much. She’ll be revered, Senna. Just as you are.

Senna: No! She’ll be a goddamn breeder.

The room got eerily quiet after Senna spit out that last comment and my stomach dropped as tears fought to escape, blurring my vision. What the f**k?

I waited and the silence seemed to stretch on forever. But I listened, because so much depended on Senna’s next words, on my own mother’s next choice.

Senna: I won’t force her to sleep with someone she doesn’t want to be with, that’s basically r**e. Mia’s halfway where we want her, she’s been in some kind of s****l relationship with Wes Steven’s for the last six months. But Ressa, she’s different, she hasn’t shown interest in anyone.

Dr. Graves: could you simply encourage her to start dating?

Senna: of course not, that’s not how our relationship works. I’d have to order her to do so.

Silence absorbed the room again and I held my breath, dreading the words I already knew deep down were coming.

Senna: I’ll do it. But let me be clear, I will not force her to do this, I can’t. I’ll order her to try, to seek out a partner and I’ll make it clear it’s paramount on her path as a successful hunter. She’s completely devoted to that path. But even if I wasn’t against this and I felt comfortable forcing this on her and the others, I wouldn’t see it going over very well. I feel that it’s important for you to relay this. It’s better if they choose this, or at least think they’re choosing it.

She at least sounded contrite, as if it truly pained her to submit and sell out her own daughter. That’s a consolation, I suppose. But it still doesn’t do much to balm the scorching effect of your own mother pimping out your ovaries and eggs for some bullshit generation of elite hunters.

I’ve heard enough. I turned and bolted, I quickly headed back to the dorms.

I need to speak to Mia, now. A steady pace down the stairwell has me at her door in a few minutes. And I’m not subtle as I bang on the door, loudly.

“Mia, get your pretty little butt out here. I need you!” I yell out, but I do try to sound normal. It’s heard though, it’s hard to be calm when your heart is sprinting at an unfamiliar pace. And a feeling I’m not accustomed to is quickly taking over; Rage. White hot rage. I bang some more, and I’m not even a little ashamed when I hear the wood inside the door splinter a little.

“Mia!” I say again and a second later her door flies open. Thankfully she’s dressed in a t-shirt and some sleep shorts. I’m fully aware she could’ve opened up her door in her birthday suite.

“What. The. Actual. f**k. It’s barely light out?!” She grumbles as she glares at me and scratches her ass.

“You have company?” I demand and she scoffs, then turns around and goes back to her bed.

“f**k off. I don’t do sleep overs.” She says as she crawls back into bed and hides under the covers.

I quickly step inside and close the door behind me. I can’t believe this happening, Senna may not be happy about it. But she agreed to it, and it’s too far, she’s taking too much from me. She’s trying to take the one thing that’s mine. And I won’t allow it. Not this time.

“Mia, we have a problem. A big f*****g problem.” At my serious tone Mia pops her head out from under her blanket and quirks her eyebrow up in surprise.

“We have to leave, today. We need to go to the games and we need to pray to the Goddess above that we find our mates.” At my proclamation Mia sits up and yawns, seemingly amused at my sudden change of tune.

“Okay, I’ll bite. What’s up?” She asks as she sits back against her headboard and rubs her eyes.

“You’re right and we need to risk it. We should leave and fight for what we want, what we deserve. We have to. Things around here are about to get so much worse for us.” I admit.

I tried, I really did, but even thinking of saying these words out loud is so painful. I just can’t hold the tears in anymore.

I crumble as I sit down on Mia’s war chest at the end of her bed and bury my head in my hands. It’s too much, it’s just too damn much.

“Holy s**t, Ressa..” Mia scrambles out of bed and sits down beside me. Wrapping her arms around me and holding on tight “.. what the hell is going on? I’ve never seen you break down like this.”

Unfortunately, it takes a minute for me to pull myself together. And when I look up into Mia’s bright blue eyes I see true concern, I see love. It’s sobering, and it makes me want to protect her even more than I want to protect myself.

“We don’t matter to them, never did and never will. I don’t matter to my own mother, not really.” I say.

“Okay, so far you haven’t said anything I don’t know. No offense.” She adds.

“I know, just listen. I think Senna got hurt, somehow I know that’s what happened. She’s in pain over whatever happened between her and my father and she’s punishing me for my very existence. All I am to her is a reminder of her one and only failure as a hunter, because I shouldn’t exist. But since I do, why not make the best of it? Why not make another abomination to use as a weapon? Perfectly logical isn’t it?” I ask sarcastically and Mia looks at me with her brow scrunched together in confusion.

“Okay, try that one more time please?” She says.

“They’re gonna use us to make more hunters, Mia. Elite hunters who’ll have our speed and enhanced senses. What was it Mom said..” I laughed sarcastically “.. oh yes, we’re gonna be breeders.”

“Oh my God! She actually said that? To you?” Mia’s eyes are wide with shock and disbelief.

“No, of course not. She said it to Dr. Graves, I was eavesdropping because I was looking for her. You know what the sad thing is.. it’s probably the most honest conversation I’ve ever had with her, and I wasn’t actually apart of it.” I scoffed and chuckled mirthlessly.

“Jesus..” Mia seems to take a minute to gather her thoughts, then she jumps up all the sudden and starts getting dressed “.. this craziness is a f*****g Godsend. I am so ready to ditch this place.”

I stand there watching her move about with a vigor I’ve never seen before. She’s excited, gleeful even. This isn’t exactly the response I was expecting, but I’m also not entirely surprised.

“Mia.. Mia!” i try to get her attention, but she seems to be laser focused.

“I need to pack and I need to get my leather jacket back from Brooke. Ugh! I knew I shouldn’t have let her borrow it.” She starts packing in a frenzy and I’m pretty sure I’ve ceased to exist for a moment or two.

“MIA!” I shout and she finally stops and looks at me.

“What? What is it? Is there more?”

“We can’t exactly pack up and leave. If we defect and leave we will be rogues effective immediately. And rogues can’t enter the mating games.”

“Oh s**t, I forgot about that. So we need to get to the games, but we have to officially be hunters still.” She clarifies.

“Correct. I have an idea, but we definitely won’t be taking much with us. Essentials and maybe a few personal items we can’t live without. We’ll pack them in my duffel and we’ll toss a bunch of clothes into my laundry bag, that will actually sell the rouse.” I say quickly, she’s smiling and nodding slowly, taking this in stride.

“And what’s the rouse?” Her eagerness is palpable, and extremely adorable.

“It’s simple. This is what we’re gonna do..”