The Hunted

Chapter Three

Unknown PoV:

Warmth wraps around me as the sun reaches its peak, shrouding the earth in its summer haze. Leaning against a building I look into the town square, watching as my pack bustles about their daily business, unaware of me or who I am. Families laugh together, parents swinging their children by their arms or carrying them on their shoulders. Couples walk hand in hand, friends laugh and jest. Shop keeps shout to be heard, advertising their produce or specialities.

I laugh as Delta Vincent appears in front of me brandishing fresh pastries in his hands, nudging me playfully as he hands me one. “Mrs Daley makes the best croissants, I got you chocolate”, I nod, shoving the pastry in my mouth hungrily and humming at the sweet taste and the explosion of chocolate in my mouth.

Looking at my Delta I notice a crookedness to his nose that wasn’t there yesterday. “What happened to your nose?”, he almost chokes as he takes a bite of his pastry, inhaling the crumbs. Chewing and swallowing his food he smiles up at me awkwardly, “I met this feisty little psycho, got a little rough”, he winked but his expression told me he was hiding something. I chose to ignore it taking another bite of my croissant.

We continued to watch for a while, watching our people about their day-to-day business. This was better than the palace and my bastard uncle constantly belittling me. I didn’t know why he was making me King if he didn’t think I was worthy yet, he never made much sense. I thought he might be going senile in his old age.

Just as I was about to leave the most intoxicating scent, I had ever experienced crossed my nostrils, then followed by the smell of my Delta sending Theseus into an explosive rage in my head. Fresh wildflowers, vanilla and cinnamon mingling with sweat, alcohol and pine. The two scents felt so wrong together, making my stomach churn and my blood boil.

My eyes scan the crowd until my eyes fall on the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Knotted brown hair falls in thick torrents over her shoulders and down her back, framing her high cheekbones and slender face. Pale blue eyes search the crowd with intrigue but I hide myself from sight, watching as she searches for me.

I look at my Delta who looks like he’s about to throw up or collapse with anxiety as he zeros his own eyes on the woman. I don’t know whether to ask him or punch him. He looks at me with an awkward smile, acting as if he wasn’t just terrified by the sight of her.

“Who is that girl?”, my eyes continue to watch her, bewitched by her completely. A fiery red head approaches, wrapping her arms around the girl who has stopped searching for me in the crowded square. Vincent shuffles awkwardly, unable to pull his own eyes away from the girl’s interaction. “She’s the girl from last night, the red head is the barmaid I told you about”, a growl churns in my chest, anger rising like bile in my throat.

I instinctively slam him against a wall, not fully understanding what’s happening. The sound of his back colliding with the brick rings throughout the square, taking hold of the girl’s attention and others who look on bewildered. I wave off the crowd, most continuing about their business, but the girl continues to look at me with wide eyes. Her eyes travel between me and Vincent, confused and intrigued by the interaction. The barmaid grabs her friends arm leading her into a boutique.

My eyes follow her, watching as her body struggles against the barmaid, yet willingly follows, her body is the battlefield between her body, mind and soul. As her body disappears behind the aged red door of the boutique, her scent dissipates and my common sense returns to me. I release my grip on Vincent, mumbling an apology.

Without a word he shakes his head and storms off, back towards the palace, gesturing for me to follow or be left behind. I’m torn between my two options, wondering when she’ll come back out, already desperate to see her again. Desperate to see those eyes linger on mine just for a second longer.

His hand grabs my arm, jerking my body backwards in frustration as a growl lingers in his chest. I yank my arm away, my own growl of frustration resonating within me. I take one last look back before conceding and walking away with him, his body slummed in frustration and confusion, his face swimming with anxiety.

“What actually happened?”, his entire demeanour intrigues me, I’ve never seen him afraid of anything yet this girl worries him. He shakes his head, ignoring my question. I ask louder, making my voice clear, concise and demanding. A low growl from his chest warns me, but I don’t heed it, asking one more time.

“She took me upstairs, she kissed me, she got bored, she tried to kill me”, his fists clench at his side as an anger builds in him that hadn’t been there before, replacing his fear. His eye told me he was lying, why was he lying?

“You’re lying”, I state it rather than asking it as a question, his anger only building towards me. He throws his hand up in defeat, stopping in his tracks, his blue eyes now swirling with emerald and white.

“She got bored, drop it”, I hate liars. I slam my fist into a tree, splintering the bark like glass. The sickening crack of the tree against my knuckle echoes around us, my chest heaving with anger and frustration as I focus my eyes on him, demanding the truth.

“You’re acting like your uncle”, I lose it. I slam my fist into his face, once again breaking his nose, the crack and snap echoing around us as he stumbles to the ground and I jump on top, raining my fists down onto him. That man is a monster, I’m not a monster, I will never be a monster.

He splutters on his blood, the crimson liquid flowing from his nose, lip and cheeks as he smirks up at me. “Do you remember what happened when your uncle wanted a woman he couldn’t have?”, his laugh is choke as he struggles against the blood in his throat, my body goes limp at the memories, my heart aching as my old wounds are re-opened by his words.

“And guess what, she’s f*****g branded, do you think she’ll ever want you? The nephew of the man who condemned her!”, his laugh deepens, his eyes darkening as my heart sinks, the aching deepening. How hadn’t I smelt that? How had I not known? “You wanna know why she wanted me? You wanna know why she pinned me to that wall, kissing me like I’ve never been kissed before”, I growl as he smirks evilly.

“She wanted my scent; do you think she’ll want yours? She may have used me but for a moment she wanted me. She’ll never want you”, I slam my fist back down, his cheek shattering like the bark from the tree. He groans through sickening laughter, stabbing me with his words, killing me with the truth.

“Maybe you are perfect for each other, violent little f****d up runts”, I groan as his fist collides with my cheek, momentarily distracted by his hatred and soul crushing words. His leg swings around me, knocking me onto the stained grass. Pools of blood have formed beneath him.

His fists rain down on me, I feel every bone shatter or crack, the noise surrounding me in a cloak of violence and rage. I try to block but struggle against his weight on my arms, his fists don’t stop, they just keep coming, destroying my face that I know will heal.

“You’re f*****g pathetic”, his fists stop and he spits at the ground, a triumphant smirk plastered on his bloodied lips. His swollen eyes enjoying the destruction he’s caused. “You’re supposed to be my best friend, yet you tried to kill me over a girl who will never want you”, he spits more blood at the ground before standing up and storming away.

For a while, I just lay there, my hands holding my bloodied and beaten face, my mind reeling as Theseus whimpers at the words still stabbing at my chest. I feel the heat of the blood under my head, pooled around my body in puddles that glisten beneath the midday sun.

I think she’s our mate.

It wouldn’t matter…

It would! We can’t give up on her.

We don’t have a choice, Theseus.

We do, if she knows we’ll protect her, why would she fear us?

How could we protect her, against him?

I don’t know…

How can we hold her, protect her, worship her, if she’s scared of us?

I don’t know…

Do you think the bond would cure years of pain and torture in a single moment?

No.

Theseus whimpers as I groan, still nursing my face with my hands, waiting for them to heal. Under my fingertips I can feel as the bones join together, painfully aching beneath my grazed and cut skin as they do. I feel as the small cuts dissipate, the blood clotting back together as it stops it’s path down towards the grass, remnants of the liquid drying onto my skin.

Even now, facing the harsh reality of the situation, she plagues my mind. Her messy hair wavering in the wind, knotted torrents of dark chocolate riding the current of the breeze. Her soft, pale blue eyes screaming with exhaustion, lingering on mine with intrigue and confusion. My lungs constrict, suffocating me as I drown in the memory of her, a memory that has to stay a memory.

In a single moment she had shifted my entire universe, distorted my reality, cloaking it in a rose-tinted hue of beauty. She had broken down walls I didn’t know I had, she had shown me a future I didn’t know I needed, she had offered me a reason to fight. There was no doubt in my mind that she was my mate.

I wanted to feel how her skin would feel on mine, how her lips would taste against mine, how her name would feel on my tongue.

I sighed when I looked in the direction of the palace, Vincent leaning patiently against a tree with his arms folded, watching me. His eyes swam with emotions I had never seen him wear. They were apologetic and understanding but piteous. I didn’t want his pity, not after he caused the wounds that healed on my face and lingered on my chest.

He walks back over, extending his hand down but I swat it away, I don’t want to move. I just want to lay here, in this pool of blood, staring into the clear blue sky above, through the canopy of green. Instead of leaving again, he sits on the grass, pulling at weeds uncomfortably. He’d never use his words to apologise, this wasn’t our first fight, but it was our worst.

“You aren’t your uncle, I didn’t mean it”, I ignore his words, gazing longingly through the gaps in the canopy above, wishing I could just float away, back to her. I wished I could kill my uncle for the pain he’s caused, for the crimes he’s committed, for the future he had condemned me to. Our kingdom hated us, we had no allies, I had no allies. His hatred, his violence, had destroyed my reign before it had even begun.

He had stolen away my future mate, plaguing any hope of a relationship with fear, distrust and deceit.

“I just- she- I liked her. I was just hurt”, he held his head low, picking more violently at the weeds and strands of grass. I didn’t care what his reasoning was, the damage was already done. In a moment of pure judgement, fuelled by anger and jealous, the words tumbled from my lips that I should have kept to myself.

“I think she’s my mate”.