Chapter 12

LAINEY I sit on the bed with my fingers in prayer on my nose.

A single tear runs down my cheek.

No matter what happens, Hunter isn’t getting better. Sooner or later, he’s going to hurt not only me, but other people. There’s a monster inside him that I woke up and it’s up to me to put it back.

It’s the only way for Hunter to get his life back.

At this point, if I die because of it, at least I saved him from me.

I can’t say I have true feelings for him. I did want his kiss, but I’m not sure if it’s me or my guilt.

Yes, he forcibly confined me. Yes, he’s rough and yells at me, but I feel like I have a front row seat to his internal destruction. I have to sit here and watch him tear himself apart.

Months ago, I wouldn’t care, but now, it actually hurts. To watch him suffer because of my stupid mistakes. I’ve caused enough suffering in my life.

I had hoped my lock would work again so I wouldn’t have to watch him anymore, but it only made it worse.

I need to fix this and there’s only one way I know how. I need to get to the only place where I’m safe and Hunter can finally be free of me. First I need to get out of here.

I heard the door to the basement open and my head whipped to the room door. It’s not feed time yet.

What does Hunter want now?

I walk to the door and put my ear close to it.

I hear someone shuffling around. Moving things around. It doesn’t sound like Hunter.

My brows come together and I lower my head. “Hello?”

The noises stop. There’s silence.

I press my lips together. “Is anyone there?”

I hear some more feet shuffling. They seem to come closer.

“Hello?” A man’s voice says from the other side.

I grin and huff a laugh. “Please. Let me out.”

“Um…What?...How?...” He sounds confused.

I turn to the door. “Listen…I don’t have time Ok. I need out. He’s going to come back.”

“Who?”

“Hunter.” I supply.

“Hunter. Hunter, has a girl. Locked in the basement?” He sounds even more confused.

“Yes! Please. Let me out.” I beg.

“Why would he lock you in the basement?” he asks.

“It doesn’t matter! Open the door!” I insist.

“Okay…uh…hold on.” I hear him walk away and he sounds like he’s looking for something.

I hear something hit the door and the wood cracks. The lock is ripped off.

I back off and prepare for anything.

The door opens slowly and I see the eyes of a shifter. He has an Alpha look.

His face was soft. “You ok?”

I shake my head no.

“You…you’re a vampire?” His face developed a little bit of fear.

I nod yes.

He stands in the doorway. “Honestly. I don’t know what to do with this.” He rubs his nape.

“I do.” I whisper.

He eyes me. “What?”

I lower my head and my eyes glow green. “I’m sorry.”

His brows come together. “Wha…”

I run at him with my fangs out. He screams as I grab his shoulder and head. I sink my teeth in and drink as much as I can.

What I’m going to do is going to leave me hungry for a long time. I want to be full.

I drop his body and step over him. I hold myself and walk upstairs.

I step through the basement door. It’s midday.

I look outside.

I walk to the front door and open it. I hope I’m doing the right thing.

I step out and walk down the steps. Where the pack house is, you can see the mountain. That’s where I need to go.

I look up at the sun and shield my eyes from it.

Lowering my head, I wrap my arms around myself and start walking.

I’m saving Hunter. If the shifters kill me, they kill me. They can rid me of my awful life.

I get to the main road and break out in a vamp run.

I follow it into the mountain and find my way to the Security Unit.

I stop just past the gatehouse.

I spread my arms out and place them on my head as tears fall.

The guard runs up and aims his weapon at me as I walk.

“Who are you? Who’s blood is that?” He growls.

I stop and fall to my knees. I look straight forward and sniff. “I need to see the King.” I say.

I don’t look at him. I swallow as I stay in my place of surrender. The sun beaming down on me.

Three more run out and aim their weapons.

“Please. I need to see the King now.” I hitch.

They look at me then at each other. “Is she a vamp?”

“She smells like one.”

“Dude. It’s day. Don’t be stupid.” The first guy says.

“Then what is she?”

“How the fuck would I know?”

Listening to them pissed me off. “Fucking arrest me already!” I choke. I side eye them.

The one guard pulls out silver cuffs and pulls my wrists behind my back.

The King, along with a woman, run out of the front of the building. “You have her?” He asks as he gets closer.

“Yes, Alpha.” The guard stands me up.

He looks at me with complete confusion. The woman does too. He looks at the sun and back down at me.

My mouth is small. My eyes filled with a small level of fear.

He eyes me. “How?”

I suck in. “I don’t know, but I’m not important. If you don’t save Hunter now, he’s going to die.” My eyes flick between them as a couple more tears fall.

He looks at me and looks at his woman friend.

He crosses his arms. “What’s wrong with Hunter?”

****

HUNTER I heard the commotion and heard about a vamp capture in the city. I panicked.

Lainey.

I grabbed my keys and sped off to my house.

I skidded the car to a stop and threw open the door.

I ran up the porch. The front door was open and there was a bloody hand print on it. I place my hand beside it and push the door open all the way. It’s small. I swallow as I know it’s Lainey’s.

The big question is who’s blood is she covered in?

“Ryan?!” I yell upstairs and wait.

I side eye the back hall. The basement door is open.

I step back from the stairs and walk slowly toward the door.

I get there and there’s a bloody handprint on the inside and the handle is covered in blood.

I push the door open more. “Ryan? You down here, bud?” I yell down the stairs. “Listen. I can explain everything. Ok? It’s actually a beautiful story.”

I get to the floor and walk to the back. On the floor is drops of blood. I scrub my face and I start to sweat. I'm just confirming what I already know.

I round the corner and I suck in.

My eyes sting.

Ryan’s body is face down in the doorway. Pool of blood around his head.

I lean on my knees and breathe. I fight my emotions. I stifle my angry growl.

I stand up breathing deep and looking at the ceiling. Fighting the wells in my eyes.

I put my hands on my hips and press my lips together.

I look at Ryan’s body again, maybe thinking I’m hallucinating.

Lainey killed him and it’s my fucking fault because I wasn’t here to protect her. She’s mine and I’m supposed to keep her safe. It’s obvious Ryan tried to get her and she defended herself. He must have done something horrible for Lainey to do this. My angels not a killer.

My anger grows and my frustrations boil. He touched what’s mine and paid the price.

I turn and head up the stairs.

I need to find Lainey before the Unit does. I’m positive she’s not the one they caught. She’s out there probably scared out of her mind.

My wolf and I are fucking fuming by the time I hit the porch.

I step out into the sun and my drive way is full of cars. Mines buried.

I shield my eyes from the sun. I see the guys with Zander in front. My heart is pounding and my body is on fire. My eyes glow blue with the green.

“FUCKING MOVE!” I yell an Alpha growl from my step. My growl stretches to the mountain.

Zander approaches with caution. “Hunter, you’re coming with us. You’re not yourself.”

“NO! FUCK YOU! YOU HURT HER!” I throw my finger at him. My face is beat red.

I call my claws on both hands as my head travels to the faces of all my friends.

Peter steps forward. “Hunt. Come on, man. This isn’t you. You don’t threaten your friends. Put your wolf away.” He holds a hand at me.

I scrunch my face in maddening anger. “YOU DON’T FUCKING KNOW ME? NONE OF YOU FUCKING KNOW ME?” My chest heaves. The pain of my anger starts to rise. I lean to them. “NONE OF YOU KNOW WHAT I DEAL WITH!! NONE OF YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE!!”

Zander steps closer. “Hunt. Ok. We don’t know. Why don’t you come with us and you can tell us.”

I raise my clawed hand and tilt my head to an angle. I side eye him. “Back the fuck off now. I'll tear you to shreds.” I snarl, tick my head in warning and give him a wild look.

Ash stepped forward. “Man, ok. Look, what she did to you? It’s bad man. I’ve been trying to tell you. It’s you, Hunter. The wolf with the pregnant vamp? It’s you! You help them kill us.”

My eyes sting and I suck in a breath. With my arm still raised I suck in my top lip. I shake my head. “No.” I say as I feel my eyes well. “Lainey wouldn’t. She doesn’t kill.”

“I’m sorry, man. It’s what I saw.” He says. His face is concerned.

My head was a mess and still clouded. As I rolled his words, it just infuriated me more.

“NO! YOU’RE WRONG! LAINEY WOULD NEVER…” I say as I look around and a tear slips from my eye. The image of Ryan hit my brain.

I put my hands on my hips and hang my head.

“Hunter, come with us.” Zander says.

“We’ll help you.” Peter adds.

The other Alphas add their two cents. I can only do one thing.

I shake my head and start laughing. I raise my head and wrap my arm around my self and hold my lips in my curled fingers. Just cackling at them.

They look at each other, confused.

“Hunt?” Zander says.

I lick my lips with a twisted smile. I point to him as I pace the top step. “I know what this is?”

I shake my head and pace back. “I know what you want.”

I give them a crazy side eye. “You want her.” I laugh and look down as I walk. “I knew it.”

Ash throws his hands to his sides. “Hunt. That makes no sense.”

I turn back the other way. I hold a finger at him. I shake my head. “It makes perfect sense, Ashley.” I snarl at him and he snarls back. “What? One’s not enough? You want mine too?” My eyes flick to Zander. “What about you, King? You want my female?”

Peter steps closer. “Hunter, nobody wants her, Ok. It’s in your mind.”

I stop and my craziness turns to rage. “WHY?! HUH? WHY? WHY YOU AND NOT ME, PETE? WHY YOU…AND NOT ME?!!!” My voice boomed across the lot. I sucked in the spit on my lips.

“WHY DO YOU GUYS GET WHAT YOU WANT AND I’M DECLARED FUCKING INSANE?!!” I growl out loud.

“BECAUSE YOU ARE, HUNTER!! YOU’RE FUCKING NUTS AND YOUR DREAMGIRL IS GOING TO KILL US ALL!!” Ash threw a finger at me as he yelled.

I push out my chin. “Fuck you, man. Fuck you.” I slowly shake my head.

“Hunter, think.” Zander says. “You can’t possibly believe you two could…”

“WHY NOT?!” I yell at him and suck in a breath. “Why not?”

“It…It just can’t. It’s…it’s not right, Hunter. You know it. Deep down. You know.” He says.

I lower my head.

They all stood looking at me.

I raise my head. My eyes are dark. There’s a snarl on my lips. I look at Zander, Peter, Ash and Sawyer in a line.

A growl develops in my chest and my wolf surfaces. “Fuck you all.”

I put a foot back and leap into the air, prepared to rip them all apart. I burst out of my clothes and the last thing I see is all four of them pull guns and fire.

The sting of several darts hitting me was the last thing I felt as my wolf hit the driveway and skidded on his side.

I shifted and Zander came into view. “We’ll fix it, Hunter. Don’t worry.” He voice was fuzzy and distance as the dark of mind took over.