Huntress or Mate?

Chapter 10 - Choices

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Two months earlier

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Zane

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“Hello?! Is anybody home?!” I have been standing at Harlow’s place for the past few minutes but no one is answering. It doesn’t help that there’s no bell or anything I can ring. I know it’s late but it’s only 8:30 pm. They should still be awake. I call out again but there’s still no answer and I start walking up and down next to the high wall, trying to see if it doesn’t get lower so I can have a peek inside. I could climb over this wall easily, but that would be trespassing. Plus, what if someone is watching me? I’ve never been here before. In fact, I don’t think anyone except maybe Arlo has, and for me to just jump over the wall wouldn’t be right.

After not being able to see or hear any movements inside, I stop, placing my hands on my waist, defeated. I look around, checking out the surrounding areas and there’s just a creepy vibe about this place. Why would someone want to isolate themselves like this? The place is already a mile away from the city but there are still high walls, making it impossible to see what’s going on inside. No wonder that Harlow girl is so weird.

“Watch your mouth, Zane. She’s going to be your Luna one day. If Arlo ever returns, that is,” I mutter, reprimanding myself. I was present at Arlo’s birthday when he discovered they were mates. I open my mouth to call out again but close it after glancing at my wristwatch. It’s already been forty minutes. If someone was going to answer, they would have by now.

I let out a defeated sigh, and head to my car. Harlow still hasn't been seen and I suspect more than ever that her disappearance has to do with what happened to Arlo's family. I think she might know something that could help us figure out who these hunters are. But it looks like I will just have to wait until she emerges from this prison.

I get inside my car and start the engine, heading home. Just as I enter the city, LaRisa’s, a small café that makes the best sandwiches in town, even better than mom's comes into my view, and I haven’t been here in a while, since it’s on the other side of town.

I decide to make a quick stop and grab one, two, or maybe four and share with my dad. He also likes this place's sandwiches. Our favorite is the roast beef. I exit the car and head inside.

“Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” Gianna, one of the cashiers says with a smile, coming around the counter.

She and I used to go to the same school but she dropped out, something about her mother being unwell. I dated her younger sister, back when I had a reputation and she didn’t like that and ended up convincing her to dump me. All for her to get knocked up by someone worse than me. At least I would have been there for my kid. When she started dating the other guy, Gianna came to me, wanting me to get back together with her cause now she saw that she could always do worse than me, but I wasn’t about that anymore. She apologized for poking her nose into our business and I told her it was fine. I wasn’t angry at her or anything. Her sister wasn’t my mate. We were just having fun. After that, she and I became friends.

“What’s up, bro?” I say as we pull each other into a one-armed bro hug in front of the counter. She says it’s been a while and asks how I’m doing. I tell her and we catch up a bit. She’s right. We haven’t seen each other in a minute. She’s on the clock, so she heads behind the counter, asking me if I’m going to take the usual and I tell her yes, telling her to make four this time. She gives the order to the kitchen staff and I order some coffee while I wait. Anna quickly makes it for me after acknowledging the customers that just came inside the door but just then, it hits me. A strong familiar scent floods my nose and I freeze, knowing exactly what it means before slowly turning around, hearing the most beautiful voice I have ever heard.

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Elora

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“I’ll wait for you downstairs.”

“Okay, be down in a minute!” I reply to Hudson busy closing my bag as he walks past my room. I pick it up and follow him downstairs. We are running a bit late this evening. We are not hunting tonight. It’s been quiet for a while but we will stop at the base before going to work. Our shift starts at ten. Hudson and I are worried about Mr. Winters. He says he’s fine and doesn’t show any signs that he’s not, since his expression is always indifferent. But it can’t be easy. Yes, she wasn’t his real daughter but he raised her. Can it really be that easy to just detach and feel nothing for her?

“Dinner is almost ready, sweetheart. Are you guys sure you don’t want me to pack lunchboxes for you?”

“Yes, mom. We are sure. We are late. Don’t worry, we’ll get something on the road,” I reply, placing a kiss on her cheek before hearing her let out a defeated okay. “Good night, mon!” I add, rushing toward the door and she replies as I exit the house. I skip down the stairs and Hudson opens the car door for me. “Thank you,” I mutter, settling in my seat before chucking the bag into the back seat.

My mother always makes sure we have dinner before we go, but today, she started cooking late. She came back late from the hospital. My aunt, Hudson’s mom, was admitted three days ago, after feeling a strange pain in her chest.

Hudson’s stomach grumbles, causing me to look at him and he says we’ll grab something at LaRisa’s. It’s on our way out of the city. I’m glad cause I’m also hungry.

“Did you speak to Varn? He’s back.”

“Oh, I didn't know that. No, I didn’t.”

“Oh, okay. I just thought because he asked about you, that he was going to call you,” Hudson says, just as we get onto the freeway. Varn likes me and Hudson thinks we’d be a perfect couple since I wouldn’t have to keep being a huntress a secret from him but I don’t feel the same. He’s cute and very sweet, but I don’t like him in a romantic sense. Plus, unlike Hudson, my life doesn’t revolve around being a huntress. I don’t base my life decisions on that. He thinks it’s a mistake and I don’t blame him because I haven’t been completely honest with him.

When I first became a huntress, I was all for it. In fact, before the Arlo thing, I was still all for it, but after that, something kind of changed. Now the wolves that we kill aren’t just monsters anymore. When I joined, I joined because of what my stepfather did to us and whenever I went after one, I saw his face. I gave all of them his face, but now after, Arlo and Harlow. I’m not so sure I can do that anymore. I’m not sure if being a huntress is what I want anymore and it scares me because it puts everyone I love in danger.

When you join the shadow, you join for life. I don’t know how I would even begin to talk to Hudson about it. It took him a full month to forgive me for the Arlo situation and I felt horrible.

“What are you having?” his voice snaps me out of my thoughts and I tell him I’ll have a panini and ask him what he's having. He says he’ll have a pulled pork sandwich.

“I’m coming with you. I want a shake as well, but I want to look at their menu. I feel like something different.” I tell him, opening the door and stepping out while he says okay and we head inside.

The cashier is chatting with someone as we enter while making coffee. She hands it over to him when she's done, but I notice a frown on her face as we advance to them before noticing that the guy is standing rigid and not replying to her. My face also turns into a frown and just then the guy slowly turns around, and my frown turns into a scowl as my eyes lock with those of the pig who once made my life a living hell. Zane f*****g Kravitz.

“...the f**k?” Hudson mutters as Zane drops his coffee, looking at me like he’s in some kind of trans and I notice tears gleaming in his eyes. Is he stoned? I open my mouth to ask what his problem is. I’m not some defenseless girl anymore. I will hand his thirsty ass back to him so fast he’ll be spelling his name backward for the rest of his pathetic life. But he snaps out of it and apologizes, grabbing some tissues and putting them over the mess he made while the cashier tells him to leave it, it’s okay. After that, he grabs his order and rushes out of the shop, leaving the cashier standing there, smirking at him, as if she knows what's going on.

“Okay, enough of this weird s**t,” Hudson mutters under his breath, stopping in front of the counter and placing our orders while I look back at the door, wondering what the hell just happened, even though I shouldn’t care since it involves someone I hate. Hudson quickly runs to the men's while we wait for our order and I take a seat and start with my shake. He comes back and a few minutes later our order comes out and we head out to the base. That’s what we call The Shadow's place.

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Zane

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I slide inside my car and I grip the steering wheel as I take long deep breaths, not even closing my door before burying my fingers in my hair and leaning against the headrest. “I just found my mate and she hates me. f**k!” After a long moment, I see them walk out of the coffee shop and head to a car parked opposite the road, and my heart rate rises even more, “Goddess, she’s beautiful.” She looks in my direction and I quickly slide down in my seat, not wanting her to see me. What the hell am I going to do? She’s going to reject me.

Their car takes off, heading south like they are going out of the city. I wonder where they are going. Feeling that I have calmed down as much as I possibly can under the circumstances, I also turn on the engine and head home.

I get home after a couple of minutes, a miracle I didn’t cause an accident as Laura’s face kept flashing in front of my eyes. The house is quiet, my mother’s probably already in her bedroom. My father was working late but should be on his way back now. I throw my bag on the couch and start taking off my gym clothes, so I can have a shower. “f**k!” I cuss, remembering I left the sandwiches in the car. I’ll get them when I come out of the shower.

When I come out of the shower, I quickly dry myself and throw on my joggers and a tank top before slipping into my slippers and heading downstairs. It’s funny how hungry I was when I went into the café, but food was the last thing on my mind when I went out. Even now, I’m not hungry. I’m only going to try and eat because I bought the food already. My dad must hurry home. I need him to tell me what to do.

My dad and I are very close. We talk about everything, like friends. He knows what happened with Laura.

I was seventeen when Laura started at my school. It was my final year of high school and I had just won my third international game as captain of my team, and I guess all that went into my head and made me a jerk. I was drinking and experimenting with drugs. I was a nightmare even for my parents, and when I think back to that, I feel ashamed. I don't like the person I was. I almost didn't even make it out of high school that year cause even my grades suffered. It was like I was possessed. I ended up having to retake my math class to qualify for admission for the course I wanted to do. This is why I’m only in my third year now instead of my fourth. And now, as if I wasn’t regretful enough, my mate is the girl I happened to terrorize for a whole f*****g term. I guess it was about time my sins caught up with me.

I was despicable but I never forced myself on anyone. I know she thinks I was going to rape her that day, but I wasn’t. I was just f*****g with her.

After I was called back to my senses, I thought about apologizing to her but I didn’t make it a priority I guess, cause it's five years later and I haven't done it, and now I’m paying for it.

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Isla

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“I can’t believe he thought he could just fool us like that. He must think we are a special kind of stupid,” Nikos says, shaking his head while stepping on the gas. We are currently on our way home from the airport. Three months ago, I got called by Hades. So, I left for Alverton. It’s a big city, a couple of miles west of Citville, Kol’s village. That’s where our headquarters are. Where we think Hades lives since no one but Deegan knows and he won’t even share with me.

Deegan oversees the mines here in Bruson. But now Hades wants to move him, so he’s promoting me to his position. When I got to Alverton I was given the news and I gladly accepted. I’m a damn hard worker and it’s about time I got recognized for it. I was told I would have to complete a six-month training session before the position can be officially mine, and the training would begin immediately. The first part of my training was going to be in Alverton and the second part would be at floor level in Bruson. So, I went back to Bruson to sort out everything I had to sort out before going back to Alverton to commence the training which I have now aced. Now I'm back and today is Friday. I’m taking the weekend off and starting on Monday with my second part of the training.

I knew the moment I left that Kol was going to take chances. He was going to keep that girl under our roof. He has no intentions of handing her over because she’s his mate. After I left the house, I had a lot of time to reflect and I started seeing things more clearly than when I was back here and now, I’m convinced more than ever that she’s his mate.

I told Nikos that when I left, but of course, he didn’t believe me because I can never say anything about Kol without him thinking it's jealousy talking. He’s so insecure it’s f*****g nauseating, and I have no idea why I put up with it. Kol kept the girl around like I said he would and I guess Nikos was listening to me even if he pretended as if he wasn’t, cause he called three weeks later, saying he thinks I might be right about Kol.

He wanted to confront him but I stopped him, reminding him that he had already done that, but Kol denied it. He was just going to deny it again and he was going to know that Nikos is now on to him. I was going to do it myself. Nikos has never been able to force Kol to do anything he didn’t want to do, and nothing has changed now but I can. I’m only going to give him two choices. Reject her and hand her over or hand her over without rejecting her. Those are going to be his only choices because he will hand her over.

After what feels like forever, we get home but notice Kol’s car is not in the driveway. Kol never parks in the garage, all of us don't, unless we are hiding something. He must be out. “Did he say he was going somewhere to you?” I ask Nikos and he says no, he was asleep when he left. “You don’t have to be there when I confront Kol in the morning if you don’t want to. I can handle it by myself.” I tell Nikos as he opens the door for me and he tells me, he’s going to be there. He takes my bags out of the boot and we head inside.

It’s quiet inside, understandably so, since it's 2:45 am but the lights are on. “Can you smell that?” I ask Nikos, a stench of blood flooding my nose, and he nods, looking down the passage. What the hell? He puts down the two suitcases and we rush down the passage, the smell of blood, getting stronger and stronger.

“Kol?” I call out to him, now seeing bloodstains on the door, but there’s no answer and after the second time, I decide, f**k it. He can be mad at me all he wants. I burst open the door, now in full panic mode, and my eyes widen seeing a bloody Kol, passed out on the bed, his wrist chained to the bed and a collar around his neck.

“My God, Kol. What the f**k?! Get the keys and get these things off of him!” I scream at Nikos losing my mind with fear, as I feel for his pulse. It’s faint but it’s there. “It’s okay, Kol. You’re going to be okay,” I tell him, placing my hands over the wound in his chest, looking at the blood soaking the bed. I don't even want to imagine what could have happened if we didn't get here when we did. He’s got slashes all over and it looks like someone went for his heart. “Hurry!” I tell Nikos and he rushes over with the keys. “Quickly!” I say, with a tremulous voice as he unlocks the collar before doing the same to the cuffs. “Come on Kol, wake up. Please wake up!” I beg, tears now running freely on my face and his eyes snap open.

He gasps sitting up. “You’re okay,” I tell him, cupping his face before pulling him into a hug, not giving a damn about the that he’s going to ruin my outfit with the blood, and he hugs me back, still catching his breath.

“She-she took my car,” he says, pulling back from the hug and jumping off the bed, causing Nikos and I to follow behind him.

“She did this to you?!” I ask shocked as he takes his bike keys. But it’s pointless. She must be far away by now. We didn’t see her anywhere on the road. “Kol, stop!” I tell him, getting in front of him. “I’ll have the car tracked but we won’t find her now,” I continue and he tries to walk past me, but Nikos and I hold him back and I hug him, feeling my blood boil. I hated that girl before, but it was nothing compared to how I feel about her now. Now I want to make her suffer. I want to look her in the eye as I rip her heart out of her chest and feed it to her.