Bound By Desire

Chapter 3: True Friends Don’t Keep Secrets

Hunter’s POV:

Glaring at Malachai and Raphael, I move away from Rosalia’s apartment block to face them. “Where’s Asher?” Both shrug and I move to turn when I hear the discrete sound of a window opening behind me. Focusing, I notice it's near Rosalia and I shoot my brothers a daggered look. “What are you up to?”

“Nothing to concern yourself about, little brother,” Ash’s reply sounds from behind me and I turn my anger towards him. With his luminescent gold eyes and dark hair, Asher had the face of an angel, but I know him well enough that behind his appearance lies someone with the devil’s capacity for cruelty. He was selfish, cruel and vindictive with a cruel streak like our father’s that it was sometimes impossible not to hate him. However, when it came to my siblings, Ash was the best of the three of my brothers and my two sisters weren't much better.

Sighing to myself, I calm down slightly before turning back to my siblings. “What are you doing here?” My question is directed at all three but only Malachai chooses to answer me.

“Just looking at the girl, you know cause she’s special.” He shoots back, grinning from ear to ear with a smile that made my heart go out to the poor girl. “If you’d done your research you’d know.. she’s the one.” Malachai’s cryptic comment puzzled me but I refused to show it. Holding his hands up in mock surrender, he turns his back and walks down the path, the early morning light making him visible to passersby. Raphael followed but Asher stayed behind, watching me with a quizzical eye.

“What, Ash?” I ask, my question comes out more forceful than I’d intended it to. My gaze meets his to see confusion but he refuses to say another word, instead, he turns and leaves me standing alone staring up at Rosalia’s apartment with a feeling of confusion swirling around inside.

Acting impulsively, I reach for a pen and a loose piece of paper in my jacket pocket and write her a small warning note, to get her attention to be careful. Slipping into her room, I place it between the two window panes before leaving as soundlessly as I entered, not even taking notice of her. Once back on the ground, I take a last look up at her apartment and shake my head in confusion as I turn to follow my brothers.

Rosalia’s POV:

Friday dawned with an unreasonable amount of sunshine streaming in through my window for the end of September. Rising slowly, I tiptoed to the window to see that my mysterious stalker had vanished but that someone had been in the room as a note had been slipped between the two window panes. Manoeuvring the latch, I catch hold of the paper before it’s blown away in the wind. Flipping it over, I take in the delicate cursive strokes of the writing before the words register with me. Be careful. They know who you are and they’re watching you. Frowning, I flip the note over, looking for a name, but my search is futile as whoever my mystery helper was, they didn't want to be identified or the note traced back to them. Odd.

Bewildered, I place the note in my bag for later and get ready for college so I can meet Mae on time. As I lock the door to leave, I suddenly remember the watcher from down the road yesterday. Scanning the road, I walk to where we agreed to meet and listen as Mae launches into a whole conversation about the party that night. Containing my paranoia, the feeling eases when I see no sign of the mysterious figure. The closer we got to college, the more relaxed I felt until I could almost have forgotten the whole incident until I saw the figure again. Down by the trees on the left side of the field, I knew when they saw me as their posture changed.

Diverting Mae’s attention, I pull her over to where Ciara and Willow are standing waiting for us, noting when she slips off to speak to Jack again. This time, however, I don't follow, as I'm paranoid enough as it is without adding strange secrets and lying friends to the mix. The rest of the day passes in a blur and before long lunch rolls around. Still distracted by my thoughts about the previous night, I stared over at the trees at the back east side of the field and could have sworn I saw the figure from yesterday looking over at me. Blinking once, I look again but the figure seems to have vanished. Shaking my head at my paranoia, I look back to see Jack shooting me a puzzled glance. “What?”

“Nothing, just wondering why you’re so quiet.” A moment of silence passes between us before he speaks again. “Seriously, Rosa, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” I reply, looking back at the east side of the field. Still empty. Huh. Maybe I did imagine the figure then. I snicker softly at my private joke and Jack sends me another worried glance. I shake my head in his direction, smiling. He lets it go, but I can still see the confusion in his eyes when he looks at me. When he and Mae get up together seemingly inconspicuously, I move to follow them after telling the other two that I was headed to the bathroom. Once again, I follow the pair until they stop by a small section of trees by the southeast section of the field, hanging back enough so that they don’t see that I’ve followed them.

“You can’t do anything about it, they already know she’s here, Jack” Mae’s voice sounded strained with panic and I stand silently so I don’t miss what they’re saying. Mae’s voice continues. “It’s no use. They’ve most likely found where she lives and are watching her. We can’t do anything about it.”

“Can’t she stay with you? At least until we figure out something more permanent?” Jack’s response is just as strained and I wonder what’s making them both so tense. “Please, Mae, just for a while until we figure out what to do.”

A resigned sigh escapes my best friend. “It’s no use. Don’t you think they already know where both you and I live, since I’m her best friend and you're her boyfriend? Add to that the fact that the pack…”

“Shut up.” Jack cuts her off, “We can’t talk about this here. You know that.” He falls silent, clearly lost in thought before he whispers “What do we do?”

Another sigh. “I don’t know. I mean it’s safe to say that if they haven’t already figured it out it’ll take them all of two seconds to piece together why you’re involved and what protection that offers Rosa. Once they know that, it’ll force them to get inventive, which should hopefully give us more time to find a solution.”

“What about you?”

“It’ll hopefully take them a long time to figure out how I’m involved, which gives me a little more time to prepare in case I have to do anything. Although then, like with you, once they know my place in this, we’re back to square one with the whole thing.” She sighs again and I want to go ask what’s wrong, but my current curiosity outweighs my compassion, so I stay silent and wait for the conversation to move on.

“I’m just worried about her. She’s in over her head and she doesn’t even know how deep.” A soft sigh from Mae makes me want to help, but before I can step forward and ask if she’s okay, she resumes speaking. “If anyone was to find out about her beyond us and whoever’s already tracking her then...” Mae’s sentence tails off and I strain to hear more but the two have gone silent. Waiting for a second longer, I moved away from the tree I had hidden behind and walked over to where the two were still standing silently, both looking in different directions and lost in thought.

“Hey, you okay?” My soft-spoken question appears to startle Mae as she looks around blankly for a few seconds before her eyes find mine. Reflective emeralds let her worry shine like a beacon and make her easy for me to read. “What’s wrong?” I catch Jack’s small smile as he moves past me and I return it before switching my attention back to my best friend. “Mae? Seriously, what’s wrong? You’re worrying me now. Please tell me what’s wrong.”

She sighs. “It’s nothing.” She smiles but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Frowning in her direction, I try to understand what’s going on but she smiles again, a tired smile that shows her worry, and I decide to let it drop when it becomes apparent she won’t respond. Sighing to myself, I moved to walk back to where the others were still waiting. The rest of the day was relatively uneventful but I couldn’t move past Mae’s sudden silence which only drew on as we moved through the day. When college ended and we reached my apartment, I turned and looked at her out of the corner of my eye, which caused her to smile. “What?”

“Stop looking at me like you’re trying to analyse me. It’s freaking me out.”

“You wanna know what’s freaking me out? Your silence.” I replied, not looking at her.

“I already told you it’s nothing.” She turns to me with a pleading expression. “Please just drop it.”

I hear her but my stubbornness gets in the way of my compassion again. “Okay, how about a compromise? When you’ve at least tried to explain what’s wrong, then yes, I will drop it.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

A moment of silence hangs between us as we enter and I lock the door. She puts her bag down and looks towards the window. I shoot her a glance and she seems to remember her promise. “It’s stuff with my dad.. you know, home stuff.”

I know she’s lying by the way she avoids looking me in the eye, but I decide to let it drop, knowing that I don’t want to fight with my best friend right now. I give her a sympathetic smile, trying to push down the uncomfortably familiar sense of distrust I felt. When she saw I’d stuck to my end of the promise, she smiled again and we began to get ready for the party. Stopping by my bag, I slid my phone into the front pocket and my fingers brushed the thick cream card I had received earlier, my curiosity reawakened. Pushing it further down into the bag, I bury it under a thick hoodie that I stashed at the bottom to stop Mae finding my art stuff and pull on my denim jacket and boots as we head out the door.

The crisp autumn air still holds scents of fallen leaves mixed with a sharp frost that cleared my head as we drove to Moonwoods for the party. I’m quiet in the back, sensing that both Mae and Jack are watching me. I instead choose to watch the passing scenery out the window to avoid conversation. When the car stopped outside the building, I could feel the shift in mood from the other two. Smiling, I move away from the car towards the entrance, feeling the weight of my backpack comfortably against my back. Once we entered the party, the first few hours were great and I could almost forget my worries and confusion until I saw Jack slip off down a hall, followed soon after by Mae. Her shifty look catches my attention, but this time, rather than appeal to my curiosity, it vexes me that they were keeping secrets. Especially if they happened to be secrets about me.

Seething internally with rage, I slid away from where I was standing to follow the pair as they moved down the crowded corridors until they came to a secluded room away from most of the noise of the party. Seeing Mae turn around, I hide behind a door frame as she follows Jack into the room, pulling the door closed. Once I'm sure they won't see me, I move to press my ear to the door, hearing their muted conversation through it.

“How many?” even distorted, Jack’s voice was still audible enough that I could hear the poorly hidden panic.

“I don't know.” Mae lets out a frustrated sigh and I frown in confusion. How many? Shaking my head in confusion, I listen again. “I can sense at least two, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more that I can’t find.” She sounds frustrated.

“Do you think they’ve come for her?”

“No.” Mae’s decisive answer is final. “No, they haven’t come for her. At least not directly.” She pauses and I strain to hear her only to jump slightly when she speaks again, this time so soft I almost miss what she says. “Or have you forgotten what today is?” Her question lingers in the air and silence falls.

“I haven’t.” Jack’s reply was equally quiet and temporarily manages to push down my vexation at their secrets as my curiosity spikes. “That’s why I’m worried. What if they catch her?”

“That won’t happen.” Mae sounds convinced. “We can stop that from happening. We just have to keep an eye on her and see she doesn't leave without us.” A pause. “And she can never know about all this until we can explain it to her or she’ll be in even more danger.” She pauses again. “Assuming she’ll even listen considering how long we would’ve lied to her by then.” A tinge of regret enters Mae’s voice and I hear her sigh.

Standing silently, I wait for them to continue their conversation. Mae sighs again before I hear her speak.

“What do we do? We don't even know what she is let alone how big a part she plays in all this. What if….” She stops and I take my chance to open the door. “Rosa?” Mae’s surprised guilty voice shoots up three octaves and she refuses to look at me. Shifting my attention to Jack, he also refuses to look me in the eye and it infuriates me. Refusing to let my anger show, I smile.

“What’s going on?” I ask, addressing the guilty pair. Feigning innocence, I waited for a response before turning to Mae. “Can I know or does that have to be a secret as well?” I say, my previous vexation causing me to snap angrily at her. But I can’t find it in myself to feel remorse at the moment, my anger blocking everything out.

Mae’s face falls, sensing what I’d heard. “Rosa, I can explain–” She starts before Jack cuts her off.

“Actually, Mae, no you can’t.” I see her frown at him and my anger changes direction.

“What gives you the right to tell her what she can and can't do?” I glare at him but he refuses to change his mind. “She can tell me if she wants.” I turn back towards Mae but she wears a blank expression. “Mae? Care to enlighten me on what’s going on?”

“I can’t.” She replies softly. I glare at her and she continues.” “I can’t because I don't know.”

“No, screw that.”

“It’s true.”

I roll my eyes, exasperated by her lying. “f**k that, both of you.” I cast them both a glance of rage. “I’m f*****g done with your bullshit and lies. Either tell me what’s going on or I'll leave.” I wait. Mae answers me seconds later.

“I– no, we can’t answer you. We can’t. Rosa. Please, you have to believe me. I’d tell you if I could.”

I growl under my breath before giving a sarcastic laugh. “One, would you tell me if you could, Mae? Really, cause it seems to me like you’ve been able to tolerate lying to me so far so why would now be any different? And second, I don't believe you.”

“It’s true! Please!” Mae’s pleading has little effect on me, my rage still being too high. “I hated lying to you but I honestly can't tell you anything.”

“Why? Because he told you you can’t?” I seethe, glaring at Jack who refuses to look me in the eye.

“No.” At this point, Mae’s nearly in tears but she keeps herself together. “I can't tell you because I DON’T KNOW!” She screams the last part in desperation, but I'm too angry to listen.

“That’s bullshit.” I snarl, casting her a glare that causes her to flinch. “From what I’ve heard, the two of you clearly know enough to tell me something. So is it a case of you can't or you won’t tell me?”

“Both.” Jack’s reply was final and caused my anger to spike again.

Fuming, I take a deep breath and turn to walk out. “Well, I’m leaving. Don't come looking for me, either of you, I don't want to see you right now.” I move to leave, only to feel Jack’s hand on my wrist. “What?”

“You can’t leave. Please, Rosa, just…” he stops as I pull away roughly,

“Watch me.” I turn to leave when my anger suddenly boils over and I turn back. “Oh, and we’re done. I don't want to see you again. Go find some other girl to go out with and lie to. Maybe she’ll just accept it. Hey, maybe even ask Mae.” Stopping for a second I can see I have his attention. “You two deserve each other.” My voice is full of quiet anger that I push down as I leave the room with the two of them staring after me blankly.

Leaving the party, I stop for a moment to calm down, only to see the mysterious stranger from the other night watching me from the shadows. My paranoia shoots up as I try to walk away. I can tell they’ve seen me as I notice a second set of footsteps as I start to walk. Panicking, I run.

Not knowing my way around Moonwoods, I soon become lost in the vast woodlands surrounding the town. Trying to be silent, I run through the woods until I can see an opening back to some sort of warehouse area at the south of Moonwoods. Hoping to reach someone, I darted out of the trees only to trip on a rock. Stumbling, I curse when I notice the shallow scrapes on the heels of my palms and bite back a scream from the dull pain. Hearing the footsteps again, I stand and continue to run. Weaving around the silent warehouses, I can hear laughter. Two sets of them. Leaning against a wall, I slowly slide to the ground, drawing my knees into my chest and covering my mouth to hide a scream.

“How many so far?” The voice nearest me is soft but with a sharp undercurrent of malice and cruelty. Could they be the mystery person watching me? I stay silent and still as a second voice joins the first.

“Not many but the night’s young. Raphael took west, I had north and you had east. What happened?” The second voice was definitely male. Holding my breath, I hear footsteps coming closer to the alleyway between two walls that I had sheltered in. Leaning closer into the wall, I hoped the shadows would hide me completely.

“She ducked and ran. Don’t worry, she’s close. I can hear her heartbeat.” the first voice replies. “Who had south? Aren’t all compass points supposed to be covered?”

A resigned sigh comes before the second voice speaks again. “Should’ve been Hunter but..”

“He still refuses to participate, huh? Same thing with refusing to have slaves. He’s too soft.” A snicker. “No wonder father won’t consider him as a successor. He’d never get anything done.” the voice sighs. “Go, Malachai, I’ve got this one.” I relax slightly as I hear one set of footsteps leave, but my relief is short-lived when the other pair comes closer.

My heart races and I try to calm the fast beating but my adrenaline and fear stop me. Clamping a hand tighter over my mouth, I bite back a sob as I hear the first voice again, closer this time. “You might as well come out now. I know you’re there.” Shuffling further against the wall, I noticed a small alleyway behind the warehouse I had been leaning against and sped off. Breathing slowly, I can hear my loud footsteps echoing off the empty, derelict warehouses. Hiding the footsteps behind me.

Hiccuping a sob, I turned a corner to see the figure come out at the other end. My resulting scream echoes emptily into the silent surroundings and I turn again to run.

“You might as well give up now. You can’t win.” The voice is recognisably male and I bite back another scream. Sprinting, I slip between the last two warehouses and out into the bustling streets. Trusting that the mass of people will hide me, I slow down to catch my breath, trying to calm my racing heart. My paranoia slowly fades as I don’t spot the figure for a few moments before a cold pair of hands pull me down an alleyway. Breathing in sharply, my fear returns when I come face to face with the shadowy figure of a man. All I can make out of his appearance is his eyes. Glowing golden eyes like those of a lion.

Screaming, I try to run, only for him to pin me to the wall. Moving closer to me, his mouth rests on my ear as he whispers something I don't catch before he strikes. Pain fills my body until I eventually pass out, knowing nothing but fear and pain as I drift away.