The Huntress

1. Missed Opportunities

The Huntress is Book 3 and the final installation of 'The Hunted' trilogy. If you haven't read the previous books, I highly recommend doing so. There are crucial elements in the story that wouldn't make sense without previously reading the first two books.

The Hunted Trilogy- in order:

Book 1-The Mark

Book 2- Hunter's Revenge

Book 3- The Huntress

I hope you enjoy reading Sienna's journey of self-discovery, as she sheds her previous identity of the innocent Stone Princess to become the unforgiving and powerful Huntress.

...Ash POV...

From the moment I first laid eyes on Sienna, I knew she was special. I could see the trapped princess under the strong facade. While I may not know all the details, I am probably one of the few that know the true Sienna. The strong and capable warrior behind the princess that everyone else sees. To the outside world, she is your perfect and well-mannered rich girl. But that wasn't really who she truly was. Rather, that was only a small glimmer as to who the real Stone Princess really was. 

To the outside world, they see an entitled rich girl that does everything her parents ask of her. The princess that spends her free time volunteering to help the homeless, and that gets straight A's in every subject. But Sienna was much more complicated than that. Jace had explained to me everything that had happened to Sienna when she was a kid. And yet, it felt as though I was only touching the surface as to who she really was. 

I thought when Jace had assigned me to be her personal guard, that I knew everything about her. But little did I realize how wrong I was. I didn't think that I could ever get along with someone like her. But she showed me that my perception of her was completely off. This goes to show that it doesn't matter how much you know about a person, for them to surprise you. 

When we were in Colombia, Sienna slowly relaxed her guard around me. Showing me the many sides of her. I saw the girl that was determined to live her life the way she wanted to. Regardless of what others wanted for her, she was her own person, and only ever let herself be in charge of her decisions. No one could make decisions for her, no matter what it seemed like from the outside. She was calculated and determined. She would watch how others acted around her to form the best reaction. In view of others, she was always on her best behaviour. A facade she had to keep up. Her family were too close to the spotlight that any act seen as a misdemeanour would only shine the spotlight on them further, but not for good reasons. 

I realized quickly that the Sienna I had known was not at all who she truly was. It took a while, but soon I began to chip away at her guard. The more I was able to gain her trust, the easier it was for her to be who she truly was around me. Sienna was far more complex than I had realized. 

The more I learned about her, the more attracted to her I became. But I knew I would never be the one to get her in the end. While she never said anything, I could tell that someone already owned her heart. Which would mean that any attempt I would make to become that person would only fail. So instead of trying, I chose to respect our relationship. Never once pushing her to like me for anything more than a brother or a friend. I was happy to at least be that. 

"I came to around an hour after Hunter's men kidnapped you and left me for I dead. I managed to drag myself to the apartment where I called Jace to inform him of what happened. I don't fully recall the conversation as they had done a number on me. But I knew I had to find a way to save you." I explain, starting from when we had last seen each other at the park. I turn my gaze towards her, still upset with myself for letting that happen. I was supposed to be her bodyguard. And yet she was kidnapped under my watch. What kind of bodyguard am I? I begin to chant in my mind. The same thoughts that have filled my head for the past two weeks. Ever since I came to and found Sienna gone.

Not paying attention, I feel a slight tug on my hand to see Sienna attempting to pull me out of my reverie. Our eyes meet for a moment, almost as if she's silently trying to tell me that she doesn't blame me. But she should.

"What happened wasn't your fault." She begins, making me c**k my head to the side in search of an explanation. Cause how I saw it, I was in fact the one to blame. 

"I knew someone was following us, and I did try to figure out who it was. I didn't think they would be as trained as they were, since they didn't come off that way. The last thing I expected was for Hunter to be involved." Sienna confesses. After she was taken, I had searched everywhere for answers. I managed to get a few answered, but not all.

"Who is this Hunter, you're speaking of?" Jace interrupts.

Sienna pauses for a moment before I nod my head. I can tell she's worried about implicating him, but we both know that it wouldn't matter what she said, as it will be next to impossible to capture the infamous Reaper.

"You probably know him as the Reaper or El Segador." Sienna confesses.

Jace remains stoic. I can tell he's piecing together these details from what he already knows. Instead of commenting, he remains silent, allowing us to continue.

"When did you first meet him?" I ask, wanting to know how they knew each other. After everything I'd found out, one thing was racking my mind. Why is it that the infamous hunter would seek her out? He had no known grievance with Stone Enterprises. I would be surprised if he even knew who they were, considering the Stone influence didn't stretch into South America.

Sienna bites her lip before taking a breath. I can see the faint marking of a smile as she recalls the memories in her mind.

"We met when I snuck into an underground fight club." She answers, causing my eyes to go wide from her response.

Without sparring a look in Jace's direction, I can tell he's just as surprised, only he hides it better than I do. So to everyone else, they would wonder if he even understood what she said. It was a skill common to those in our line of work. Emotions could get us killed. So one of our first lessons was learning how to control our emotions. Making sure we never fall victim to them. An emotional person is a liability. A person loses focus the moment they become emotional. So, the first lesson we have to overcome is ensuring our emotions never have the ability to control us.

"I would fight with the twins, but knew they were holding back. I wanted to enhance my skills, which I wouldn't be able to do if I only ever trained with them. For my entire life, I've only ever been seen as weak and incapable of protecting myself. While my family won't admit it, they treat me as though I'm made of glass. Neither Zander nor Kieran would ever fight me like a real opponent. They would always try to avoid hurting me. Always going out of their way to make sure none of their punches ever landed on my chest or abdomen. Do you realize how detrimental that is? I could never be sure if I could actually hold my own against someone if they always held back." She admits. I admit I reacted the same way when she would go to the gym. A person with her condition shouldn't be fighting. Just one punch in the wrong area could be the last of her. I can understand why her brothers would be hesitant to train her. Yet, at the same time, I can understand it from her perspective. While I've never had a condition like hers, I can see in her eyes the need she has to be taken seriously. The utmost desire to be treated like a regular person. Not a person with a lung condition.

"Because of my family's reputation, I knew I couldn't go just anywhere. I needed to go someplace where people wouldn't know me. Which is when I found out about an underground fight club. Granted, it probably wasn't one of my finest decisions, but I don't regret it. I concealed my true identity with Rylee's help. Making sure no one would discover who I truly was." Sienna continues.

"I watched their fights for awhile, in hopes of finding a contender. However, all the fighters in the club seemed too amateur. I was about to head home when my gaze fell on someone. I could see from the way he held himself that he wouldn't be one to hold back or show mercy. I knew at that moment that I had to fight him. He didn't look as though he came there to fight. But I didn't want to leave without a fight." She commented.

I'm not sure if she even realized it, but her eyes seemed to light up as she retold her story to us. It's painfully evident that Hunter managed to become the owner of her heart. Though, my stomach wrenches knowing that she's oblivious to his current whereabouts. I feel guilty for not telling her. I just wanted her to focus on getting better, while also secretly hoping I would never have to have this conversation with her. But now I know that I was wrong. I'll have to tell her today.