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I stepped right on it. It had these huge, metal teeth that snapped over my leg. I thought it went through the bone at first, but it obviously didn’t.” When I finished speaking, neither of the men spoke. They stared at me with wide, unblinking eyes slowly filling with the first embers of fury. It made me wonder if I had said something wrong, revealed something I shouldn’t have.
“Hope, were these traps meant to keep others away or prevent someone from leaving?” I recoiled. Jason’s eyes widened.
How could someone look so filled with hate, yet seem as unemotional as a marble statue? The only thing that gave away his emotions were his eyes. His expression remained dispassionate, the hand not holding his fork lay relaxed on the table. Not even his mouth curled or tensed, or did any such thing a mouth did when the person attached to it harbored strong emotions. Did he even feel them, or were they buried so deep as to only touch his surface thoughts when he allowed it?
Lucien coughed, fixing his cold stare on me while addressing the men. “Surely you could attempt to behave like civilized beings for the remainder of our meal? No need to behave like ruffians simply because we are in the presence of a street urchin.”
Lucien rose stiffly, back ramrod straight. “She is not a guest.” His voice dripped with disdain. “We do not know anything about her or her reason for being here. I, for one, am not buying her ‘poor, abused female act.’ Throw her out and good riddance, I say.”
He’s right. Lucien is right. I’d bring nothing but trouble to their doorstep. Hunters aside, they were already fighting because of me and although I hadn’t exactly known them long, it was easy to see a deep camaraderie and love existing between them—even if their violent confrontations left me stumped.
Hope ate quickly. Studiously. Enjoying each morsel, but not taking the time to savor the flavors on her tongue. Almost like she feared it would be taken away and not given back, leaving her to starve.
Her eyes were by far her best feature. They were endless wells you could lose your soul in, the color matching the chocolate she was enjoying, only filled with so many emotions it almost made me dizzy. Too expressive. That would hurt her when not among friends. If one paid enough attention, I’d bet her eyes would reveal every emotion, every thought before it crossed her mind. Suddenly transfixed, I stared as she popped the rest of the chocolate into her luscious mouth, closed her eyes, and moaned. “This is . . . incredible.” Yes. Yes, it is.
“Never be sorry for following your instincts, love.”
“Always do what makes you happy.” Happiness was the furthest from my mind. Safety and survival was all that mattered. To find a way to be out of the Hunters reach for good without forfeiting my life.
Course she is welcome,” Ruarc snarled, glaring at Jason with an expression that clearly stated this was all the other man’s fault. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves and slow my racing heart, I peeked up at them. “B-but why? You don’t owe me anything. Why are you being so nice?” Ruarc frowned down at me, the big hand at my back that had been rubbing slow, soothing circles stopped moving. “There is no honor in hurting females,” he said gruffly and looked away.
What am I doing? I’d been given a reprieve, a place to rest, to heal, to gather my strength. I should be grateful, not filled with this restless fear. What am I doing? The sky. I had to see the sky. Had to know I could run if I needed, that I could be free. Outside. Where there was air. Air.
Lucien turned his attention back on my torn flesh. He used both a careful touch and meticulous examination to rule out infection and any worsening—which he icily told me he’d expected someone as weak as me to succumb to—before applying a new bandage.
Ever since I saw the little female, all big wounded eyes, stark terror written across that pale, heart-shaped face, I’d wanted to protect her. Seeing a female mistreated, especially one so small and defenseless . . . A dark growl vibrated in my chest.
Despite the restless energy coursing through me, my mind was with her, with Hope. Needs to eat more, I thought darkly, considering all the possible reasons why she’d been starved. Wanted to see her body fill out and lose that gaunt look. Wanted to slay her demons so she could feel safe. Wanted her to not be so damned scared all the time!
“I don’t think I have ever heard a female describe Ruarc as sweet,” I muttered.
Her discomfort unnerved me, made me remember that the goal was for her to have some fun. Pushing away the strange feeling that had damned near gutted me, I winked and gave her my most charming grin. “Don’t worry, love,” I lowered my voice, leaning down and breathing directly into her ear when I whispered, “I’m sure you are much, much, sweeter . . .” When I drew back, her whole face was beet-red. “O-oh.” Throwing back my head, I laughed until a sharp nudge to my ribs made me look down with genuine amusement. Hope was staring at her own elbow like she had never seen it before. “I . . . I’m
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“What . . . what kind of horses does Ash work with?”
“He deals with the lost causes. The badly abused or mistreated horses that no one else takes a chance on.” Deafening silence followed.
I glanced up, and the look on her face made me take a step back. Her gaunt features had gone even paler than normal, her expressive, brown eyes were drowning in a well of sorrow so deep I marveled she was still standing. “Oh, sweetheart,” I whispered, reaching out to cup her chin. When she jerked back I dropped my hand and sighed. “It’s not about you. You are not like the horses.” “T-that’s a lie.” Her voice shook. “I’m just like the horses. A hopeless case.”
“Mooning imbecile,” Lucien muttered as he walked past me. Annoyed at being caught off guard, I leapt away from Hope’s door, following Lucien down the hall. “I’d be happy to moon you anytime, Lucien, just say the word!” Forcing my grin back in place, I chided myself for letting it slip.
Biting my lip, I considered my options. Even if I found some way to destroy them, with the help of others or on my own, would I be able to go through with it? Could I live with the death of every Hunter at the compound on my conscience? Yes.
They will never stop. Not unless someone makes them.
In the back of my mind, my father’s words replayed on a loop. He’d told me to seek out uncle Gavril if I ever needed help. He’d sounded so sure of my welcome. But even if I somehow found him, even if he agreed to help me, how could I bring the Hunters to another’s doorstep?
Ruarc may very well be impetuous and prone to reckless behavior, but god help any who’d think to hurt his family.
The girl’s wide, terrified eyes flashed through my mind. As much as I’d have enjoyed accusing her of being on their side, even I knew the Hunters simply did not bother with humans. “After what happened when Samuel’s nymph returned . . .” Quiet descended. When Arabella came back, claiming she’d escaped the Hunters’ secret compound, Samuel had been over the moon. Until she’d betrayed him.
For some reason I’d never suffered from nightmares—or if I had, I never remembered them. It was strange, considering the horrors I’d faced during my captivity.
The familiar, haunting horror from my days with the Hunters slid between my ribs, scraped dirty nails up my spine, taunted me, froze me, left me with a feeling of dread so all-encompassing that, for a moment, my heart simply stopped beating. My teeth chattered. I was cold. So very cold. The kind of cold that never truly leaves you. The kind that got etched into the cells of your being so you never forgot, never felt completely warm again.
When I was young I’d never dreamed fear could have a scent. That the stench of pain could follow you through your dreams and haunt your every waking moment. But it did. And this place was the root of it all.
“Open 391,” a dark voice called. Instantly every hair on my body stood at attention. Dread crawled like spiders down my throat, making me gag as fear swarmed. In juxtaposition to my earlier need to escape, all I wanted now was to stay in this cell forever.
Dave took a step forward and my body remembered that, too. I scurried out, neck bent and eyes locked on the floor. Never make eye contact. Always obey. Don’t contradict them. All the prisoners lived by these rules. Or they died by them.
If I threw up on Dave he’d make me regret it. “You know where to go,” he said while dark amusement twisted his face into the mask of the monster he truly was. Dave liked inflicting pain. The bulge in his jeans told me it was going to be a bad day.
When Dave hoisted me up my sanity fled. Unyielding, cold metal met my back and my body went taught as a bow about to snap. My mind threatened to shatter, every nerve ending in my body vibrated in preparation for what was to come. Each strap fastened over my unwilling body peeled away a layer of my sense of self-worth, replacing it with fear, anguish, despair, and glass shattering in my skull. And then it began.
“Come on, princess. You know what we want. Do it, and this will all be over.” Lies. It would never be over. Not if I gave them what they wanted.
Concern for a girl who promised nothing but trouble would be illogical. Absurd. Beneath me. Even so, my gaze hunted for the human in the dim room, not ceasing until she was found. And when she was, my gaze swept across every inch of skin in search of an injury while blood rushed to my head. My heart quickened, and I found myself with a burning ball of acid eating at my gut. My reaction enraged me. Almost as much as her appearance did. Pale, hollowed cheeks were twisted in a pained grimace, her teeth were bared in an expression of abject misery. Her eyes were open, glossed over with the kind of
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My loathing of her was malicious—yet another feeling I held her responsible for. The wench was dangerous, and I would not rest until she was gone. Her and her bloody secrets had no place in our lives.
Rationally I knew I had nothing to be ashamed of. The Hunters did. They were the ones who should feel disgraced, they were the ones who’d done wrong. But somehow . . . somehow I felt dirty. Like each instrument of pain used to hurt me had stripped away layers of my humanity, leaving a filthy casing of shame in its wake.
A strange noise began in Ruarc’s chest. A soft vibration that gave way to a low, haunting melody. His voice wasn’t made for singing, it was too deep, too gruff and gravelly, but to me it was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard.
What could I safely share? Did I want to share anything at all? Yes. Yes I do. The memories were like venom in my blood. What if I let out just a bit of it?
The brutal violence contained so close to the surface should have terrified me, repulsed me, even, but something inside of me rejoiced. A worthy male, it seemed to whisper. A powerful male.
I couldn’t tear my eyes off him, this harsh warrior glaring down at me. Glaring, not because he was angry with me, but because he was angry for me. He’s angry on my behalf.
“If they come here . . .” Ruarc bared his teeth in a chilling smile that promised death to anyone fool enough to challenge him. “They will die.”
You can’t go to the authorities—” His snort interrupted me. “I’m serious! They have people everywhere. It’s not safe.” “Wasn’t planning on it,” he replied in the same arrogant voice. The starch went out of my spine and I melted into him. Thank god. “Killing them will be better.” I jerked back up. “Ruarc!” My heartbeat accelerated. I could almost feel the blood pumping through my veins. “You can’t! T-they’ll kill you.”
“You don’t k-know them. They are terrible, evil creatures.”
“So am I,” he replied and bared his teeth in what I could only hope was meant to be an assuring smile. “You’re not!” I protested, appalled he would ever refer to himself as evil. Dangerous, yes. Volatile and violent, probably. But not evil. Never evil.
“Please promise me you won’t try to find them.” He tensed. “Fool female!” he pushed out through clenched teeth, and though it shouldn’t have, the insult hurt. “I’d never make a promise like that!”
Suddenly I was furious. Jerking away, I crossed my arms over my chest and huffed. “Well, you’ll never find them without me, and I’ll never tell you anything more!”
Lucien’s cold voice cut in, “Is there a particular reason you consider the silly chit our responsibility?” Ruarc lunged forward. His claws shot out and swiped Lucien across the chest. Before he could follow up on the attack, Lucien sidestepped while Jason got between them. The small altercation was nothing new; with Ruarc’s hot temper and Lucien’s tendency to be blunt to the point of being unfeeling, their personalities often clashed. I had given up on civilizing them years ago.
“I could ask you the same, Lucien,” Jason said. “Is there a particular reason you detest Hope?” With Lucien there was always a reason. Coldly logical to the point of being unfeeling, he saw things we did not and had saved our lives more times than I could count. But his animosity toward Hope . . .
She needs us. I flexed my fingers. The last time a woman needed you, your absence led to her death.
