2

~Hunter

I awake slowly, my numb arm rolling under me as I turn, blinking through the mellow light that guides me back into a state of wakefulness.

Distantly, I feel pain in my middle back, pressing in as more consciousness dawns on me. My senses are too distracted to truly accept the pain, a cloying scent of flowers muddled with dirt surrounding me.

"Oh...You're awake."

I blink, feeling the soft press of a pillow beneath my head, of blankets draped over me. I'm not outside...I'm not in the forest.

I’m inside. Trapped.

My attempts to sit up are quickly thwarted by the stabbing pain in my back.

I was shot, by an arrow, and by the chemical taste on the back of my tongue, it was laced with poison.

"What's going on,” I grit out, as a face pops into my vision from the side of the bed.

It’s the girl from the forest. I growl, trying to move, but the pain in my back is so overwhelming I’m left paralysed.

"Woah, you should calm down, you don't want to exert so much energy," she warns, patting my shoulder in an attempt to comfort me.

"You poisoned me," I grit out. That has to explain the inexplicable burning sensation in my back.

"No, Kaan did...my brother, I mean," she tells me, flustered. "You have had an antidote."

So they are siblings. Wonderful.

"How long have I been out?" I question.

Turning my head, I see a myriad of flower bouquets tucked into crystal vases littered all about the room. It looks like a funeral, like my death was assured, and yet I'm conscious.

Unfortunately, because that smell is hideous.

"About a week and a half." The girl admits, chewing the edge of her nail.

She appears so meek, so unnerved by me.

I stiffen, my eyes widening. Over a week? They will be right on my tail by now…

"I need to leave,” I insist, trying to drag my wary body from the bed, but it protests wildly. Pain racks over my limbs, so intense my head spins as I weakly sink back into the pillow.

"No, you're weak, it's going to take you some time to build your strength up again," Taysa explains. "The poison is serious, and we got the antidote to you late."

"I feel fine..."

No, I don’t. But I’ll crawl from his place if I have to.

I mean, what kind of hell dimension have I fell into that includes a room full of tacky flowers and a lingering girl who is part of the reason I’m here in the first place?

"Your immune system will be so weak, you'll walk outside and get sick instantly. If you even have the strength to walk out of here."

I feel over my person, noting the frail gown draped over me and the lack of my personal belongings.

"Where are my weapons?"

"Kaan took them away," Tay admits. "Not that you can use them..."

I grit my teeth tightly. The exact last person I need to have their hands on my weapons. He shot me in the spine, and soon, he’s going to pay.

"I'm going to find your brother, and I'm going to kill him,” I announce.

"No, he shot you because he is protective of me, that's all," she insists, looking panicked. "No one is going to hurt you anymore, and maybe I can get him to consider apologising."

Consider apologising? He shot me!

"I'm still going to kill him,” I growl. I want to wrap my hands around his neck and end his life for putting me in this position.

Tay blinks, grasping at a way to distract me. "Do you have a name?"

I already decided on my new name before I even left.

"Hunter."

"I'm Taysa," she greets, as if I haven’t already heard her brother say it. "I'm sorry if I'm a lot to handle, I can't remember the last time I spoke to someone may age."

"Seriously?"

"Mother and father don't like me mixing with others...Like, that don’t have Alpha blood, you know?" She admits, twirling the end of her fawn brown hair around her finger.

My entire world seems to slow down as a million thoughts stream through my brain.

"You're related to an Alpha?"

"Well, yeah, did you not know?" She asks, face blank. "I'm the Alpha’s sister, and my brother is the Alpha."

This can’t be happening.

"I need to leave,” I whisper, scrambling through the sheets, although my legs refuse to move at natural pace, as if I’m dragging them through mud.

"You can't leave, you know that. It's going to take a bit of rehabilitation for you to feel good enough to leave," she babbles. "My parents don't mind that you're here, they are very upset at Kaan for shooting you, as it looks bad on them."

I sink deep into the pillows. "Great."

“Kaan only became Alpha within the last year. My parents still think they can control him," Taysa mutters, picking at a stray string on the duvet.

I scrunch my nose up. I've been in close contact with Alpha's my entire life...

How could I not tell he was one?

"He seems to know what he's doing," I mumble, wiggling my toes, trying to will more movement into my body. A miraculous recovery would be great right now.

"Yes...he can be harsh, but he's the kindest man I know," she assures me.

I roll my eyes. "Kind people don't shoot others in the back."

This injury could take weeks to recover from. The problem is, I don't have weeks. I have hours, if not minutes to escape. There will never be enough distance put between him and I, even if I run forever.

"He's defensive of his Pack," Taysa exclaims uneasily, rubbing her arm.

I narrow my eyes, examining her face. She is avoiding eye contact, like there is more she wants to say, but is resisting the urge.

"Hmm. I know the type."

"His future mate, or wife or whatever is going to be very lucky." Her once averted gaze is now pinned on me, grinning wryly.

"What are you hinting at?" I question.

"Nothing!" She wipes her mouth, trying to smother her smile, although she doesn't seem to have much luck. "You are very beautiful by the way."

My eyes flutter closed. This girl is either genuinely nice or insane. Either way, I don't have time to figure it out.

"I need to get out of here," I mutter.

"Stay?" She pouts. "I don't have any other friends, except for my sister but even she doesn't like to put up with me."

Hmm. I wonder why.

I realise I’m being harsh, but I don’t know this girl, and I don’t particularly care to get to know her. Her large doe eyes and easy smile is warm enough, but my intentions are to leave swiftly with no trace left behind.

"Any other siblings I should know about?" Sounds like this family can’t get anymore nightmarish.

"No, just Kaan and Azura," Tay explains. "Azura is mute though, so I wouldn't try talking to her. She's also illiterate."

"I guess I have no other choice but to stay here. But the moment I'm better, I'm leaving," I mutter.

Not after killing your brother, though.

She grins, smoothing her hands over the edge of the quilt atop me. "Of course."

"And I'm kicking your brother's ass the second I see him," I add.

"Honestly, I'd love to see it."

And see she will.