Chapter 4

I fell into an uncomfortable sleep, the cold making me shiver. Neither my body, nor my mind got to rest, the nightmare of my family chasing after me, along with the haunting eyes of the man who had once loved me more than anything, or at least made me believe it. 

I prayed that I would wake up and find myself surrounded by the familiar walls of my bedroom. But the second my eyes opened and the gray walls of the cell greeted me, all the hope drained from my body.

It was already dark out by the  time I woke up, and a big part of me convinced me that they were going to leave me in here to die. The cell was dark, and the only source of light was the soft glow of the mood streaming through a small window at the top corner of the cell.

I was tired of crying, and even then, tears managed to push themseleves down my cheeks.

I leaned my head back against the wall with my eyes still closed, silently praying for this nightmare to be over.

My eyes snapped open at the sound of slow footsteps echoing in the dungeon. I looked out of my cell, the bars keeping out whatever enemy lurked in the darkness.

The footsteps echoed closer, and all I could do was press myself back against the wall and wait. 

The first thing that came to view was men's' shoes. The man slowly stepped into the moon light, revealing himself in an agonizingly slow manner.

I tensed the second I saw his face and the hate in his eyes.

"Max..." I whispered, my throat raw from the lack of water and all the screaming I had to do since the previous night.

He stood on the other side of the bars and silently watched me, his head slightly tilted to the side, his dark hair messy and his eyes bloodshot. He wore a blank expression on his face, and it somehow managed to scare me more than the cell I was locked in.

"What happened to you?" I whispered, unable to keep the question to myself.

My question only seemed to tic him off even more.

"You." He replied, his tone cold and distant. "You happened."

I didn't have a chance to react when he slammed his fist against one of the bars keeping him out.

"You ruined everything..." He spat. "You and your kind... You and your disgusting kind. If I could, I would end you now. The only thing I regret is not ending you the second I realized what you were, a monster."

His words hurt, they hurt more than any name I'd every been called.

"I'm the monster?" I asked, looking at him with pure confusion. "How am I the monster? You must have forgotten that you were the one who used me and left the second you got what you wanted. If I'm the monster, then what does that make you?"

He punched one of the bars again, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop myself from flinching. 

"That's enough, Maxwell." A soft voice called out from behind him, followed by Mina's presence.

Maxwell didn't take his burning eyes off of me, watching until it felt like he was dreaming about wrapping his hands around my neck again to finish what he started.

"Go." Mina ordered, her voice calm and soft, yet demanding.

Maxwell didn't argue. He threw a glare at me before he turned around and rushed away, disappearing into the dark.

Mina unlocked the door and stepped in, balancing the tray she was holding on her right arm as she closed it behind her.

"I'm sire you're hungry." She commented, placing the tray on the bed. "You shouldn't be on the floor. It's cold down there. Come over here and eat."

I stared at her with utter disbelief. I'd only met her once when Max brought me here for the first time. I remember thinking how kind she was, how amazing of a friend she would make. There was a softness within her that I couldn't quite explain. She might have been the same age as I was, but she felt like an elder to me, someone I could turn to, a woman I can tell all of my deepest darkest secrets and come out of it thinking I can move on.

How is it that she was find with keeping a pregnant woman in a cold cell all day?

"Why are you doing this to me?" I whispered, my voice breaking as I looked up at her, refusing to move and join her on the small bed.

Mina tilted her her to the side, biting her lower lip as if she felt bad, but keeping me here was necessary.

"You should eat first..." She started, but I shook my head.

"No. I'm not eating anything you bring me, not when you have me locked up. What did I do to deserve this? What did I do to any of you?" I asked, tears filling in my eyes once more.

Mina sighed before she stared me in the eyes.

"Maxwell told us everything today, about you... about your family." She commented before she stopped to study my reaction.

"And?" I asked, only to watch her shake her head in disappointment.

"Have you always known about us?" She asked.

My head was hurting even more. 

"What are you talking about?" I asked, frustration burning my chest. "What did my family do to you that is so bad?"

"They're hunters." She deadpanned.

"And?" I asked once more, not believing that my family's hobby was what got me locked up in a cell.

Mina just stared at me like she couldn't believe what she was hearing, like she thought better of me to even ask her that.

"Eat and get some rest." She commented, the softness leaving her voice as she stood up and walked to the door.

"No, wait..." I called out, struggling to get to my feet. "Please don't leave me in here. Just... Just let me go and you'll never hear from me again." 

I begged, finding it hard to stand up, my knees betraying me.

Mina glanced at me over her shoulder.

"We haven't decided what to do with you yet. While I don't believe that hurting you will change anything thing, we can't just let you go either. Not when you can lead them to us." She replied.

"I won't. I won't bring anyone here. I won't come back. Please, Mina..." I called out as I finally made it to my feet. But she had already stepped out and locked the door.

I grabbed the bars and pleaded  again, hoping she would hear me out.

"Please Mina, I mean no harm to anyone. I just wanted to find a safe place for me and my baby." I whispered.

There was uncertainty in her eyes and she looked at my belly, but she shook her head, let out a sigh, and turned away.

"No... Mina, please. Mina... MINA!" 

I screamed after her, but she didn't give me a single glance over her shoulder again, walking away and leaving me trapped like an animal, a criminal.

I sank to my knees. 

My only sin was falling in love and forgetting my dreams. And it seemed, I was getting punished for it.