The Hunter'S Mate

In the quiet dining room, the air felt heavy, pressing down on two young girls who sat across from each other. The plates of untouched food sat before them like a cruel joke. Neither moved to eat. Neither smiled.

The creak of the door broke the silence, and their mother walked in, carrying a steaming bowl in her hands. Her beauty was undeniable—smooth skin, soft brown curls framing her face, and a radiant smile that didn’t quite reach her weary eyes. She placed the bowl gently on the table and sat down with a practiced calm.

“Mom, I don’t want to eat,” Abby said, her voice small but firm. She looked up, her pretty brown eyes clouded with something far too heavy for a child to bear.

Her mother frowned, concern deepening the lines on her face. “It’s your favorite, honey. Why not?”

Naomi, the older of the two, shifted in her seat. Her deep blue eyes glimmered as she spoke quietly, “She’s upset because of what Chels said at school today.”

Their mother’s gaze snapped to Abby. “What happened?”

Abby looked down at her hands, her voice barely above a whisper. “Chels said Dad never comes home to us. She said…he’s miserable because of us.”

For a moment, their mother didn’t respond. She leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling like she might find answers there. When she looked back at them, her smile returned—soft but hollow. “That’s not true, sweetheart. Your dad loves us. He just works a lot…in the nearby town.” She reached out, smoothing Abby’s hair with shaking hands. “He’ll be home soon, okay? Now eat, before the food gets cold.”

Before Abby could respond, the front door swung open, and the entire room froze.

Their father stumbled into the house, his heavy boots thudding against the floor. He didn’t look at them. Didn’t say a word. He just staggered into the other room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Tension crept back into the air like a shadow.

Seconds later, the door flew open again, and their father’s voice barked through the house. “Get in here.”

The girls flinched, but their mother rose without hesitation, her head bowed like she already knew what awaited her. “Stay here,” she murmured.

They stayed. Until the yelling started.

The girls sat frozen as shouts and crashes echoed through the house. Then came the scream—a sound that ripped through their hearts. Seconds later, their father stormed back out, his face dark with rage, slamming the door behind him so hard the walls shook.

“Mom?” Naomi whispered.

The girls scrambled out of their chairs and ran to the bedroom. There, their mother lay slumped against the floor, bruises blooming across her pale skin like cruel flowers. Tears streaked her face, but she forced herself upright as they wailed and clung to her.

Her voice trembled as she grabbed Abby’s shoulders. “You must escape. Both of you. Now.”

“Mom—”

“No! Listen to me,” she sobbed, pulling Naomi close, too. “Run. If he finds you, he’ll kill you. Naomi, you must protect your sister, okay? Now go!”

Before they could argue, she pushed them toward the door with every ounce of strength she had left.

---

I snapped my eyes open, gasping for air as my chest rose and fell in frantic rhythm. My alarm blared, the shrill sound jarring me into reality. Great. Late again. With a groan, I swiped at the clock and silenced the blare.

Dragging myself from the warmth of my bed, I stumbled to the bathroom for a quick shower, my mind replaying the strange nightmare that still clung to me, its details slipping away with every passing second.

"Ellie, breakfast is ready!" Mom’s voice sliced through the fog in my brain. Groaning again, I emerged from the shower, wrapping myself in a bathrobe.

I scoured my closet, finally settling on a casual, yet somehow put-together, outfit of ankle-length jeans and an off-shoulder top. Backpack in hand, I trudged to the dining room.

Dad greeted me with a smile that could melt ice. I returned the gesture and slid into my seat across from Julia, my foster sister, who was buried in her phone. She didn’t even bother to look up. Typical.

“Good morning, Mom. Morning, Dad,” I mumbled, taking a sip of my coffee.

“You look pale. Are you feeling okay?” Mom asked, her voice laced with concern. I gave her a faint smile and nodded.

“I’m fine,” I murmured, picking at my plate, though the unease from the nightmare still lingered.

“Joyce,” Mom called out.

Before I could stop her, Joyce, our housekeeper, was already placing a glass of milk in front of me.

“Drink this. It’ll calm your nerves,” she said with a knowing look. I nodded and gulped it down, the cool liquid doing little to settle the restlessness that gripped me.

“Good morning, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson,” Jake’s voice cut through the tension as he appeared in the doorway. My boyfriend. I looked up, offering him a warm smile.

“The nerd’s here,” Julia muttered under her breath, but loud enough for me to hear. I glared at her, but decided it wasn’t worth the fight.

Jake wasn’t a nerd, not by a long shot. Julia was just bitter. She hated me ever since I moved in. And I couldn’t blame her—being the outsider was never easy.

Jake, however, was my rock. We’d been dating for over a year now, and though I wasn’t sure if I loved him the way he loved me, I cared for him deeply. We weren’t rushing things, and maybe that was okay.

I finished my breakfast, kissed my foster parents goodbye, and left with Jake.

We climbed into his car, and he gave me a concerned look. “You okay, babe?”

I forced a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

The drive to school was quiet, the air between us thick with unspoken thoughts. When we arrived, we stepped out of the car together, but our paths quickly diverged.

As I approached my locker, I was surprised to find Tyson and Molly waiting for me, not Jake. I turned to see Jake leaning against his own locker, scrolling through his phone, but he gave me a quick smile and said, “I’ve got English first. I’ll see you later.”

With a peck on the cheek, he was off. I couldn’t help but smile at the warmth in my chest as I turned back to face my friends.

Tyson raised an eyebrow. “Not even a kiss on the lips?”

I rolled my eyes. “We’re taking it slow, Tyson.”

Molly nudged me playfully. “Seriously, though, do you think you’re serious about him?”

I froze for a moment, the question hitting harder than it should. “Don’t ask me that, Molly. You know how hard this is for me.” Her teasing smile faltered as she realized the weight of my words.

After a beat, she nodded, silently respecting the unspoken boundary.

Just as I thought we could move on, Molly’s grin returned. “By the way, I heard there are two new hot guys in school!”

I stopped dead in my tracks, eyebrow raised. “Really?”

“They’re smoking hot,” she gushed. “You have to see them!”

I shook my head. “Molly, I’m not about to drop everything to check out two new guys.”

She pouted. “Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’re not at least curious.”

I shrugged. “Fine, they’re probably not even hotter than Tyson.”

Tyson smirked. “That’s right. Finally, someone with taste.”

Molly huffed. “Don’t get too cocky, dude. You’re still a nerd.”

And just like that, the bickering began again. I rolled my eyes, but it was familiar, comforting in its chaos.

As we reached the door to my physics class, I turned to them. “Alright, this is where I leave you. You can keep fighting on your way to your classes.”

Without waiting for a response, I walked into the classroom, relieved to escape the constant chatter.

I took my usual seat by the window and pulled out my notes. A few minutes passed before Mrs. Addison, our physics teacher, walked in and began her lecture.

“Newton’s laws of motion state that the rate of change of momentum is equal to the net force acting on an object,” she started, before suddenly pausing and glancing toward the door.

I followed her gaze and saw a guy standing there, looking slightly disheveled.

“Sorry, I’m late. Couldn’t find the classroom,” he said, his voice deep and calm.

“I’m Mrs. Addison. You must be the new student?” she asked.

“Yeah, Stefan Brown,” he replied, his eyes scanning the room.

And just like that, the classroom was alive with whispers. One girl behind me couldn’t resist, “Aww, he’s so cute.” I rolled my eyes but couldn’t help the flicker of curiosity.