A Hunter's Chance - #2 of "The Hunter's Series"

This chapter contains descriptions of mental stress (in case you haven’t figured it out yet, they’re both struggling mentally) – you have been warned!

The second the words left my lips, I considered taking them back. I’d just seen Xyen do his worst and it was brutal. He’d taken time and joy in ripping a man apart, making sure, he suffered when he died. But my stupid pride and irrational fear stopped me. I wanted him to hurt me. To give me an excuse to leave. To reject him before he rejected me….

He grinned.

A grin that caught me off guard. A sick smile reached from the side of his mouth, all the way back to his ear. He chuckled. And then laughed.

Loudly.

It wasn’t a funny laughter. It was sick, twisted and painful. As if the mental picture in his head – having me ripped apart at his feet – brought him unspeakable joy. A hopeless and spiteful laughter. Full of rage and twisted thoughts. Full of bitterness and self-hate…

My breath hitched and subconsciously I tried to take a step back, only to be met with the wall behind me. I don’t know why I suddenly was scared. Perhaps it suddenly dawned on me that the crazy bitch wolf was crazy as shit?!

That I didn’t want to die?

Why?! Why had I suddenly changed my mind about that?! I wanted to die! My life was worthless. I was nothing but dirt! A tainted soul in the heart of an innocence. I didn’t deserve to live! I was barely human…

And yet, I didn’t want to die…

God! What was happening to me?!

“Lizzy!”

Suddenly both his hands slammed the wall next to my face. Even with a brick wall, it still shook from the impact. His body was shaking from anger. I could feel his heavy panting on my skin. I bite back a gasp and forced myself to look at him. But the water blurred my vision and I quickly looked away.

I was NOT about to cry! I wouldn’t let them see how they hurt me! I wouldn’t…

Suddenly both his hands wrapped around my face, pulling me to him. He rested his forehead against mine and I could feel his body start to relax. Without second thought I wrapped my hand around his, not even realizing the things that shoot through me. How I automatically relaxed against his touch and felt his presence calm me. Like a bad dream, he wiped away all my negative thoughts and desire, leaving only a warm embrace in its path.

“Damn it,” he muttered quietly. His voice sounding strained and tired. Like he admitted defeat. I felt his lips brush against my skin, before he pulled me into him. His head rested upon mine as his hands wrapped around me, holding me like a lifeline for a drowning man.

I didn’t know what it meant and quite frankly, I didn’t care. I rested my head against his chest and just for a while stopped thinking. I don’t know how he was able to do it – or if he had drugged my food somehow – but Xyen made me feel things again, that I hadn’t in a long time.

Peace.

Love.

A sense of belonging.

It was comforting and terrifying at the same time. Feeling myself being in control, and yet feeling like all that control belonged to – depended on Xyen…

It was something I’d never felt before…

“Let’s get back to the pack,” Xyen broke the silence and without waiting for an answer, he pulled me out of the ally. The valet didn’t even batter an eye, when he saw Xyen’s state, but left to pick up the car. He helped me in, cleaning most of the blood off in his jacket, before getting in the car and drove off.

Without talking much, he took me to our room, not even once looking at the people who gawked at us. He threw the bloody shirt on the floor and he hit the shower.

And I was just left there, not knowing what to do or think. I guess I should get someone to clean up Xyen’s mess, if that valet hadn’t already called the cops. I did however find that most unlikely. If he had been human he’d been shocked seeing Xyen covered in blood and he’d definitely had some questions. No, the valet was most likely human and Xyen his alpha. He knew to keep quiet…

I picked up Xyen’s phone and called Yamir to tell him about the body behind the restaurant. He cursed mildly and I tried to make them feel better with a joke. Yamir thanked me for the effort, but the last thing I heard, was him calling for Otis, because their dumbass alpha had “done it again”.

I grinned. Guess work was never done for a bodyguard slash cleaner.

I took off my dress. It was now cowered in blood, seeing that Xyen had transferred most of it on me. I made a mental note to get one of the omegas to get it to a drycleaner that didn’t ask to many questions. The omegas here were treated very differently than at Derik’s pack. The omegas were treated poorly – not because it was encouraged, but because people were assholes and omegas were weak. Here omegas were treated equally and although servants, they weren’t picked on. I’d also noticed that they were quite popular among the children, because they gave them candy between meals…

“You’re really sexy in that,” Xyen’s voice suddenly reached me. I looked at him over my shoulders. He was wearing nothing but a towel, exposing my dazed mind to his exceptionally toned and fit body. His heated gaze generously taking in my exposed body, darkening by what he saw. And like a bitch in heat, all I wanted to do was run my hands over his fine flesh and devour him…

“That’s what lingerie is supposed to be,” I replied trying not to let his gaze affect me. Bloody hell, Lizzy! The man was about to rip you apart only moments ago and now you want to ride him?! I shook my head, trying to rid myself of such thoughts. But before I had time to think a second more, his arms snuck around my waist and roughly he pulled me into him. Without hesitation, his lips claimed mine, pushing past my barriers and exploring every inch of me.

I couldn’t stop the moan that escaped me. Feeling him take possession of me – his hands firmly on my waist and tongue down my throat – felt like home. I reached up, moving my lips with his. On their own accord my fingers traced the back of his neck, pulling him closer. I needed him. I needed to feel ever inch of his skin against mine. To feel him fill me, like only he could…

His hands trailed down my thigh sneaking around the corner before making its way back up. I gasped slightly as his warmth and rough fingers tickled my inside, making a pool of want appear at my core. His callus fingers against my sensitive skin, sent a shiver down my spine. My legs parted on their own accord, giving him more room to work…

When he suddenly stopped, I blushed at the embarrassing whine that left my mouth…

“What’s this?”

He smirked, pulling at the strap on my thigh. I looked down, feeling confused. Only to curse myself a second later. My knife! Before I could reply, Xyen had ripped it off, leaving me with a red stripe across my skin. It hurt, but the pain was soon forgotten when I caught Xyen’s mischievous glint. He inspected the knife and quickly figured out, it was a silver knife, hidden in a capsule of wolfsbane.

“If you wanted my knife you just could have asked,” I groaned and tried to snatch it back. My body was still pressed against him, and I honestly wanted to dig it up his ass, for making me hot and bothered, just to leave me hanging. But he was faster and held it just out of my reach. A playful gleam in his eyes.

“Can I have your knife?” he teased, not looking at all too bothered by the fact, that I was carrying a weapon that could potentially kill him. Or was he just smiling, because he thought he now had cause to kill me? Most likely the later…

“No,” I replied bluntly, not giving myself a chance to wonder, if he was going to run me through with it. If he did, who the hell would care? “I like to keep my weapons within reach,” I grounded, trying to reach it by standing on my tiptoe. In the process pressing my breasts against his chest, making them almost pop out of their restrictions. Xyen eyed the action. His eyes darkening…

“And you’re fucking tall,” I continued, oblivious to what had happened. I huffed, giving up on getting my companion back and took a step back. But the second there was a breath of air between us, a low growl vibrated in his chest. Before I had a chance to react, he snatched me up and walked over to the couch. Instantly my legs wrapped around him and when he sat down, I was saddling him.

I moaned, when his erected shaft pressed against my cunt. The fabric between us already wet from the heated kiss.

“Do you know how to use it?” he asked, holding the handle up for me to grab. I tried to compose myself and looked him in the eye. But they were so dark, I had no idea, if it was Xyen or his wolf, who was in control. To be honest, I had a hard time separating them.

“Yes,” I answered truthfully, knowing there was no point in lying. I just wish I knew what he was playing at…

“Show me!”

What?!

I eyed him for a curious moment. Was he serious? Oh, my goddess! He was serious! Why?! But his black eyes remained as stoic as a pool of tar and his expression remained a smug grin, that annoyingly made him look hot as hell…

I then turned my attention to the knife. The only time I’d ever killed a wolf, was in self-defense. Our pack had been attacked by rogues and one had gotten through the defenses. I was in charge in getting the women and children to a saferoom, when he charged at me.

I killed him with that knife!

I pulled the handle, revealing a simple gray colored knife. The silver was embedded into the blade, making it shimmer in the light.

Feeling it back in my hand, felt strangely natural. Playing with it between my fingers revealed that my skills with it hadn’t faded. The Hunters made these specially for women to hide, so it was small and light. Made me wonder why Derik let me keep it, but I was glad to have it. If I hadn’t killed that rogue, who knows who many he’d killed.

Xyen curiously tilted his head. I didn’t understand the gesture. Hell, I never understood his intentions. He wanted me to show him? Show him who we killed?

Sure! Why the fuck not?

I gripped the knife right, pressing it against his chest. He hissed, when the silver burned his skin. But quickly it was replaced with a low growl, that vibrated in his chest. His dark eyes met mine again, but still didn’t reveal what he wanted from me. I mildly cursed.

He wanted me to hurt him?! Why? What the fuck was wrong with him? And what the fuck was wrong with me, enjoying it?

“It’s silver so you won’t heal for it, for one thing,” I said, trying to keep my voice neutral and not reveal the desire that simmered in my core. “The cover is laced with wolfsbane so it masks the scent.”

“Smart girl,” he replied with a husky voice, making me shiver. But I wanted to fight it. I wanted to be in control for once. For fuck sake! He was grinning like a bloody hyena with a silver knife pointing straight at his heart. Verry well…

I raised the knife. The sharp tip digging slightly into his skin and a small drop of blood emerged.

“A stab to the heart is very effective,” I informed him.

“Probably also messy,” he countered. This time I grinned. Yeah, probably get blood all over my new lingerie. Can’t have that, now can we?

I don’t know what was happening to me. It was like we were playing a game: see if Lizzy can get the upper hand over the big bad psycho! I wanted power. I wanted to be in control…

I let the knife slide down his body, scraping the skin off his perfect body. I could see him wince in pain, but he didn’t say anything. After a deep breath, his eyes met mine again, still coy as fuck.

“This right here,” I pricked his side, without drawing more blood. “With precision it’ll puncture your lung and cut one of the main artery. You’ll won’t be able to call for help and blead to death within 8 minutes. And the blade is silver so no healing. You’d be dead.”

“Hmm,” he murmured, smacking his lips. Lips I wanted to bite… “You like messy then?”

You’ve seen nothing yet, I thought and started to ascend the knife up his burned torso. The knife slightly bumped, when hitting his firm lines and crossing marks and old scars. But my hold was gentle and it didn’t draw more blood.

And I liked it.

I liked seeing how I marked his body. Setting in stone, that this body – this wolf and man – had belonged to me.

That he was mine!

I let the tip rest against his Adam’s Apple. It gently bumped up and down as he swallowed.

“The throat is the most woundable area for a wolf,” I said, like it was something he didn’t already knew. “You can survive the other two – with some extreme luck and a doctor at hand,” I caught his eyes. Dark pools of lust and surrender. It was everything I wanted. “But no wolf walks out on having his throat slit.”

I had the power…

“You like that?” he asked, not being able to move because of the position of my knife. “You liked having the power, Lizzy?”

My heart skipped a beat. His voice was deep, dark and husky. He sounded like a man, with nothing left to live for. And the second that hit me, I hated him! I hated, that he wanted to leave me. I hated what he did to me. I hated that I wanted him. I hated how he made me feel. I hated that he had the power to do this to me…

“Yes,” I replied, feeling my sex thorp with desire. Damn, I wanted him! I wanted him so bad! Just me!

MINE!

“But it’s not real power.”

I threw away the knife and my lips possessively captured his. Instantly his lips moved with mine. His grip tightened and I was pressed against the hard bulge under the towel. Impatiently, I ripped it aside, earning a deep, appreciative growl from the huge wolf under me. It sent shivers down my spine, making me moan into the kiss.

“You have no idea what you do to me, Lizzy,” he whispered, dipping off my thong and rubbing me against his erected shaft. I threw my head back, biting my lips to contain a scream.

“I want you!”

He kissed my flesh, gripping my ass, as he pushed me harder against him. I dug my fingers into his shoulders, trying to steady myself. He lifted me and without warning he plunged into me. I cried out, as he filled me so completely, I could almost taste him.

“You’re mine!” He growled possessively before he pushed himself deeper and deeper into me. With every inch, claiming me as his more and more…