My Hunted Mate

Corinna

"1 can't tell you. " I mumble.

Malakai's face drops. " You can tell me, I can protect you Cori. *

" No Kai, you can't. " I tell him.

I don't need him to protect me, I can do that myself. The problem is I always fail at protecting others, people have gotten killed because of me and the guilt of that is too overwhelming, if I added my own J

"1 don't know you! How could I possibly trust you? " I growl, frustrated that he keeps pushing me.

"I'm your beloved! " He shouts.

* Well maybe you shouldn't be. " I turn away from him.

Even if I told him the truth, I would have to tell him why my own pack, my own family wants me dead. Why would he be any different? How could be possibly want me as his mate? The

thing that unbalances nature. The abomination. He wouldn't want me if he knew what I was.

"When you clean up you may use the room across the hall. There will be clothing left out for you. * Malakai's voice is cold and distant when he speaks.

Not answering him, I keep stay facing the bath which is now full while he leaves the room. I jump slightly when he slams the door behind him, I lean over and turn off the water and then slowly get into the bath, giving my body time to adjust to the heat. The brief thought that I haven't locked the door comes to mind but I assume Malakai won't be coming back in here anytime soon and I doubt anyone else would be in his room anyway.

Sighing in relief, I lower myself to lay down in the hot water so that only my face is above the surface. I close my eyes for a couple of minutes, only opening them when I hear the door click open, when I do I see Josephine glaring down at me. I go to sit up, but she pushes me back down with her hand wrapped around my neck tight enough that I struggle to breathe.

"1 don't know what the hell you are, but I'm not going to let some mutt stroll in here and steal Mal from me. Beloved or not. * She whispers harshly, my eyes widen when she tightens her hold on me.

"Let. Go " I wheeze out.

Her eyes start to turn black, veins pricking under them. I try to mutter out a spell but she quickly cuts me off by shoving me under the water, my body trashes around as I panic, swallowing a mouthful of the bath water. I quickly wrap my hands around her wrists, extending my claws and digging them into her flesh, blood spills into the bath turning the water crimson.

She releases me, I immediately sit up in the bath coughing up the water I swallowed and gasping for air. " I want you gone. " she hisses, then leaves me alone in the bathroom desperately panting, confused and angry about what just happened.

After rushing to scrub myself, I climb out of the bath and unplug the stopper, letting the blood laced water run down the drain. Looking around for a towel, only to find there isn't one, I walk out into Malakai's room, noticing two towels folded on his bed. I grab one wrapping it around me, running to the other room with tears in my eyes to find clothing.

The room is much more bare but has the same layout as Malakai's, only there's no books on the white shelves and a space in the middle where a TV is bolted to the wall, the carpet is white, the walls are painted a sky blue and the white bed sheets have small dark blue flowers embroidered on them to compliment the walls. On top of the bed I find a pair of grey sweatpants, a pair of boxers and socks along with a navy cotton jumper.

Sniffling, I wipe my tears away before pulling on the underwear and the jumper. I sit myself on the bed sliding the socks onto my feet. I stay sitting on the bed staring at the door for a while, my heart still racing from the panic I felt. Eventually I grab the bottoms and pull them over my legs, tying them tightly around my waist so they won't fall down. On shaking legs I walk over to the door, turning the lock. I pace around the room trying to figure out what I'm going to do and what the hell Josephine was talking about. Are she and Malakai in a relationship? Is that what she meant about me stealing him? A pang of disappointment and jealously settings in my gut as I think about them together. I can see why he would like her, she is beautiful... On the outside at least. She looks like a supermodel, all the while here I am covered in scars, constantly filthy, slightly underweight from times when I have to go without eating because I'm either running or there's nothing around for me to hunt.

Regardless of Josephine's warning, the right thing for me to do is leave. I can't stay here, when I stay still they find me too easily and I can't lure them here, to my mate. They'd kill him in front of my eyes just to punish me, and to punish him for trying to help me. I can't destroy the life he has here for himself. Besides he's better off with someone normal, not some half breed and he has that here... With Josephine. Another wave of jealousy courses through me.

Pushing my feelings away, I go to the balcony door, swinging it open. I walk over to the railing, leaning over it slightly to look at the drop to the ground, wincing a little when thinking of the possible broken ankle I could end up with. I take a deep breath as I carefully climb over the railing, holding onto it for support when I'm on the other side.

Shutting my eyes tightly, I force myself to jump from the balcony, shifting into my wolf mid air, when I land on all fours with a flinch I don't give myself a second before taking off I'm in a sprint, throwing myself right over the little stream. Once I'm out the gate, I keep running, pushing myself faster and faster with each tree I past until everything to either side of me is a blur.