My Hunted Mate

Corinna

As I lay on the dirty mattress, fading in and out of the world around me due to the wolfsbane being pumped into my system in a regular basis, I find myself losing track of the hours and days that go by.

Each time that the wolfsbane starts to wear off, Olive appears bringing me water and small amount of bread and fruit before Josephine barges in to stick another needle in my neck.

Groggily, I push myself into a sitting position on the mattress. My entire body feels weak, too weak to fight back or attempt another escape, not that my mind has been clear enough to plan one.

Tears begin to rush out of my eyes as I place a hand on my bump. " It's okay baby, I'll get you out of here somehow. " I whisper.

A hopeless sob escapes my lips, as I peal my sweat covered hoodie from my body, folding it and placing it beside me. The side of my neck feels swollen and bruised from the constant injections, my mind begins to wander as I think about the moments of my life that have led up to this.

From being a happy, naive child, to finding out my mother was a witch, watching her slaughter members of my pack to escape my uncle and father and judging her for it, even though years later, I would find myself also killing for my survival.

Being isolated within my pack for something I had no control over, never being able to properly learn things about my own kind, being hated and only finding comfort in my father until the day his love for his own blood, turned to hate.

The pain and guilt I felt for each person I harmed or killed to protect myself, the happiness and safety I found in the friends I made along the way, only to feel the deep never ending grief of them being torn away from the world because I had put them in harms way.

As I think of all the horrible things I've done and had to endure in my life, the anxiety and fear of my child having to go through the same thing haunts me. I can't let that happen.

My thoughts are cut off as the door of the basement opens, as I clear a set of footsteps walking down the wooden stairs, I lift my head up to see Olive making her way over to me with a bowl, glass of water and an orange all set on top of a tray.

Without a word, she kneels down on the floor beside the mattress and places the tray in front of me. As I struggle to drink the soup in the bowl, she peels the skin from the orange for me.

"1 don't understand why you're bringing me food, if you want me dead. " I say, my voice croaky and weak.

She doesn't respond to me, she just hands me the glass of water which I gulp down straight away. When the empty bowl and glass are back on the tray, she places the orange into my hand and leaves me alone to eat it.

Josephine walks into the room before I even swallow the last piece of fruit, her eyes are hard and hateful as they fall on me, but when I flinch at the sight of the needle in her hand, a small satisfied smirk crosses her lips.

"1 didn't do anything to you, you know. I just found my mate. " I remind her, the smirk on her face drops and is replaced with a look of disgust.

" Your mate made promises to me that he couldn't keep, then he chose you, someone he knew for a handful of hours over me, the person who stood beside him for centuries! You're the reason I can't see my family without sneaking around to do it, you're the reason my friends turned their back on me and you're the reason I don't have a home. * She seethes.

"1 never intended to take your home from you, or your family and friends. But Josephine, you didn't just act petty and jealous, you tried to drown me while I was bathing. I didn't do anything to you. " I scowl.

" Shut the fuck up. " She hisses, coming at me with the needle.

"No more! Please! I can't go anywhere, just please- " I beg, pushing myself as close to the wall and away from her as possible.

She raises her hand to me, automatically I flinch and wrap my arms around my stomach. Her eyes fall on my bump, they immediately fill with rage, disgust and hatred. Something about how she looks at my unborn child with such loathing, makes me snap a little and I let out a loud protective growl.

That only seems to anger her more.

"I'm going to go get a second needle and hopefully that'll kill that thing inside you off. * She glares at me, spinning on her heels and exiting the room.

Seconds later I hear her and Olive arguing behind the basement door. * The child didn't do anything, Josie! Stop this! * Olive shouts as the door swings open, I watch as she chases her sister down the stairs in a panic, trying to grab onto her arm.

Josephine roughly shoves her sister away. " Get with the plan or get out Olive, right now I meant it. *

" This is wrong and you know it is. " Olive cries, trying once again to change her sisters mind.

But instead she ignores Olive and storms toward me jamming a needle into my neck without remorse or a second thought, the effects of the wolfsbane start to take over as soon as it enters my bloodstream, but I vaguely register another being jammed into my skin and then another until finally black splashes cover my blurred vision, they come and go for a couple of moments before darkness completely takes hold of me and drags me into unconsciousness.