My Hunted Mate

Corinna

As I begin to gain consciousness, I can't help but flinch at the sharp and heavy pounding in my head. Why the hell am I always either being knocked or falling unconscious?

When I eventually manage to force my eyes open, I scan them around the cold basement with chipped brick walls, wooden beams, the grey floor is full of old water stains near a washer and dry is sitting in the corner, and an old, torn orange sofa sits under the wooden stairs.

A light bulb hangs from one of the wooden beams on the ceiling but it's off, the only light is coming from a door with chipped light green paint at the top of the staircase. The smell of stale cigarette smoke hangs heavy in the air, my eyes dart back over to the sofa and when I notice a few cigarette burns, I know that's where the source of the smell is.

I look down at my wrists that are cuffed onto either side of the radiator against my back, I'm suddenly extremely grateful for the hoodie that is giving me some protection from the heat, I cringe heavily when I notice my body is on top of a dirty old mattress, that probably used to be white but is now grey and covered in stains and also has one too many cigarette burns.

Eyeballing the handcuffs again, I can't help but snort before ripping my hands free. " Seriously? That was easy. " I mumble, scrambling off the mattress and onto the cold floor.

After very awkwardly pushing myself to my feet, I look around and realise that this was easy, too easy. Why was it so easy? Clenching my teeth, I decide that I need to just go for it and attempt to make my escape, I need to get myself and my baby out of this.

Rushing over to the stairs, I take them as quickly and as quietly as possible, when I reach the top, I push the unlocked door open. Confusion and suspicion hits me heavier than before and I note the silence in the house but I brush it off, bolting straight down the hallway and to the front door, that is also unlocked and swings open with ease. My foot doesn't even get through the threshold, before I'm knocked back by an force of energy, I land on the ground with a soft whimper, immediately cupping my stomach in worry.

"I'm sorry baby, please be okay. " I whisper to my bump, running my hands over it affectionately.

" Aw, how cute. But you didn't think it was going to be that easy did you? * A familiar voice calls.

"1 should have known you'd come back and bite me in the ass. "I grumble, looking up to find Josephine leaning against the staircase leading to the upstairs of the house.

" You probably should have known not to trust Olive too, she is my sister after all. I mean how stupid can you get? " Josephine laughs, picking at her finger nails, amusement clear in her eyes.

" She's awake? " Olive walks in from what seems to be the living room, she avoids making eye contact with me, instead her eyes are fixed on her sister who pushes herself off the staircase with a sigh.

Hurrying to get myself off of my place on the hard wood floor, I swipe my hand in the direction of the two sisters, muttering a chant, until they both go flying across the air in opposite directions, crashing roughly against the walls of the house.

Not wasting a second, I bolt for the door, but same as before I get knocked back and land on the floor. I growl in frustration and confusion as I realise that there's a magic border that I can't cross around the house. How would they ever get a witch to help them?Suddenly a hand is in my hair, sending sharp, burning sensations through my scalp. I cry out as Josephine begins dragging me across the room, past a glaring Olive and toward the basement.

Just as I go to use my gifts, a tall, slim, pale man with a shaved head which is decorated in colourful tattoos, enters the room chanting loudly. His gold eyes, never break away from my figure. In his hand he is holding out a piece of crystal toward me, I let out a loud scream as I feel as though something is being ripped from me.

My gifts, he's taking my gifts from me. Once the man has finished, an empty feeling courses through me and I swear for a moment I see a flash of pity in his eyes, but it vanishes again within seconds and is replaced with a hard look, as he turns and walks up the stairs. Josephine continues to drag me back into the basement and down the steps without a care, she roughly throws me down onto the dirty mattress. Olive follows her into the room seconds later, almost hesitantly, in her hand she's holding a needle full of blue liquid.

"You only give her it in quarters or it could harm the baby. " Olive mumbles to her sister, who grabs the needle from her.

"1 don't give a shit about their hybrid spawn. " Josephine hisses, moving toward me.

Olive's eyes widen. "You said you weren't gonna harm the baby, that you'd kill her when the kid was born! You promised me! *

" Wow, at least you kind of have morals? " I snort, glaring at her. Josephine shrugs carelessly at her sister, then she jams the needle full of wolfsbane into my neck. " Now that I've seen her, I realise I might not be able to put up with her that long. "

My eyes begin to get heavy as I watch the sisters argue, my hearing becomes distorted and everything begins to melt, my body begins to sweat and my stomach churns repeatedly as nausea washes over me intensely.

Trying desperately to fight the feeling the wolfsbane is forcing over me, but I end up falling slack on the mattress. I find I'm unable to move or think, the world around me fades in and out aggressively, making me blink my eyes with force to try and focus myself.

Again, I fail in doing so. My breathing becomes shallow and I barely process the two sisters marching back up the stairs, slamming the door behind them and leaving me alone in the darkness until they're already gone.