My Hunted Mate

Corinna

I didn't have any time whatsoever to respond to my mate before he had picked me up into his arms bridal style and took off running in a blur through the orchard and out the other side where a huge lake stood, I wrapped my arms tightly around Malakai's neck when he showed no signs of slowing down.

My eyes screwed shut tightly when he pushed off the ground, leaping through the air and across the lake, only opening when I felt the impact of his feet hitting the ground. We passed through some huge trees, completely surrounded by shrubs and bushes with berries and flowers until we reach a large black metal fence, through the gaps in the fence I could see a beautiful stone mansion

The mansion seemed to be on a different level to the garden beyond the fence, it had a stone porch that had an arch over each set of pillars and on the stories above there were balconies that matched it with glass railings. Huge rocks were completely surrounding the perimeter, some of which had a gap in them making little waterfalls, that flowed into a stream that seemed to wrap all the way around the house or at least the back of the house.

So busy taking in the beauty of the home ahead of me, I didn't even notice that Malakai had opened a two door gate and was walking me down a stone path surrounded by flowers, we eventually reached the stream that had small flat stones that rose just above the water so he could get across easily to the stone steps which led onto the porch. Malakai opened the glass patio doors, that were accompanied by floor to ground windows on either side so you could see right into the living room, where multiple people were sitting on a cream n shaped sofa, that was bigger than any sofa I'd seen in my life.

In front of the sofa there was a modern white coffee table, on top of a cream rug that sat on the tan hardwood floors, the modern item looked slightly out of place when you compared it with stone wall the sofa faced that had a fireplace with a fire that was burning bright.

There was a huge TV bolted above it, on either side of the fireplace there was white shelves slotted into the stone which held an uncountable number of books, the whole scheme of the room seemed to be white, cream and beige

The only thing that didn't follow the colour scheme was the pool table behind the sofa, there was one small step you had to take before you were standing in the extension where it stood, surrounded by more shelves where more books sat, along with CDs, DVDs and a sound system.

Malakai gently placed me back down, earning the attention of everyone in the room the second my feet hit the floor. A huge built guy with dyed blue hair wandered over to us, his light blue eyes take a moment to scan me before they land on Malakai.

"Who's this Mal? " He questions, his voice not as deep as I expected it to be.

" This is my beloved, Corinna. " Malakai introduces. " Cori, this is my older brother Phoenix.

As I shake Phoenix's hand, I can't help but smile at the nickname given to me by Malakai. A couple more of Malakai's clan come to meet me, others seemed far less excited about my presence, The raven haired girl who's name I learned was Josie - short for Josephine, was definitely in that group.

Before anyone else could come say hello, Malakai led me out of the room and up four flights of spiral stairs until we reached a long hallway with only four sets of doors, we walk to the end of the hall, where we come to a set of white double doors on the right side there was an identical set of doors on the left. We walk through the ones on the right that held a huge bedroom with grey carpet, a four poster King bed with black sheets to match the curtains on either side of the floor to ceiling window that had black frames and a patio door that led onto a balcony, there was a black floor to ceiling bookshelf lining one of the walls and there was not one space missing a book, the other walls were painted silver.

" This is my room. " Malakai mumbles.

I wander over to his bed, running my fingers over his soft sheets. * May 17" 1 ask him, gesturing to the bed, he doesn't respond, only nods making me take a seat with my legs crossed.

Now is when I remember I'm only in his white shirt, covered in dirt and dried in blood. I can't believe I met people in this state. I begin to pick at my dirt covered finger nails as I ask what's been on my mind from the moment we left the orchard; " Not that I'm not happy you brought me here with you, but... Why did you bring me here with you? Who were you running from? *

Malakai frowns slightly, he walks in the direction of two white doors that were next to the balcony door and disappears into one for a moment, then returns putting on a black dress shirt, when the buttons are done up he sits on his bed beside me.

" My clan, the vampires downstairs.. Lately they have been getting attacked when they go out to feed. Some of them made it back and some of them were killed off. * He tells me.

" By who? " I frown.

" Hunters, it seems. Josie's sister went missing last night, that's why myself, Dahlia and Josie were out there tonight. To try find her, I was expecting to find a body, that's what happened with the others, only we didn't find her. We found a couple hunters instead, we killed him but one got away. Josie wanted to go after him to find the rest, I decided it wasn't a good idea, hunters usually use herbs so we can't feed on them without their blood tasting like battery acid, something was off. And we don't know how many there are. " I nod at his explanation.

" Sounds like they may have been trying to lure you guys. Do you think they took Josie's sister? " I ask.

Malakai nods. " I think it's likely. "

We sit in silence for a few moments, then he stands up holding his hand out to me to take. " Come on, let's get you clean. "

I blush, slightly embarrassed now that he's pointed out my rough appearance. He leads me into the door next to the one where he got his shirt earlier and it turns out to be a bathroom that seems to be made completely out of black marble with silver switches, faucets and handles.

Malakai wanders over to the huge bath that looks like a hot tub rather than a bath, puts the silver stopper in and starts running the water. I turn my back to him to unbutton his shirt and then drop it to the floor, my hair covers my chest so I place my hands over my lower half then turn to face him.

His eyes watch me carefully as he moves toward me, he gently pulls my hands away from my body and then brushes my waist length hair over my shoulders. " You don't ever have to hide from me. * he whispers.

His gaze starts to trail down my body, he frowns for a moment as he reaches out to lightly touch a scar from a stab wound on my right shoulder, then his fingers move to brush over the scars left on my chest from where my uncle's claws had punctured me when he got close to ripping my heart out once, he then moves to the claw marks that stretch from my rib cage down to my hip and around to my lower back, then to the very recently bite mark on my other hip, and then to the other two bite marks on my upper left leg.

Gently he turns me so my back is facing him, he carefully takes hold of my hair moving it up so he can see the small blade marks, bigger claw marks that litter my back. By the time he finishes tears are rushing down my face and I'm struggling to hold back my cries. Will he be disgusted by me now?

" Who did this to you? " He seethes.

Facing him, I take in the rage that is clear in his eyes. " I... * I trail off not knowing what to tell him.

Other than that time with my mother, I never usually flat out tell anyone about myself. People usually figure out I'm * the hybrid ' because I usually use both my wolf and my gifts to defend myself, but it's not very often I've admitted it to people. In the past, when I have admitted it and someone wanted to help me, it usually blew up in my face... And theirs.

" Corinna, who did this to you? " Malakai demanded