Hunting Her

Chapter 35

Hunter

The road twisted and turned, the car's headlights slicing through the darkness of the forest. We'd managed to get out of the castle fairly unscathed and were heading deeper into the countryside towards a small cabin my family used to go to on holiday. I knew it would be safer considering no one had been there in years and years, my mother had left it to me in her will as she knew how much I loved it when I was younger.

 My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, my knuckles turning white with tension. Beside me, Lexa had finally fallen asleep, her head resting against the window. The soft rise and fall of her breathing was the only thing that kept me anchored to the moment.

I glanced at her, my chest tightening. She looked so peaceful, a stark contrast to the utter chaos we had just escaped. The ball had been a disaster, and despite everything we'd planned for, Dominic knew. He knew about us, and our cover was blown quickly. The plan had gone up in smoke, and we'd all scattered. We'd been so close, but once again, we'd underestimated Dominic and seemingly Lexa paid the price the most. 

The image of her tear-stained face entered my head. The way her eyes had looked through me as I tried to grab her attention. I looked over to her again, seeing how her skin was still stained with blood and her dress in complete ruins. 

I focused back on the road, trying to keep my thoughts in order. Hercules had been the first to be discovered. He said they'd cornered him as he was trying to set up the bomb. He was pretty roughed up, his left eye swollen shut and his leg most likely broken as he managed to escape his ambush and find us. I remember the fear on his face as he found us, as he shouted at us that they'd taken the bomb. They knew about us. He knew about us.

We couldn't contact Aaron. And then we were ambushed. They didn't have guns, they wanted us alive. We fought the best we could, with Jack taking the worst of it. He hardly knew us, but he fought like we were brothers and I realised quickly why him and Lexa were friends. 

Jack was stabbed and I knew he had to get help. I told Cam to keep Jack alive and he swore he would do everything he could. And I hoped on everything that he had managed it. That Jack was alive as I physically couldn't bare telling Lexa that someone else was dead. 

She had been slowly pulling herself out of the grave she'd dug for herself over the time she'd spent with us. Hercules' insisted he was fine, he told me he'd come with me to get Lexa as everyone knew she was the main target. But I told him I had this, that I would save her. 

He believed me. And after a final nod, they left to get Aaron. I had to believe they were fine. That we were all fine. Lexa made a small noise as she readjusted in her seat and then she settled again, I glanced over again, unable to stop myself. 

Strands of hair had fallen out of her bun and they fell around her face. Blood had dried on her face from a cut she refused to let me look at and I knew that wound on her side was worse than she let on. She had gotten that wound from a man I should have seen coming but I was paying attention to her instead. I was making sure she was okay. Not that I had to, I knew fine well she could take care of herself. I didn't know why I felt this way. Maybe it was the way she looked at me when she thought I wasn't paying attention. Maybe it was the way she moved, with a kind of fierce grace that made her seem untouchable. Or maybe it was just that I needed to keep her safe, to know that she was okay. Whatever it was, it made me feel overprotective, like I had to have her close.

The cabin finally came into view, a small, rustic haven tucked away in the woods. I pulled the car to a stop and cut the engine, the sudden silence almost deafening. For a moment, I just sat there, the events of the night catching up with me. My body ached as the adrenaline finally wore off. My whole right side screamed in pain.