Hunt

Chapter 37: Future Echos

I was at a loss for words. Despite what we said in the dream last night hearing it in the car right now hit different than any other time she's confessed her feelings. "W-wait. What?"

Reyna spins in the passenger seat, taking my hand in both of hers, "I still hold all the feelings I have for you! I don't care that you're technically my enemy, I still love you the same!"

I sit there dumbfounded, she'd expressed her love for me in words like this before but it felt like the first time all over again. A heat sears across my face as I attempt to cover the blush that was plastered on my cheeks, "Y-you don't know how much that means..." I manage to say.

Realization flashes across Reyna's face quickly before she buries her head in her hands, mumbling something inaudible.

I crack a smile, the first one I had all day, saying softly. "I still love you too Reyna." 

She picks her head up at my declaration, "Y-you do?"

I confirm with a nod. "It's like you said. We may be walking different roads, but we can take a detour. Forge a new path."

She smiles, "I do say some pretty smart stuff, don't I?"

I chuckle, "That you do."

We end up losing track of time. Talking more about life, about what it's become as of late. It felt like we had a whole world of things to talk about. Even through the shock of everything that's happened in the last couple days I still find that being around her brings out a happiness in me that I find addictive. I could listen to her talk about anything and would find it hard not to find interest in it. The conversation switches topics many times as the clock ticks on, the rain letting up at some point during our talk. Eventually we find ourselves on the topic of my hunting career.

"So all those scars you have... They're all from hunting?" Reyna asks.

I roll up my sleeves, pointing out some of the more prominent ones. "Yeah, most of them are. I didn't lie when I said it clumsy though."

She traces a finger over the most fresh scar. The one that I had gotten from Heather. "And this one? I remember when you got this. Was that you being clumsy?"

"No. It was from hunting. Or well... something adjacent to that. A conversation that got a little too physical." I laugh nervously, "A vampire and I had a bit of a disagreement, turned physical."

Reyna nods. Her finger tracing the spiral gashes as if in a trance. "I had thought so. Or at least that it wasn't just some accident like you had said it was. When we were in the car all that time ago, I could've sworn I recognized something in the injury."

"That wasn't a pretty time." I recall. "I'm sorry for putting you though all that. We met at a rather unfortunate time." I go silent for a second, "Oh yeah. Sorry for stabbing you the other night..."

She laughs, "I wouldn't call what you did a stabbing. More like a close shave. Emotions were running high that night Kyle, I don't blame you for acting the way you did."

"Your friend would've probably killed me if you hadn't stepped in." I say, running my hand over my scarred arm. Stopping on a small scar I acquired during my bravepelt hunt. It had faded considerably with time but I can still easily point it out.

"Yeah... Nyx can be a bit hotheaded. Always picking fights when she doesn't need to. She's been my 'royal guard' for a couple years now and I've spent most of it trying to keep her from getting into trouble." She raises an eyebrow towards me. "If I'm being honest I see a lot of her in you. Or visa versa."

I cock my head, ignoring her correlation between myself and the other wolf. "Royal guard? So you're royalty?"

Reyna laugh, quickly shaking her head. "Oh no, not even close. It's her term not mine. She's just an enthusiastic bodyguard that my father assigned to me."