Hunter (Draft)

Chapter Thirteen

I woke to the scent of mint and lavender.

Though the lavender just made me want to go back to sleep, the hint of mint mixed in let me wake up slowly.  My eyes started to open and I groaned, intending to move to sit up. Before I could though, I felt a hand on my shoulder and it forced me back down into the pillows.

"You need to rest my dear. You move and you won't be able to get up again for some time," came a voice I didn't recognise from my right. I opened my eyes and turned my head towards the voice, frowning.

Standing before me was a man who looked like he was the splitting image of Jasper but he had light brown hair instead of the black that Jasper had. He was older too, maybe in his late forties to early fifties. I swallowed heavily and laid back down as he told me to. There was something about him that just made you do as he told you.

"Where the hell am I?" I demanded as I looked around the room, noting the older looking furniture such as the large four poster canopied bed that I was laying on as well as a high backed leather chair beside the bed. The man chuckled as he moved back over to the chair and sat down, clasping his hands together in his lap. His eyes, which were a stunning shade of green, watched me carefully, seeming to stare into my very soul and I looked away.

"You haven't answered my question," I said as I stared up at under side of the canopy of the bed and he chuckled.

"No. I did not but I believe I need a moment to think on just how much I can tell you, my dear," he said and I scowled at him.

"Well...tell me what time it is then," I snapped as I closed my eyes and sighed.

"Now that I can do. It is currently...10:02pm. You've been out for quite some time," he said and my eyes flew open.

"What?! No. Jo I need to go right now!" I exclaimed and I began to get up, fighting with the blankets so that I could leave the room.

He quickly hurried over to my side and held me down. I heard him call out to someone and then the door opened up. I heard someone else enter the room and run over, letting out a yelp as I felt a rather sharp electric shock ripple through my entire body and I screamed out.

"Aria!"

That voice...My head snapped around and I looked at the person helping the man hold me down. My eyes met with a familiar set of blue eyes and I swallowed heavily, my movements becoming slower before stopping altogether. My breathing was heavy and my chest was heaving as I met Jasper's eyes, holding his gaze as I slowly calmed down and I felt the other man take his hands away from me.

"Well...Now that was an interesting development..." came the man's voice and I glanced at him before returning my attention to Jasper who still had his hands on my shoulders, keeping me in place.

"Jasper. Let her go<" he said and I felt Jasper remove his hands from my shoulders slowly. I watched him as he did and he held my gaze the entire time before he looked away. I looked at him a moment before I looked at the other man in the room.

"Okay. So...I'm not allowed to leave. And I have a feeling you won't answer why. Can you at least tell me who you are?" I asked him as I looked him in the eye. I could feel Jasper's eyes on me the entire time that I was speaking and I shifted where I lay.

"I suppose I could tell you that," the man said as he stood up and straightened up the suit vest I now saw that he was wearing. I frowned and I looked up at him again, waiting for a reply.

"Lord Sean Whitehall at your service," he said with a rather dramatic bow and I frowned before looking towards Jasper.

"Whitehall? He your father or...Maker or whatever then?" I asked him and I saw Jasper freeze.

"So you did tell her then? Your brother wasn't sure what you had told her exactly," Sean said as he looked at Jasper who was fidgeting where he stood. I sat up carefully, leaning back against the pillows that were piled up behind me.

"He didn't just tell me. He bit me!" I said as I raised my injured wrist and shower Sean, whose eyes widened and he then looked at Jasper with red eyes as they changed colour. i also heard a growl from Sean and I flinched away from him.

"You...Bit her?" he asked in a very controlled voice but I could hear the strain in his voice that clearly said he was fighting for that control.

Jasper remained silent as he kept his eyes away from either of us. I looked over at him, frowning as I watched him.

"Jasper...Answer me," Sean snapped at him and Jasper flinched back as well. He nodded his head before he looked down at his feet. I let out a yelp as I heard Sean growl again and much louder than before.

"You know the rules, Jasper. She is off limits for a reason!" Sean exclaimed as he stood up and glared at Jasper who was backing away from Sean.

"I know but...But you can smell how strong her scent is! I know you can! And her blood..." Jasper said as he pointed towards me, and I quickly pulled my injured away, trying to hide the bite marks on my wrist. They'd stopped bleeding for now but the blood had dried around the wounds. I placed a hand over it and held my wrist close to my chest. Sean turned to face me now and he held out a hand.

"Let me see it," he said and I pulled my hand closer to my chest.

"No. I can't. I'm sorry," I said as I held my arm closer.

"Aria..." Jasper said as he stepped closer and I looked at him.

"Just show him. Please?" he said and I bit down on my lip.

"Why do you need to see it?" I asked as I tore my eyes away from Jasper and looked back at Sean. He looked back at me.

"Because I need to see how deep the wounds are," Sean said as he looked at me and he stepped closer and I hugged my wrist closer again.

I frowned at him as I hugged my wrist closer before I glanced over at Jasper. He gave me a nod of his head and I nodded mine in return before I held out my wrist towards Sean. He looked at me a moment before he moved over and sat down right beside me on the bed.

I swallowed heavily as he looked at my wrist and I shied back slightly. His eyes were fixed on my wrist as he reached out and took hold of my wrist. I winced as I felt the pressure on my bruises and I saw his eyes flicker up towards mine.  His eyes then went back down and examined my wrist carefully.

I remained still as he examined my wrist, doing my best to not fidget where I sat. The urge to pull my wrist away from his hands was overwhelming and it was taking everything I had not to give in.

I felt his fingers brush over the wounds on my wrist and I jerked my hand back quickly. A sudden jolt of pain rushed through my arm as his fingers went over both Jasper's bite marks and the wounds from my father. My eyes flickered up towards Sean's and he let go of my wrist slowly, allowing me to place my hand in my lap gently.

"How...How bad is it?" Jasper's voice broke the silence that had enveloped the room as Sean had examined the wounds.

"No. But we will need a Healer to look at the wounds and the other ones," he said as he moved back and stood up.

"That's a relief," Jasper said as he seemed to visibly relax before Sean rounded on him again.

"A relief? A relief?! Are you being serious right now, Jasper? It is because of you that she is here. It is because of you that we have to call a Healer and keep everyone out of this wing of our home. So unless you mean it is a relief that it isn't anything more serious than yes. It is a relief. But otherwise it is not, Jasper," Sean said before he made his way towards the door. Jasper and I watched him move over to the door. I couldn't help but watch Sean in wonder as he stopped and looked over at Jasper once more.

"I expect you to come to my office the second that the Healer is done, Jasper. And not a moment later. Do you understand me?" Sean said as he stared his son down and Jasper lowered his head.

"Yes Father," he said quietly and Sean nodded his head once before leaning the room, slamming the door behind him as he went and making me jump.