Whispers of the Diamond: A Romance of Memory and Desire

Chapter 13 - Alex

I pulled up in the tunnel, and the blare of horns from unhappy motorists filled the air. One driver, clearly frustrated, pulled alongside me and screamed.

"HEY ASSHOLE! YOU CAN'T FUCKING PARK THERE!" Without really looking, I hit the button on the dash, and immediately he fell silent as the car's blue lights flickered to life. The moment he saw the vehicle was a Hunter's, he drove off. I sighed and opened the passenger door, dropping down onto the cold tarmac.

I pulled my penlight and flicked it on. Somewhere here, I knew it was here somewhere. I just had to find it. This is where Terra and I had first met. She was, like me, an urban explorer. Even in this day, we're still fascinated by what came before, and London had a whole world beneath its grime-filled streets.

I knew this place as I walked along the wall. Somewhere here was a heavy metal door. There, I thought, as I pushed it open. The aged door creaked before I shone the light within and moved through. The door led to the old underground, long abandoned when London chose to pave and build as much as possible. The population of the UK had more than doubled in the last century, with somewhere close to a hundred and thirty million people crammed into the dystopian horror show we lived in.

I was careful while traversing the train tracks. After all, the rails were still live, I think. It would be rather embarrassing to die so quickly after being resurrected. And, of course, finding Terra—ultimately, that was the aim. I made my way south, following the tracks. Sooner or later, I'd reach a station. This was the place Terra and I had found: an old tube station with lockers crammed full of the old world. I'd been fascinated by what they called a mobile phone—games and things all in the palm of your hand. It was admittedly kind of cool. Now we had them on hole-displays from our tech, which to me was even cooler.

I kept walking, the smell of dirt and oil mixed with metal was enough to give me a headache. My light flickered across the damp walls; cables and long-dormant lights ran the length of the tunnel. The third rail was electrified, which is where the trains used to draw power from, or maybe it was the overhead cables for trams? Even trains were rare in this metropolis of hell. There was simply no room for them anymore. Old train yards with abandoned trains remained, including some of the older diesel models. Then, of course, came the cleaner electric generation, but that was short-lived as the population outpaced housing, and so governments began to build everywhere—old land, abandoned sites at first, then inward, and finally upward.

I kept walking, watching the walls as the old station came into view. I climbed up onto the platform and scanned the area before walking toward what seemed to be a stairway. Only darkness loomed above as I rubbed the back of my neck and then turned.

"You won't find us," I turned on the spot as my light fell upon Terra.

"I don't care about your resistance. I came for you," I shrugged. It wasn't a lie; I had no interest in anyone but her. Chances were, with Terra removed, the rest of them would splinter and fall apart.

"I know," she replied as she closed in on me. I went for my gun, but she caught my hand.

"Just let it go, Alex. Please, you don't need to die for me."

"I have already, more times than I care to count. Why would that ever change?" I replied.

"I told you if you got me out of there, I'd tell you our next target. You can stop the attack."

"How about you tell me who leaked my route?" I snapped back, still angry at the fact that someone inside was feeding the resistance information.

Terra kissed me. My brain scrambled, but those soft, sweet lips made me feel my resolve slipping. My arms slid to her hips, pulling her tight against me as I deepened the kiss. Time no longer mattered; we were right back in this place, together, in love. If I ever questioned how I felt, it evaporated in that moment.

"I will never stop loving you, Alex. Please let me protect you," I heard the pain in her voice, as if she knew something was coming. My mind scrambled amid the mix of hormones and desperate need for her. My body ached in ways I couldn't comprehend. She was everything to me, and here she was in my arms.

"We could leave," I replied softly. I already knew she wouldn't, and I knew I'd have to chase her to stop her from doing what she did. But maybe Abigail was right, and the only way to protect her was to kill her. My mind raced with this thought before she smiled and kissed my neck.

Her hand slid over the front of my pants, instantly bringing my cock to life, hard beneath the palm of her hand, extracting a groan from me. She smiled and stepped back, her eyes locked on mine. In that moment, the world stood still. I wasn't facing a suspect; I was facing the woman I loved. I knew then I couldn't, and that left me with few options.

I wrapped my hand into her hair and drew her into the deepest, most passionate kiss I could ever remember. My eyes locked deeply with hers. In that moment, I made my choice: to hell with my duty. Terra was what mattered, and I'd go to hell and back to protect her. But first, I had to get her away from the resistance.

"I can't, baby. I'm sorry," she replied softly, her eyes shifting away from mine. Something in her words told me all I needed to know.

"They mean more," I sighed softly. It was okay; the plan had already formed, and now I needed her to go. Her eyes settled, and she stepped back. The moment she did, my hand found her throat, pinning her to the wall as I smiled darkly. "You can run, little mouse, but I promise I will find you, and in the end, you will always belong to me." I released my grip, and she breathed deeply, her eyes wild for a moment before she smiled.

"Oh, I know, my wolf. But until your hunt finds its end, I'll leave you with this." She stepped to the edge of the platform and yanked up her top, her breasts spilling out and reminding me just how good she looked. I'd never forgotten an inch of the woman I loved. Another moment, and she vanished into the darkness.