Hunted

Chapter Twenty Four

All I needed to do was see the blonde hair out of the corner of my eye before I grabbed Caleb's hand and started running. I thought we could at least be out of the state before he found us. Caleb maybe the hunter but it was obvious I was the faster runner. "How do you run so fast!"

"I've been running everyday for the past 400 years." The woods seamed to be alive at night. The trees concealed us pretty well. The dirt was soft so I had to use a spell to get rid of the foot prints. Nicolae couldn't follow us. If he found Caleb he was dead.

"Caleb stop." I turned to face him. Sorrow was in my eyes as I kissed him. I pressed the cash I had in my pocket to him as tears streamed down my face. "Go get out of here. Use this to get out of the country. Nicolae won't follow you if I'm with him."

"No! I won't let you be hurt by him because of me. Come with me." Reason had to take control of me right now. This is what I've been doing almost half my life. Running was what I was good at. I ran from everything. The only thing I never ran from was Caleb. I stopped running from him that first time we kissed.

That first kiss in my hospital room seamed ages ago. If time travel wasn't against the laws of magic I would easily go back to that time and get him out before all of this. "He won't hurt me. I promise." That was half true. I basically committed treason upon Nicolae. There was only one sentence for that.

Death.

If marching to my death was what it took to save Caleb then so be it. For centuries I've been running from Nicolae. I never let myself feel because of him. I was still running but this time I would be running to the end. "Ali," he caressed my cheek with tears glistening in his eyes, "don't go. Please don't leave me."

"I have to. I've been running for what feels like forever. I need to meet my fate. My fate has always been to face Nicolae. I just never thought you would be part of my fate. This is how it's supposed to end Caleb. It's supposed to end with me protecting you." Tears spilled out of my eyes again.

"Promise you will find me Ali. Please. I don't know if I could live with myself if I let you go just to be a slave to that monster." My head nodded. My heart ached and broke because I knew this was our goodbye. I would never see him again. "Of course." I promised. Of course I knew that promise would be broken but if it got him out of here it was worth it.

"Take this Caleb." I handed him my necklace in my pocket. "Put this on. It will conceal you from all supernatural beings. "How will you find me then?" A small smile came on the corner of my lips. "It's my necklace. I always know where it is." He pulled me in for a deep kiss. This was the goodbye I always wanted. His lips were sweet and warm but full of passion. His urgency was apparent. I could tell by the kiss that he never wanted to let go.

I personally wanted to pause this moment forever and just stay like this. I wouldn't have to die nor would Caleb. This was the perfect goodbye kiss. It felt just like people in books and movies described it. I broke the kiss because I knew I had to give him a head start. "Go."

"I love you Alison. I promise we will be together again. One way or another."

"I love you too." I had to force the words out. He started running and soon the woods engulfed him. Once he was out of sight I slid down a tree and let myself cry. It seamed like you could hear the tears from miles around. It felt like I just had my life sucked away. There was only one other time I cried like this. That was when I first had been attacked by Nicolae. The cries came from physical pain. This was something I had never felt before.

Finally I stifled back the tears and got up. I took a deep breath and started walking back the way I came. With each step my heart beat harder and harder. With each steep the pain I felt got worse. Every step made me want to turn around and run to the safety of Caleb.

I never really believed in all that God stuff. But right now I prayed that he was real. "Please protect Caleb." With a deep breath I took another step forward. It was all just one step at a time. One step. With each step I said goodbye to someone. My legs felt like lead.

One step.

Goodbye dad.

One step.

Goodbye Kenna.

One step.

Goodbye Luma.

One step.

Goodbye school.

One step.

Goodbye Caleb. My love. My light. My rock. Saying goodbye to him is the hardest thing of all. Never had I thought that I would love after Nicolae ruined me.

One final step. Then a twig breaks.