Cold Flames

Just a Nightmare.30.

.November.

I pushed the easel back and scrutinized the art piece, careful not to mess up the work with my stained hands. My paintbrush hovered over my piece hesitantly before I sighed and let it drop on my dirty rag. My mind was too lurid for me to focus on anything other than my present thoughts.

I covered the easel, washed up the materials I was using and left my studio after turning off the lights. As I climbed down the stairs, my chest ached instantly. After Jace left, I had been home alone by myself all day before retreating up the ladder and into the attic to experiment my new materials but I couldn't do so wholeheartedly. Hunter hadn't returned after he had stormed out of the house earlier and I hoped he was okay. Jace assured me he was but I knew if it had anything to do with the rogue, he might not. It wasn't my lack of faith in his abilities; it was my lack of faith in his state of mind.

I had never seen any death except for my parents and the thought of Hunter causing deaths sickened me. I know he doesn't kill innocent beings but knowing he put a full stop on more than a thousand lives was far from comforting. And knowing he was most likely putting a full stop on one now disturbed my spirit but I didn't have the words to say it out loud.

I couldn't ask him to stop killing because he didn't do it for fun. He did it to protect his Pack, himself and his family. However, violence wasn't something I saw myself agreeing with for a long time for obvious reasons.

I walked into our bedroom; picking up one of Hunter's carelessly strewn shirts from the floor and dropped it in the hamper before changing into my pajama bottoms, his scent around the room enveloping me.

I hummed softly to myself as I moved into the adjoined bathroom, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My exposed shoulders looked paler than ever under the light and my eyes looked deeper than usual. Actually, as I shifted closer, I noticed a flicker of gold in my irises but by the time I blinked, it was gone. I shrugged it off as a trick of the light and closed my eyes, humming to myself again the cradlesong Melissa would sing to me when I was younger. I missed her so much.

I picked up one of my plaits with my eyes still closed and took the task of loosening the braid, my hair in need of oiling. His scent rolled underneath my nose before heat radiated off my back and I snapped my eyes open once I felt a tug on my other braid.

"Hunter," I breathed out, glad that he was okay.

From the mirror, I watched as he wrapped his arms around me, settling his face in the crook of my neck before inhaling my scent. He placed a kiss on the side of my neck and I shivered in his hold, sparks instantly shooting through my body and the reflection in the glass showed a red tomato.

I relaxed in his embrace as he cuddled against me and I wanted to groan in deviation when he pulled away. A silence settled over us as he picked up my second plait, rubbing it between his palms before he began to undo the tress. I watched in utter amazement as he avoided my gaze, loosening the hair gently in contrast to how I usually tugged at it from annoyance.

When he didn't say anything, I followed suite and continued with the one I had started with already, completing it and waiting for Hunter to do the same with the other half. Once he was done, he ran his long and calloused fingers through my hair and I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of it being combed out.

He kept one hand in my hair and the sound of him ransacking through the cabinet above us caught my attention. He brought out a small container of oil and held it close to me for me to sniff. I did so and pulled back immediately, grimacing in disgust. Pomegranate. I hate the smell.

Hunter chuckled softly and I playfully glared at him while he searched through a bunch of other containers.

"D-did you ca-catch him? The rogue I m-mean." I finally mustered up the courage to ask. From the mirror, I watched as Hunter's eyes flickered to me before returning to the cabinets.