Love And Honour (Book 2)

Chapter XXXIV

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The door opens and shuts with a small thud. She jumps and turns. The bed is scattered with many clothes and lots of sparkling jewels. She places her hand on her chest to help still her startled heart. She blanks her face and places a confident smile there. He sees straight through it and strides into the room and picks up one of the sapphires off the bed sheet. She watches him. He turns it in the light before dropping it to the floor. She rolls her eyes and goes to pick it up. He kicks it under the bed.

"Hunter." She grinds out. "What are you doing?"

He chuckles deeply. "The real question is what did you think you were doing?"

She sighs and threads her fingers through her long black locks. "I fear I do not understand you."

"Ebony." Her name comes out harsh from his mouth and she flinches. She is not as confident as she claims to be. "You claimed to have seen Gethin poisoning his brother. You must have heard. It has been proved wrong."

Ebony gulps and grabs some of the clothing and stuffs it into a bag. "I could say I was scared. I could say you had threatened me and it was really your brother's doing." She threatens. He chuckles again and her eyes dart to him. His face is stoic and unreadable. His eyes are consumed by thunder. "What you do not believe me? You have done nothing to stop Logan and Zara. She broke up with my brother!"

"It is of no interest to me what Logan does." He speaks truthfully and she frowns. "You have not yet dealt with me so do not act as if you know how this will end." He threatens and moves to the door. She exhales believing him to be leaving her in peace. The lock sounds throughout the room. He pockets the key in his pocket. "Now we can do this the easy way, or the way I enjoy." He smirks, his lips twitching up.

"Hunter." She says slowly trying to pacify him. He was intimidating in the woods but she was the one in a slightly higher position in power. Something tells her that this situation is entirely different. "I know that there is no chance with my brother and Zara now. I have no reason to lie about your brother. I promise you that I will not. He is safe." She unwillingly says. She is preparing to leave. She knows that blackmailing him is of little use now. She does not want to see an innocent man like Logan in the dungeons.

He shakes his head. "As amusing as that is to hear... I told you I have very little interest."

Her forehead creases and she looks at him with complete confusion. "You are not acting like yourself Hunter."

"I have never acted more like myself." He grins darkly, his eyes sparking. She backs up and glances at the window. He chuckles deeply and leans against the door, his lean fingers tapping against his leg. "You are planning to leave." His eyes scan the bed again. "With more than could possibly belong to you."

"I doubt Zara would mind her childhood friend taking a few trinkets to ignite memories down the road." She hesitates in continuing to pack when his eyebrow twitches at her answer.

"Hmm." He deliberates. "Expensive trinkets."

"Most of them are just glass." She lies with more confidence that she feels.

"Irrelevant. What is interesting, however, is that you leave now. Your brother left after his incident with Lady Zara. You should have gone with him then. But you chose to remain. A tribute I can only assume to your friendship with Zara. You wished to remain and give her support in the difficult days ahead." Ebony does not dare to agree with him. He clearly has more to say. "Now you do not. I wonder what has changed..."

"I am missing my brother and I do not feel this is my place anymore."

He glosses over her words without any acknowledgement. "Perhaps it is because your words have now been proved incorrect. Now what reason would you have to lie? Money, jewels..." his eyes are drawn to the bed again. He shakes his head, "no, you can simply steal those. Perhaps your friend asked you to lie." He studies her face and winks. She looks at him with alarm. "No, not that either."