We Are The Hunted [Demetri Volturi]

Chapter 40

"I'm fine, vampire, really," Kahlen sighed, almost exasperated.

Since the battle the tracker had been hanging around her almost as much as that time they managed to rescue her from Makar in the forest. And he was pestering her with the same question, 'Was she alright?' hinting at the fact that he expected a reaction due to using her other side for an extended period of time. Though nothing happened since exposing herself in the throne room, it obviously left an impression on the tracker that made him more worried than normal, the young woman came to notice. While a part of her was a bit curious as to why that was the case she simply brushed it off. She had merely been careless, as the hunter constantly reminded him.

"You're being such a mother hen."

But the tracker had a reason to be in his mind. She slept for two days straight without interruption and upon waking up she moved in a bit of a daze throughout the castle. On the fourth day the mortal began acting more like herself. And that's when her nose began to bleed. Instantly he locked the bedroom door to be sure that none of the guards wandering the castle suddenly barged in if they hadn't fed recently. The action made Kahlen's brow cock in mild amusement, hand pressing against the nose to staunch the flow while moving to the bathroom.

"Are you finally planning on trying to kill me?" she questioned.

The tracker rolled his eyes. "Merely taking a precaution."

"It's not bad."

No, it wasn't. The hunter only needed a few tissues before it finally stopped washing the red liquid from her hands and changing the shirt where a few drops hit the surface.

"Does that happen sometimes?" he asked when it stopped.

She washed the stains from the fabric in the bathroom sink before it became permanent. The young woman glanced over at him through the mirror as he leaned against the doorframe to the bathroom. The young woman realized what he was talking about.

"If this is why you've bothered me countless times about this, not every episode is like the first one you experienced. If I'm actively using it from time to time whether through practice or on the field it's not as bad. It can be minimal."

He still remained wary.

Tomás called a week after the battle to speak with Kahlen. She learned that two of the gravely injured shifters hadn't survived their injuries, two would make a full recovery, but the other one would have permanent damage to a leg. The limb needed to be amputated.

"I'm sorry," was all the hunter could say.

"Don't think for one second this is your fault, Kahlen. Don't you dare," the alpha ordered in a commanding tone. "We were there on our own terms. I asked every shifter that went into battle if this was what they wanted. No one was forced." The line went silent for a moment. "Mónica told me what you did for her. I could have returned without my imprint, and that would be worse than death. So thank you for saving her. Had you not been there things could have ended differently."

Kahlen's mouth turned up in a small smile. "Anytime."

"The same goes for if we hadn't been there with Makar's numbers... they probably would have succeeded. And even if they hadn't, the loss on your end would have been much worse and could have rippled to nearby towns. Partnering with bloodsuckers wasn't such a terrible thing."

Aro spoke to Kahlen days after the event, learning about her every movement on the field and interaction with Makar. In turn, she discovered what happened to those who fled. Many were disposed of, but a few escaped over the border and completely disappeared. The Romanians two of them, much to Alec and Jane's annoyance as they clearly stated.