We Are The Hunted [Demetri Volturi]

Chapter 47

Kahlen and Demetri weren't exactly sure for how long they were wrapped up in each other with heated kisses and hushed, minimal conversation between breaths. A majority of the brief interruptions came from the hunter attempting to voice some type of protest, to convince the vampire otherwise. But she only made half-heartedly attempts. In the end, the hunter gave up all together being overwhelmed by the emotions running through her. For a person who was used to bottling it all up, trained to show next to no emotions because it would interfere with work and judgments, the young woman wasn't sure what to do with all of it.

For once in her life Kahlen allowed someone else to take the lead. And she had to admit that his dominance... was intoxicating. Attractive even. Though she should have expected it based on his nature in the field, and personality outside of missions. They found themselves on the bed later, lying on top of the covers staring at the ceiling. Kahlen was discreetly catching her breath, Demetri trying to calm himself down because all he wanted to do was bite her neck with the intention to break skin and taste her blood.

It was so inviting now that she accepted him, but he wasn't sure if he were out of the woods quite yet. She'd probably flatten him to the ground in a heartbeat and hold a weapon, hidden on some part of her body, to his neck in retaliation. Once Kahlen calmed down to make sense of everything. In fact... that actually didn't sound like a bad idea to him. They had been in some rather compromising positions when sparing that the vampire probably enjoyed more than he should and wouldn't mind being in them again.

"Aro's going to find out," the young woman finally spoke up.

"I know," Demetri said.

There was no use hiding it from the ruler. The next time the brother touched his hand regarding a report on a mission he'd find out what went on behind closed doors.

"You're not going to die," the guard member suddenly stated. Their heads turned at the same time to stare each other in the eyes. "Carlisle knows what he's doing. We'll find a cure." He could clearly see the doubt in her. "I won't allow you to die."

"Sometimes you have no control over things."

He clasped her hand in his. "We'll find it." His confidence was a welcoming sight. "Why is your health deteriorating?"

Kahlen sighed, looking up at the ceiling once more. There were few who knew the real reason why. Those in the Council could speculate this growing development based on her past because they had files on everyone within the community, active or not. Then there were Carlisle and Aro. They knew the heavily guarded secret, one Demetri could see that was hard to talk about as she contemplated how to go about the situation at hand.

"I'm not a full blooded hunter..." she admitted. "My mother was normal..."

That wasn't what he was expecting. Demetri rolled over in order to lie on his side, head being propped up by a hand. His fingers took Kahlen's chin to turn her head to look in his direction.

"There's a reason the Council doesn't particularly acknowledge my existence. Those like me are not meant to become hunters. Usually people like me aren't strong enough for this life or this unfortunate side effect kills us first. But if we do become hunters, we don't last long. We're not nearly as skilled as the pureblooded ones. I'm one of the few that's managed to surpass even some of those higher up in the community. Still, there is a price. I have some human things about me that can't match with the strain of being a hunter. And it seems now... it's beginning to catch up with me. It's all in the DNA.

"That's why I'm not hopeful. This was all inevitable. I knew it was going to happen. When my mentor told me of what would unfold if I chose the life of a hunter, outside of the fact that I could be killed in the field, I knew I didn't have a lot of options. For a time things appeared normal, for how long remained the question, but I was willing to push that boundary for as long as possible. I tried having a normal life, outside of hunting for a period of time while recovering from the werewolf wound to my leg. I couldn't do it."

"Why would the Council ignore you if you've surpassed all expectations?"

"Because they're a bunch of old fashioned bastards stuck in the past. They treat me as an impure hunter – worthless, a waste of space, and expendable. I've accepted those titles long ago, and it doesn't bother me. They are entitled to their own opinions. Besides, it's like I said before... I like being left alone."

Bending down, his lips grazed over her cheek. "And how is that working out for you?"

Her eyes rolled, but didn't hit him or move away from the contact like he anticipated. Whenever he teased her, the hunter reacted to put some distance between them to ignore any weird feelings that made themselves known.

"It was working just fine... until you showed up," she mumbled.

He chuckled.

"But I've actually come to enjoy the company of others," Kahlen said. "Even if you are a vampire."

Such a confession startled the tracker before grinning. This time he kissed the hunter's forehead. As she began to nod off for the evening he continued to hold the hunter close, afraid she would try and escape if given the chance. Kahlen wasn't one for displays of affection, and relished their close proximities. Demetri didn't care if one of the Guard walked into the room and found them interacting so intimately. He only wanted to stay in this moment as long as he possibly could.