dimensions | original

The Huntress

Mark narrowed his eyes at Asha. He couldn't help but feel a bit nervous in her presence, and for good reason.

First off, he didn't know her. Second off, she was part of the werewolf mission, and thus Mark's enemy. Third off, she barely spoke. And fourth off, she still had not left his cell, but rather sat by the door, head leaning against the cold metal and eyes shut, which felt somehow suspicious to Mark.

But she was also beautiful, persistent and intelligent.

Mark scowled in frustration, lowering his gaze to the floor of his cell. He hated himself. You'd think that after an eternity I'd learn how to control my feelings.

"Are you alright?" Mark looked up in surprise to see Asha gazing at him with her dark eyes.

"Yes." he lied.

"As if." Asha responded. Inside her own mind, her thoughts were screaming, questioning herself. She hated it when people pushed and pressured her to speak, and was usually pretty good about not questioning things when people were uncomfortable. But she couldn't help but be a bit curious about what goes on inside the First Werewolf's mind. She had heard so much about him, and though they were simply rumors, she couldn't help but wonder.

Mark frowned at her, an eyebrow raised. "And you care why..?"

"I never said I cared." Asha said coldly. She looked him over. "I was simply suggesting that you aren't alright." she paused speaking for a moment. "Besides, you're literally in a high-tech prison controlled by your worst enemies. No one in such a situation could say they're alright without lying at least a bit."

An awkward pause filled the room.

"What happened to Marsha?" Mark blurted, curious to the whereabouts of the former hunter.

To his surprise, Asha became sorrowful. She'd been so emotionless before that it was surprising to see such a relatable look on her face.

"Died in a griffin attack, just a week after she last saw you." While under the command of Timorous, it had been decided that someone would check on Mark every two months to ensure that Timorous was not abuses the boy. The Vitae were cruel, yes, but not heartless and they knew that while Mark was dangerous and could be unstable if threatened, he was still undeserving of the bone-chilling torture inflicted by Timorous.

"She's.. Dead?" Mark blinked. "And no one told me?" Although he wouldn't have admitted it to anyone, deep down he had grown quite fond of Marsha. She had become something like a friend, if his enemy could be his friend.

"I didn't think you'd care." Asha said, eyes set on her hands, which were fidgeting in her lap. "I figured you'd be happy to see on of your longest tormentors dead."

Mark tried to ignore his internal sadness. "Is that really what you people think I'm like?" he had meant it to come out sarcastic and jeering, but instead his voice sounded quiet and lonely. Mark cursed his emotions, which he felt were beyond rational.

Asha raised her head, blinking in surprise. "I... yes."

Mark ducked his head into his arms, hiding the hot tears threatening to emerge. He wasn't sure why the death of Marsha made him this emotional, or why he cared what the Vitae thought, but he did.

"I didn't think you'd care." Asha said, sounding like a broken record. "I didn't realize."

Mark raised his head to look at the Indian huntress. Her dark eyes looked guilty, and it clicked in his head that the girl was still young, probably only a few years older than Luma.

"How old are you?" Mark said randomly, trying to change the topic.

Asha looked surprised at the question, but only for a second, she swiftly took hold of herself, returning to the bored expression that Mark had become to recognize. "I don't know the exact date, but I'm roughly 13. Or 14." she shrugged halfheartedly. "I was orphaned when I was about 5. My little sister Aravi was, what, 2? Something like that. Kinglyn and his wife-"

"Kinglyn's married?!" It was then that Mark realized that he really didn't know the Vitae at all.

"Yeah. Carressa Copper -she's a mechanic. Last name used to be Vonheart, before she married?"

Mark blinked, thinking. "I don't think I've ever heard of her."

Asha nodded. "He doesn't really talk about his personal life."

"Ah." Another pause filled the small cell. "Um, anyways, what were you saying before?"

"Right." Asha ran her fingers through her short bob-style hair. "When Kinglyn and Caressa where traveling to a different Vitae headquarters-"
"Speaking of which, how many are there? I have did figure it out."

"It's kinda hush-hush, there are a few ones meant to be secret. Also, I'm trying to tell a story, shut up!"

"Right. I'll do that."

"You're aren't very good at this whole shutting up thing." Asha remarked. "So basically, they saw me and Aravi at the market and figured we were lost from our parents, and tried to help. Long story short, they ended up bringing us to this base and practically adopted us."

"Oh..." Mark thought about that for a moment. "Well... I'm sorry for your loss."

Asha leaned over and slapped his arm, scooting over so they were side by side (Mark figured it was so she could slap him easier.) "I mean... Growing up with Kinglyn as your dad? Sounds rough. It's amazing you're still alive." Asha whacked him again.

"You idiot."

"Thank you." Mark smirked, regaining confidence at the insult.

Asha raised one of her perfectly defined eyebrows, smirking. "That wasn't a compliment, stupid. Is it too hard for to comprehend that you're not always worthy of compliments?"

"What's with the insults?" the boy said, pouting.

"Don't you know?" Asha whispered, leaning closer, her dark eyes staring straight at Mark's crimson ones. "Or are you really too dense to understand anything?"

The kiss was soft and gentle and short, but it was certainly long enough for Asha to realize something she'd been trying to ignore, the very reason she had kissed him.

After they'd pulled apart, Asha's heart was beating like mad. But not because of Mark or the kiss they had shared, but because of her own realization.

It was that moment when their lips had touched when Asha realized that she was right.

She could not love a boy.

A/N DUH NUH NUH!!!!!!!!!

So that happened. I meant it to be longer, but I mean. I had to end in some dramatic way, because that's just how I do things.