Mates of a Werewolf Hunter

Chapter 18 Eclipsed by Ambiguity

Valentine Winters' P.O.V

"Why are you doing this to me?" I sobbed, feeling his grip tighten around my neck, every plea falling on deaf ears.

"Stop talking." he demanded, his voice a storm barely contained, echoing his inner turmoil.

"I'm innocent." I insisted, choking on my words. "I've never done anything to you."

His fingers dug deeper into my skin. "I said stop talking."

"Tell me why." I urged, desperation giving me a flicker of courage.

"Stop!" he shouted, his frustration a tangible force between us.

"I deserve to know." I whispered, my voice trembling, teetering between fear and a desperate need for understanding.

"You make me weak," he spat, his eyes blazing with a mixture of anger and something else—something darker. "You're changing me, and I hate that!" With a surge of rage, he shoved me to the floor, his raw confession hanging in the air.

I lay there, the cold tiles pressing against my back as I tried to process his words. He loomed over me, a hunter caught between duty and an unwanted connection.

"I'm a hunter." he said, his voice thick with contempt. "Trained to exterminate werewolves like you. Why can't I kill you? Everything would go back to how it was—my father's prized son, the dedicated hunter."

His words cut through me like a blade. "I wish you never existed." he muttered, retreating to sit on the edge of the bed, leaving me to grapple with the cruel reality of his feelings.

Silence swallowed the room as I lay on the floor, every word he'd spoken echoing in my mind. His rejection stung like a physical wound, and I could feel my wolf curling in on itself, hurt and confused.

"Now you know why." he said, his voice devoid of the tenderness that had once been there.

I wanted to argue, to defend myself against this fate I'd never chosen, but the fear of what he might do next kept me silent.

"I-I'm s-sorry." I stammered, barely able to get the words out.

"One more tear or sorry, and I'll hurt you." he threatened, his gaze sharp and unyielding.

In the quiet that followed, I found the courage to whisper, "Why did you bring me here?" My voice was small, lost in the enormity of what was happening.

"You humiliated me in front of everyone. You need to be taught a lesson." he replied, his voice cold and calculated.

I slumped against the wall, drawing my knees to my chest. The humiliation, the frustration—it all weighed down on me, and I felt the scream building in my throat, desperate to be let out.

"Now, where were we?" he asked, his footsteps closing in on me.

I lifted my head, dread curling in my stomach as he approached.

He grabbed my arm, yanking me off the ground, and threw me onto his bed. I landed awkwardly, my back to him, the mattress soft beneath me.

His body hovered over mine, oppressive and inescapable. His breath ghosted over my cheek, sending shivers down my spine. He pinned me down, his hands roaming possessively.

"Touch me." he demanded; his voice laced with entitlement.

His hands slipped under my shirt, tracing my stomach.

"No." I whispered, summoning what little strength I had left.

I tried to push myself up, but the movement only made me rub against him, eliciting a low, primal sound from his throat.