Desire To Love (#2 in The Hybrid Wars series)

Chapter 21 ~ Recoveries

© 2017 by Authorninja. All rights reserved.

Chapter 21 ~ Recoveries

The last thing I wanted to do was walk into that cabin. Harry's hand was wrapped around mine, and I could smell Charlotte's comforting aroma of chestnut behind the door. I focused on that, and on Harry's hand squeezing mine.

It was so strange being at the cabin. I felt like I was in a dream, my whole surroundings seemed unfocused and distant. The only thing reminding me that this was real was my friend's gentle touches. I hadn't even considered the effects of what had happened in the last few weeks, I was so sure I was okay. Eli had seemed concerned in the previous few days, but he was always worried about what was happening.

The whole time I felt like I was on solid ground, and that it was all just fake and that it wasn't affecting my values. But being in the cabin made me feel like I was floating. I wasn't even close to the ground, I was slowly drifting away, and I was inwardly shaking myself to remember what really mattered.

The door opened which made me freeze on the steps, but I relaxed my shoulders when I saw Eli who darted his eyes between us.

"Everyone's in their bedrooms," he said carefully. "Charlotte's making tea."

I silently followed him inside, and the sight of the wooden panels and the cosiness of the large cabin sent a breath from my mouth. I sat on the couch, Eli sitting beside Harry and me sitting on the sofa opposite. Harry was studying me so cautiously I felt like I would sink into the seat and disappear.

Charlotte walked to us, handing me a cup of water. She gave the others tea and sat down beside Harry with her own.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Charlotte's words were so careful, but I caught a shake in her voice and that glint in the eyes that I learned in the years of knowing her that she was trying not to cry. "What did the Emperor do?"

"He wanted to re-," I paused and sipped my drink. "Remind me of my duties as a hunter. I had the sessions for about a week or two, then he granted me freedom in the Royal house. The sessions never really finished, it was done by a witch named Ana. It was spellbinding, but they incorporated some... extreme methods to fasten the process. My uncle said he just wanted to help me get better, but I think it was revenge."

"Oh my god," Charlotte reached over and held my hand as she sat on the floor beside me. "I'm so sorry."

I was already sick of them telling me that, so I continued; "I pretended that they were curing me so that they'd stop. It kind of worked, Chris let Eli and me out of our room, and they started organising our wedding. Today was the ceremony, actually."

Charlotte was so shocked, I explained to her everything. I didn't go into detail about what Ana or Chris had explicitly done to me, I didn't think it was necessary, but I gave her as much information as I could remember.

"Wow," she whispered in thought before she explained to me what had happened after we were taken. "A lot has changed since you were taken. Noson has spread out, further north. Since they were mostly lesser Hybrid families, they've separated, but are keeping in touch. They were considering starting operating attacks on the shifters, but they were more focused on building a defence since the hunters came to their village. We've had word that the vampires were planning on attacking the Royals, the same as we did to them."

Charlotte hissed at the last words, and glancing over at the doors, knowing fully that they were probably listening to every word.

"Peter has been trying to figure out when they're planning to hit," Charlotte continued and didn't note my straining posture. "We think it's soon, in a matter of days. It could've been today, considering it was your wedding. But we haven't seen any movement yet. I don't know who or what they're waiting for."

"Could it be Rachel?" Eli asked from beside me, "She has a habit of being involved with anything horrible that happens."

Charlotte looked closer at him quizzically and then looked between the two of us who had grown a lot closer since she last saw us. She shook it off, ignoring it before she answered.

"Possibly, it would make sense, especially knowing she was there today," Charlotte huffed out a breath. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was gathering inside information for some form of attack."

"Rachel works for no one but herself, it would be just like her," said a male voice as I span around to see Peter standing in the doorway of his room, alone.

I stood up, Eli standing with me as if ready to jump between us. I could see in my field of vision he was holding my wrist, but I couldn't feel it as my eyes rested on Slanderer.

Leech breeder. Monster. Murderer.

Words were flying through my mind, etched into my skin and engraved into my soul. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't even see him any longer. I only saw blood, blood spilling on the white floor from my body. Blood dripping from his hands. Blood pooling around the bodies of his victims in that cellar.

I didn't know whether not to run or jump at him. There was a sofa between us, and before I knew it, I felt the cold hilt of my weapon in my palm. I sprang over the couch, Eli let out a sound of exclamation as I slid out of his grasp and pushed Peter to the wall beside him. The leech didn't even move. He didn't even flinch, as he let me slam him into the wall.

"Well isn't this familiar," he said as I held the blade against his throat. "Nice to see you too."

His tone was as menacing as ever, but I only saw his eyes that looked down at me with so much pain, so much sorrow that I tried to blink it away. I couldn't tell what was real or what was in my head anymore.

I didn't say anything, I could hear Charlotte shouting from behind me, but her words were muffled. I felt the presence of three other figures behind me, three leeches, not daring to step closer.

If they wanted to kill you, they would've by now.

Even then, I could still smell the tang of blood. I could taste it in my mouth, feel it searing my skin.

"It's okay," Peter said as the red in the corners of my vision faded into a muted colour. "I know, I know. It's okay."

"It is not fucking okay," I sneered at him, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I felt in the middle of every emotion possible, stuck in a relapsing cycle of pain. "It's not. You killed them. There was four of them chained up to the wall, you were killing one right there."

I said it as if I could see it; as if the scene from my first meeting with him was right there on display beside us for both of us to see. He still stared at me, that even knowing expression not leaving his face.

"I'm sorry," Peter said. He didn't sound like he was pleading, he only sounded slightly strained. "I didn't kill them, the vampire royals had chambers where they kept humans. I was only doing what they-"

"Shut up," I said as I dug the weapon into his skin, I heard a shift from behind me, but no one moved. "I said shut up, shut up. Don't beg, don't beg like those humans did."

Peter's expression toward my rambling made me feel queasy. He could see in my face that I was debating whether or not to kill him, I was trying to remember why I wouldn't.

"Blaire," Eli said from behind me, his soft deep voice an anchor to what had been keeping me sane. "Blaire, don't. You'll only be giving Christopher what he wants."

He knew what I'd react to, and that name, that ball of hatred I had for the Emperor made me back away. I still held my weapon tightly, but I stood beside Eli, not daring to look at anyone but him as I tried to calm my breathing.

"I need some air," I said before leaving without another word.

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(A/N)

Sorry it took so long but this is going to be a double/triple upload and trust me... without spoiling anything... y'all are gonna be happy about what's coming!

Q OF THE DAY:

Do you think she's going to recover from the spellbinding?