Blood Lust - Cato (Completed)

Chapter Fourteen

I wake with a start, shaking nightmares from my brain. I turn to Peeta, noticing the layer of sweat covering him. Mixing the leg mixture, I apply it to his slash. He stirs and opens his eyes. 

"Morning." I say, my voice drained.

"Morning." I stand and tell him I'll be back, and head off towards food. 

When I enter the woods, I quickly feel better. The twigs crunch loudly under my boots, but I could care less. I turn to my left, freezing when I reach the lake, and all the breath is sucked from my body.

Cato pulls himself up out of the water. His bulging muscles are clear. Water casts a sheen all over his body. 

"Enjoying the view?" He asks, and I break from my trance.

"Not a chance," With that I dive and grab one of his spears, shooting off. 

"Hey!" He yells, and I can hear him struggling. 

I run as fast as I can, trying to get Cato as far away from the cave as possible. I rush into a small collection of trees and shove the spear into the ground, before scaling one of the trees and hiding.

Cato shoves his way through the clearing looking around. He picks the spear up and sighs. He walks away and I count in my head.

After five minutes, I drop from the tree. Immediatly, someone grabs my arm and slams me against the tree. I start to scream as Cato covers my mouth.

"Sh! Someone will hear you," He says. I kick at him He removes his hand.

"How?" I ask. He rolls his eyes. 

"Every time you run, you run into a tree," He says. 

"Why did you?"

"We can make it out Ashlynn! Let's team up," He begs and I cringe. 

"No, I can't. This isn't right." I turn again and he grabs my wrist. 

"Please?" He asks. 

"Cato. I teamed up with Peeta," I say. His eyes darken before he sighs. 

"If Peeta and Clove don't make it, promise me we can be together, that we will win together," The plea in his voice weakens me.

"I can't make any more promises! Cato I told you I will not deny these feelings. But Peeta may be on his deathbed and I intend to stay with him. Either until his death or his recovery. I'm sorry."

With that I turn on my heel and run.

"Peeta! Wake up!" I panic until he opens his eyes. He glares at me.

"What?" 

"You need to eat, or else you're a goner." Peeta groans and grudgingly takes the food from my hand. I pull up his pants leg and gag. The blood poisoning is worse, so much worse. 

"How bad?" He asks. I look at him and he nods. "Oh." 

"We need some kind of medicine. Something." I lean my trembling hands on the ground. 

"Hear that Haymitch?" Peeta asks and I laugh. 

"Trust me, we'll get it," I say, hoping I'm right. 

"Hello Tributes, I am here to invite you to a feast" Claudius Templesmith's voice rings out. I turn to Peeta and we roll eyes. "Now hold on. Some of you may be declining my invitation. But this is no ordinary feast. Each of you needs something desperately. Each of you will find that something in a bag marked with your district number, at dawn in the Cornucopia. Think hard about refusing to show up. For some of you, this will be your last chance." My eyes trail down to Peeta's exposed leg. He shakes his head. 

"Peeta," I start and he cuts me off.

"No."

"But Peeta, your medic-"

"I said no Ashlynn." He turns on his side and lays down. My blood boils.

"I'm getting the stupid medicine Peeta! The last time I didn't get someone medicine they died! I'm not making that same mistake!" I blow up. Peeta leans up and studies me.

"Who?" He asks, his blonde brows furrowing. I bite my tongue, realizing what came out of my mouth.

"It's not important, Get some sleep." I slide down against the stone wall.

"Ash, who?" He asks again. I feel my eyes burn, and I bite my gum.

"My brother." Once the words leave my mouth, tears fall.

"But, you're an only child?" His statement comes out as a question. I curl my legs to my chest and rest my head on my knees.

"I am now." He studies me.

"What happened?" He asks and I shrug, building up walls.

"Ash,"

"Please don't fight me on this Peeta. I'm going whether you want me to or not." I state, my voice eerily cold.

"I know." I look up at him. "Just be careful." With that, he turns back over, and in minutes he snores. 

I lean my head back against the wall and close my eyes.

"Will he make it?" I softly asked Mom. The look on her face answered my question.  My eyes wandered to Carpenter's trembling body. His eyes shifted to mine.

"Ash," He reached his pale hand out and I grabbed it. His strong hand engulfed my small one. 

"I can get medicine," I started. "I have the money saved, and I know they will help us. They have too!"

"Don't" Both he and Papa said at once. I looked at Papa, then back to Carpenter. 

"But-"

"Don't. I will be fine." Carpenter said.

Sometime that night, Mother and Father disposed of his body. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was him, his lifeless body. 

My eyes open, and I am covered in sweat. I stand to my feet and look out to the morning sky. Turning to Peeta, I grab my stuff and head out.