Preyed (Hunted: Book Two)

Chapter Twenty-Three

    My eyes are puffy and red by the time we reach the safehouse. Esme and Alice are both waiting outside, and Edward quietly tells them what happened. Esme immediately pulls me into a hug.

"I'm so sorry, child. I know what you did was not easy."

I nod as she leads us all inside.

"Is everyone alright?" Alice asks.

"Yeah. We cut it a little close at the end, but we all got out okay," Emmett says.

"I'm glad. Jasper and Carlisle should be arriving with Kai shortly. Edward, I think it may be a good idea to check in with Bella. She does have ties to one of the werewolf boys," Esme says.

Edward nods before heading upstairs to call Bella and make sure she's okay. Esme looks over the rest of us as Alice pushes a cup of hot tea in my hand.

"It's supposed to be good for a breakup," she says.

I shoot her a small smile of thanks as Jasper and Kai come through the door.

"Are you two okay?" Esme asks, worry etched in her features.

"I'm fine. Just a couple of scrapes, nothing to be worried about," Jasper says.

"Like my young friend says, just a few scrapes. Besides I've been in worse situations than this during the Spanish Civil War," Kai says.

The worry on Esme's face lifts a little and Kai smiles at her.

"Where is Carlisle?" Kai asks.

We all look at one another, the question burning in our eyes.

"He's not with you?" I ask.

Jasper shakes his head, "we lost him a few minutes after we took off. We figured he would lead some of the wolves away and circle back before coming here."

We are all silent as our thoughts immediately jump to the worse conclusion...that the wolves had gotten Carlisle. However, Kai is quick to put an end to those thoughts. 

"I'm sure Carlisle is fine. He is a strong vampire, he is probably just making sure that none of the wolves are following him."

Emmett clears his throat, "yeah. Kai is right. We all know Carlisle wanted to make sure we were safe."

"Yeah," I say, glancing out the window.

    He didn't have to wait long for the head vampire to separate himself from the others. He also didn't have to wait long for the vampire to lose the wolves following him. He had to give the bloodsucker some respect, it took a lot to outrun a pack of angry dogs. Too bad, he was outrunning the wrong dog.

"I assume you're Asher."

He laughs, dark and low all the while circling Carlisle. This is the first time he has seen the head vampire up close.

"And you're the famous Carlisle Cullen. I've heard a lot about you, bloodsucker. You have quite the following in the vampire circles. Everyone seems to know exactly who you are."

"Yet no one knows who you are. The elusive werewolf-vampire hybrid, the first of your kind. It's safe to assume that it was you who killed the pack leader?"

He cocks his head to the side as if he's unsure whether or not to answer the vampire's question. He walks another circle around Carlisle, studying him.

"I did."

"May I ask why? What do you stand to gain if my family and the wolves go to war?" Carlisle asks.

He shakes his head, allowing a small smile to break out as he answers the vampire's question.

"It is not what I stand to gain, vampire. But rather what she stands to lose. It's time my little hybrid came home. Time for her to realize that she is exactly what I made her to be. What I allow her to be. You and that pack of mutts have tried to contain her. Conform her to your ideals, your beliefs. You have tried to make her into one of you, treated her like one of you but she's not one of you.  She's mine. She comes from the blood running through my veins, the thoughts playing in my head. It's only a matter of time before she stops fighting me and if this is what I must do to help her along, then so be it."

"Mia will never stop fighting you. She knows who she is, who she wants to be," Carlisle says.

He clicks his tongue, his eyes blazing, "my dear lifeless friend. Mia... knows nothing."

His eye blaze brighter as he shifts, each muscle enlarging and becoming more wolf-like as he lunges towards Carlisle.