The Choices That are Made (Book Three of Hidden Secret Trilogy)

Chapter Four

I got away from home and ended up in a forest not far from the city. I sighed and kicked the fallen leaves on the ground. A rustling in the trees caused me to stop and listen. I heard a familiar chuckle from up above me and my eyes wandered up to find Liam standing on a limb of a big cottonwood tree.

"You just don't know when to stop do you?" he said smirking. His smirk sent a chill down my spine, but ignored it and stood my ground. Liam jumped from the tree and landed gracefully in front of me, causing me to stumble back a few steps.

"Liam, look, I'm sorry that I was the one to break the bond and-" I started to spill, but Liam stopped me.

"I don't want to hear it, I don't want your forgiveness. You said we were done, so we are," he said tensely, approaching me as I backed into a tree. I gulped and looked at Liam in his darkened gaze. "You made a big mistake to follow me," he growled as his hand shot out and clutched my throat in a choking grip. I winced and fought for air, my breath ragged.

"Liam...l..let me go..." I wheezed, my fingers clawing at his hand.

"You put this on yourself Anna, so deal with it," Liam said through clenched teeth. Liam's eyes flared red with anger and hunger as his breathing became heavy.

"Liam...con-" I tried to say, but Liam interrupted.

"SHUT IT!" he yelled, pulling my head forward and then pushed back forcefully, hitting my head against the ragged bark of the tree. "You can't stop me, this is who I'm meant to be" he hissed close to my face.

"You'd be safer with us Liam, safe from Marcus. He can kill you anytime he wants," I said, wishing Liam would just snap out of it and return to his old self again.

"I don't give a crap about Marcus! He's nothing but a stupid hunter that thinks he can kill me," Liam growled. I tried to push Liam back, but he kept me against the tree. He revealed his fangs as his beast began to come out of its cage.

"I've had enough of this! I'm hungry," Liam growled in the deepest voice I had never heard him speak.

He reared his head back as the beast in him raged forward and he turned my head, exposing my neck, when he suddenly grunted and collapsed at my feet. I saw an arrow embedded in Liam's back and I looked up and saw Marcus holding a crossbow.

"Hello love, close call," he said, coming to me. I hissed angrily and got ready to fight. "Oh, cute, that almost gets annoying, they all do that hissy thing," Marcus said, rolling his eyes. He continued to approach me and I let him get so far before I threw a punch to his face.

I was expecting him to stop my hand, but he didn't and my fist landed square with his jaw. The power of the blow would've easily broken a humans jaw, but Marcus was stronger than I thought. His head turned from me and he chuckled lightly.

"Sorta deserved that since I shot your ex-lover in the back with an arrow dipped in vervain," Marcus said, rubbing his now red jaw.

"Marcus just leave me, Jacob, and Liam alone! We're sick of fighting people, and I've already fought two demons and an Original vampire in the first two years of my vampire life," I said, grating my teeth.

"Oh, have you now? Well amuse me," Marcus said, placing his hand on the tree next to my head.

"There's not much to say about it really, they were just hunting me down and whatever," I said, avoiding Marcus's eyes.

"Ah come now... a little story never hurts, or are you too ashamed to tell me?" Marcus said, taunting me. I brought my gaze to his and scowled, crossing my arms over my chest. "Fine, don't tell me, not like it's important or anything," he said.