Hunted

Chapter Thirty Two

Lucian

I stepped into the cabin and glanced around as Richard sat himself down on one of the chairs in the living room. It was a pretty cool place. I paused at the fire place picking up a photo of Mel on the mantel. She was smiling at the camera eyes closed. A birthday cake on a table in front of her. She wore the same smile in the others. Her first day of school, prom, high school graduation and what looked like her first day of collage.

"At least one of us got to experience family life." I chuckle putting the frame back.

"You never did all that?" Richard asked as I turned to face him.

"Mom left me in the camp in Alexandria. I never went to school nor had an actual family unit. I learnt everything I know in the libraries when I was forced to go."

"I'm sorry."

"I didn't mind." I shrug. "Most of the people that took residence in the camp were merfolk. Those that weren't just loved that it was underground and well hidden. So every day was interesting."

"At least you weren't alone." He said. "Sometimes I felt like Mel was too isolated."

"What do you mean?"

"She only ever spoke to Gabriel. Never liked making friends. I hated to think of how she would cope without either of us."

"Well people are assholes so I understand her dislike for them." I smiled. He shook his head laughing.

I excused myself and went to the room I would be using. Sitting on the bed I pulled out the photo I carried everywhere with me. It was an old picture of Mel, me and mom taken when we were babies. She had us in either arm a gentle smile on her face. Her hair a mess of curls. She looked like her. From what I saw in the pictures they looked so much alike.

I was brought out of my thoughts when an extremely large dog walked through the open door. Hell hounds were annoyingly larger than werewolves so I watched the idiot try to squeeze his way through the door. Having to lower himself a little. Adonis had charcoal black fur and glowing red eyes. He smelt of sulphur and his paws burnt everything he walked on, leaving burn marks everywhere he stepped. I was used to it. But I doubted Richard would appreciate his singed carpet.

"You shifters need to find a way to shift with your clothes." I said looking back down at the photograph. "Maybe we can talk to a witch about it. See what they can do."

"I'm not a shifter." He said still a dog. "I'm far more intelligent. And don't suffer from Alpha male syndrome or have multiple personalities."

"You're so full of yourself for a guy that spent all his life in hell. That place is a dump. Also they don't have Alpha male syndrome, some of them just are actual Alpha males."

"You should be resting." Don said ignoring my statement.

"I wish Kenji was my familia at least he's more fun."

"And I wish I got Mel and not her whiny little brother." He said sitting on his hind legs. I think whoever was matching us did it on purpose. Because Kenji and I as a pair would have been epic. Adonis takes his job seriously it's annoying. He's like a fun sucking babysitter who admittedly has kept me from killing myself in the most ridiculous ways I could think of because according to him it would be a misuse of my phoenix abilities.

"You don't know who's older."

"I could always ask your father."

Ah yes Dardanos. I had gotten the pleasure of meeting my elusive dad when we needed to get through the shortcut. We didn't talk to each other. Just held eye contact for a really long time at some point and then he handed me a stupid Boline and a bunch of tarot cards.