The Hunter and The Prey

Persuasion

Chapter  38

A/N: I am back. Sorry for being MIA. It's been a very very stressful month for me. But I am back for the 14th day Holiday soooooo.... Let's finish uploading this old story soooo thaaat we can start with Kick ass seductress!!!!!

Los geht's!!!!!

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Persuasion

"Hi" Chasen greeted cautiously to Natalie while she sat beside the window, looking down at the tiny subdivision in front of her. The safe house the government provided where the fifteen neighbors residing were compose of families from other personnel. He could see her flinching away from him. The face was fearful and pleading. "Natalie,  there's no need to be afraid of me. I told you for how many times now that I am not that guy anymore." His voice was appealing. He took a measured and careful step near her. An arm distance, he could extend his arms and he can hug her. But hugging her at the moment wasn't advisable. No matter how longing he was for her to come back to him, her condition was a major step back to him. "I brought you food," he continued and put the sandwich and juice beside her, near the table. The gapping distance seem to agitate her so Chasen back off a meter to give her space to relax. 

      "I'm not hungry"she stuttered.

      "You haven't eaten breakfast and lunch, please, just eat. You need to gain your strength back. You are still recovering. " Chasen tried persuading her. "I'll leave just eat"

      "I want to go back to Ireland" she muttered.

      Chasen’s breathe came uneven. It was an effort in his part not to shout his firm rejection to her request. "That's not really the best idea Natalie. I am not about to risk your life again. There are people trying to kill my family. They nearly got you. Do you think I can live with the thought of you out there exposed and unguarded? You can display your fear of me even if it isn't  necessary anymore.  I can take that. You can deny that we are already married and living for the few months together. I can take that. You can hurt me by shoving me away every time I tried hugging you, I can live with that. But knowing you exposing your life out of these walls, that will never gonna happen. I won't let you. Get mad. Take grudges but you will stay here with me until you remember how we have been before. I almost lost you in Brazil once, and I can't take that repeat. Hate me all you want for keeping you here, but you can never expect me to just let go of you."

     "You keep talking about Brazil but I couldn't remember if I've been there! All I can recall is I'm in Ireland hiding from you all those years." She cried in anguish as flashes of the tortures broke from her consciousness. 

    "It... it will... will be a matter of time sweetheart and you will find out that I'd changed.... that I never tried or even consider inflicting pain to you when we left Brazil. I'd changed a lot and that's because of you. You are the reason why I keep trying to be a better person you had ever known." He stared at her with desperate pleadings. "Just consider... the fact that I didn't for once hurt you when you left the hospital and transferred you here in the safe house or... my parents aren't bothered anymore escaping you from me... because they know how you transformed me into this better person."

     Natalie couldn't look back at him. She was privately reassessing everything she had seen from the moment she had opened her eyes. And what the hunter pointed out so far was the truth. He never displayed any violent or disturbing behavior. Other than of course his friendly, concerning and pleading expressions. But those things weren't enough to calm her down. Admittedly,  she was still terrified of him despite his show of good conduct.

      "You married me"  Chasen seemed to regain a bit his composure when he uttered those words. "You invited your friends from Alaska. Samantha, Alice, Prete... I met them you introduced me to them when we traveled back in your hometown...We traveled to Ireland too to invite the Polkovitches and your best friend Nate. He knew what happened in our wedding. " He walked closer when he notice the hesitation and consideration in her eyes. "I had promised to never let you go no matter what and love you more than any man you had ever met." The distance was more than an inch now. He could see her breathing heavily as they face each other. Slowly. Very slowly, he put both of his hands on her face and bend foward to caress her shaking lips.

     Natalie push him away when she realized what he was about to do. She can't let that happened easily when she wasn't one hundred sure about the guy. But Chasen pulled her closer and crushed his lips forcefully against hers. She was struggling to break from his inescapable hold. Warm was all over her mouth. She could feel his warm skin as it touches the thin fiber of her white sweatshirt. She was protesting from the coercion alright,  yet this felt like familiar to her. Just familiar but not enough to calm her in contrary she felt violated. 

     She thrust upward her left knee in between Chasen’s spread feet. There was a pull away and a moan escaped from his mouth. She was waiting for his fierce and livid eyes,  but nothing came. Just hurt and disappointment noted on his face. Her expression must've been severe because Chasen slowly walked backward, palms up, and wearing an apologetic face.

     "Okay. Okay.  I'll go downstairs then." He turned around as his face crumpled in pain, but not from the knee, more of her absolute rejection. He never felt for once when she was trapped in his arms her response. He closed the door and proceeded going to his room.

    Natalie was breathing heavily as she collapsed on the bed. She didn't know what to do with her situation and escape was definitely impossible when Chasen was surveilling her every movement. The phone and the computer weren't really going to help her  because everything is wired to someone who will tip him off. So how can she send message to Nate to rescue her from here when everything is closely monitored?

    She was in trouble again in a different place and with a different Chasen Fritzcole who keeps saying they were already tied the notch. In fairness to what he was saying the evidence indeed was overwhelming.  After she was discharged from the hospital, the Fritzcoles were flooding her with the events that happened five months ago. There were videos recorded in the wedding. She saw herself wearing an elegant white dress dancing with him. But the most scene that bothered her was her facial expression.  In the video, she looks so blissful and unafraid of him. And Chasen was mirroring her happiness.  She saw Nate, the Polkovitches and her friends from Alaska waving and clapping there hands as they twirl around.

     But all of these confirmations weren't enough for her to accept the truth. Her fear of him is still inside her mind. Her desperate desire to escape and hide from him was still intact and keeps getting stronger every time Chasen entered the room. She just wanted to crumple on the corner and cry whenever he visits.                                       So many times she begged at his parents to let her go. Help her again to escape him. Only to find out Chasen will be so furious she can actually hear him punching the walls in frustration. That was very disturbing in her part. Her heart always beat so loud whenever she hears the thud sound.

     There was a knocked on the door and Mrs. Fritzcole came in. "I am sorry for the inconvenience,  dear." The mother smiled apologetically. 

     Natalie sat up and watched her sit on the edge of the bed. This was routine now every time Chasen left her room in dismay. The mother will always try talking to her just to calm him breaking everything within his reach.

     "I am sorry if I am causing you trouble Mrs.  Fritzcole," Natalie apologized sincerely.  "I know you'd given me so much reassurance already. I am so grateful for that."

      "It wasn't your fault Natalie." The mother was wearing a very serene look. "But you needed to know that Chasen is truly had changed so much in the few months since he took you home the second time. You're his weakness... his reason for his big change. He loves you much. If you'd just saw him being so overprotective in Brazil you'll know how much you mean to him."

      Natalie tried to stop the sob that was building inside of her but it escaped. She put her head on her knees and let the defeat demoralize her. No one would ever helped her this time. Judged by the parents, convinced by his change, she had no escape this time. She will be trap here with Chasen trying to convince her to come back to him.

     Clare Fritzcole put a consoling hand over her shoulder. There is no other choice in their part but to let Chasen have his way. This is between life and death situation. If they let Natalie go Chasen will surely lost his humanity and do terrible things he already showed before. They can't afford that when he wasn't hurting anyone now especially Natalie. There's really no choice but to try persuading Natalie to trust them.