Word Count: 1640
~Hunter
I stuff a pillow over my face, groaning.
What a miserable day. I've escaped one terrible fate only to stumble into another. I can't tell if I've offended some higher power, or if I just have terrible luck.
Kaan has avoided me all day, leaving me to stew over this bad news.
About an hour ago I finally fell into a tumultuous sleep, although I've just now awoken in a cold sweat, the moon taunting me from its place in the night sky.
I need to speak to Kaan. I can't wait another moment to find out what he thinks about this.
Dragging my legs from the bed, I take a moment before I manage to stand. My injury still feelings terrible, my legs weak and useless. Determination better be enough to get me to his room.
My doubts grow the closer I get to his room. It's past midnight, so I assume he's sleeping until my eyes graze the underside of his door, seeing light streaming from it.
I knock on the wood before bracing my hand on the wall, trying not to keel over from pain.
Kaan opens the door a moment later. The dark shadows under his eyes suggest he hasn't slept a moment, and his mussed hair makes it clear he's under as much stress as I am.
"It's late, Hunter," he mutters, giving me a once over before shifting to close the door.
I stick my hand out, shaking my head. "I just struggled across the manor to get here. You're letting me in."
He sighs, running a hand down his face. He presses the door back open and stalks back inside.
I stare at the back of his crumpled shirt, following him in slowly. To make matters worse, I'm forced to sit on the end of his bed, unable to stand for a moment longer.
"That was a strange conversation with your parents," I say tentatively, digging my fingers into his plush feather duvet.
He shakes his head. "Great news, isn't it?"
He couldn't look more mortified. Here he is, forced to marry a girl he can't stand, who can't stand him either. This is going to be a mess...
"I agreed to marry you," I whisper, shame burning at my cheeks.
"Of course you did. They probably threatened your life." He pushes his window open before bracing his hands against the windowsill.
He clearly knows his parents well. I wish he had warned me about their propensity to do this earlier.
"This isn't what I want, trust me. But it could be worse," I tell him, my voice quivering. At least Kaan isn't abusive, and although he's an Alpha, he's nothing like the monster I was promised to.
Now, I'm free of that engagement. Although I doubt that will stop them from hunting me down.
Kaan's stare burns against my skin. "Could it?"
"It can, actually," I breathe.
Kaan can never learn about my engagement. He can never learn who I am, or was. For now, I just need him to believe that we will actually be married, so I can make a break for it when I'm healed.
"You're going to have to pretend to like me, you know," he reminds me, the cold breeze ruffling at his dark brown locks, that almost look black amongst the shadows.
"Your parents agreed to keep our engagement and marriage relatively quiet. They don't want it out of the Pack...But yes, I know." I look down at my hands, swallowing tightly.
Kaan sighs, staring off out the window.
"And you can't stand me."
"You can't stand me either."
"And what if my parents start threatening to kill you if you don't give them heirs?" He demands, his tone surprisingly harsh all of a sudden.
I blink. I hadn't thought about heirs, which is mostly because I plan to take off long before that. Still, the thought still chills my blood, my stomach churning uneasily.
"That won't happen," I assure him steadily, gritting my teeth.
"It definitely will. Sooner than later, too." I'm not trying to be naïve, I just don't want to think about it. If I get out of here, it won't matter anyways.
"Then I'll refuse," I bite back.
Kaan's jaw tightens. "Whether my parents force a match on Tay is dependent on whether we can provide an heir or not."
I close my eyes for a moment. This place is a living nightmare.
Regardless of how horrifying that notion is, I can't stay here just to appease their parents, even if I care about Tay. Kaan won't struggle to find another prospect for a wife, his parents will just have to settle for someone of lower rank.
"I'm getting out of here as soon as I can. They can hunt me for the rest of my life, I don't care. But as soon as I'm healthy enough, I'll be fighting my way out of here," I tell him firmly.
I could lie to him and sneak out, but he's not stupid. He knows I'll be gone as soon as I can.
"I won't stop you," he mutter, although his eyes darken.
I force myself back to standing, deciding I need to get back to my room. "Listen, it's obvious I don't want this either. But we have to make this work."
His stare is unrelenting. "Then I hope you're a good actor."
***
Tay parks my mobile in the garden, manoeuvring around to sit on the bench so she can face me.
"This is the best news I've ever heard!" She insists, her cheeks flushed with colour, her meadow green eyes bright and lively.
I figured she would be pleased about me marrying her brother since she tried to set me up with him earlier. I just didn't know she would be this excited.
"Glad you're ecstatic," I mutter, staring off into a rose bush.
"It means you're staying!" She claps her hands, her curls bouncing around.
"For now. Once I'm healed, I'm out of here," I warn her. I don't want her to get her hopes up about me staying here long term. Just because I've been promised to Kaan doesn't mean I'm going to stick around and fulfil my obligations.
Tay gets up, her pastel pink dress swirling about her legs as she plucks one of the white roses off it's stem, taking care for the thorns.
"Kaan must be overjoyed," she exclaims.
"Really? He seemed ready to rip his hair out when I talked to him earlier," I mutter. There is no chance Kaan thinks of this as anything but a major inconvenience at best.
Tay shakes her head, rolling her eyes. "He hates showing people his vulnerabilities. Actually liking someone, to him, is one of them. He won't let up easily, but I can assure you, he desires you."
"Desires me, maybe, but when he isn't drunk, he can't stand me." I lean back in the chair, letting out a sigh.
I'm glad he doesn't like me and I don't like him. It would make this all very difficult if there were feelings involved.
Tay grins, placing the rose in my palm. "I can prove otherwise."
I look down at the flower, at the way the petals flare out in my hand. It's already a little bruised.
"I know you're trying to help me, but I don't think it's a good idea to meddle."
"You just wait, I'm going to prove it to you. I'm good at meddling." She winks, looking awfully pleased with herself.
I narrow my eyes. "Trust me, I know."
All of a sudden, sparks of colour flare up in my eyes, my head spinning. I groan, rubbing my temples.
Tay is immediately at my side, brushing my hair back from my face. "You okay?"
"Yeah, just a little headache. All this is getting to me," I admit, letting out a deep breath. It's overwhelming, being threatened and then promised to basically a complete stranger. On top of all that, my injury is struggling to heal.
"You'll get out of here soon...I know I say all this, but I want you to be happy, and if that means helping you get out of here, for your wellbeing, then I'll do it," Tay tells me, forcing a smile onto her mouth.
Tension I didn't realise I was holding onto suddenly bleeds from my muscles. "Thank you Tay, you're a real friend."
A crack of thunder rolls through the steely grey clouds above us. It hasn't started raining yet, but it's threatening to start.
I cast my gaze through the garden before landing on a sight that knocks the breath out of me.
That can't be him.
"Look, there's a storm coming. We should get inside," Tay encourages, reaching for the handles of my mobility chair.
I hold my hand up. "Hold on, I'm just going to check something, then I'll join you inside. Take my chair."
Tay helps me up and out of it before wheeling it inside. I should manage to get back inside, but for now, I need to confront the last person I thought I would see here.
Hobbling around the hedge, I head straight for him. His back is now turned to me, like he's pretending he wasn't spying on me. He wears a tan gardeners outfit, but he isn't fooling me.
I grab his shoulder, forcing his attention to me.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I snap, glaring up into his dark brown, almost black eyes.
He grins with that all too familiar smile. "I missed you, Livia."
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