Word Count: 1642
~Hunter
I sit up in bed, massaging my temples.
The antidote has worked quick, and most of my senses have come back to me. Azura has left, not wanting to be around for the aftermath of me surviving this poison.
As terrified as she is of Tay, she was brave enough to come in here to save my life...I don't know how I'm going to thank her.
The nurses have already come in and checked my vitals. They have been muttering about a miracle, which isn't surprising. They didn't manage to figure out I was being poisoned...
The infirmary door opens suddenly and a flare of panic ricochets through me.
Thankfully, it's not Tay, but Kaan. His eyes widen upon seeing me and he rushes over to my bedside, looking over me like he can't believe I'm really alive.
"You're up already," he breathes, grabbing my hand like he's afraid that touching any other part of my body will hurt me.
I smile softly, still feeling weak. "I am."
"How are you feeling? Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I was poisoned but I was given an antidote," I tell him. There's not point waiting. At any moment Tay may walk through that door, and I can't face her without Kaan backing me.
Kaan's dark brows draw together. "By who?"
"Azura," I tell him, wrapping my arms around myself. "Tay poisoned me."
At first he looks confused, like he thinks I'm making a joke that he doesn't understand. Then, he seems to give it a real thought, and a dark frown passes over his face.
"How do you know?"
"Azura told me...well, showed me that Tay had been poisoning me. When she brought me a drink to my room, I tried it, thinking that I would bring back my usual symptoms and I would know for sure it was her. Instead, it almost killed me," I explain to him, my voice still rough from the poison.
Any doubt once on Kaan's face vanishes. I know that he chooses to believe me always, and it's that trust that has made me confident in telling him.
"Fuck, Hunter. I'm so sorry," he breathes, brushing his knuckles over my cheek tenderly.
"It's not your fault. None of us knew," I say. I don't want him to harbour any guilt. Tay has been nothing but nice and supportive of me. She is the last person I would have assumed would poison me.
"I should have known, though." Kaan pulls back, rubbing at the frown indented into his forehead. "I should have done more to figure this out..."
I grab his hand, squeezing it. I wish he didn't feel like he has to protect me all the time. He is my mate, not some guard hired to ensure I'm safe at all times.
"Kaan, it's fine, but we need to decide what to do before Tay comes back," I insist, glancing at the door.
"I...she's out, she's gone. She can't live here anymore," he says decidedly. "And she's going to be punished. Severely."
"Why don't we find out why she is doing this? Maybe her parents are manipulating her..."
If Tay is being forced to do this, I don't want her to be punished. There could be many reasons why she has poisoned me.
"Tay has always been good at making herself seem innocent. Since she was a child she was always the angel, always following the rules. But it never mattered. Our parents only loved me because I was the heir," Kaan says uneasily.
"She won't talk her way out of this one. Not unless she can prove to us that-"
"Prove what?"
Our attention sweeps to the door where Tay walks in.
"Tay..." I drift off, unsure of what to say.
"Hunter! You're up and feeling better already. That's amazing." She skips to my bed, her smile wide and seemingly genuine.
My stomach churns uncomfortably. Kaan is right, she is good at making herself seem innocent. This does not look like the girl who gave me a drink knowing it would do this to me. If Kaan hadn't come for me, I could have died.
"Azura gave me an antidote for the poison I was given," I tell her flatly.
She pauses, blinking. It's the first hint at her guilt.
"Was that what she was doing in here?" Tay tucks her hair behind her hair, flushing. "Weird how she knew exactly what you had been poisoned with."
"She knew because she saw you poisoning me," I growl.
I wish I had more energy in me. I can still feel myself teetering on the edge of exhaustion. Still, my anger and frustration hasn't dampened at all.
"Me?" she looks offended.
"You brought me that drink and minutes within me drinking it I was on the floor. How is that possible?" I ask her.
Glancing up at Kaan, I can see the ice cold rage on his features. He remains quiet, watching Tay's reaction carefully. He knows her better than me, and is looking for a signal of her guilt.
"I have no idea...Hunter, I didn't poison you," Tay insists, emotion flooding her voice.
"You're lying," I snap.
"It must have been one of the cooks who made the drink." She sounds far too panicked to be innocent.
I tilt my head. "Why would they want to poison me?"
"I don't know!" She throws her hands up, her cheeks stained bright red as she looks around as if someone may come to her rescue. "Maybe it was our parents demanding they do it."
"Did they demand you to do it?" I ask.
"I didn't do anything, Hunter. We are friends."
She sweeps closer but when I flinch, she pauses. Hurt passes over her face, but I can't find it in myself to feel bad for her. I have to remember what she has done to me, all the months she subjected me to pain.
"Tell us the truth, Tay. We know it was you, and if you don't admit to it now, you'll be out of the house by tonight, and you will never see me or Hunter again," Kaan snaps.
Tay looks between us as she realises she cannot hide from this anymore. Either she continues to lie and Kaan removes her from the home anyway, or she is honest.
"Fine, I did it," she huffs.
"Why?"
"I have no friends! I never have. You came here and you were beautiful and close to my age, and even though it was clear you didn't like me, I thought you could. I was right, wasn't I?"
She's trying to appeal to the friendship we've built over the last several months. I push down any emotion, any sadness at what I know I'm losing.
A real friend doesn't poison the person they care about.
"So?"
"So, you were wanting to leave, and soon. I could see the way Kaan was looking at you, and I didn't want yet another person to leave my life," she explains, looking at Kaan for help.
She clearly believes she is the one behind the success in our relationship. Maybe she had some hand in it, but she took my choice away from me.
"And you poisoned me because of it?" I hiss.
"Just a little bit. I thought you were going to leave, before you got a chance to know us." She pouts, the expression disturbing her soft, pretty features. "You belong here. I knew it from the beginning."
"Tay..."
"You thought it was your wound, it was fine! Eventually I was going to stop, when I knew for sure you would never leave," she continues.
Kaan digs his hands into his hair, shaking his head in bewilderment. "That's beyond fucked up, Taysa."
"I know, I realise that. But look how happy you are now." She swallows thickly, motioning between us.
Kaan looks at me, his brows furrowing. I can see his anger as he tries to reconcile what Tay is saying. There is not a lingering touch of pity for Tay in his expression.
"So why try to kill me now?" I question.
"I wasn't trying to kill you." She goes to take a step forward, but Kaan's sharp look has her pausing. "I heard Kaan mention that he was thinking of living with you elsewhere, away from this place. Otherwise he was going to remove our parents, and I thought I would soon be included with that."
Kaan wipes a hand down his face. "You're out, Tay. I'm sending you to stay with our grandmother."
"No! You can't do that." Her eyes flare wide with fear, panic.
"You don't deserve to be around Hunter right now," Kaan growls, sounding so unlike himself he's evening scaring me. "You need to go into the countryside to think. Grandmother will keep an eye on you until I can trust you."
"What if I proved myself?" She asks.
"You've done enough." Kaan is on his feet, forcing Tay to step back as he starts to walk her to the infirmary door. I simply pull the sheets up to my chin and watch on.
"I can prove myself, I swear," Tay begs hopelessly. It's no use. Kaan has made up his mind.
He unceremoniously slams the door in her face, sending her out. He knows she isn't going to make some grand escape. All she wants to do is remain here, close to me, apparently.
"Come Hunter, let's get you somewhere safe," Kaan murmurs as he comes to my side, looking ready to sweep me into his arms. "Tay will be gone by the morning."
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