The Hunter

Chapter 21

I was back in the valley, and there she was waiting. I knew she'd be there, she was always there for me

“so am I dead” she smiles being her hand to my cheek, but I couldn’t feel it. “no sweetheart you’re not dead, just really knock out” she laughs

“I think I'm going crazy,” I said honestly

“you not. But I'm glad you are here. So what now”

“what,” I said staring at her “you went and did what you always wanted to do, you killed my murder,” she said it like we were talking about beating a game

“yes, I did. You should be happy about this, I thought this would bring you peace”

“I never cared if they were caught or not. Dead was dead. I'm not coming back.” It was like a stab in my heart. I wanted so bad to be her justice

“what I care about, my love, was you? You needed this to not bring me peace but to bring you peace. To finally forgive yourself for not being there that day” I step back as if I was slapped. Why is she saying these things

“mom”

“All I need to bring me peace is your happiness. If being a hunter makes you happy after all this finished business is done. Then do that. If being in the human world makes you happy, go. Or if that enforcer makes you happy be with him. But you have to let this guilt go”

“I don’t”

“I feel it, it's there. You can’t hide from me. It is time to let it go” tear welled in my eyes “I can't,”

“yes you can”

“ if I do then I let you go”

“no,” she said coming to me again, her hand on my shoulder. Still, I could not feel her “you will never let me go, I won't let you. That night was not met, it was not us. Harboring that in your heart is forgetting all the things we did share. You are waking up, I can feel it. Let it go, find happiness so I can find peace.” She said before she drifted off and I was in blackness

my eye open to a hospital room, I was laying on a bed “what the hell”

“you're finally up” I heard a voice. I turned to see Gabriel looking at me

“ow,” I said holding my head “what happened”

“well you were tranquilized”

“I was what”

“you kinda had a small break down and the guys had to settle you”

“well at least I'm not handcuffed,”

“oh they wanted to, trust me, they wanted so badly. Straightjacket, you in a padded room. The works. You scared grown warriors, with guns. Big guns but I wouldn’t let them."

“Thanks, so does dear old dad still want me dead?”

he look at me and rolled his eyes “you know I would never let anyone kill you”

“But you did think I killed Lisa.”

“for a second”

“right,” I said getting out of the bed and pulling the Iv out of my arm. The room spun. he was there to steady me. My leg blazed. “where do you think you're going. You have injuries”

“out of here,” I said trying to move from his hand but he would not let me

“you thought I was a murder”

“you are a murder”

I was trying to push him away from me. He wouldn’t let me budge “please” he whispered. “let’s just talk please” his voice was doing things to me that it shouldn’t. godamn him,

“fine but get off me,” I said pushing him off me, I lean on the bed and he stood near the wall. “I know what you're going to say, that I was reckless, that if I would have listened to you then I would not have gotten into this situation, but if I did all of that Lisa would be dead now, and the shadow or Ralph would be still in power with all of his craziness, so I personally think a screw Gabriel and a pat on the back for Charlie okay”

“you're right”

“I'm what” okay was not expecting that.

“what I want to say is I'm sorry,” he said rubbing the back of his neck

“huh Ummm huh, ya sure? I mean I was pulling shit out of my ass if I'm being honest. I didn’t know what the hell I was doing like 99 percent of the time” shut up Charlie

“yes I'm sure, I was mad at you for not coming to me, but then as I was trying to find you, and every minute that went by thinking of everything that could be happening to you, I realized I never gave you a reason to come to me. I believed everyone over you, I gave you shit about not trusting me but I guess I never fully trusted you”

“yeah thats what I thought to ya know”

“I'm serious”

“I am too, as serious as a flat-footed kangaroo”

“what”

“what” I seriously did not know what I was saying, I was not good at this and I honestly wanted this part to be done. Thinking about leaving him was already breaking my heart and I wanted to get the pain started before I lost my nerve. “listen it's fine, I just need my clothes and some painkillers and I'll be out your hair” where was my clothes?

“so you're leaving”

I looked at him confused “yeah nothing has changed between us, I was leaving you that day. And even though we ran into some stuff, my mind hasn’t changed. It's not like it was a surprise, you moved your stuff out of our room”

“I know, I was mad and confuse and maybe wanted to hurt you a little. I'm not saying that was right, it wasn't but I can be better to you, for you, I can”

“it's not about that, I'm not good at this, and I defiantly not good for you. Just think how people will react when all of this comes to light. I won't look like the hero in this story. And I shouldn’t, I did not do anything by the book, and everything with Voren, oh my god is he still alive?”

“yes he’s in the dungeon with the rest of the shadows people”

“if that pack hated me before you can imagine now”

“I don’t care”

“you should, you cant have a whole pack hating your mate.”

“tell me it's because of me”

“don’t do that”

“Stop the bullshit, everything you are saying has nothing to do with us. You don’t think you can do this, fine, I can step down. We can move, I have a house back in my own country. It would be easy. If you don’t want this, this does not have to be our lives, but if you don’t want me than you need to tell me”

“you can't be serious”

“This is how a relationship works Charlie. You tell me what you need and I tell you what I need and we compromise. But if you want this relationship to end you cant hide behind bullshit excuses, you need to tell me. Tell me, baby, what do you want. Tell me that it's us, that it's me. Baby please”

He said staring at me “I want a bacon cheeseburger with fry's” first thing that came to mind was, I swear. But already my resolve was breaking. God, I was such a pussy.

But to be honest I didn't want him to give up his position. I didn't care if people hated me, I've had people hate me my entire life, I just didn't want him going down with a sinking ship.

“really” he deadpanned

“and I want to know everything, don’t keep me in the dark, I hate that shit. Everything” I said pointing to him trying to be honest.

“no more siding with other people even before you hear me out, I'm not gonna do shit right all the time, most of the time, more times than not ima fuck something up, but at least come to me first.”

“I can do that”

“I don’t want you to give up your title, but I don’t want to stay with my family anymore, and I don’t want to stay in that big house. I want something smaller for just us.”

“I can do that”

“good, and don't fucking ever leave me again. I can't handle that."

He came closer to me wrapping his arm around my waist and laying his forehead on mine. "Ditto"

I smiled "anything you want,” I asked wanting to make him feel heard too.

“you, I only want you” he smiled leaning down to kiss me

“I'm to beat up for sex,” I said before his lips could connect. He looked at me in surprise before he started laughing

Then came and peck me on my lips

“no more secret” he said

"No more secrets” I promised. "Gab, I'm sorry too. In case you didn't know. I'm sorry" I said wholeheartedly

"I know baby"

“I thought you killed someone, and then I thought you were about to go and kill yourself. Before that, you lied to me, tried to leave without any protection, and did I mention, tried to kill yourself” My father has been ranting like this for about 30 minutes. He came to see me after Gabriel left to get my food. Let just say he was less than pleased with my actions in today's event

“I was not trying to kill myself,” I said for the hundredth time

“you went after a murdering lunatic by yourself”

“and won, let's not forget won”

“and think how easy that would have been if you waited if you told me. But no, not you. Always trying to do everything on your own, to prove something, to prove what? That you're good enough. That ever though you are not a wolf your useful” he was stomping on my last nerve. He was yelling and blaming everything on me, and he was right which I hated the most.

“news flash I won” I yelled back

“that not the fucking point. You don’t have to prove to anyone who you are. You are my daughter”

“really”

“really”

“well I wasn’t when you thought I killed Lisa” I threw back in his face

“How was I supposed to know, you don’t talk to me at all”

“and whose fault is that”

“I know I was wrong but the circumstances did not help matters”

“fine, I knew I was not completely in the right when I left to deal with the shadow without your help.”

“okay”

“Okay, well then this is over”

“oh thank goddess”

He looked uncomfortable “should we hug now”

“hell no,” I said

“feel better,” he said before storming out the room

I got to go home that night or to the house that I share with everyone with the strict order to have bed rest.

Lisa was in tears and doted on me. I guess she decided I wasn’t a bad person after saving her life, whatever. Evan just kept talking about how badass I was, I was happy when I finally was able to go upstairs alone, I made it to the bay window at the end of the hall.

It was nighttime now, I stared out the dark sky enjoying the quiet. Gabriel made me wait outside our room while he did something in there. He wanted to surprise me so here I waited.

.“alright mom, I will say it. You were right. I think I can move on, I’m doing my best to let it all go so go forth and find peace” I said up to the sky

“are you okay” I heard a voice say. I stood looking at my dad.

“I was having a one on one with mom, she sends her love to everyone” I smiled

“does she now. Well she could tell me herself,” he said looking at the sky expecting something

“she can't, she doesn’t like you”

he let out a harsh laugh “I figure that”

“you are so much like her, you mother. Always wanting to prove something, and not caring how it's done”

“don’t give m the long speech, we already had this out in the hospital”

“I think I may have been too harsh with you.”

“oh my god, this was Lisa's idea wasn’t it. Can you please tell her to back of the mothering”

“you are stubborn, and proud, and pigheaded. But I forgot to say you are smart and strong, and I'm proud of you” he said and I stood there looking dumbfounded

“I always knew you were strong and clever. Like that time in middle school when somehow the pictures of that gym teacher and his little thing for underage girls got on the school website”

“the idiot tried to make a pass at me, someone had to do something.” I defended “how did you know that anyways”

“I always had my eyes on you. I wish I could say the same about your mother, especially that day. But when I could I always checked in. I know you think I didn’t care. I need you to know I did, I do love you”

I was not a pussy and I was not going to cry, so I nodded. Did a small breath “well goodnight” and left.

Gabrel opened the door some time later and got me. He had the whole room rearrange during the day. I had a small rack for my duffle bag. A mini bar, and plush carpet on the floor instead of the hard wood

“Just know this is temporary, until we find our own place, but until then I think you would feel more at home here”

I smiled “it’s nice”

“I also have a special rack for your weapons in the closet

"you spent all day doing this?"

“yeah. You like it baby”

“I like it, but I like it more with you on the bed”

“I thought you were to banged up to do anything”

I open my mouth before he cut me off “don’t say it” he said before grabbing me and laying me on the bed

“I love you” he said looking down at me

I smiled back “ I think I do to. Love you I means” I giggle. Geese I giggle. i pulled his head down until his lips touched mine. Putting an end to a shit day and a beginning to a awesome night.