Two Hearts: The Hunt [Slowly Editing]

Chapter Forty-Four

A/N- Sorry this update took a long time; last week was hell with school and being sick :( luckily I felt better for the weekend, but I didn't have time to write till Sunday because I had two Halloween parties to go to.

I'm worried I'm not going to finish this story in time for the deadline :/

ANYWAY, I hope you all enjoy this long chapter! Next update should be Wednesday or Friday since Thursday's Halloween and I'll be out trick-or-treating and partying at the neighborhood block party :P

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Adrianna's POV

He took me to a place not far from my temporary home, parking his truck at the side of the road, by the edge of the forest.

Caleb cut the engine. I stared at him, confusion written all over my face as I threw dubious glances out his side window, eyeing the opacity engulfing the trees outside.

"You're taking me on a hike into the forest? At eleven o'clock at night?"

"No. I'm taking you to a place I found one day on my wait out of your neighborhood. I hunted in this forest and stumbled across it by accident," he explained, and then his eyes became thoughtful. "But now that you mention it, there may be some hiking involved..."

I whined in protest as we got out of the car, Caleb's low chuckle chasing my childish complaint as it echoed off into the night.

"I can carry you if you want," he said, his golden eyes sparkling with humor.

I scoffed. "I'm never letting you carry me. Ever. The day we met was the first and last time so I hope you had fun dropping me onto the floor like a sack of-"

My next words died in the pit of my throat, the sight of Caleb lunging for me surprising me out of speech. In one effortless, fluid motion I was lifted off the ground and cradled in the air, Caleb's masculine arms maintaining a firm hold on my figure. The beat of his heart from where the half of my body was pressed against his chest pounded against me in a pronounced, steady rhythm.

"Caleb," I groaned, squirming in his arms.

"If you keep moving around like that, I'll drop you by accident."

"Jerk."

He answered me with a devious snicker before starting for the edge of the woods, delving into its shadowy depths. The only sounds that could be heard besides his calming heartbeat was that of the leaves crunching beneath the soles of his shoes and hundreds of cicadas chirping away into the night.

"Please tell me you werewolves have excellent night vision," I said after a couple of minutes of thoughtful silence, my voice sounding too loud. "The last thing I need is you bashing my head into a tree trunk."

"That pretty little head of yours will be just fine; I promise," Caleb assured. "Besides," he added, just as he slowed to a stop, "we're already here."

I had been too preoccupied with staring at the shadows blanketing the sharp planes of Caleb's face to survey what lay ahead of us. Tearing my eyes away from the straight line of his jaw, I latched them onto the sight of the upward slope of a plain of grass, dotted with jagged rocks and extending out into a backdrop of black sky sprinkled with twinkling stars. He set me down gently, taking my hand and leading me up the hill, towards the high crest that shielded what lay beyond it. We stepped carefully over dirt and rocks and finally made our way to what I soon realized was a high ridge of rock overlooking what appeared to be a town.