Star Crossed Lovers (Clove And Cato Book 2)

21. The Bloody Monkey

21.

A cool breeze settles over us, Finnick still absent. I try to rest my eyes. Cato said I had to; for a tiring look kept appearing in my eyes. I let my raven hair cover my face, and shut my eyes finally.

Dreams come to me, vivid ones. The Arena, the 74th Hunger Games. Glimmer, Marvel, Katniss, Peet, Arianna, Rue, Thresh.....others....

Others..........

My head throbs incredibly and I jerk awake to a cold, still night. I look around, no one is here.

"Cato?" I call out in a shaky voice. No answer. I look at my surroundings; the mussels are still sitting in the bucket, the half eaten bread....But no tributes. I begin to panick; where is he. Cato usually is the one looking for me, not vise versa.

I bundle out of the den and into the blazing hot sun piping down onto my back. The burn registers on my skin instantly: my skin is very fragile.

I pull a hand to shield my eyes; but still no one emerges to greet me. My feet move onwards and I eventually spot my knives, hooking them around me I travel on the sun still hot on my tail.

"Cato?˝ I call out several times in a lame attempt to reach him. Where is he? I just what him now, ny Cato back in my arms where he should be.

I want to go home; staying here is too hard. But I cannot die yet, he needs me.

"Don't protect him," Ms Pipe's words haunt me.

How can she say that? I swallow the hard lump in my chest and continue looking for them. He wouldn't leave me alone, would he? No. He wouldn't....

"Aaaaaaaa!" a scream pierces the sky. My legs move before my mind and it leads me to the screech. Into the forest, passing small insects and colourful birds. A wet breeze passing over me as I enter.

"Help!" the voice screams louder this time. I stop in my tracks. I know that voice. That voice belongs to Prim...

*****

I finally reach the clearing where Prim's wails are being taken place. As I jog into the open ground, I notice Prim on the ground a net held around her. She sobs viciously onto the ground, rocking to and fro. Johanna, Cashmere, Finnick and Beetee stand down looking at her. They don't turn as I approach. I notice Actor's not there, nor Wiress.

"Let her go." I croak out, three young heads turn to me. Beetee continues staring at Prim, intrigued.

"We caught her near our camp, any ideas why?" Cashmere says boldly spitting at my feet. My eyes narrow; she can really get on your last nerve.

"Yeah I befriended her. So what? Come and kill me then Cashmere!" I shout back enraged by her sudden annoyance.

She looks flabbergasted

"Stop girls," Finnick says holding back Cashmere's arm. She sighs.

"What we do with this?" she grunts kicking Prim, who sets of a small yelp.

"She's harmless, let her go." Beetee says gently already tugging off the net from the pale Prim.

"Beetee listen..." Johanna starts but Beetee holds up a hand.

"I said she's harmless."

Finnick finally helps him release her, the net being basically stuck into the ground. As it lifts away Prim sits terror struck. Cashmere spins her sharp knife in her hand, causing Prim to dart away into the shadows.

"Wasn't that hard now, Cash?" I say and Cashmere glares at me.

"You little..."

"Clove!"

The sound of my name makes me jump, bit I just see Cato behind me his smile welcoming. He embraces me and I feel his warm breath on my skin.

"I was worried-"

I cut him off by planting my lips on his. He reaches up for my hair, his hand tangled in my mane. We only break when Cashmere coughs loudly.

I press my head against his, he has to lean down.

"Don't. Ever. Do. That. Again." I pant out the words and Cato grins at me beautifully.

"I won't,"

His promise, I hope, are better than mine.

*****

"What the heck is that?" I bark as I take guard with Cato by my side.

"Oh my god..." he trails off jumping to his feet, grabbing his sword. I stand to attention to, and make sure my knives are securely on me.

"Clove you might not like what you see." Cato says running a hand through his blonde hair. I bite down on my bottom lip.

"I don't care, you can't go alone."

So we travel into the edge of the forest, where we saw it. Our hands wrapped together, I feel safer with him by my side.

The only sounds we hear are from the native animals and the water behind us. I ease my blade out of my sash and hold it up, shielding me. Cato, stands in front of me, shielding me from whatever we saw.

Finally we see it.

Monkeys, little creatures bound towards us. I smile; they look so innocent...

But as they approach they start making terrible noises, their teeth sharpened and their eyes a lusty red colour. I clutch my knife tighter, it's gonna be a fight for sure.

"Clove stay behind me." Cato orders, I protest immediately.

"I can't Cato.."

"That's an order, Green!" he bellows and I surrender to him, shielding behind his massive frame

The monkeys reach us in fours, Cato already slicing at the nearest ones. I scream as others come from behind me, slashing away with my knife I kill them. One, a fat ginger one, lunges for me, wrapping his hands around my throat and pressing down hard. Cato hasn't noticed; his side is pretty jammed. I fightback with the monkey, grasping his little fingers off of me until he bites down on my skin. I yelp with fear and drop my blade. My strength regains and I throw the monkey far away from me as possible, hearing it's screeches from afar. There are too many for us; but we fight on. Finally, bloodless monkeys litter the floor, their eyes dead and whole.

Cato squeezes my arm.

"I'm sorry." he mutters softly. He stands facing me, and I pull him into a hug. As I look behind him, l see the monkey that tried to kill me racing forwards. He's going for Cato. I stand still; what can I do? Cato releases me, and just before the monkey soars into him, a female figure flies past him colliding with the monkey. She struggles on the floor with him, but he bites down on her neck. I throw my blade into the creatures back, and he freezers and falls crumbling to the ground. The woman wheezing on the floor reaches for Cato's hand. He takes it, tears staining his eyes.

"Thank you." he mutters kissing her palm gently. She gives a small smile. I recognize her; one of the morphlings from 6. Her bulging eyes suggest that the monkey's bite was filled with poison.

"J-just be s-strong." she manages to splitter out. I stand awkwardly behind the two. She reaches for Cato's cheek, caressing his smooth skin.

She dabs her fingers gently on his skin, pulling away when her hand falls exhausted.

"Sleep well." Cato says and her cannon sounds. My Cato, the sweet, innocent Cato. He shouldn't be here; it's wrong. Too wrong.

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Cato is soo sweet. You think he handsome? Comment and vote.

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Till next update

MissKatniss

P.S Please read my new book LOST. XXXX