HUNT, OR BE HUNTED

CHAPTER 8: THE TRUTH

Jacque smiled when he saw her sitting there on his bed. Her yellow-brown hair spilled down her shoulders. She looked up when the door opened, gave him an angelic smile.

"Where have you been?" she asked. He sat beside her, slid an arm around her shoulders.

"I was just talking to Raphael." He couldn't tell her about Jared. She had just forgiven him for everything he had done to her. Would she forgive him again if he lied straight into her face? He didn't think so. "He brought someone."

"Someone?" Kora's green eyes flashed at him. "Who is it?"

Jacque let out a long sigh. "It's him."

"Jared?"

"Yeah," Jacque nodded. "Turns out he was lost. Probably went looking for you."

"And whose fault is it?"

"I told you I was sorry," Jacque had an apologetic look on his handsome face. "I only wanted to protect you. I didn't mean to hurt you or anything."

"Where is Jared?" Kora stood up. "I have to explain to him. He has to know."

"Know what?" Jacque stood almost immediately. "What does he have to know?"

"Everything," Kora said. "I haven't been honest with him."

"Hold on a second," he took her arm. "You still care about him? Why are you still protecting him? Do you think that you can save him?"

"What?" Kora raised her voice. "I'm not protecting him."

"Then you don't have to tell him anything."

"But-" she put a hand in her hair. "I can't let him die like that."

"Kora-"

"Listen, Jacque. There is a reason why I don't want Jared to die. I think-"

"What, that you have feelings for him?"

"No. It's just..."

"Just...?"

"I first met him when Seth ordered me to hunt down people like him. I followed your trail, and then I found him in the woods, wounded and badly poisoned. I know, I should have just left him to die."

"You didn't. Why?"

"I know, the hunted are meant to be killed by the hunters. But I just couldn't. I couldn't kill Jared. He was different. Of all the hunted, Jared was...I don't know. I just knew he was the one."

"What do you mean the one?" Jacque asked.

"The moment I met him, I knew he was the love of my life," the words spilled out of her mouth, and time seemed to stop for a very long while.

Jacque felt dazed. What was she talking about? No, she couldn't be with Jared. She was his. He was the love of her life, not Jared.

"Guess it can't ever happen, because he is a killing machine. He would lose control and rip my head off," Kora shrugged. "At first I thought I could save him, but...I can't be with someone who has to kill me."

"People like him...they were made to kill. Made to destroy everything in their path and wreak havoc. And you can't save him, because the cure never existed."

"I tried, and I thought it would be possible. I thought it would all be over if we find the cure."

"No, Kora. There is no cure. There never was, and there never will be. They will always be our enemies. If we don't get rid of them first, they would wipe us all out."

"I'm sorry," she said all of a sudden.

"You don't have to be sorry for anything, Kora. I should be the one apologizing to you for the rest of my life."