To Be Hunted

14 - A God

Weeks passed since that night and how much I wish I would have kept my mouth shut. Bennett did as I asked - only talking to me when it came to training and lessons in his office. That's it.

I missed him. I didn't realize how much I enjoyed his cocky remarks and his smirk.

God, that smirk. He hasn't even smiled in my direction since told him to leave me alone that night. The only time I see him being the man that I know, is when Falon brings reports to him.

Falon. That's a whole different subject altogether. Her sister was stunning and completely captivating, but this woman was something entirely different.

I suppose you could say she was beautiful, in her own dark way. However, there was this aura about her that just screamed danger. Every time she looked at me I could feel my skin crawl with fear. I didn't even have to be looking at her to know when she was looking at me - she just had this look.

She was just different. She didn't scream Siren to me like Taryn did. There wasn't anything charming about her.

Falon was just terrifying.

And it didn't help that Bennett never allowed her to speak to me. Something about her being unpredictable, I don't know. I have the feeling that Bennett doesn't trust the black haired creature either.

"Are you listening?" Bennett asks roughly, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I shake my head. "No, sorry." I say with no real emotion behind the apology. "This stuff...I just don't see how it will help me."

He brings his head to his hands, his elbows leaning on the desk in front of him. I can see he is tired. It's late. The sun went down hours ago leaving only darkness in the window beside us.

"You need to listen, Loralei," He says, but his words are mumbled behind his hands. "I'm telling you all this for a reason."

"I know, but I just...I need a break Bennett. We have been going at this for weeks. I'm tired. I can see you are exhausted. Why can't we just relax for one night instead of reading about how many times Alecander has stated that he has been next in line to become leader of the Protectors?"

He sighs again, dropping his hands. He leans back in his comfortable Alpha chair that I so desperately want to steal one day and just looks at me. I can see his mind racing behind his eyes. I even watch as he opens his mouth for a moment, but turns away when he decides that the words on his tongue don't deserve to be said.

Instead, he just nods his head and shoos me off with a flick of the wrist - which should have made me happy, but instead left me with a heavy and lonely heart as I walked out of his office without him by my side yet again.

"Stupid idiot," I mumble under my breath as I walk down the hall towards my bedroom.

Rage and disappointment bubble inside me like hot magma. Rage because he still won't talk to me and I don't know what to do to change that.

And disappointment because he still won't talk to me and I don't know what to do to change that.

Tears of frustration run down my cheeks. I've never cried this much. Never. Even with all of my injuries that I endured and the years of loneliness. This sadness and heartbreak are brand new emotions that I just don't know how to deal with.

I enter my room and slam the door behind me before running to my ridiculously large bed and flopping face first onto it. I scream into the mattress, praying that I would release some of these emotions. I cry and curse and yell and scream some more, but nothing helps.

Mid-scream, I feel a hand on my back and I jump off the bed.

"What the fuck!" I shriek as I hit the ground. "Ouch."

I groan as I rub my elbow before pulling myself up off of the ground, ignoring the man whose attention I so desperately miss. I want to look at him. I want to admire his beautiful face and engrave it into my mind forever, but I can't.

After a few moments of silence, Bennett clears his throat awkwardly. "Little one," He says using the nickname he gave me for the first time in a very long time. "You okay?"

"No," I reply coolly. Why? I don't know, it just seems like the way things are right now.

I hear him sigh and I peek up through my eyelashes at him. He looks torn about something and I know he is internally debating something.

"Look," we both sat at the same time, making me smile.

"You first," He says gesturing to me.

I nod and take a slow breath before continuing, "I know I told you to leave me alone, but I miss you Bennett." I pause to look at him, gauging his reaction before whispering, "I don't want you to leave me alone anymore."

He chuckles and the sound makes my heart skip a beat. I haven't heard the sweet sound in weeks.

"I was just upset. I was overwhelmed. I didn't understand why you left like that. You are my first kiss and-"

"What?" He interrupts me, his shoulders tense and he wears a mask of confusion on his beautiful face. "Your first?"

"Well, yeah. I've been on the run for ten years and kissing someone wasn't at the top of my priority list." I reply sarcastically and fold my arms over my chest.

"I understand that but most people would have their kids when they were in their teens or something..." He trails off, still staring at me in confusion.

"And we all know I was the weird misfit child who was hated by Bloodren, rejected by Mahigan and misunderstood by humans." I say resentfully. "Of course no one would actually want to kiss me. I was an outcast!"

"But...you are breathtaking." He says and I blush.

"No one has ever said anything like that." I whisper looking down again in embarrassment. "No one."

I hear him move from the bed towards me and I feel his hand on my chin as it gently, yet firmly makes me look slip at him.

"Then they are blind." He tells me. "You are the most beautiful and enthralling creature I have ever seen."

My blush grows hotter.

"And you are strong, kind, determined, brave, spunky-"

I burst out in laughter. "Spunky?"

"I wasn't sure of a word to describe your quirks." He says a smile growing on his face. "And I mean you have a lot of them."

I giggle and nod my head a little. He brings his hand from my chin to the side of my neck and begins playing with my hair a little. The motion tickles, but in a good way and it makes it hard to concentrate on his next words.

"Loralei, you are one of the most enchanting women I know. I am a fool to keep you at arms length. I won't apologize for walking away from our kids because I had my reasons, but I am sorry for walking away when you clearly needed me." He says sincerely, before a smirk grows on his face. "Plus, how could I turn away such a lovely creature who thinks I, a mere Mahigan Alpha, is a God."

I groan, leaning my head against his firm chest and he chuckles, gently making me shake against him.

"I missed you." I mumble into his chest.

"And I, you," Bennett whispers into my hair as he wraps me into a tight hug. "More than you would understand."