The Alpha's Hunt Chapter 100

Looking at his face it was like I forgot every word in the vocabulary. He was so close to me yet it felt like a stranger’s eyes that I looked into. His fingers softly graced the skin around my temple but his touch wasn't one that I recognized. Now when I looked at him he was soft and caring, his eyes bled with the emotions that I thought he was incapable of feeling and they swam in the humanity that he suppressed for the longest time.

I didn’t see the monster that took me- played with me and broke me apart. The light coming in through the door lit up behind him and the last fog from Zade’s disappearance was fanning out in the room. 

“He can come back,” I said and slowly turned my head away from his touch.

My hands pressed against the cold floor and I started to stand.

“I hope he does,” Darian said in a warning and grabbed my hand as he helped me up. 

“Where do you think he went?” 

Darian paused for a beat and shook his head. 

“I don’t know but he’s not close, he fucked up with mark-manipulation. If he goes anywhere inside the Council or speaks to anyone, I'll know. He’s not dumb enough for that, unfortunately,”

Darian stood close, there were a few inches between us and when he moved to close them I took a step back and cleared my throat.

“How’d you get out?” I furrowed my brows.

“I had help,” Darian answered. He sighed and his shoulders slumped as a shadow crossed behind him and a man entered the room.

“Yo, we gotta go!” Someone called and I stepped away from Darian to see who it was that came in behind him. 

I had to blink at least ten times and I dug my nails into the palm of my hands to make sure that i was awake and that this was really happening.

“You?” I gasped, “No- no it’s not possible,” I stuttered as if I was talking to a ghost, which it felt like I was.

The blue-eyed man with the nicest smile and kindest eyes I'd seen stood very much alive, in front of me. 

Dressed in the black uniform of the Dark Guard the man who first helped me escape when I arrived at the palace stood breathing and well. But Darian caught him that night, they tortured him, I heard his screams while I was bound to the chair and then Darian had him killed. I heard it. 

“But did we see it?” Trixy asked.

And the answer landed in my head like a brick; no, we didn't see it, we knew what he wanted us to know. I turned to Darian and caught my breath as I glared at his faltering face. He watched me, every scene of the reaction he knew I'd have once this came to light and now he stood like a fucking fool and watched it all shatter at his feet. 

“You pretended to kill him?” I seethed.

“Yes,” he answered coldly.

It was pointless for him to try and cover it up and he knew it, everything was slowly being revealed and I honestly don't know how much of it I can take.

The door slammed into the wall and Gabe stood in the doorframe with someone else covered behind him. 

“Are you okay?” He asked me when he stepped inside and that’s when I saw Abby behind him. 

“Hi,” she waved.

What the hell was Abby doing here? I hadn't seen her since the night of the Ball.

I tried not to look like a confused grouch but I think I failed when I felt how my brows hunched and my nose wrinkled.

“I’m fine,” I spat and looked at Gabe’s worried face. 

He nodded and looked at his brother.

“We have to go, the Elder knows you’re out,” 

“Where did she come from?” I asked and pointed at Abby, meaning absolutely no disrespect but come on, why did there always have to be a fucking Bell present whenever anything went down? 

“She was one of the Bells at dinner but she kept her head down so you wouldn't blow it,” Gabe said and winked. He watched my frown deepen and flickered his eyes over my face but a rock landed in my stomach and a pressure on my chest was fracturing my ribs.

My stomach turned like I was free falling from a mountain with no safety net and the air in my lungs felt thin and useless.

At least my head was clear but the amount of biting and snarky thoughts that were spinning around up there was crazy. It felt like I hadn't had a chance to stop and think and piece everything together but now that I did I found myself pissed off at every single person around me. 

Gabe’s eyes softened and his lips fell in a pout but I was mad at him too, for the jokes and the pain and…and I don't know, for everything.

“Hazel I was joking, she just didn't want to blow her cover. She’d heard from Nora that Darian was taken and when the Council hired the Bells she asked to be one of them so she could help,” Gabe walked closer and his eyes softened but before he could come too close, Darian moved in and stood between us.

Possessive bastard. He turned to face me and reached out for my hand but I pulled it back and stepped aside. His eyes hardened for a second and his jaw relaxed but at least he didn't hide what he was feeling.

“Nate knows where they’re keeping Kiera. We have to grab her and go,” he ordered and dropped his hand.

“Who the fuck is Nate?” I asked and raised my arms as I took a step back. They were talking, I heard their voices but it sounded like a furious buzzing because they clearly knew more shit than I did and they’d been keeping me out of the loop on purpose.

“I- I’m-i’m Nate,” the undead former member of the Royal Guard said and did a little wave with his hand.

“Then you four go, get Kiera, and then leave. I'm finding my way back on my own because I don't want to be a part of this anymore. You knew that Nate was alive and well and that he was here, didn't you?” I said and got up in Gabe’s face. Darian put a hand on my shoulder but I shook it off and looked at Gabe, “Didn’t you!?” I repeated.

Hit bit down on his tongue and raised his arms in the air.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t tell you before we came in case-”

“In case I chose not to and then Zade wouldn't have been preoccupied with me, right?” The pieces were falling into place.

“You weren't bate if that’s what you’re thinking,” Gabe said angrily, his voice rose to match mine and his brows furrowed as he narrowed his dark eyes. 

“Of course I was! While you were getting a lap dance, I had a demon pressed up against me so that the none-dead-Nate could break Darian out, and then Abby could help you away from the other Council members, that’s what happened right?” I said and looked between them. I knew I was right, they didn't have to confirm it I just needed them to not lie in my face. 

“You’re not entirely wrong but that’s not why we needed you to come!” Gabe’s frustration rose rapidly.

“There’s that god damn we word again! The we that I'm not a part of, the we that you had behind your back this entire time while I’ve never felt more alone in my life-“ I threw my hands in the air and sighed while I forced back the tears, “-well I've done my part so get the fuck out of my face now please,”

“That’s not true, Hazel, and just because you didn't see them doesn't mean that they weren't behind you too! Not that you would've them because I stood there the entire time, ready to kill any fucker who tried anything,” Gabe’s voice filled the room, the echoes bounced against the wall and Abby closed the door behind her when she walked inside.

“You weren't in this room,” my voice broke and I cursed myself. 

“And I will have to live with that for the rest of my life but I never would've let you go with him if I wasn't sure that you were safe. You weren't the decoy or bate, that’s not why I told you to come,”

“Then why?!”

“Because I wouldn't have been strong enough to break out without you here,” Darian said behind me.