Star-Crossed Enemies ✔️

Chapter 5

Julius's POV

I woke up with the sun shinning in my eyes.

I turn my head to the side groaning form the light and snuggle closely with the person next to me. Wait. I open my eyes and in fact there she is. My mate. Sleeping peacefully in my arms, a relaxed expression in her face. I take this time to properly look at her. She truly was a beautiful sight to wake up to in the morning, her golden hair, all tangled up from the improved swimming last night, shined in the sun; her eyes, now shielded in the darkness of sleep, are so expressive they have their own language; and perhaps my favourite aspect of her, her wicked tongue. She can tempt a man to the most devilish of actions let them be murderous or luxuriously sinful. I would very much like to think about what else she can do with her tongue. And her rocking body does go appreciated, she sure is a temptress to my eager eyes. If only she wasn't my enemy.

I slowly remove myself from her hold on me without waking her up. I gather she will be hungry when she wakes up so I better go look for something to eat before she wakes. We both need to gather our strengths.

I scavenge the area carefully. There was nothing that pointed to hunters near our location, but that can change very quickly. The sooner we get moving the better.

I gather some berries I found and a few herbs I recognise are good for fighting infections. I grab them without thinking and put them in my short's pocket to keep safe, right next to the berries. I find my way back to the camp, where I had left my mate sleeping, hopefully she will be awake by now. Although I am surprised when I get there and find her gone.

I can't contain the growl that escapes my lips. Fuck. I knew she would do this. I knew it! She's a bloody hunter and she can't be trusted. A fucking night with her in my arms and I allowed myself to fucking lower my guard. Fuck! I curse running my hands through my hair trying not to release my frustrations on a tree. There are after all still other hunters in this forest. Hunters who wanted to kill my mate.

I avoid shifting so I don't destroy the clothes on my body. They were the last ones I had, and although it would be easier to track her in wolf form, I can still do it as a human. Besides, she's injured, she can't have run off that far, all I had to do now is catch her scent.

Hayley's POV

So maybe I haven't thought this trough, I think as I try to keep as much distance between me and Julius as possible. I had no idea where I was, where I was going and if I even was running in the right direction. I just woke up saw I was alone and took the opportunity presented to me to escape the beast, hopefully find a phone and sort everything out with my father, so he could call off the strike team and I could finally return home.

A good idea, just terrible executed.

My leg hurts from the extra effort, and my limp was making me slower than usual. But I wasn't ready to give up. Julius will notice I'm gone sooner or later if he hadn't noticed already and he would come after me, of that I had no doubt.

I stop for a minute just catching my breath. I was breathing rapidly and I could literally feel my body temperature rising, and other signs that tell me there is a mighty chance that my body is fighting the beginning of an infection.

I chuckle tired, just what I fucking needed right now.

But giving up was not an option.

I grind my teeth and I push forward despite the pain. I lasted 10, maybe 15 minutes before finally allowing myself to rest. My leg was throbbing, and I could feel a fever trying to break through. I lean back in the shades of a large tree and close my eyes. I take deep breaths in and out, the cool air felt wonderful against the heat of my skin. I knew there was a very large chance I wasn't going to make it in time before finding any sort of civilization and sending for help. Nobody would find my body and my father would be left to wonder what happened to his daughter for the rest of his life. *I scoff internally* If he even cared enough to do that.