Cold Kisses

34. A warning

Verity

A scream tore through the forest. 

I desperately tried to look up, to see where we were. It had only been a few seconds, and as he had always been slower than me, we could not have been far away. Possibly even remaning in the territory.

The sudden tension in Nathaniel's shoulder confirmed my thoughts. We were still close enough to be sniffed out and located. He was bothered by that, I could tell. Perhaps even scared. 

A roar boomed in the distance. 

Anger blossomed within me and I went rigid. My fangs moved underneath my gums, pressing forward. I held back a hiss. My eyes swirled red in an instant. Rage consumed my entire being; pulsing underneath my skin and snaking in my veins. 

Hunter.

Lifting my head, I scanned through the forest. No one was near us. 

I whispered a prayer to Nyx in my head and forced my body upwards. Before Nathaniel could react, I swiftly plunged my fangs into his shoulder. A surprised gasp left his lips when my fangs tore through his skin, piercing a vein. I gulped down his blood, digging my nails into his skin. He desperately tried to push me off, but I remained glued to him. It wasn't until his knees buckled beneath him and we fell to the ground, that I eased my grip. 

His body was atop of mine, pinning me down. He did not move. The blood pouring out of the wound turned black once it hit the skin. I wiggled my way out from underneath him and stood up. Blood stained my shirt and dripped down my chin. My tongue eagerly lapped the liquid around my mouth up and I shuddered. 

Hunter.

After one final glance at Nathaniel, I started to run back to where Hunter was. My eyes peered through the darkness in hopes of seeing him or his wolf. My nose picked up his scent and I ran faster. The wind blew in my ears and my eyes teared up. 

Hunter was the only thing on my mind as I dashed through the forest. What if he was hurt? What if that was what Nathaniel had meant when he said the wolves were busy? What if he had been bitten and was slowly dying? Tears that had dried were now flowing down my cheeks again. Worry raced through my body as I fought to locate him. My body ached and would collapse soon if I did not ease the pain within me. 

As his scent grew in strength, my nose picked up a dozen or so other scents - all of which were wolves, except one.

I skidded to a stop at the edge of a clearing, a relieved breath leaving my lips. Hunter stood there in the moonlight, looking like Adonis himself. His shoulders were tense and his hands clenched into fists. Anger rolled off of him in harsh waves. He was pacing back and forth infront of a tree, shaking his head and growling. 

Dave stood near him, his eyes locked on the tree while his canines dipped into his bottom lip. Wolves circled them - wolves I believed were a part of the night patrol. I tried to see what was by the tree, but came up empty. Their bodies covered it and my night vision was not that great when my energy was slowly dripping out from my body. 

Taking a trembling step into the clearing, I whispered: "Hunter."

His head twisted in my direction and upon spotting me, he hurried towards me. But he stopped a few metres from me. His eyes widened in shock as he stared at me. My eyebrows furrowed and I took a step forward, my arms opening the slightest to invite him for an embrace. He remained still. His eyes were glued on my lips as he blinked in confusion. I tilted my head. 

Before I could ask what was wrong, Dave cleared his throat.

"Alpha."

Hunter ignored him and continued staring at me. I saw Dave grow frustrated at the lack of response and made his way over to us. As he neared and walked up to Hunter's side, he glanced at me. And he gasped. His eyes widened, as Hunter's, and darkened the slightest.