Chapter Twenty-five

“She…she brought her friends and they massacred the whole village where my grandparents lived. Her friends held me captive and made me watch while she slit their throats. And then, she got into my face and told me that a werewolf and a Hunter can never be friends. She also said that thanks to me, she would be ranked higher in her pack. Then they beat me up and left me for dead. Her face is fuzzy in my memory, but I will forever remember the way her icy blue eyes bore into mine,” Alexia explained.

“This new treaty changes nothing. When I find her, I will rip her head off myself.”

She continued, “When my parents found me, they took me home and treated me. They had a psychologist come talk to me, but I didn’t talk. Not for the next six months. The Council of Hunters were outraged. How can a Hunter hunt if she can’t talk? That was the moment when I told them I was a Huntress, not a Hunter. They asked me to prove myself, so I did.”

“I would run miles every day. When I came back, I would spend hours in the gym. I ate nothing but raw chicken and protein shakes so I could build my muscles. When I was old enough to get by a ‘a licenced weapon, I did and practiced every day. So, don’t tell me that it was a ‘power’ that gave me my prowess. I worked hard for it,” she finished and took off her protective gear.

All of Athena’s pleas to come back fell on deaf ears as she stormed out of the gun range.

“You think she left in the car?” Vanessa asked after a while.

Athena threw her hands up in exasperation, “Really? That’s what’s bothering you?”

Vanessa shrugged.

***

After walking off for a long time, Alexia found herself in a very desolate street. She looked around, and she saw menacing guys with different cuts and tattoos, and not the sexy kind.

She was not intimidated, but she rolled her eyes when three of them suddenly showed up in front of her. The guy in the middle was obviously the ring leader, because he was the biggest and meanest.

He had tattoos all over his face and arms, and there was a sneer pasted on his face. The other two were not as big, but they all had the same cocky sneer on their faces.

“I really should stop walking off in anger,” she whispered to herself. She pasted a fake bright smile on her face, and looked up at them.

“How can I help you boys?” she said cheerily.

The ring leader snorted, glancing at his comrades who were also laughing.

“The Alpha’s new bitch is asking us how she can help us,” he snorted again.

Alexia rolled her eyes and tried to walk past them, “I don’t have time for this.”

The leader grabbed her hand and forcefully yanked her back, “Where do you think you’re going, missy?”

Alexia glanced at the hand on her wrist and at his face, “Let go of me, or you will regret it,” she growled lowly.

All of them laughed again.

“Listen, bitch. Our money has been paid. And we were paid to have fun with you,” he dragged her closer to himself, and the foul stench emanating from his body made her gag. She struggled, but he yanked her again, almost popping her arm out of its socket.

“We were paid to have a taste of the Alpha’s plaything, so you better cooperate, and give it to us good, or we take it by force,” he whispered in her face.

He started dragging her into a dark alley, but she kept struggling and dragging her feet. He finally lifted her over his shoulders and walked into the alley, his wingmen still with him.

When they were in the alley, he threw her to the floor like a sack of flour. She landed hard on her back and she grunted, but she quickly scrambled to her feet and held her ground.

They cackled again.

“The boss lady did tell us she had fire and grit,” he moved closer to her and wrapped his arms around her, grabbing her ass. She stiffened. Her heart beat a little faster in her chest.

“Well, I am going to enjoy quenching that fire,” he growled and started sucking on her neck.

He rubbed his crotch against her and she could feel his erection. Her arms were trapped, so she trod hard on his instep. He didn’t budge. She reared her knee backwards and jammed it into his family jewels. He yelped in pain and stepped away from her.

Her finger traced over the bruise he left on her skin from sucking hard. She was filled with anger, and she launched her fist into his nose. Some of her anger dissipated when she heard his nose break with a satisfying crack. Blood spurted out of it and he cradled his broken nose with both his hands.

She leapt into the air, and launched her foot at his head in a flying back kick. He collapsed to the floor heavily, unconscious.

The other two gazed at their leader on the floor, and at her enraged face. They ran away after glancing at each other’s face.

Alexia dusted her hands and walked out of the alley. Nobody else stopped in her way as she walked out of the seedy neighbourhood.

***

When Alexia got home, she met Athena and Vanessa sitting anxiously in the Common room. They stood up in alert when she walked in, and Athena rushed over to meet her. She hugged her tight, and examined her at arm’s length.

“Oh, we were so worried. What happened? Where did you walk off to,” she noticed the bruise on her neck, “W…what is this? How did you get bruised?”

Her gaze snapped up to her friend’s weary eyes, “Were you attacked? Did someone molest you?”

Alexia nodded tiredly, “Yes. I…walked into this shady neighbourhood and three guys…accosted me and felt me up.”

Vanessa’s eyes widened, “Are you okay?”

“Yes, I am. But I need to go upstairs. I want to wash up,” she replied and freed herself from Athena’s grip. She trudged upstairs mechanically.

Athena shared a worried glance with Vanessa.

Alexia walked upstairs and into the room, where she met Hayden pacing the room worriedly.

“Hey, babe. I was so worried. You left…the …girls…” he trailed off when she bypassed him and walked into the bathroom.

He was confused, and waited to hear the shuffling of clothes but he didn’t. Instead, he heard the shower being turned on directly.

He moved to the door of the bathroom and knocked on it, “Alex, babe.”

He heard nothing, only the sound of running water, “Alex. Babe. Alexia!”

Still nothing.

He pounded hard on the door, his heart beating in trepidation, “Alexia! What is going on in there?”

“Go away, leave me alone,” she mumbled from behind the door.

Hayden’s voice turned gentle, and he put his ears to the door, “Leave you alone? Why? What is the matter? What happened out there?”

“Nothing. Now leave me alone, Hayden,” she replied.

He tried to open the door but it was locked from behind. He tugged harder, and he broke the lock. He barged into the bathroom and entered the shower cubicle.

He met his mate fully clothed, standing under the shower with her back to him. He turned her around to face him, but she turned away again. He turned around and stood in front of her. He was soon wet, but he didn’t care.

Alexia’s gaze was directed at the floor, so he lifted her chin with two fingers and made her look him in the eye. His eyes trailed over her body closely, and he saw the bruise on the side of her neck. He traced it gingerly with his finger.

“What happened? How did you get this bruise?” Hayden asked worriedly.

When his gaze went back to meet hers, her eyes were glistening with tears and her bottom lip wobbled.

His heart twisted painfully, “Babe?” he whispered softly.

That was all it took.

Alexia burst into tears and buried her face in her hands. She turned away from him, but he turned her back and put his arms around her. He tucked her head under his chin and held her tight.

She latched on to his t-shirt and sobbed hard into the wet material, her tears mingling with the water that rained down on them. The more she cried, the more Hayden felt physical pain in his chest, and the more his wolf howled painfully in his head.

He gathered her in his arms, bridal style, and slid down the glass walls of the shower cubicle until he sat on the tiled floor. He held her tight, and she burrowed in closer, still sobbing.

They were like that for a while, until her sobs died down into sniffles.

He peered down into her face, “Do you want to talk about it?”