The Runaway Huntress
Chapter 47 - 46

Chapter 47: Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Her foot automatically took a step back on seeing him move towards her. It went off her mind that she was on a high branch. Her stupidity made her lose her footing, and she slid off. Thankful that instead of crying out a sudden shriek, she bit her tongue and grunted when she landed on foot in a crawling pose. Being agile saved her.

She instantly shot her head in their direction. The wolves behind Ezekiel noticed the rustling in her position. But the leader growled again. She could read in his eyes that if she dared start to proceed on her plan to his people, he would not hesitate to get in between and stop her. More like she won’t be able to get near them in the first place.

She somehow understood what he wanted her to do. Retreat. Giving him a last hard look as her knuckles turned white in a tight grip of the anger bubbling inside her, she hissed, "Don’t trust anyone." Then she turned around and sprinted in whatever direction her foot would bring.

’King, there was someone in that direction.’ Candor’s voice echoed in Zek’s mind. They were using mind-link. He forgot to block anyone’s voice.

’Forget it. Let’s go.’ He responded and put on a barrier so that no voice would enter his head again. He led them in the opposite direction from where his mate had run off. Her last words echoed in his mind. That sounds like a warning.

Melisca felt the rage in her again. If anger could make people explode when it reaches a certain level, then she would have been to pieces years ago, way, way back.

They were just within her reach. But then Ezekiel had to come in at that very moment. How she wanted to utter that they were the suspects she was mainly after in his people but didn’t want to alert them head-on that she was hunting them.

Her ears caught up to the sound of a passing vehicle on a silent road. She followed that direction, then, at last, finally out of the wilderness. It was quite a jungle in there.

She released a tired breath and proceeded to walk at a normal pace at the side of the road. She tucked in some strands of baby hair that were touching her face and some short strands that had gotten loose. Her long braid behind her was tangled and caught tiny leaves on it. She plucked out some dirt and dusted herself.

Her appearance was in complete disarray. One look and they would already figure out that she had a wrestle with someone, which was almost true.

She glanced at her wristwatch. It was a quarter before 7:00 pm. Her stomach rumbled from the smell of street food far ahead. There were stalls of different local delicacies. Her mouth instantly watered. Since there were no passing cars and the lamppost didn’t reach where she was, she kicked on the dirt and sprinted to the nearest spot where no one might notice her abrupt apparition.

Wind chased behind her as she halted at the side of a huge tree, a few steps apart from a stall for corndogs. The rumbling in her stomach worsened. She rummaged through her pockets, hoping for some bills left. She almost hopped in joy when she still had a few in her.

Grinning like an idiot, she approached the stall and bought a few. While munching the food, she moved to the next stall and almost all the food stands, wanting to try everything. Her hands were full of food packs. She was already too full to eat when she stopped by the front of the mechanic shop.

The boss was glad to see her again. It seemed like he wanted to chat some more, but she quickly finished her business with him. Her big bike was parked inside the garage. With a heavy backpack on her shoulders and plastic bags in hand, she still refused the offer of the boss that he’d get her service for her. After paying the second half, she snatched her keys in his fingers and went out.

Some of his men bid her goodbye, and she responded with a curt nod.

Melisca was now hitting the road. Each side of her handle had a plastic bag dangling. She planned to get back immediately to the city. To get away from Ezekiel. He can’t trace her now, for she left her tracked knife in his body. She groaned upon realizing that she had one weapon less. She loved that knife. It was the first one she purchased when she finally decided what main weapon to keep with her.

During her bounty hunting job, she had a licensed gun. Though it was useful for her missions and she had used it multiple times, she still preferred her dagger knives. Guns were too loud in her ears when triggers were pulled. And it was a hustle putting on a silencer, which she sometimes forgot. She had great aim with guns, for she got trained with it, but she’s the best in close combat. She just can’t use her full capabilities when fighting with humans. Of course, during her missions, mostly her bounty should be surrendered alive, so she can’t fully harass them. There were occasions too when they would kill themselves rather than go to prison for whatever punishment they’d receive.

After more than 30 minutes of riding in the suburbs, she finally entered the city proper. She stopped to get some fuel refills. She let the gasoline boy do his job as she reached for her phone in the side pocket of the backpack. It had just come to her mind that she’s got nowhere to stay for the night. She can’t stay with Lorna. It’s too risky for her, especially with the luggage she brought. There was a photo album in it. It was the unyielding proof of who she was and, without any doubt, would compromise her goal if anyone saw their pictures, mainly the hunters.

Then there’s her laptop, there wasn’t that much valuable information about her in it, but she can never be too sure when technology was involved. There’s always a hole or a crack even for the most secure codes.

"Excuse me, miss? The tank’s already full." The young man interrupted, seeing as she was spacing out.

It went off her mind that she had been staring at her phone for some time, but not even opening it. She was drowned in her thoughts. She handed the boy her payment and then returned the phone to her pockets before proceeding to the highway.

While driving, her musings earlier resumed. She was uncomfortable with having someone else around her all the time. She always worked solo, though there were rare occasions that the authorities required her cooperation for a drug or syndicate raid. Her performance was highly known in the department, and the bureau took notice of her talent and wanted to promote her, but she refused to work in the open. She turned them down, but she received bigger fish that resulted in a lot of income.

She halted for the red light. The tall business buildings with a hotel name plastered on a neon sign atop were calling for her. She had a lot of choices for which hotel to stay in without minding the price. Maybe for tonight, she can be alone to completely release her worries in a soft bed without getting up her senses constantly of having someone around. She decided to do just that as the light turned green.

Ezekiel, now back in human form, just entered his private room at the Wildcrest pack. His wound in the left torso had not yet fully healed. The stinging pain was still there. He can survive it but he can’t move freely yet. He called Drasco to his room. The blood was still sipping out but more slowly now, unlike before.

As the man entered, his eyes immediately landed on the wound of his leader. "Alpha, what happened?" Drasco even kneeled to the floor to see the wound but Zek gestured for him to stop.

He was sitting on a sofa at the foot of the king-sized bed, in front of the fireplace. He had put on new pants though before calling him in.

"Was it caused by that dagger?" Drasco asked, noticing the knife he put on the small table. "It was cursed by anti-magic, right? So that’s why it didn’t heal quickly. Who dared to use it on you, alpha? I would find—"

"—Don’t bother. This is nothing." He immediately waved off Drasco’s threat for his mate. No one can find out about their encounter. But more specifically, his people couldn’t know yet that what they were seeking was their luna.

The man wanted to say more but he bowed his head instantly when Zek threw him an authoritative glace to not dare oppose him anymore.

"I apologize, alpha."

"This would heal in a few hours." He started to ease his subject’s worry. "But anyway, was there any news when I was gone?"

"A vampire came to the camp."