64. Chapter 64

Chapter 64

S hock rippled through Layla as she watched the light dim in Amber's eyes.

She brought a shaky hand to her hair and pulled something out. She knew what it was but her mind had short-circuited. It felt like a dream. Everything sounded muffled as she watched the blood seep into the ground in front of her. Since she had started living with Jackson's pack, this wasn't the first dead body she had seen.

But it was the first that made her understand just how brutal her new life was.

Her heart pounded as she looked from what was in her hand to the man holstering his gun. Evil. Not human. Not human at all.

The wolf inside her rose, her self-preservation instincts kicking in. She understood now that her plan would never have worked. She had been prepared to die for Hope and Jackson, but the darkness inside the Hunter wouldn't have let him stop at just her. It wouldn't have stopped until it consumed everything she loved.

It was Andrea's sobbing that brought her back to reality. She quickly shut the wolf away but couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks. Was this the life she was leaving for her child? Her mother had been running away from these men her whole life; how would Hope survive it?

Jackson knocked the bloody mess off her hand and pulled her into his arms, but she was stiff and unable to accept the comfort he offered. Her eyes returned to Amber's body.

"Why are you out here, Mr King?"

They knew his name. Of course, they knew his name. They probably knew everything about him. She looked up at the man as he put his hands behind his back and stood with his feet apart.

"We wanted some time alone without the noise of the city," Jackson answered. "We like camping when I have a spare five minutes."

The man's eyes moved to something behind them. She remembered they had fallen next to an abandoned tent, but she would never have thought to use it as their cover story. She thanked the stars that Jackson was the one answering the questions because she was still trying to process the gravity of their situation.

"Where is Costas Markopolos?"

Jackson looked calm, but his heart still pounded as he tightened his arms around her. They were going to die next; she could feel it. They had passed the silver test, but no one would leave witnesses after committing such a heinous crime.

"He's dead, sir," Jackson answered without hesitation.

Miss Roberts' sobs turned to wails.

"See? He's a monster," she said. "I was right."

The man looked at Miss Roberts and then at the two men who had blocked Amber. They secured their guns before they grabbed Miss Roberts by her arms. She was trembling so much that Layla felt a little pity for her. But she had chosen to get involved with such men. She had let evil into all their lives.

"Aren't you going to do something to him?"

"I'm not here to judge your human crimes. You call the police for such matters, not us," the man answered. "You've wasted our time looking for something that was under your nose all along. There will be consequences."

Miss Roberts' started to panic. She became hysterical as the two men half carried, half dragged her down the trail heading into the city. The Hunters ignored her screams and pleas for mercy as if they couldn't hear her. Something told her that would be the last time she would see Andrea.

Two more people came forward and picked up Amber's body to carry her in the same direction.

Were they next?

She looked up at the man who held their lives in their hands and met his cold, brown gaze. She didn't have to fake the trembling that rocked through her.

"It's a dangerous forest to camp in. Pack your things; we'll take you back to your hotel."

Just like that? Were they being let go, or did the Hunter have ulterior motives? Her instincts rang like crazy, telling her they were still in danger.

Jackson seemed to agree with her assessment because he tensed and looked back at Amber's body before they disappeared through the trees.

"We'll... Thank you, but we'll manage," Jackson said tersely.

"I insist, Mr King. Get dressed."

There was a pause as the two men stared each other down. She sensed Jackson's anger begin to rise and tightened her hold on him. There was no point antagonising the Hunter when they didn't know what he had in mind for them.

Jackson looked at her and raised his hand to wipe blood from her face. She could sense how much he was holding himself back.

"The scent of blood will attract all the animals to you. Unless you want to die here, get your shit together," the man continued.

There was nothing else they could do. They had to go with them; at least they would be further from the others. Jackson released her and then helped her to her feet. Her knees were too shaky to hold her up, so she swayed and would have fallen if Jackson hadn't caught her and picked her up. The Hunter shook his head and muttered something about ‘weak women' under his breath before he turned away from them to address the other hunters. Of course, he had to be a murderer and a sexist pig.

"We'll rest for the night and head out in the morning," the Hunter said to his men.

All the strength left her body as Jackson entered the tent and set her down. Her heart pounded when she met his gaze. Was she worried for nothing? Had they done it? Had they saved their little girl?

Jackson let out a breath, and she sensed his relief as he started to look around the tent. Whoever had set it up had left in a hurry because all their supplies were still there. Food that hadn't been touched, a bag still packed, and sleeping bags rolled up in the corner. Something had spooked them, and she didn't have to be a genius to figure out what it was.

Jackson looked through the bag and pulled a t-shirt out. It seemed too small to be one of his, but they had to pull this off. He pulled another one out and handed it to her.

"Wipe the blood off. We'll shower at the hotel," he said.

She started to do as she was told but froze when more chunks fell from her hair. Amber's lifeless eyes filled her mind again. The contents of her stomach rose, and she made it out of the tent just in time. Amber would be in her nightmares for years to come. The whole day would. When she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and straightened, the leader of the Hunters was looking directly at her, studying her as if he was trying to figure something out.

Icy fingers danced along her spine. This had to be the danger that was still rattling her nerves. She had given herself away somehow.

"What's your name?" he asked.

He studied her hair and her face. He looked at everything from the top to the bottom. And that was when she remembered what her mother had told Jackson. Her face was plastered in Hunter bases all over the world. And she was the spitting image of her mother. She hadn't thought of that.

"Catrina," she lied. "Catrina Smith."

"How old are you?"

"Twenty-five, sir," she lied again.

The man cocked his head to the side.

"Is that your natural hair colour?"

"No, sir. I'm blonde."

There was no Catrina Smith, at least none that she knew. She prayed the Hunter wouldn't look her up, or if he did, she hoped she would be long gone by then. If they survived this, there was no way she would wait around Wolfsdale to be hunted again.

The man shook his head and turned back to his comrades. He made a gesture in the air, and all the Hunters started to march toward the city. They were still in formation as if they were still on the hunt.

"Let's go, King!" the leader barked out.

Jackson stepped out of the tent wearing the small t-shirt. It looked like one of the trendy muscle t-shirts, and somehow he pulled it off. He put the stranger's bag over his shoulder and took her hand before they started to walk with their enemy. The hounds walked beside them in a single file like their masters. None of them made a sound. It was like the scene out of a horror movie, and yet it was her life.

The whole hike towards the main road, she hoped no one would question why they were still barefoot.

As they stepped out of the forest, she watched many vans and buses pull up along the main road, and the Hunters started piling in.

"Where's your car?" the leader asked as he came up behind them.

"We came by taxi," Jackson answered. "I can call one—"

"Get in the van."

The Hunter walked to one of the vans and held the door open. Without any other choice, she and Jackson followed. As the car started to move, her heart continued to pound. Had they figured out she was the daughter of the woman they had been hunting for years?

The drive into town was made in total silence, and the dread in her stomach increased the closer they got. But whatever happened, at least she had got them away from Hope.

The van stopped in the underground parking lot of the Royal Hotel, where the Hunter told them to get out.

"What happened today was my fault. I should have checked my sources more thoroughly, especially considering I was dealing with women," the Hunter said.

She ignored the sexist remark and waited for the axe to fall. Would they be imprisoned? She preferred death to that.

"That being said, if any word of what happened in the woods travels back to my ears, I know how to find you. I'm sure we'd both rather have our mistakes kept quiet. Good night Mr King. Miss Smith."

And he turned and walked away.

She stood in the car park holding Jackson's hand for a moment until the elevator door closed on the Hunter's face. The face that she would also see in her nightmares for the rest of her life.

But she knew it wasn't over. The Hunter would see her mother's face one day, maybe even the day they returned to their base, and he would be back to find her.

Jackson pulled her along to the elevator ahead of the Hunters. Her head reeled as she processed it all. She would have to go on the run like her mother had. She would abandon Hope after all.

When Jackson pulled her into his suite, he slammed the door shut, startling her out of her thoughts as he pinned her against the door.

"Don't ever do that again," he growled. "What the fuck were you thinking? Do you know how lucky we were? Hope could have lost both her parents."

He was furious, but she also sensed his relief. There was nothing to feel relieved about. The words stuck in her throat as Jackson pulled her into his arms and tightened his arms around her.

"I can't lose you," Jackson whispered.

Tears fell down her cheeks. She should have listened to Jackson. She was not ready for his world.

"I made things worse. I have to leave," she whispered. "I have to go on the run like Rebecca."