Page 19 of Heart of the Cursed
Chapter 9
The last thing she expected to see when she woke up was the male from the previous day, but she should have known better. After all, she had left him alive.
I can quickly rectify that.
Yeah, right. She knew that was wishful thinking. The only reason she got the upper hand the day before was because she’d taken him by surprise. It was the only way she was ever able to get the upper hand when up against one of his kind. Experience had taught her that, and at an early age.
This one, however, was different from the rest. Even though he’d had plenty of opportunities, he hadn’t attacked her. Or worse, tried to enslave her. Others of his kind wouldn’t have cared if she was asleep or not. They would have killed her on sight, or taken her into their ‘care’.
Instead of attacking or enslaving her, he hadapparentlycome to warn her. Selene wasn’t sure if she believed him. Experience had taught her to be wary of everyone, but especially his kind. It made life lonely, but at least she was alive.
“What ‘others’ are you referring to?” she asked.
“Hunters.”
She rolled her eyes. “That doesn’t exactly narrow it down. I have hunters chasing after me all the time. Can you be a bit more specific?”
“They are all going to be coming for you. But if you would like a list,” he said sarcastically. “Vampires, Shapeshifters, Demons, Elves, Chimeras, Nymphs, Sprites, Goblins, Ogres…”
“Okay, okay.” She cut her hand through the air to stop him from talking. “I get the gist. Every fucker and their uncle is after me. You don’t need to continue.”
Selene had known that might be the outcome when she first started looking for the spell, but it hadn’t stopped her. What she was doing was more important than her, so she wasn’t about to stop, either.
Admittedly, she had hoped to have more time to track down the spell before they all started gunning for her. But, at least now that she knew they were on to her, she could be even more vigilant from there on out.
“From the determined look on your face,” he said. “You don’t plan on stopping, do you?”
Selene quickly pulled a mask in place so he couldn’t read her emotions and built up a wall, just in case he could read her mind. She didn’t think he could, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
“That’s none of your business.”
He tilted his head to one side as his eyebrows pinched together.
Why does he have to be so God damn sexy?
Selene mentally slapped herself. He wasn’t sexy. He was the enemy, and she had to remember that. Just because he hadn’t killed her yet, didn’t mean that he didn’t plan on killing her later. Or worse.
I will die before anyone enslaves me again!
Even if it was by someone as sexy as the male in front of her. She didn’t care how good looking he was, she would not be a slave ever again.
“What is it you’re looking for?” he asked. “Is it honestly worth risking your life for?”
“None of your business,” she repeated. “You’ve done what you came to do. You’ve warned me. Now you can go.”
She shooed him away with her hands, but he didn’t move. He just continued to stare at her.
After a long, drawn-out silence, he sighed and shook his head. “I can’t do that.”
“Of course, you can. You just pick up one foot after the other until you’re far, far away.” She demonstrated by backing away from him and pretending to turn around at the same time. “It’s easy, see?”
But he still didn’t move. Selene huffed and put her hands on her hips as she stared back at him.
Instead of turning and leaving, he shook his head at her. “It’s not that easy.”
“Of course, it is,” she told him. “Like I said, just turn around and let your feet carry you far, far away.”
“If I leave, you will die.”
