Page 46 of The Hunt: Emerald

The red-eyed one ducks low, driving her blade into an Alpha’s heart.

The white-eyed one spins her spear, piercing through the bear’s throat with a final, perfect strike.

They all look in the distance, and the cameras pan on their faces, their eyes so fierce my breath catches. It’s as if we see each other… all four of us connect and I reach out to the projector, but a shadow falls across me and I look up to see my Alpha standing over me.

Murdoch! You’re back!

Aye an’ I see you dinna eat anymore…

He takes a seat in front of me, and the projector moves back. He waves a hand, and it turns off.

“I was watc?—”

His gaze pins me. Voice low. Rough.

“Yu’ve seen enough.”

I don’t argue… I just let him take up my hand and smile at him gently looking at my wounds as if he’ll cry.How adorable…

Murdoch

I see evera bruise, evera cut, evera mark… not only t’at but I see’s been cryin’

“I’m sorry,” I murmur, sittin’ on the edge o’ the bed, voice quiet, an’ she cocks ’er head tu the side.

“Why?”

“Everat’in’… fer hurtin’ yu, fer yu hav’in tu join the hunt in the first place… jus’ evera t’in’.” She dinna say anyt’in’… she just stares at me, watchin’ me wit’ those glowin’ green eyes, too sharp fer someone still so young…

“I don’t want your apology, Murdoch… besides… I volunteered for the Hunt. It’s not like I was forced like s—” ’er voice cracks an’ ’er lip wobbles. “It’s not l-like I was forced into t-the Hunt l-like some of those other Omegas…” she blinks, a few tears spillin’ from ’er beautiful eyes an’ I wipe ’em.

“Aye, yu volunteered… but yu still dinna deserved t’at.”

“No, and neitherdid they… I should have helped more.. maybe I wouldn’t have been the only one to cross the finish line…” She fists ’er ’ands.

“Or they migh’ ’ave weigh’ed yu down an’ got yu caught, killed, or worse… betrayed yu. Yu did the righ’ t’in’ wen yu fended fer yerself,” I let ‘er know.

“Bu—”

“T’ere are no buts, yu were na responsible fer no one but yerself… the deaths o’ t’ose Omegas are’na on yer ’and’.” I take ’er ’and, kissin’ the back of it.

Thank you, Murdoch… I needed to hear that. You telling me that I did the right thing is enough for me,” she states wit’ a small smile on ’er lips t’at are still wobblin’. I dinna t’ink it’s enough, but I ’ave a feelin’ no matta wat I say, t’is particular t’in’ will haunt ’er wit regret fer a long time, even if it should’na.

I want tu pull ’er intu me arms an’ comfort ’er, but I dinna want tu move ’er… she’s so broken an’ battered. I jus’ want ’er tu lay down, rest, and be lazy.

The silence hangs between us, peaceful an’ serene… almost tu quiet since we’re so used tu the noise o’ the forest. I bandage ’er wounds, causin’ ’er tu flinch an’ it nearly breaks me.’er pain… one I neva want tu witness again.

I cut me eyes tu ’er, afraid o’ ’urtin’ ’er, but she gives the smallest nod an’ I frown, cleanin’ ’er wounds slowly, reverently, grimacin’ as the washcloths turn pink.

“Does it ’urt?”

“No,” she smiles. “It only stung, but let me he?—”

“No… I want tu take care o’ yu.”

“And you do, so please… stop acting me like I’ll break,” she chuckles

“Yu already ’ave. Jus’ look at yu,” I whisper, an’ t’at makes ’er look at me….reallylook, an’ Source ’elp me, Imeltunder ’er gaze.

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