Hunter

Chapter Twenty Seven

Hunted is at like 35k reads and hit #1 under the tag 'celebrate black writers'. I have been sobbing all week. Thank you guys so much for not hating my book 😭. Just for you, I'll write a happy ending ❤️
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Melaine

"Alexander Black is not your mate."

I could still hear his voice. Hear his words. But I refused to accept them. I wouldn't accept them. My mind refused to latch onto them. Xander had been my mate. He had been. The bond had been there.

"He was never meant to be your mate. The bond you shared wasn't real."

No. That was another lie. I had felt the bond. I had felt it. It was real. Wasn't it? I couldn't have imagined it. He had felt it. He had felt it as strongly as I had.

Are you sure?

I wanted to scream at the voice in my head. At my voice. What was I saying? Of course, I had felt it. Of course, it was real.

You've never had a mate bond before. You still don't completely know how they work. How sure are you what you felt was real?

A warmth enveloping my cheek snapped me out of my head. I blinked my eyes open and found Titus kneeling in front of me with a worried look on his face. One of his hands gripped mine while the other held my face with so much gentleness. The contrast of the two made me want to shatter. They stood so closer to delivering the final blow that would have me an emotional mess.

"Do you want to leave?" He asked firmly. The look in his eyes told me he wasn't just asking if I wanted to leave the room. Did I want to leave the city? Did I want to go back home? Did I want to run?

"Please," I whispered.

He stood to his feet and gently helped me up. Holding me against him if I needed the support to stand. To walk. I turned and my gaze met Draco's. His expression gave nothing away of what he was thinking. What he was feeling.

"Thank you for your help Draco," I said softly.

"Of course." He said standing. "Come. I will show you to your portal."

"What?" I ask confused.

"In the midst of your panic attack, Titus traded a secret in exchange for quick passage to my brother." He explains walking towards the tapestry.

I turn to look up at Titus but he refuses to look at me. Instead, he quietly walks beside me as we follow Draco. We watch as he taps three times on the image of the dragon while muttering something under his breath. The image glows once before an oval portal that looks like it's made of water appears in from of it.

Before either of us can move and take a step towards it a figure steps out completely dry. He runs a hand through his hair before looking up. I let go of Titus and run to him wrapping my arms around him. The wall breaking and the tears finally fell.

"Birdy?" He whispers in surprise while returning my hug.

"What you suspected is true," Draco says from behind me. "And to answer your other question. Yes, he is."

"Still reading people's minds without permission I see." Kenji sighs.

"Only yours brother."

"Let's go," Kenji mumbles picking me up as I continue to cling to him.

........................

I wake up in a room I don't recognize and sit up slowly. It doesn't seem to have windows but the fluorescent light fills the room. In the corner on what looks like a rocking chair with a quilt over him is Kenji. His eyes are glued to the coin in his hand.