Hunted || Wesari

Chapter Eighteen: Truth

Mari woke up groggily. She expected to find Wes under her, but to her surprise, all she could feel was the soft leather of the coach. She slowly sat up, surveying the room. He was nowhere to be found.

She found her clothes and got dressed. He never got up before her; it was part of their routine. Something was... off. She could feel it in her gut, and she didn't like it.

Maybe last night had been a mistake. She leaned against the wall, resting her head on her hands, and sighed. Sure, she'd wanted to fuck him since boot camp, but if she had known that she'd lose him by doing so, she never would've done it.

She searched the house, checking all the places where he usually stayed. The kitchen, the bathroom, his room. All empty. It was like he had just... disappeared.

She grabbed an apple out of the fridge and leaned against the fridge, thinking. Where else could he be? She doubted that he had just left; even if he did regret sleeping with her, it wasn't like him to just disappear.

He's probably just outside, she reassured herself. Maybe he was worried that he got her pregnant, though he didn't have to; she got her tubes tied a long time ago. And, to her knowledge, she didn't have any STD's. 

She slipped on her shoes and threw on her jacket, exiting the cabin. It didn't take her to long to spot him, sitting near the lake, throwing rocks into the water. She wearily approached him; she'd never seen him act like this before.

He heard her coming, and stopped throwing rocks. She stood there for awhile, not saying a word, as the wind blew through her hair. Wes sighed.

"Were you ever going to tell me?" He asked, not even looking at her.

"Tell you what?" She asked.

"That you were immune," He replied, picking up another rock.

Realization washed over her. Shit. She hadn't even thought of that. He must've seen her bite; it wasn't like she had made any attempt to cover it. She wanted to slap herself for her stupidity. Everything had been so good, so perfect, and she'd fucked it all up.

"Wes-" She started, but he cut her off.

"You never were going to, were you?" He asked. "You were never going to tell me."

She didn't say a word, which was an answer all in itself. A tear rolled down her face. He was all she had. She couldn't lose him. Not when they just started something together, though she wasn't quite sure what it was yet. But she wanted to figure it out. She wanted him.

"How'd you get it?" He asked. "Tell me that, at least. Tell me how you got bit."

Mari was quiet for a few seconds. The memory was painful, one she hadn't thought about for months, one she didn't want to think about.

"My friend turned," Mari explained. "Boze. I think I mentioned her before. She was bit, and I tried so hard to save her, even though she kept pushing me away. I didn't listen. I wanted so desperately to help her, but there was no hope. She turned, and she bit me, and I was forced to stab her."

"And you didn't change," Wes laminated.

Mari nodded, tears rolling down her eyes. "Just like you."

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, finally looking at her. She could see the pain in his eyes. "Did you not trust me?"

"No!" Mari replied immediately. "I trust you. It's just... I was scared. I was scared that you would hate me if you knew."

"Why?" Wes asked.

"Because I betrayed people like us," Mari replied. "Ian isn't the first person I promised I'd bring an immune. I've done it three times by now. The other groups found out, and I was forced to flee. I was worried that you'd kick me out too."