We Are The Hunted [Demetri Volturi]

Chapter 36

"You act as if I'm a ticking time bomb," Kahlen stated.

"How so?" Demetri asked.

"You've been following me around like a mother hen since I left the medical wing."

"Well, I've been thinking." The hunter cocked a brow, urging him to continue. "The first time we spared against each other you had a negative reaction to your other side for overdoing it for the first time in a while."

"Your point?"

"You were placed in a rather stressful situation. Yet your nose hasn't bled yet, and you're not throwing it up."

"And you want me to?"

The tracker smirked. "No, I'm rather glad it's staying inside of you. But given the condition you were in when we found you, and the fact that you pushed yourself so hard... I'm surprised it hasn't happened yet."

He had a point, thinking back on events as they slowly walked through the hall. It was the next step in her rehabilitation once gaining enough strength. That and eating three meals a day till back in working order. Still, the negative reaction she should be expecting... indeed didn't occur.

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure," Kahlen admitted. This never happened before. "I lost a lot of blood... And with nothing in my stomach from lack of food... guess I didn't have enough to have a reaction."

He hummed in thought. It could be a possibility. Still, they shouldn't take any chances in the next coming days.

"Has Aro found anything?" Kahlen asked.

"Nothing to report," Demetri said. "Makar went off the radar, and his forces aren't moving enough to draw attention."

"Of course..." He was a master at remaining unseen. The next time he surfaced it would be for a reason and they needed to be prepared. "Have the brothers been talking to their contacts?"

"That's why they have not been in the throne room as of late. They are making use of their offices."

"Besides the number of people who came to their event months ago... do they have more allies?"

"You'd be surprised. We may not be on the best terms with all covens for different reasons, but if their involvement is key the brothers will make a good argument."

"Not only that, if the reason for the Volturi to actually go to war against an enemy is a threat to our whole existence then others will get involved," Felix stepped in. He joined the two of them on their walk. "Even if they don't particularly like us."

"Where have you been?" the hunter asked.

"Belarus," the brute said. "With a few of your friend Tomás's pack mates."

"Find anything interesting?" Demetri wondered.

"A lot of snow. The trail went dead there unfortunately."

"Of course it did." Their heads turned at the new voice as the twins emerged from down the hall. The two groups met in the middle and paused. "Makar is trying to make us blind with false information," Jane added. "So we're not looking in the places we need to."

"My thoughts exactly," the hunter said.

The blonde observed the mortal. "You're looking better."

The bruises on her face were no longer visible, a few cuts still on the mend and turning a dull brown in color. But the burns under the clothing were a different story. Those would take months, the areas were still tender. Demetri could tell by the way the hunter moved at times or hiss lowly if she accidentally applied pressure to the worst areas. And some of the scars would never heal.

"Thanks..." Kahlen said.

The two continued to stare at each other as the others watched in a tense silence. This being the first time they interacted with each other since the medical wing.

"You left me for dead to save yourself and because you never liked me to begin with. You thought I was weak and useless."

"Your point?" This was all stated to the medical wing days ago.

"I'll give you three hits." The vampires were surprised, blinking at the hunter as if she lost her mind. "Three hits to any part of my body."

"Why?" Jane wondered. This had to be some sort of trick.

"Because you said 'sorry'." Alec expressed surprise at this information. "I never expected you to say such a thing. And because of that, I'm giving you what you always wanted. A chance to actually land a blow to get out all of your pent-up anger and frustration that I've brought you since arriving. And I will do nothing to stop you."

The blonde felt very skeptical of the whole thing. The young woman noticed.

"I'll even allow Alec to hold my arms behind my back for good measure."

The brother appeared unsure, looking to his sister, who in turn continued to stare at the human as if she were mad. Slowly, Alec crossed the space to stand behind Kahlen, holding the wrists with ease so they were out of the way. Demetri went to retaliate when Felix's hand gripped a shoulder.

"You cannot be serious," the tracker grumbled out.

"Why should you be worried?" the brute asked. "She can hold her own."

Still, this didn't necessarily mean this whole thing was logical. Kahlen must be experiencing some side effects from everything that happened to her and wasn't thinking straight. It was the only explanation to this rash decision. Plus, a good portion of her body was still healing.

Jane stepped forward, believing that the hunter actually lost her mind. Yet in a way, this was what she always wished for. To inflict another type of pain on the young woman because her gift didn't work. To show her place in their ranks. To be superior over a cocky human. A hand raised, pulling back to land the first hit as the hunter waited. The twin froze, unable to move. As much as Jane hated to admit it and no matter how hard she tried to talk herself into going through with it... She couldn't do it. To the guards surprise the arm lowered and in mild irritation Jane huffed.

"Sister?" Alec question.

His grip loosened on the hunter before falling away completely when realizing his twin could not go through with it. And the hunter smiled, not mockingly, but pleased.

"I like you, Jane," Kahlen said. The comment confused the blonde. "You're one tough bitch, and the fact that you admitted to your actions you've gained my respect. Even if I don't have yours."

The vampire remained quiet for a moment before saying, "I may not like it... but I'll work with you for however long you remain within the Guard." A hint of amusement lit up in her eyes. "Even if you become one of us in the process."

Kahlen laughed, smirking, "You're actually funny when you want to be."

The other vampires glanced at one another in disbelief that the two were actually getting along somewhat and having a civil conversation.

Careful, sister," Alec spoke. "If you change her, we may have a harder time sparing against her."

The hunter's attention turned to him. "I think that's the first time you gave me something close to a compliment. I'm not sure what's gotten into the both of you... but I'm not complaining."

"Maybe we're the ones losing it," Felix muttered.

The three individuals turned down another hall heading towards the kitchen. As if this whole situation was an everyday thing.

"I mean, we have to be... right?"

Demetri honestly couldn't answer as Kahlen called back, "You two coming?"

The tracker chuckled, saying, "Come on."

If he was losing it, that was okay with him. In fact, it would explain a lot of weird things that had been happening lately.