She's Mine

Chapter 11

My eyes were scanning across the area, not daring to blink in case I missed anything.

I heard a ruffle in the bushes and slowed into a silent stealthy walk, bending low and swiping an arrow out my quiver and positioning it on the bow. I steadily breathed in, remembering the tips Rowan had said. I also knew a thing or two more from the hunting I used to do with my Father and brother.

Another rustle. One...Two.

A rabbit jumped out.

Three.

I let my arrow fly straight to its forehead.

I ran to the dead rabbit and attached it to my belt.

I got my first kill.

After ten minutes, I had caught seven rabbits and my belt was growing heavy. But I didn't turn back, not when I spotted the ears of a deer.

Quietly, I moved towards it. And hid behind a bush beside the animal.

I noticed a flash of silver and smirked as I spotted Lykos behind another bush. I saw the flash of challenge in his eyes as he caught sight of me too.

I wasn't going to let him win.

I positioned my arrow and bow and aimed. Lykos was ready to pounce. I held eye contact with him, as I waited for a good time to shoot. It was a challenge to look away.

I let out a breath, just as I let my arrow fly and I watched Lykos pounce. And just like that, the world weaved into slow motion again.

I saw the deer look up. I saw the deer begin to run, as it sensed danger. And I saw the arrow go straight towards Lykos instead. My eyes widened, and I panic shuddered through me, panic at the fact that he was going to be injured and it was going to be my fault. I didn't ever want to hurt somebody physically. At least not that badly.

And he was so young, it was like letting an arrow pierce through a child.

No, I couldn't let this happen. I couldn't allow him to get hurt. And then, I felt myself change into shadow; change into night and moonlight as I zoomed towards him and appeared in his way.

I must be crazy. I wasn't even that close with Lykos to just be jumping in front of arrows for him. But there was a sense of debt to him, for all he had said, and for everything he made me realise in those fields.

I turned in a whirl to try and catch the arrow before it struck me. I felt the stem of the arrow slide through my fingers and I quickly gripped it.

I closed my eyes, as I waited for an impact, thinking that I had caught the arrow too late. But nothing came. I glanced down, and saw the arrow a breath away from my stomach, the tip glinting maliciously, as I sighed in relief for narrowingly missing getting shot.

I saw Lykos change back to Fae. His eyes were wide and he was breathing hard, as he watched me put the arrow back in my quiver and stand up, brushing the dirt and dust off me.

"What happened?" he breathed out.

I shrugged, placing my bow back on my back and palm out my hunting knives, "Nothing important,"

I began to walk past him, ready to go back to hunting for food, although seven was more than enough.

His hand gripped my wrist, and my instincts took over as my hand slammed down against the wrist that was holding me and twisting it in a way that forced him to release his hold.

"Don't touch me Lykos" I growled at him, dropping his hands and continuing to walk away. Thankfully, he didn't say anything. He might've shifted back into a Wolf, or not. I didn't know and care.

I had stopped searching for livestock when the rabbits on me began to get too heavy to carry. I trudged around the serene forest, taking in the greenery, the way the sun shone splendidly through the rustling leaves. I continued ambling aimlessly until I came upon a large pond; its waters so clear, I could see the bottom. It was quite beautiful, I had to admit.

I glanced down at the little stains of blood coating my hands and wondered if it was okay to blemish the pure waters with the blood of my kills. I opted with the okay and bent down to rinse off the blots, and I watched at how the crimson looked like smoke under the water and then progressively vanished into the crystal clearness.

When I heard the crunch of footsteps coming from the trees behind me, I whirled, still in crouching position and palmed out my hunting knives. The stained metals whining as they were whipped out from their leathers.

"Easy. It's just me," a male's voice said. Lykos. I rolled my eyes, as he walked through and into the clearing, his hands up as if he was coaxing a wild animal.

I turned back to the water and began to clean off the blood on my weapons.

"How many rabbits did you catch?" I questioned.

"Seventeen,"

I smirked, "Twenty. I won,"

No satisfaction. I felt no satisfaction at winning. I felt nothing. What was the matter with me? Could I not feel even the slightest bit of happiness at winning? At beating a cocky prick?

But still nothing, but that emptiness. Save for the now raging anger that began surging through me. Was that the only emotion I possessed?

Anger and hate.

It was suffocating. To not be able to feel the lightness of joy or the carefreeness of laughter. I had none of that, no happiness whatsoever.

I was just a pathetic, raging thing, that got triggered at the littlest things.

How godsdamned annoying.

"Princess!"

Something snapped in me and I was rushed back into reality, at the noises in front of me.

The water in front of me was boiling, large bubbles forming then popping as it continued to get hotter and hotter.

I quickly snatched my hands out of the water, confusion blooming, as I saw that no damage had been done to them – my hands. The noise lessened, as I watched the water begin to simmer down.

My eyes widened in shock, as I realised that it was from me.

I had boiled the water.

Then, Lykos's shout sunk into my head.

Princess.

Did he seriously call me that?

I turned my head towards him, annoyance glimmering in my eyes as I stared at his worried stricken face.

"'Princess'?" I snapped, "did you just call me 'princess'?"

His mismatched eyes widened, as he too just realised what had come out of his mouth. His eyes flashed with hundreds of thoughts in a second and then he let out a sigh of defeat, his hands slackening to his sides, as he stared into my eyes.

"That is because you are a princess,"

I scowled at him, "I'm not in the mood for your weak flattery,"

"It's not a compliment. You are the Princess of the Moon," he stated, his back straightening and bowed deeply. That same respect radiating off him, like when we had first met.

You've got to be kidding.