Chapter 2 ~DownHill~

~JADE~ 

I am not sure why I didn’t move, even though it was quite obvious that Hunter had lunged for an attack.

That’s a lie. I know quite well the reason I didn’t move. My body had frozen in place when I saw him lunge, and a part of me thought my mate wouldn’t exactly attack me. It was just impossible that Hunter would want to attack me, given how he has never raised a hand at me for the past two years that we’ve been together.

But I was deluding myself. Maybe the reason he never hit me for the past two years was because I never gave him a reason to, and now. Now I very much gave him every viable reason to want to hurt me, but I still tried convincing myself that he wouldn’t.

Realisation dawned on me too late, before I could get my body to move out of the way, Hunter came barreling forward, his hand outstretched, palm striking me in the face and his claws cut a deep wound across my cheek.

My head swings sideways, echoes of sounds rung repeatedly in my ear. My hands moved out of reflex to grab the cheek that had been struck and I let out a wince at the sharp sting that followed. Not quite sure what happened next, as I was stuck between getting the ringing sound in my head to stop and hoping the deep cut on my cheeks heals without leaving a scar.

I pull my hand away from my cheek, staring down at my bloodied palm, while I try to comprehend everything that has happened since I opened my eyes in this room. Also, trying to fathom how my mate, who has never gotten physically violent with me in the last two years, didn’t even stop to think twice before lunging at me.

My eyes watered, my head was a mess. I heard the commotion all around me, but I felt stuck in my own daze. I heard someone scream, I heard growls, someone yelling. I heard what sounded like punches, the sound of a bone breaking? Yet I couldn’t move, I just couldn’t get myself to do anything as I stared at the blood staining my palm.

I think I had expected Hunter to hit me again. Obviously, him attacking me wouldn’t have ended with just one slap. Which was why I flinched and jumped in place when I felt a sudden slap to my back and someone grabbing my shoulder to shake me.

“Will you fucking do something!” The person yelled in my face as I turned to them. It was my elder sister, the one whose boyfriend I had apparently slept with. I stared at her dazed and confused for a moment, until she slapped me again.

“Get your mate off my boyfriend, he’s going to kill him.” Arya screamed again, and this time I could make out and understand what she was saying amidst all the recurring noise in my head.

I shifted on the bed, turning to look behind me to see my mate Hunter, dealing punch after punch to Darren's face, while Darren actively tried to block it with his fist, but there was only much he could do to stop the onslaught. Hunter is an Alpha who has trained almost all his life. I know his strengths and how he is in combat. Darren was no match for him and we all know that.

"Are you just going to keep staring at them?" Arya yelled, slapping my shoulder as I stared blankly at the duo, Hunter letting out his anger and Darren doing what he could to save his face. "Do something, Hunter is going to kill him, and it's going to be your fault, you cheating bitch!" Arya screamed in my face, grabbing my shoulders and she shook me vehemently while hurling every insult she could think of at me.

She is right, this was my fault. If something happens to Darren, if Hunter kills him, it will become my sin, my fault. I need to do something, I have to stop him. Another slap from my sister seemed to do the trick, snapping me out of the mess in my head, and I scrambled off the bed, running towards them and I grabbed my mate's hand.

"Hunter, please stop. You'll kill him. Please stop, this is just a misunderstanding, nothing happened. I swea--" I was denied the liberty of completing my sentence as Hunter struck me across the face. The force of his slap knocked me backwards, an anguished groan slipped past my lips as I fell sideways, and the foot of the bed frame connected with my left side. Impacting my ribs with a force that cut all the air out of my lung momentarily and a silent gasp of pain escaped my airways.

I wasn’t awarded the liberty to process the pain spreading through my left side as Arya came dragging me up, yelling at me to stop my mate from killing her boyfriend, once again reminding me that this was all my fault.

How is it my fault when I have not the slightest memory of what happened between Darren and I. I staggered on my feet, biting back a groan as the pain travelled to my chest. “Hunter please… Please, you're hurting him… Nothing happened between us, I swear nothing…”

I clamped my lips together as Hunter turned to me with burning hatred in his eyes, “Nothing happened? You are fucking naked, I found you naked in bed with him, and you’re telling me nothing happened.” Hunter bellowed, his voice bounced off the walls of the room, and it took everything in me not to fall flat on my ass out of fear.

“I swear I… Nothing…” I couldn’t get the words out, he wouldn’t let me speak.

“Then explain to me why you’re naked, explain to me why my mate is fucking naked in bed with a fucking Delta, your sister's boyfriend.” He grabbed my shoulder, his claws broke through my skin as he shook me vehemently with every word he said, and I stood there unable to form a coherent sentence.

“Bloody hell man, you’re hurting her.” Darren’s voice filtered through Hunter’s scream and I shifted my gaze to see him standing up on his feet to yank Hunter’s hand away from my shoulder.

“How about you take that anger out on me, man to man uhh, what a coward you are, hitting your mate.” Darren yelled at Hunter, which earned him a hard punch from Hunter and the chaos ensued again.

“What now, you’re standing up for her? You want to prove to her that you’re a competent man? You fucked her once and you’re ready to fight for her, uhh. Is her pussy that sweet?” Hunter sneered as he threw punch after punch at Darren, who tried his best to hold his end but ended up failing.

 He was never a match for Hunter. No one is a match for Hunter in this pack except for his father.

Arya slapped my shoulder once again, and my legs moved before my brain could register whatever she had to say. “Hunter… Hunter baby, please let him go… You’ll… you’ll kill him, please.”

“Yes I intend to kill him, and his blood will be on your hands, because it’s your bloody fault.” He snapped at me with blazing red eyes. “How dare you beg me to let him go… So you’re also ready to fight for him uhh?”

I shook my head, taking fearful steps back as Hunter turned fully, advancing towards me. “You want to take his place, how brave of you to fight for your new darling. Did you enjoy it?” He grabbed my wrist, dragging me closer as I tried to put more distance between us.

“I asked you a question, did you bloody enjoy it?” He growled, tugging my arm and my body slammed into his chest.

“You can’t speak.” He grabbed my jaw, gripping it with a force that had tears clouding my eyes, “Have you gone mute? Can’t talk back anymore? Answer my fucking questions.” He slapped me across the face, and I staggered back, without being given the liberty to process the pain before he was yanking me close again.

“Did he fuck you that well? Is he a better fuck than I am, that you’re begging that I don’t kill him? How good was it uhh? Did your filthy pussy suck him in real good? Answer me.” He snarled in my face and I shook my head frantically, unable to keep my tears locked in.

“No… I don't…. I don’t remember…” I broke down in tears, shaking my head as he wouldn’t stop shouting.

The room filled with Hunter’s foul laugh at my response. “You don’t remember?” He asked, laughing with a look of disgust spreading across his face. “You want him to fuck you again, is that why you say you can’t remember? Did he fuck you into oblivion?”

I shook my head, no that wasn’t what I meant. I don’t remember anything that happened between us. I don’t even know if anything happened. How can I answer his questions when I don’t know what the hell happened, when I don’t feel as though something has happened?

“No, no… That’s not…”

“How about I help you uhhh. Let me help you remember, then maybe you can finally have the answers to my questions.”

“What? Hunter, what are you ....” The rest of my sentence got cut off, as he shoved me back with so much force and I stumbled, falling onto the bed.

“I’ll help you… Let me remind you what it feels like to get fucked by your mate. You spend one night with another man and you suddenly lose your memory. Don’t worry, I'll help.”

I don’t know if it was shock that had me glued in place, disbelief washed through my soul as I watched my mate undo his pants, and pull out his cock.

“Hunter…. This is…. You can’t really think this is right.” I all but yelled as he stepped forward, and I scrambled to get out of bed.

“The fuck you’re running for.” He snarled, hands gripped my ankle and he yanked me back. My head slammed into the edge of the bed frame, a cloud of darkness blurred my vision for a minute as Hunter dragged me, turning me onto my stomach and he positioned himself behind me.

“Since you’ve conveniently lost your memory, let me remind you what it feels like to get fucked by an Alpha. And when I’m done, you’ll tell me who fucks you better. Me or that filthy Delta.” Hunter whispered in a grave voice that had my entire form trembling.

“Hunter…” I heard Arya and Darren call him.

“Come on man, don’t do….”

“STAND DOWN.” Hunter snarled, commanding them in his Alpha voice, and I heard both of them whimper.

I was trembling, tears freely flowing down my cheeks and my throat clogged, unable to breath as the stench of his pheromones permeated through the room.

“Hunter, please you…… Arkkk.” Whatever I had to say got locked between my airways as my mate slammed into me with a force that rocked me forward.

“SHUT THE HELL UP.” He growled, as his hands came forward to grip my throat in a chokehold. Even if I wanted to speak there was no way I could make a sound, nor do anything against the command of his Alpha voice.