Chapter 79
Heartbreaking
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Content Warning: This chapter might contain violence, abuse, crime, or triggering factors that may be harmful, disturbing, or traumatizing to some. Reader’s discretion is advised. Thank you.
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Leila didn’t know how to react.
All that she knew that time was the fast beating of her heart and it was something that she could already hear from her ears.
The moment felt so surreal but in a negative way.
She could feel the sudden fear engulfing her entire being something that she didn’t even feel a moment ago while fighting the rogues.
The moment she saw blood dripping from Hunter’s body, she knew that she was scared not for her own life but for him.
‘Isn’t that what you wished for? Isn’t that what you meant to do when you discovered what happen to your father?’ A part of her mind reminded her.
She gritted her teeth.
Right now, she didn’t know anymore.
“Damn it!” She whispered under her breath as she watched Tamika tried to cure Hunter’s wound from a distance.
The rogues a while ago who almost got her good were already killed.
Tamika told her that they couldn’t stay there for that long so, they went to a small barn where she and Tamika stayed whenever they have to take a short rest.
It was just a small hut with some basic necessities.
She knew that they couldn’t stay in the woods. There was splattered blood everywhere there and they both knew that rogues and other bad blood some half werewolves and half entities might go there and eat those dead bodies.
And it was the least that she wanted to witness.
It was morbid and gross.
She knew that she couldn’t take a look at it.
And so, Tamika decided to bring Hunter here.
This is an isolated barn.
No one would want to go there and Tammy told her that it was because she already made some spells in this barn. No one would want to defy her spells and the rogues living in the South knew that.
Perhaps, the rogues who attacked them a while ago didn’t know who Tamika was.
Well, if not for her being so nosy and asking her about herself she wouldn’t spill anything.
She might be a nosy creature to her but because of that, she could understand her better now. She could slowly guess what she was thinking about.
However, reality knocked her out when she realized that Hunter was here.
“Damn it!” She whispered under her breath as she walked heavily towards where Tammy was.
She was holding her bag with medicinal herbs, whatever which she asked her to bring.
Leila was in the middle of thinking whether or not to go and bring her what she needed for Hunter’s wounds or not.
In the end, she discovered that she wasn’t as heartless as she pictured herself to be.
She let out a deep sigh as Tammy gave her a deadly glare.
Leila knew that Tammy already warned her of her delay.
Yes.
She did.
It was because she was still mad at the man lying fighting for his life because of saving her.
She was mad.
First, because of the fact that he had to risk himself just to save her. Second, it was because of her that he was wounded. And lastly, because he was there and found her.
Leila was confused.
And Tammy knew about that.
However, she knew that Tammy was kinder than her.
She knew that even if her sworn enemy was already lying in front of her and fighting for his or her life she would still save him or her.
That is how kind she was.
But not her.
Especially now.
She was still thinking whether or not to help Hunter.
But she knew, deep inside her, that she would still help Hunter regardless of what happened between them.
She was just too stubborn to accept.
Leila gritted her teeth as she clenched her hands into balled fists.
“It is a good thing that his wound isn’t that fatal. However, he has to be careful. We need to-”
“I won’t stay here.” Leila cut her words.
She knew what she was trying to do already and she wouldn’t let that happen.
“So, you are going to abandon him here? Is that it, Leila?” Tammy pointed out again, using her calm voice.
Leila didn’t know whether it was a warning, a sarcasm or not.
But that made her shut up.
To be honest, she didn’t really know.
She didn’t want to leave Hunter here. She knew that even if she would say those words but in the end, she couldn’t take the guilt of leaving him here. Especially knowing that his life is still in danger and that some rogues could be lurking in the shadows and could eventually attack him once he went out of the barn.
Leila groaned and frustrated as she plopped down the small and old couch near Tammy.
“And what do you expect me to do?” She retorted back stubbornly.
She gritted her teeth as she felt her wolf at bay already. Even if Silver was trying to calm her down, she couldn’t deny the fact that her anger was feeding her up.
Tammy let out a deep sigh as if trying to stretch her patience to her.
“I am expecting you to get yourself together and decide, Leila. You have to tell him everything. I believe if you deserve the truth he also deserves to know your choice and free him with whatever relationship you are in. Be clear to him.” Tammy’s words hit her hard.
However, she would simply die if she let her know that.
She bit her lower lip as she tried to contain herself.
“And I know that you know the moon goddess blessed you so much, Leila. Perhaps, this is her will. She wants you to decide for yourself. So, be wise and kind.” Tammy added seriously before she stood up.
She eyed her for she knew what she might do.
And she was right.
“I will go home now. I know that you already know what to do. You are already grown-up woman, Leila. You have to face this. You have to face him.”
It was all that she could hear from Tamika before she went out of the barn and went home.
She knew how to go home from this bark but she didn’t know how to face Hunter when he already woke up.
Leila didn’t know how long she had stayed on that small old couch looking blankly on the wooden wall.
Until her feet stood up as if they had their own mind and went towards Hunter.
The time she saw his face, she knew that he might have gotten a huge problem.
There were dark circles around his eyes like he had sleepless nights before meeting her there. He had grown stubbles making him like he was such a rogue, too or something. He was also a bit thinner the last time she saw him.
Leila tried to look away.
She didn’t want her heart to soften for him anymore. She had tried to be stronger and make sure to revenge her father’s death.
And she was determined to do that.
“I want to be with you…” She whispered in all honesty as she stared at him, like it was the last time, she could do that freely.
Then, she looked up as she stopped the tears that were already trying to fall.
She took a deep breath slowly containing herself and so were her intensifying emotions for the first man she ever loved.
Leila swallowed hard as she wiped the lone tear that she failed to stop from falling.
“B-But…” Her voice broke as she watched Hunter’s sleeping face liberally.
She shook her head as she swallowed the lump in her throat once again.
“It doesn’t work that way… We can never be together… I can’t accept the fact that your parents killed my father.” She finally said the words.
Right there and then, Leila knew how heartbreaking the situation was for the both of them.
A beautiful beginning, yet with a painful ending.
For a moment, she hoped that she was just dreaming… And that everything that happened was just a pigment of her imagination… But she knew what she saw… And it was the most painful experience she could ever remember.
“I’m sorry…” She whispered brokenly as she stared at his face tearfully.
For a short while, she would let herself cry for the pain of being stuck between betrayal, truth, reality, and love.