HUNTED Chapter 163 – Guilt: Part One

Aila sat comfortably at the head of the table, eating fine food with great company. Even after finishing their meal, they sat talking, mocking, joking, and enjoying each other’s company without fear of the hunters finding them. Occasionally Aila would look outside at the city’s view, lost in thought where her mind would run off about the hunters after her, the Silver Crescent pack and of course, Damon. 

But the guys were quick to gain her attention again after seeing the turmoil behind her eyes and her knitted brows.

“Look who’s brooding now,” Chase’s voice snapped her out of her reverie. They were at the bar now, but Aila sat down on a black ‘L’ shaped settee in the corner across from them. Next to the window. She smiled up at Chase, who took the space next to her. Ajax and Finn were talking between them about mates and how Finn really needed to ‘get laid’, while Gabriel walked off answering a phone call.

Aila watched the vampire saunter off, his white hair falling to the back of his shoulders over his white fitted shirt. She narrowed her eyes. He was the only one with a phone. 

Instead of ‘brooding’, as Chase put it, Aila should have gone straight to the vampire so she could call Damon. Flicking her eyes back to Chase, she leaned her elbow into the back of the couch; her legs bent behind her as she faced the hunter, no- ex hunter.

“Just thinking over everything that has happened and where to go from here..” She replied nonchalantly.

“Don’t think too much, buttercup. So much has happened that I’ve resorted to my best pal- whiskey.” Ajax winked at her and tilted his tumbler at her from his seated position on the black sleek bar stool.

“Ouch, didn’t think I’d be replaced with alcohol,” Finn grabbed the bottle and poured his own drink, then glanced at the bottle, “Woah, Gabe really has the best shit. This is a 1926 Macallan bottle. No wonder you’re drinking it like there’s no tomorrow.”

Ajax knocked back the drink and grabbed the bottle from Finn, his movements a little slower than usual. “Finley Finnick Finn-“

“It’s just Finn,” He interrupted with a pointed look.

Ajax grabbed Finn by the shoulder and pointed a crooked finger from the tumbler he held in Aila’s direction, “If you were nearly eaten by such a vicious predator.. You’d be doing the same..”

Aila rolled her eyes, “Ajax, I’m sorry I wasn’t in my right mind.”

“No, no, no.. because if you WERE in your right mind, I know you would be a lot gentler with me- Ow!” Ajax looked back at Finn after he slapped him in the face, not gently, she might add.

Aila sighed and let the pair start off with their shenanigans of play fighting. Chase looked on in both puzzlement and amusement. “It’s weird.. seeing them.. like this..” He muttered before resting his gaze on Aila. She continued to watch them out of the corner of her eye while she faced Chase. “I mean it in a good way.. I never really worked in the compound. I think if I had..” He trailed off and watched as the pair were now wrestling on the ground. “I would have left years ago.”

Aila focused on Chase properly now. She could see a battle of his inner demons behind his hazel eyes as he raked his hand through his already unruly hair. The movement causing his bicep to bulge, something Aila glanced away from.

Why was she suddenly surrounded by good looking men? This was never her life at Uni. But there was only one man she wanted to openly gawk at, and he was the sexiest, hottest, panty-dripping-

“Aila?”

Maybe she was biased? She really needed to hear Damon’s voice.

Aila looked back at Chase, who was observing her astutely. Aila cleared her throat softly, “Well, the main thing is that you’re out now..” Her brows drew together, “What happened? How did you get caught? Why didn’t you leave sooner? It would have saved all the torture, no?” She grimaced, thinking about how he looked on the video call, and assessed his features once more, “How the hell have you not got scars?”

“Woah, jeese, Aila! One question at a time,” Chase shook his head and stood up. “I think I need some of that whiskey..”

Aila waited while he poured himself some of the expensive whiskey. He stayed at the bar for a bit, looking into his tumbler. Aila got up, walked around the werewolf and shapeshifter still ‘fighting’ on the ground and placed her hand on Chase’ arm. He stilled and looked down at her with a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“Well.. easiest question first.. Gabriel gave me his blood, which is why I don’t look like shit or am left with any scars. Although..” He turned his forearm over and stared at his tattoo, “I’d prefer if my tattoo didn’t heal.”

Aila looked down at the Hunter Association emblem tattooed on the inside of his wrist. The two swords were so simple, but any creature that came across the hunters would know what it meant. To anybody else, it was like any other tattoo. She looked back at his face and waited as he sipped on his drink again.

Placing his tumbler down, he leaned his hands against the bar, his shoulders hunched. “I’ve done some messed up shit, Aila. I don’t even know how Gabriel or these guys haven’t ripped me in two..” He muttered angrily. Aila could see how he loathed himself; he looked at his hands as though there was blood on them, Aila imagined there was, and she felt heart pinch at what he must have been through.

“You’re alive because her majesty likes you.”

Chase and Aila whipped their head’s to the side and saw Gabriel leaning against the window on the other side of the bar, his arms crossed, his gaze fixated on Aila.