The Fugitive - Chapter 159

Callum’s steps made the wolf beside her watch his feet like he wanted Callum to back away further from them. “If I challenge Ethan.. That’s it. Right? We cut the link; you’ll become an official rogue again,” Callum said, his eyes flicking between her and Marcus warily, his guard still up.

“That’s what I want,” Esme replied, locking his eyes in place. “Do what needs to be done and end this.”

Callum nodded, then glanced behind them. “Go. We aren’t stopping you,” Esme assured him before turning her back on him, ending the conversation.

“I wish you the best, Es and.. I’m sorry for everything.. My regrets and that guilt will forever remain with me,” Callum said dismally. She didn’t respond, neither wanting to as she let his words go over her.

Esme heard the Beta shift and run away, making her sigh and shake her head before sending him a mind-link. “I accept your apology. But I cannot forgive you.”

Esme knew he heard her but didn’t wait for a response before she closed the link and turned to Marcus, who sauntered over to Rory and Leo, sniffing at their legs and weapons before looking back at her questionably. “I don’t know.. Do we leave them there? But what about other animals?” She questioned aloud as she pulled the silver bullet out of the jacket pocket, her face stricken with confusion, and she finally allowed herself to feel what she was beginning to suspect about her friends.

Marcus growled at her melted flesh on the bullet she held in the air. He stepped towards the two men, but she marched up to them and put her hand against Marcus’ snout, pushing him back from hovering over Leo. She placed a finger on her lips, signalling him to be quiet as she let the bullet go in the pocket and squatted by Leo’s side. She swallowed past the lump forming in her throat and pushed past the knife that was twisting and turning slowly in her heart right now. With hardened eyes, she leaned over and pulled the sleeve up to Leo’s left arm and stumbled onto her backside.

There hidden well from the sleeve tattoo inked on his arm was two swords crossed and the letters H.A capitalised below it. The sleeve covered it well that she didn’t see it the night before when he was flirting with those women. It was only now that she knew what to look for that she could just make it out.

It was the Hunter’s Association tattoo.

“Check Rory,” Esme whispered emotionlessly, though she suspected he really wasn’t a hunter. His reaction to the wolves earlier was dramatic, but his heart rate and actions were exactly what she expected of a civilian coming across giant wolves. Leo was calm even though he was shooting at Callum with bullets he knew wouldn’t kill him.

Marcus shifted and checked Rory’s sleeves, shaking his head and sitting down across from her, uncaring of his naked self, but they were werewolves, used to leaving everything on show. Esme looked back at Leo’s face; she didn’t know if he was really knocked out or not, he flinched from her touch earlier, yet his heart rate was still beating regularly. Esme sighed and raked her hand through her knotted hair, wondering just who exactly he was. She felt betrayed. But some small part of her was always suspicious of him, yet she believed it was because of her trust issues.

Leo’s acting deserved an oscar.

This time it was her instinct. “The milkshake..” She whispered, causing Marcus to frown and look at her questionably while her eyes remained on Leo’s angelic like face. His heart rate spiked, indicating he was either waking up or he heard her comment.

Esme shook her head, deciding to tell Marcus when she’d had time to accept this.

“What do we do with him?” Marcus asked flatly, his tone emotionless like he wasn’t talking about the man he’d just started to get along with. It shouldn’t have bothered her; Marcus was always like that. They’d survived this long together in the Hellhounds from much worse. Maybe he never trusted him in the first place.

But it still bothered her. Leo was.. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and stood up, stripping herself of Leo’s jacket and putting it on him roughly. He started to stir, his eyes blinking, but Esme turned away from his sight.

Marcus rushed up to her, whipping his head behind them. “What are you doing? You know we need to kill him, right? Don’t let your emotions get-”

“I’m not,” Esme snapped, a growl rumbling from the back of her throat as her eyes glowed, warning him.

Marcus took a step back, his eyes hardening. “Yes, you are. He’s a fricken hunter!” He exclaimed, and she covered his mouth quickly, looking back at Leo, who started to sit up groggily, touching his head, his eyes squinting.

“Let’s talk at ONYX,” Esme whisper-shouted before sprinting off and shifting into her wolf form. If she had to kill Leo, she wanted all the details first. Fine, it would have been easy to slit his throat there, but..

It was Leo.

“You’re being reckless, Nyx.”

She ignored Marcus and continued running. She couldn’t even think about killing him, even though her chest was squeezing in excruciating pain. Cheerful Leo was a hunter. A fricken hunter. But what was he doing in ONYX? Why was he there? Was he on a long term mission to try and take down Gabriel?

Isana growled at her thoughts. “If this involves our mate.. I don’t care.. I WILL kill Leo.”

Esme nodded, “Don’t worry. I won’t hesitate if it comes to that.”

It was still going to hurt, though; she was fond of him, saw him as her friend. But he suspected what she was long ago. That milkshake.. it had to have had wolfsbane in, but her tolerance was so high that she didn’t react, and it was mixed so well that she didn’t know the weird taste. But what would he have done if he found out she was a werewolf?

No, she needed to stay quiet for now and clear her head until her thoughts were rational and she could face him. Esme huffed, then looked behind her, only just realising how quickly she’d been running. Marcus was behind her, but she could see his breathing was heavy from trying to keep up with her. She slowed down and decided to think it over on their journey back.

Maybe then, she could face Leo and this mask he must have formed to hide his identity.. Before he died, she needed to see him for who he really was.