My Hunted Mate
Sixty Three

Corinna

Jerking up into a sitting position, my breathing comes out in quick andshort pants as my eyes dart around. My body shakes hysterically as Ireplace Phoenix, Dahlia, Atticus and Lila's eyes all on me. The memory ofbringing Kai back flashes into my mind, along with him feeding fromme, which only increases the panic and fear that overwhelms me.

" Where is he? Where's Kai? And Elias, is my baby safe? " I croak. " Howam I alive? "

" Elias is perfectly safe, Lila is looking after him in the nursery. And I, uh,well you're not. * Phoenix sighs. " you ingested Mal's blood earlier ontoday, so when he.."

" He's locked up in the basement. " Dahlia informs with guilt shining inher eyes, that refuse to meet mine.

" He... He fed on me, he killed me.. " I gasp out in shock, earning painedand sympathetic looks

" It seems you were correct about the possibility of him going a bitmad. " Phoenix mumbles.

* Oh god, Cori. I'm so sorry, I- I shouldn't have.. * Dahlia trails off for amoment. " I just wanted him back and I let my judgement get clouded.I'm truly sorry. *

"1 understand. " I whisper, tears begin to prick my eyes. " I wanted himback too Dahlia, I just didn't want something like this to happen. "

The three of us fall into an awkward silence, none of us knowing whatto say until I speak up again. " I need to see him. "

"I'm not sure if that's a great idea, he's not.. Himself. " Phoenix cringesthrough his words.

"1 need to see him. " I say again, my tone stronger and moredemanding than before.

Phoenix opens his mouth to argue with me once more, but Dahliareaches out placing her hand on his arm, causing him to shut his lipstogether tightly, sending her an angry glare.

Pushing myself out of bed and to my feet, I glance at the two siblingswaiting for them to lead the way. Dahlia hesitates for a moment, thenbegins to walk out of the room, my feet pad softly on the carpet as Ifollow her.

We remain quiet while wandering to the lowest level of the housewhere Kai is being held. My stomach twists and churns with anxiety, thefeeling only grows as we get closer to the basement, my heartpounding in my chest.

We stop in front of the same room Josephine was locked in not thatlong ago, making me cringe at the memories that flood my mind.Dahlia slowly pushes open the door, moving aside allowing me to walkinside the dark room first, she switches on the light and steps into theroom too, the heavy metal door slams shut behind us.

My gaze falls into my mate who is chained to a chair in the exact sameway olive and Josephine had been, blood pooling on the plasticcovering a large square cement floor where the chair is placed.

His head in slumped down but when I call his name, it snaps up toreveal endless black orbs where his stunning blue eyes normally are. Hisfangs are still extending and the veins under his eyes prickle down hisface as he watches us intently.

The brief thought that he seems like he has gone completely feralcrosses my mind, but that thought only gets confirmed when my footbarely moves a step toward him before he tries to lunge from the chairto attack me, only the chains hold him down. I instinctually jump back,getting myself as far away from him as possible in the small room.

" He can't escape, he's too weak. " Dahlia assures me.

Nodding toward her, I take a moment before slowly edging my wayover to my mate, who continues to watch me with his pitch black eyes.My hands shake as I bring them up to his head, the moment I place myhands on him, a shiver of negative energy rushes through me, makingme pull away automatically.

I lightly rub my thumbs back and forth along my index fingers in anattempt to soothe myself, as I desperately to get a grip on mybreathing that begins to speed up due to the heavy feeling weighingon my chest.

Swallowing harshly, I move around the chair so I am standing behindKai facing his back. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Dahliawatching me curiously. I reach out, placing my hands across Kai'stemples.

"I'm going to try to help him." I whisper to Dahlia, who straightens upat my words.

"You can fix him? " She questions.

"1 don't know, but after everything I have to try. " I mumble, guiltflashes through her eyes once more at my words, she takes a step back,leaning against the wall with her gaze fixed on the floor.

Taking a breath, I close my eyes and begin to whisper a chant. Kai'sbody tenses under my touch and he begins to shout profanities,demanding that I get away from him, but I force myself to ignore hiswords and continue.

I quickly discover that Kai's angry state only gets worse the more I goon and turns bloodthirsty as he begins throwing out horrifying threatsof how he will kill both myself and Dahlia, who has started quietlysobbing in the corner at the scene of her brother fighting to get at herand follow through with his nasty threats.

Kai struggles against his restrains more aggressively than before as myvoice gets louder, his roars get louder to the point of that his wishedviolent acts are drowning out my words, and the louder he gets, theharder it gets to ignore him, my focus starts to deteriorate and myheart aches in my chest.

Tears pour from my eyes as I remove my hands from him, moving awayfrom him and exiting the room without another glance in his direction.Dahlia runs out of the room after me, slamming the heavy door andlocking it quickly.

We both stand in the dim fluorescent lighting of the hallway together,neither one of us knowing what to say we stare at the door we justcame out of until finally Dahlia decides to speak and break thedeafening quiet.

" He's not there anymore is he? " She mumbles.

" No. " I whisper.

" There's nothing that can be done? " She asks, but her tone doesn'tmake it sound like a question, making me realise she knows the answeralready but I reply anyway.

"No, I don't believe there is. " I croak out, my voice wavering as I speak."I'm so sorry Corinna. " Dahlia whispers.

Clearing my throat, I straighten my body then I turn and walk away,leaving her standing alone, too emotionally overwhelmed and drainedto interact with anyone.