Hunter

Chapter Twenty Four

Xander

There was music coming from the cabin. All the lights were on. And I could hear two distinct heartbeats. One in the kitchen and one in the bedroom upstairs. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath. Below the music I could hear a soft humming.

'She's upstairs.' Xerxes whispered. 

I silently made my way to the back wall away from the kitchen. The window was open, her scent slipping out of it. Climbing in I glanced around at the empty room. The humming and heart beat were coming from the bathroom. The shower was running. She was in there. 

As I took cautious and silent steps towards her my heart continued to beat wildly in my chest. Just as I neared I slammed into an invisible wall and landed on my back. As I dragged myself onto my knees I realized there were now two heartbeats in the room. The person I had heard in the kitchen was here now.

"I'm a little disappointed." He sighed stepping out of the corner of the room. I knew him. He was one of the males I saw the day I killed my mother. The day I saw Mel.

'Kenji'

"I wanted to be wrong I really did." He said sadly. He stepped into the bathroom and came out with a recorder. With a click of a button the heartbeat and humming stopped.  

"Where is she?" I growled.

"You're her mate, you should know. Just reach into the bond at it'll tell you." He sighed sitting down and leaning against the wall eyes closed.

I tried to take a step towards him but was met with the same wall. Looking down I noticed a ring of light surrounding me. 

"What is this?" 

"Very old magic. A mixture of a bunch of stuff. Haven't used it in forever. You can't leave that circle."

I channeled as much rage as I could pounding my fists against the invisible barrier but it didn't budge. The entire time I felt Kenji's eyes on me. Watching. 

I don't know how much time had passed until I gave up and sank back onto my knees. Neither of us spoke. The sound of Frank Sinatra and the forest outside the only things you could hear. I looked up and watched him. His eyes were looking at his hands. His fingers fidgeting with what looked like a Polaroid picture. 

"You know I never got to mourn you." He whispered. 

His voice wasn't as calm as it had been before. He sounded like he was in pain. As if it hurt just to speak. He still didn't look at me. 

"Mel was devastated. She lost you and her father that day. The grief almost destroyed her. Luc and I had to constantly keep her off the edge. If I wanted to I could have been selfish. I could have told her I lost my best friend. I lost the person who was more of a brother to me than my own flesh and blood. Because how dare she act like you were hers alone."

From where I was I watched a tear fall from his closed eyes. The crack in his voice made my chest feel heavy. I didn't remember him. But he remembered me. While I was running from my old life those that were a part of it were falling apart. Are still falling apart.

"But that's the thing about love and loyalty. I can't be selfish. Mel has to come first. Her healing has to come first. You'd think with how long I've been alive I'd be used to watching people die. The thing with death though, is that no matter how long you've seen it, felt it, it's always going to hurt."

"Where is she Kenji?"  I asked quietly.

"Why are you looking for her Xerxes?" he asked. He wasn't talking to me. Not really.

'Step back.' Xerxes whispered in my mind. He sounded as exhausted as Kenji looked. I reluctantly let go of the reigns. 

Kenji watched as, I imagine, my eyes changed colour. Indicating who was in control now. He gave me a weak smile. 

"Hey wolfie. At least one of you remembers me." He laughed humorlessly.

"It's not his fault."

"I know."

"We just want to find Mel."

"You've never needed my help to do that. You guys are supposed to be like magnets.But right now I can't let you see her. Not when you're working for Alistair."

"He doesn't know. You can't keep him away because of that."

"You know. From what I can see your memory is intact.  And you didn't stop him."

"I'll explain everything. I'll tell you what he's planning. Where to find him. Just please let me see her."

'No' I yelled at him. The reality of the situation weighing on me. I'd have to betray my father to be with my mate. Or I could just take her away.

"I can get over you forgetting me. I can try to understand your logic as to why you're working with Alistair. Mel, she's gonna welcome you back with open arms. But what's going to hurt her. What's going to break her, is the reason you haven't found her this whole time. The reason you've never hijacked that body and dragged Xander to her."

"Kenji please."

"Do you know that a familiar shares a protector bond with it's master's mate. Similar but not exact to the bond it shares with it's master. Adonis has a mind link with Marina. Like the one you and I had. But he can also sense her. Where she is, if she's in pain or trouble. If need be he can be a conduit of power for her like he is for Lucian. Just not as deeply. 

I never had that with you. I created our mind link. It didn't snap into place. I figured it was because Mel hadn't come into her power yet. It made sense since I only ever felt our bond, hers and mine, snap into place on her birthday. But still, nothing came. And like an idiot I ignored the signs. I was so happy to have found a brother and to know you were going to love and protect her with everything you were. That your ability to stay away from her was because you were strong, selfless and completely out of your mind."

"Don't." Xerxes whispered dejectedly.

"I kept asking myself, after I found out it was you not Carlton, why didn't you immediately find us. I told myself maybe it was because both you and Xander couldn't remember. But then you remember. So why didn't you know she was in town? Why did Yau have to call you? Why didn't you come straight here? Why follow Titus hoping he could lead you to her? You could always find Mel through the mate bond so why didn't you. Why haven't you?"

"I can't feel it. I can't feel her."

..............

Well damn. That's interesting.