Free Darkest Prince by K.A. Jones Page A

why…. Did you not train as a hunter?” Hunter yes! Punch bag, no!
    I couldn’t help the derisive snort. “Dario, I’m trying really hard here not to take this personally – but trust me when I say that right now – I hurt like a bitch, therefore I will act like one. I don’t want you to ‘see’ to my wounds. They will be a reminder and make me work harder to make sure that this never happens again.” I stomped to my room, slamming the door firmly into place.
    Stripping out of my clothes and dropping them to the floor I checked over my wounds in the mirror above the bathroom sink. The blood had dripped down my arms and dried into a crusty mess. I quickly showered, slipped on some clothes and flung myself onto the bed.
    ‘ Are you going to speak to me?’
    I let my own silence be my reply. It w asn’t like I had anything worth-while to say. For months Dario had spoken to me, supported me and made me feel special. The moment I’m in his castle, I’m in a separate bedroom and humiliated and confused beyond belief.
    In front of the other vampires he’s affectionate towards me. I see the way they look at him; they’re as confused by his behaviour as I am. They are used to seeing a ruthless leader whereas I’m used to the confident, se nsitive, supportive side to him. Oh, I knew he was arrogant in that sexy-as-hell kinda way, I also knew that I was attracted to him – but I was mad at him and more importantly, mad at myself. If I’d had sense at all, I wouldn’t have slept with him and put myself in this situation.
    Grabbing my bags I shoved my dirty clothes and daggers inside and crept towards the door opening it slightly. I listened for a few minutes trying to gauge where the vampires were. Locating them was easy. When I was sure that I was alone on this level, I made my way towards the stairs and made my way down them.
    I didn’t have a plan, well not one that was thought out. My only thoughts were to get away and keep running. I still had about eight hours of the night left before I would have to find somewhere to stay. I couldn’t imagine Mrs Johnson letting me stay at the bed and breakfast again, and it would probably be the first place that Dario and his goons would look for me.
    Outside was still a hive of activity. I skirted around the edge of the castle hoping that the shadows would conceal me. Vampires would know I was there , but if I walked as though I belonged and not as though I was hiding, I might be able to pull it off. I pictured in my mind where the cameras pointed and hoped that I blended in and no-one would question my whereabouts until it was too late.
    To the east of the building were a set of steps that led to a secluded garden. I could only sense a couple of vampires and figured that going in that direction was my best bet for getting away without being seen.
    Walking with as much confidence and courage as I could muster, I made my decent down the steps. I picked up my pace the further away from the castle I got.
    The vampires were on the move, heading towards a wooded area. They were moving fast. Gripping my bags tighter, I began to sprint in the opposite direction until I heard a gunshot and something heavy hit the ground.
    My hands found my daggers as I ran at full tilt to where one of the guards lay on the ground with a hole in his chest. The other guard was giving chase and I went into full hunter mode. I could hear Dario’s panic as he spoke into my mind, demanding for me to tell him where I was. I closed my mind to him; I needed to focus my attention on the hunter. I made a quick assessment of where the guard had been shot from, and quickly and silently made my way to where the hunter had taken his shot. This was no contract kill; this was the hunters with a new mission. This mindless killing was to let Dario know that they were coming for him and for me.
    Now it was personal, it was time to send back my own message. One that told them not to mess with me and what was mine!
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