Page 26 of Hunt Me

Relief courses through me, but it’s short-lived. “How did he take it?”

“He promised to be back in a few days so he could change my mind.” She hesitates. “I told Natalia I needed the week off.”

“Smart. It’s best to avoid the situation rather than face him head-on.”

“I know.”

The fear threatens to drag me down, so I force a smile and tease, “When did you get so street-smart?”

“I haven’t changed,” she says, brows arching. “Maybe the way you see me has.”

I shake my head, unwilling to get into that particular argument right now. “He might be dangerous, but Uziah has connections. If anyone can find a way out of this, it’s him.”

“Fine, but you have to face this. Stop hiding in your room.”

Now, it’s my turn to glare. “You’re being awfully pushy for a girl who still has a curfew.”

She hesitates. “I saw something, Tor.” The worry in her tone puts me immediately on edge.

“What is it?”

“A vision. About you. A possible future.”

“Tell me.”

“In one version, you… don’t forgive yourself. You remain locked in this house.” Her voice catches as she adds, “You die alone.”

Fear and worry clog my senses, but then I remember her words from earlier. “I thought you said you live until you’re old.”

“I do.” Her concern deepens as she adds, “But I am not with you when—” She breaks off and looks away.

I stare down at my plate, at a loss.

“You have to fight this,” she pleads.

“What is there to fight?” I snap, looking up at her again, eyes blazing with fury. “Even if she wasn’t an innocent, I killed her for no reason. I am the enemy. How do I fight myself?”

She doesn’t answer my question. Instead, she scrapes back her chair and gets up, moving to the sink and clattering dishes into the soapy water. Her back is to me, and she’s silent so long that I’m certain the conversation is over.

Finally, she says, “There was another future.”

My eyes bore holes in her back. “What future?”

“There’s a male. Someone … who helps you.”

I pause, my heart racing as I think of the possibilities. But I have a feeling I already know who she means. “Uziah?”

“No.”

My mate.

The death dragon himself.

The image of his face is burned behind my eyelids. Amid all the fear, I’ve thought of him constantly. My body aches for him, which is stupid considering I’ve never done more than look at him or feel his hand on my cheek. Despite that, I want him as badly as I want to wake up from this nightmare.

“Mom would forgive you, you know.”

I blink, snapping out of my thoughts to see Kendall facing me again. Her expression is a knowing one. “She would understand.”

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