Page 16 of The Secret of Pain

“Flowers?” He sounds puzzled and my curiosity grows because it obviously wasn’t him.

“Yeah, purple peonies.”

“That mother fucker,” he growls, and my eyebrows shoot up.

“I’m sorry, what?” I ask, since he obviously knows something.

“Nothing. No, I didn’t send them,” he says sharply.

“No need to be so pissy, it was just a question. They’re probably from Jack; he probably just forgot about them. I’ll see you later.”

“Sure,” he says, and the line cuts off. I wonder who pissed in his cereal?

Fuck it. I’m going to have my bath and relax because I am done with today, despite my beautiful flowers.

I grab my drink and my book again and head into my bathroom, ready to forget about the world.

CHAPTER SEVEN

I lean down and undo my ballet slippers. Dance class tonight was abysmal, but try focusing on a plié when you’ve got thoughts of monsters running through your head. I’d hoped ballet would distract me from the weird new world I live in, give me a reprieve from the insanity that has become my new reality. How wrong was I?

Instead, I nearly broke my ankle when I landed wrong, and then almost took out four other dancers when I barreled into them. I guess some of that newfound strength Dad was going on about came into play. I shove the slippers in my bag and shrug on my hoodie and sneakers before heading out into the darkness.

I never thought about being scared of the darkness before. Our little town is so ordinary, and so unremarkable. Nothing bad ever really seems to happen here. Except now I know that’s because two families of Hunters live here. Also because of my awesome DNA and having not done the awakening or the binding rituals yet, I’m a potential target to everything that goes bump in the night according to Dad and Colt, but I don’t want to change my entire life on what if’s and maybe’s. Especially since I’ve apparently evaded these monsters my entire life so far, and they supposedly prey on humans daily—if I’ve survived this long without getting caught, I can continue that pattern. I don’t have that much bad luck.

Putting my ear buds in, I play PVRIS loud enough to keep me focused, and I hold my bag tighter as I head through the streets on edge on my way home. The streets are empty, but I swear I jump at my own shadow.

I stop and shake myself. Get a fucking grip, Remy.

There’s no one out here, and you’re overreacting. This is ridiculous. I get a hold of myself and stride toward the park, where I can cut through to get home. I’ve always loved the park at night, how there’s so little light, the stars shine brighter. More than once I’ve laid in the middle of the field for a while, just looking at the stars, pondering the workings of the universe.

I take a deep breath and remove my earbuds, enjoying the quiet time and the cool air hinting that fall is on the way soon. It might still be like a whole month out, but I like fall, I’ll take every opportunity to relish in the thought that it’s coming. I also refuse to be afraid of something that isn’t even likely.

Slowing down my pace a little, I take in the small things. How bright the sky is, despite the time of day. The moon glowing like a beacon of hope. It’s peaceful and calming, and I feel almost grounded for the first time since this whole Hunter insanity spilled over into my reality.

A noise behind me startles me. My heart races and I turn, releasing the breath I held when I see a group of joggers working their way through the park. So much for not being afraid.

Turning back to the path, and I move aside when the joggers reach me, enjoying the peace. Looking up at the stars, I meander down the empty path and try to spot constellations like I used to do with Mom. It used to hurt to do it without her, but I realized a few years ago that she’d love that I still do it, so now it just makes me smile.

I’m so distracted, I don’t see the person walking toward me until I’m literally crashing into them. I fall back on my ass and drop my bag. That shit is going to leave a bruise. I look up to find the stranger glaring down at me.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t even see you,” I say, dusting off my hands. I climb to my feet and grab my bag, but the man is still just staring at me. His eyes are difficult to avoid, piercing and so dark, it’s like I’m looking into pools of shadows.

My heart races, and I clutch my bag tighter before trying to maneuver around him, but he steps in my path. “I said I was sorry, now if you don’t mind, I need to get home. My boyfriend is cooking dinner.”

“I don’t think so, Hunter.” His voice is more like a hiss, guttural, and sends a shiver down my spine. This is not happening to me right now. I feel sick, like I’m going to cry, but I don’t let it show.

“I think you’ve got me confused with someone else,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady but failing.

“Just a baby Hunter, out here all alone. Foolish mistake. What a treat you will be.” He licks his lips, and that’s when I notice his teeth. Two fangs longer than the others, so long they give him a lisp. My skin crawls, goosebumps covering me, when I make the decision. I turn around and sprint as fast as I can away from him. His laugh rings out across the park, and I realize the mistake I made. Now it’s a game, but I have no other choice.

I am not cut out for this life.

I scream as I’m yanked back by my ponytail, my bones jarring at the sudden force of the stop. He shoves me and I crash to my knees, pain rushing through me. He grabs my arm so tightly, his sharpened nails cut deeply into my skin before he pulls at my hair again, exposing my neck as he laughs.

“Such a pretty little lamb.” Warm breath against my ear makes my stomach roll as he gets closer. His teeth break the skin on my neck and pain like I’ve never known floods me. I do not want to die like this. He releases me and laughs again. “So sweet!”

Throwing my head back with as much force as I can, I almost smile when I hear the crunch as I connect with his face. Pulling myself forward out of his grip, my scalp burning, I jump to my feet and run. Main Street isn’t far away, it won’t take me long and I know there are a ton of people. I push myself harder, ignoring the pain that rips through me until I see the lights show in the distance. Adrenaline keeps me going so that I don’t stop until I’m halfway down Main Street, and then fall to the ground again, tears running down my face.

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