Untouchable by Marii Solaria

Chapter 72 – The Hunter

www.com “You can be the hunter, or you can be the hunted.”

be the hunted.“– Lisa Gardner

Kiya

“We shouldn’t have done that.”

“No shit, Sherlock.”

My lips were still swollen from our kiss, the dull throbs pulsating as vivid reminders. The excited chatter of the amusement park muffled in my ears as my heart beats against my ribcage like a drum. Neron and I crossed a line that should’ve never been crossed. A line I promised myself I would never cross.

We kissed, and we kept kissing until the ride operator opened the side door for us and awkwardly cleared his

throat.

Blaring heat made its home under my skin as I thought about it. His hands roaming my body felt like heaven, his heat held mine in a tight embrace, and his lips. Goddess, his lips were witchcraft incarnate! They ignited a fire I didn’t know I had. Coupled with his skillful tongue, I was a goner. An absolute goner.

It felt so good. So right. So…loved.

But even what felt good could be wrong.

The kiss shouldn’t have happened. At all. All my internal promises and determination went down the drain, and I only had myself to blame. I wavered. I let the bond take over me. I let this all happen.

I’m weak. I’ve always been weak. How could I fool myself all these years thinking I was strong? One stupid kiss and I threw away all I worked hard to achieve. I was an idiot, a fucking fool. Everything just became more complicated.

Neron and I walked towards his car with me following a few steps behind. I didn’t want him to see my face. I was ashamed of myself. Hot tears slowly blurred my vision. I hugged my teddy bear against my chest, the only source for my comfort I had now. The softness of the pelt relayed a message that I could cry into it when I was in private. That it was here to soak up my sadness and self–guilt. That was all I could do now–relish in my stupidity.

We entered his car in silence, neither of us daring to address the elephant in the room. Shame rolled off Neron in waves as he struggled to focus on starting the car. He dropped his keys several times before he was able to turn on the ignition, gradually driving away from the park into the silent night.

Needing a distraction, I reached for the radio. He did too. Our hands jerked away like we’ve touched an open flame when our fingers touched. Goddamnit! Huffing, I turn the volume knob as Los Delphines thumped through the car. It reminded me to look up where Violetta and her band were playing next.

Silence persisted. Anxiety persisted. But it didn’t change the fact that we kissed and potentially strengthened the bond when there was no need to. How were we going to manage this? The lines were too blurred, and I felt the deep desire to kiss him again. The desire for his lips to set ablaze my core. To surrender into our animalistic lust and just…

“FUCK!” My fists slammed on the dashboard, shaking under the force of my hands. “Why the hell did you have

to kiss me, Neron?”

“I didn’t mean to, Kiya.” He admitted with his tired eyes glued to the road. “I… I got caught up in the moment. Onyx fighting with me didn’t help and…” He sighs. “It shouldn’t have happened.”

“What are we going to do?” I mutter. “We can’t pretend like the kiss hasn’t happened.”

“We have to,” Neron replied, his voice void of amusement. “Especially around Dad. Once he catches a whiff that something’s happened between us, he’ll use it to further his agenda.”

“Right. Because he still wants me to be Luna.”

“But it felt good.”

I arch an eyebrow, catching sight of Neron’s reddening cheeks. “The kiss?” He nodded, timid. I groan miserably because I agreed. The damn thing felt so good and that’s what was wrong with it. How long until I completely surrender to the bond? Could I hold out for much longer? Judging from Neron’s side view, there was turmoil in him.

If this was when I first arrived on Zircon territory, I’d be more than happy to do just that and call it a day.

disguised as possible. However, something felt off. The music was blaring inside of the car, but outside was so still. I’d typically spot a few animals or insects mingling in the dark woods, uncaring

equal to the Arctic slid down my spine, forcing an involuntary shiver. The longer the feeling marinated, the more I felt on edge. Neron had to be feeling this too, right? My eyes caught his eyes darting from the rear–view mirror to the side mirror with

tightened around the steering wheel, “We’re going to

“Good idea.”

sure as fuck

we both jerked forward from the forced stop of the car. It caught me off guard, stopping so fast I got whiplash. A heavy thump on the hood of the car caught our attention, but the night and the thick trees lining

fist through the windshield, grabbed me by my shirt collar, and threw me from the car. I hit the ground hard, back first. Glass shards rained all around me

“Kiya!”

my ears

e as the pursuer made his way to me. I found myself lifted in the air once more by a metallic

me.

with his tired eyes glued to the road. “I… I got caught up in the moment. Onyx fighting with

I mutter. “We can’t pretend like the

catches a whiff that something’s happened between us, he’ll

still wants me to be

felt good.”

kiss?” He nodded, timid. I groan miserably because I agreed. The damn thing felt so good and that’s what was wrong with it. How long until 1 completely surrender to the bond? Could I

was when I first arrived on Zircon territory, I’d be more than happy to do just that and call it a day. Now? I was not sure. My indecisiveness to reject

human towns, we must remain as disguised as possible. However, something felt off. The music was blaring inside of the

the Arctic slid down my spine, forcing an involuntary shiver. The longer the feeling marinated, the more I felt on edge. Neron had to be

the steering wheel, “We’re going to take a detour back

“Good idea.”

someone sure as fuck didn’t think

night and the thick trees lining the road was a skillful camouflage. We couldn’t see the head of whoever or whatever we might have hit because the front lights only illuminated the bottom half

impossibly powerful person busted their fist through the windshield, grabbed me by my shirt collar, and threw me

“Kiya!”

to me. I found myself lifted in the

With skin as white as snow, its deep red eyes pierced my soul. Its oily black hair did nothing to curtail the menace that laid behind the crimson orbs. This beast must be five times my weight and twice my height. It picked me up

me with emotionless red eyes. I wiggled

growls resounded in the air and the black–cloaked beast was barreled into the floor by Onyx. Eyes full of anger and claws ready to shred flesh, the Alpha was aiming for the kill. The

beast. Who would

looked like something out of a movie. Onyx, big, black, and beautiful was trying his hardest to tear down the malignant, brutish man–like monster who delivered violent punches

blood from black.

and collected while I lost my shit. “That thing is too much for him to take

hell did that thing even come from?”

you going to shift or not?”

glass healed. Tweezers were going to be my best friend tonight. Tossing my clothes aside, I shifted into my beautiful Artemis and

did, we did. We’re two powerhouses, two predators tearing down our prey. The beast fought back

nudged my side with his snout, his way of asking if I was okay. We may share a mate bond, but there was not an established mind–link, so we couldn’t communicate naturally.

snout back, responding with a low growl. Onyx’s frayed fur relaxed, his horse–like stature standing. tall as his watchful eyes glared at the beast, slowly getting

light.

fear into my

changed everything. All this time, this son–of–a–bitch wanted me. It knew that I was an avatar! My mind echoed back to the passage I read in that mysterious

me. Wanting to hurt

again, his teeth unsheathed, and drool dripped from his gums like

He quenched his thirst for blood like an apex