In Between Seasons

Chapter 46

I watched from the corner of my eye as the vein in his forehead bulged when he nodded. I was pretty sure it was something he didn't want to teach me.

"Might as well. You need to know as much as possible before..." His voice drifted off, and the food in my stomach formed a hard ball that threatened to come up.

"Before?"

Hunter took a deep breath as he licked his lips. "Before we don't have the chance."

I clenched my jaw, my hand freezing on the plate as I handed it to him to dry.

"You know something is coming?" I whispered, my hand stuck on the dish as he tried to pull it away.

Our eyes locked. "Kate, there's always been something coming for us."

I shook my head. "No, it's been coming for me."

Hunter pulled my fingers off the dish and placed it on the counter before taking my face in his hands.

"If they come for you; they come for me."

The fear that had become a constant knot in my insides began to untie with that stare.

"There are only two of us...against God knows what."

He shook his head, lowering his face to mine.

"They don't know what we can do...together."

I swallowed. "So knives?"

Hunter leaned down and gave me a quick kiss before threading his hand into mine, looking over his shoulder as he guided me towards the door. "Knives."

When we reached the supply hanger my whole backside was covered in mud in addition to the thin layer Hunter had applied to me in his hug.

"Nice," Hunter said as I dropped down onto the concrete floor.

"What?" I asked, turning with my hands on my hips.

Hunter covered his grin with his hand as he gave a shrug. "Nothing."

"That's what I thought," I shot back as we fell into step beside one another. I glanced over to see him leaning slightly back, his eyes on my lower half. "It's called mud, Hunter. It's not like you've never seen it before."

Hunter ran his teeth over his lips before his eyes slowly rose to me mine. "I wasn't looking at the mud."

I rolled my eyes as the heat rushed over every inch of my body. It felt like my heartbeat was echoing across the silent metal surrounding us. I tried to shake the thought of his lips against me from my mind, but it was no use. I grabbed his arm, stopping him in his steps, and he turned to look at me with his brows lifted.

I pushed him up against one of the wooden crates that surround us, relishing the sound of his breath leaving his chest in shock. I pressed my lips to his, and he pulled me closer to him; his hands slid down my back, parting my legs to wrap them around his waist. As I buried my hands in his hair, he turned, pressing my back against the crate so his hands could slip up the front of my shirt. I arched into him, moaning as his lips trailed down the deep v-neck of the shirt.

I let my hands slip up his chest, and he pulled away for a moment so I could pull his shirt over his head before he continued kissing me into ecstasy. His hands slid up my back, freeing the bra before he pulled my shirt and it over my head to press our skin together. I relished the feeling of his warmth as my legs slid down his waist so I was standing again. My heart pounded against his as he kissed my collarbone, and my eyes fluttered, catching the glint of silver behind us. My body stiffened as my eyes fell to his shoulder and the shiny scar that led from his neck down and over his collarbone. Hunter's body moved slightly away from me, and he looked at me as I traced it with my fingers.

"Is this from before they were outlawed?" I whispered, my eyes wandering up to his face.

His lips were parted as he inhaled, closing his eyes against my touch with a single nod. "Yes."

I let my eyes wander over his chest, covered in small scars, but then there were the large ones. Their presence hollowed me out, and it reminded me of the horrible things he had seen. My fingers traced each of them, and his body trembled beneath me as his fingers clasped over mine, and my eyes found his face.

He shook his head, and his chest heaved against me. He finally opened his eyes, and their sad gaze made my body numb.

"A reminder of the horrible things I've done," he whispered as he turned away, his hands going to the back of his head.

His head dropped, and I watched as his arms tensed from the fists hanging at his sides. "The horrible things I'm teaching you."

"No, Hunter," I began, moving forward as he grabbed his shirt off the floor. He stopped as my fingertips touched the bare skin of his back. "It's different."

His jaw clenched before he pulled away and yanked the shirt over his head. "No, it's not."

I stepped back, covering my chest with my arms.

"Yes, it is," I replied, and my voice was harder than I expected, but it was the right amount of conviction.

It was different, and I needed him to see it.

Hunter turned, his eyes drifting before settling on my face.

"How?" he asked, and his face was set with the same conviction.

"I'm not going to die. I'm not going to let this go," I replied, stepping forward until we were inches apart. "I'm not afraid of The Fall anymore. I'm afraid, though...of losing you."

Hunter's eyes fluttered as his muscles relaxed, and his head lowered to mine.

"You won't lose me," he whispered, his voice cracking. "I don't understand why you want me."

I let my hands fall to the collar of his shirt, moving it so the scar was showing. I locked eyes with him as my fingertips moved over it.

"Because of these." He shook his head, but I continued, "Because these scars make you who you are...because they make you a good person."

"How is that possible?"

"Because you feel them."

Hunter's chest moved with a soft chuckle as his hands moved up to take mine in his.

"I don't deserve this," he whispered.

Our lips hovered, parting and reaching for one another as I replied, "Neither do I."

His lips met mine, slowly parting them with his as I breathed him in until he filled every part of me.

"Make me a weapon," I whispered as he pulled away. "Make it so I never have to dream about this again—so we can have this...forever."