My Hunted Mate novel Chapter 18

Corinna

Sneaking around in a house full of vampires was an extremely difficult task, but somehow I'd managed to grab a bag pack I'd bought to replace my lost one, gather a change of clothes and the box with Malakai's ring and then leave the house off the balcony, again, without waking or alerting anyone.

My paws hit the ground at a great speed as I raced to visit a witch who I had met a few months after I'd escaped my pack. I had just about managed to get away from one of my uncle's delightful hunting parties but not without being badly injured. It was when I had collected one of my many stab wounds, one of them had pinned me down long enough for another to jam a knife into my shoulder, I'd already been bleeding profusely from many bite marks and the only reason why I'd gotten away was pure chance that my gifts decided to come to the surface.

The only problem was that I had no control at the time, so on top of setting a couple of my old pack members alight, I'd also burned half of the forest down too. That's what drew Helena to me, she brought me to her home and healed me, taught me how to gain control and a few simple spells to get me by, the rest I'd learned over time as I bumped into other witches or covens.

I had absolutely no idea how Helena would be when I showed up at her door after so long, asking for a favour of all things. When I'd fully healed two days after she'd saved me, she'd demanded I leave her home as she feared it would be putting her unborn child at risk if I stayed.

She was right to ask me to leave, I didn't realise how dangerous I would've been for her at the time but I was naive then. I didn't put up a fight when she sent me away, but it deepened the rejection I'd already been feeling because of my own family and pack.

By the time I reached her cottage, the sun had already risen in the sky and it was about mid day. I sat down on her doorstep, letting out a loud bark, moments later the door opened to reveal the familiar pale, white haired woman with purple freckled black eyes.

Witches tend to have bright, unusual colours speckled into their natural eye colour. It's usually purples, teals, golden or silver colours, but sometimes their natural eyes only hold one colour and glow, their difference to humans always obvious. That's why my wolf's eyes became a glowing purple when my gifts surfaced but for whatever reason it doesn't show in my natural grey eyes.

In her arms she held a pale toddler with white hair and ruby red eyes, something unusual even for a witch baby. " Corinna? Is that you? " Helena asks.

Instantly I shift back. " Hey Helena. How have you been? Cute baby. "

" I.. Thank you. Her name is Dyna, short for Diana but she seems to dislike the latter. " Helena tells me, shifting on her feet awkwardly.

" oh! " she shouts with wide eyes. " Come in. "

She purses her lips for a moment. " I suppose the least I can do is show you how the spell works. "

She sets Dyna down on the floor then stands up to walk into the kitchen, I grin at her as she does so then look around nearly giggling at the amount of half melted candles lying around the room. It only takes seconds before Helena is back in front of me with a small bowl used for mixing herbs, she opens her hand for the ring which I place in her palm.

Dyna has now crawled over to my feet and is trying to use me as a means to stand up, I chuckle lightly lifting her onto her tiny feet. I hold her hands, making sure she is balanced and doesn't fall over while I watch Helena place the ring in the centre of the bowl then draw a circle of salt around it.

She closes her eyes, holds her hands above the bowl and begins to chant loudly, I take in every word she says in Latin very carefully as I study her. Suddenly the bowl erupts in flames, I clench my teeth as the thought of the mini campfire in the bowl melting my mate's ring and me trying to explain it to him but I keep my mouth shut.

Moments later, the fire vanishes and Helena picks the ring from the bowl, handing to me. " The salt is what you draw the protection enchantment for, the fire happens because if a vampire is out in the sun for too long they burst into flames, it's a whole thing. " she waves her hand.

" Thank you Helena. " I reach over and place a hand on hers gently, only to feel as if someone has dipped my hands into a bucket of burning coal.