Betrayed: The Chronicles of Luxor Everstone Book Two

by Jacklyn Daher

  Hunter came in a minute later wrapping his arms around her waist, his body heat warming her up. "She didn't mean it." He nestled his neck in the crook of her neck, and tightening his grip on her waist.

  Luxor disagreed. "I'm a repulsive thing, not even human. Not worthy of breathing the same air. That's what she sees."

  "She'll change her mind."

  She tilted her head up. "I should have listened to you. I shouldn't have gone out there. I shouldn’t have gone into Sanctum. What is wrong with me? Why can't I see danger when it's staring me in the face?"

  "Because you're stubborn," Hunter told her with a tilt of his lips.

  "Gee thanks," she replied knowing he was right.

  He held her face and intently stared into her eyes. "But you are also passionate, and loving. You saw your friend hurt, and with no hesitation you were willing to stand up for her. That's loyalty."

  And willing to be stoned.

  "What if Scarlett was telling the truth and would expose me?"

  Hunter shrugged. "Doesn't matter anymore."

  It could only mean one thing Theo and Castor would be incorporated again to fix the problems that had occurred. With everything.

  "What's Melita's role, it's clear what the twins are and yours is to help newly Unveiled Nephilim but I can't figure hers out. I mean when I first met Cane, she protected me in this bubble, that’s about it."

  "Her father didn't have any significant role. He was similar to Xavier, he could get any female he wanted with his charm, charisma, and manifestation. Melita is the same."

  "Didn't really work with Jake, he seemed disinterested."

  "That's because Jake is gay."

  "W-what?" Luxor said, flabbergasted.

  "Scarlett was blackmailing him and threatened to expose him if he didn't bug your house."

  Luxor almost didn't feel bad about hurting Scarlett, she had her hand in destroying so many people's lives. "How do you know this?"

  "Jake refused to sleep with Melita or couldn't get it up and that's when it clicked."

  “Maybe Xavier and Melita should hook up, they have mutual powers.”

  His lips set in a grim line, and after a lengthy pause, his eyes widened. “Oh, shit. Things make sense. Kind of..”

  Before Luxor could ask what he meant, she cried out and held her side. He was quick to comfort her rubbing her back when the door was swung open.

  "Hunter…" Castor's voice trailed off. His eyes narrowed the moment he noticed Luxor. "Oh, she's in here."

  "What's up?" Hunter said in a rough voice, anxiously holding her hand.

  "Forget it we'll talk later." He turned to leave, swinging a bottle of vodka by the neck. Castor lifted the bottle, and sculled. "Here's to good health, Angel." His lips tilted in an evil smile.

  He had lit a match and confirmed her intuition. Without thinking, Luxor lunged at him, fist ready to do damage. "You fuckin' demonic asshole, you were partly responsible for my death." She screamed at him, her hair flying in her face. Hunter held her back, swinging her around.

  Castor chuckled side swiping in time. "You're looking very much alive from what I see."

  "You helped Verity and Aiden." She elbowed backwards only for Hunter to hold onto her tighter.

  "Verity and Aiden are in Hampton Cove, they don't know where you are," Castor said.

  Luxor was ropable and hell bent on hurting him. "Evie, she set up Facebook, they found me, tied me up, cut my hair off, and stabbed me." Her voice was a wail by the end. The more she recalled it, the more surreal it was.

  "How are you alive? And why would I kill you, you’re needed." He taunted her shaking his head. "Wait here, I'll go get the animal tranquilliser cuz you are one fucked up crazy bitch."

  Please believe me.

  Luxor begged Hunter appealing to his mind, if he didn't, she wouldn't know what she'd do. She needed him to trust her on this.

  Hunter's jaw clenched tightly, and the deep intensity had his eyes transferring to a deep topaz. "I'll be right back." He grabbed Castor by the crook of his elbow and dragged him out.

  She circled the room, her nerves shot to hell. Just when it appeared she had dealt with one problem, another one would pop up.

  "This is utter bullshit." Melita's high pitched voice screeched.

  Luxor’s musings were broken. She headed towards the door as Hunter had been gone a while, and she was wondering where he was.

  "You will not drug her," Hunter commanded.

  That answered my question.

  "It needs to be done. Theo isn't here to fix another one of your stuff ups. You've obviously lost your touch, especially when it comes to matters dealing with her," Melita huffed. "What is it about her that has made you lose control? Is it the virgin thing? Or the thrill of playing with our toy?"

  What in the holy hell?

  "Melita," Hunter's voice cooed to her. "You do realise it was a rouse? And the naive little girl fell for it."

  There was a slight gap in the door. Melita had her arms around Hunter in a tight embrace and ran her fingers alongside his jaw closing in on his mouth. Her long fingers were inside the waistband of his jeans, unbuttoning his top button.

  It was like a train wreck she couldn't watch, but she couldn't look away. She was fixated wanting to see if he would break their embrace and move away from her. All she wanted to do was close her eyes and pretend she was hallucinating. This time she would welcome it.

  This can't be happening. He couldn't have faked it all.

  "Seems real to me." She pouted her pink, glossy lips.

  "Honeybee," Hunter murmured in her ear, and yanked her hair forcefully back to expose her neck, pulling her closer. “This has been a long time coming.”

  Wait are you waiting for? Run! Go home and don't turn back.

  The image had Luxor zoning into that moment and the combination of thoughts twisted where she couldn't distinguish if it was his or hers.

  Wait are you waiting for? Run! Go home and don't turn back.

  Being quiet wasn't on top of her priorities as she hastened down the steps on her way out. It was impossible to figure out how she'd get home, hitchhiking wasn't an act she was looking forward to attempting.

  She twirled around, her eyes darting around and inspecting every crevice of the lounge room, desperate for another answer. When none appeared, she conceded she would have to do the stupidest thing imaginable. She hobbled over inside a barn filled with a mountain of rubbish which would have made a hoarder proud, and found a neon green Vespa with a set of keys wedged into the ignition.

  Finally, a break.

  Luxor had never been behind the wheel of any motorised vehicle let alone driven one. She'd be taking a chance on her life to get herself home. Wasn't she resilient? It was a comment that was constantly reiterated to her. The other problems were getting lost, and of course the law.

  "Where do you think you're going?" Theo asked, coming out of the shadows. He flicked his cigarette to the side, and slowly walked over to a relaxed gait. His cap low over his grey eyes but there was no mistaking the glimmer that flickered.

  Only one thing occupied her mind, and that was getting to a police station. Pronto. Evie was in trouble, she had no idea where she was and hadn't re-emerged since Melita had grabbed her. The story she'd have to conjure was brewing although she'd have to omit the majority of it and tell them the bare necessities.

  The Marcos family was responsible, each and every one of them. Or at least it was perceived that way. Hunter was the mastermind, the smirking criminal behind it all. The moment she met him there was something about him, but she fell for the cliché bad boy act.

  "Stay away from me," she warned.

  "Let me take you home," he offered, and stepped slowly closer.

  "No, I don't trust you."

  I don't trust anyone anymore.

  "You don't have to." Theo leaned down and lifted the jeans, pulling out a blade from the inside of his boot and passed it to her. "If I try to attack you, I give you full lib
erty to stab me. Let me get you home safe before everything will be for nothing."

  Despite her internal conflict, her instincts indicated Theo could be trusted. He exuded a manner that made her feel at ease, and he had been the one who kept Castor from doing further damage. It proved invaluable giving her insight on Hunter's and his background.

  Luxor snatched the knife, keeping an eye on him. He led the way over to the Hummer, the climb up a slow and painful task. Buckling up she clasped the switchblade in her grip and peered back at the house as they left the property.

  "It's not what you think." He jumped into the conversation.

  In typical fashion Theo would justify Hunter's action just as Hunter justified his. Families were screwed up, but theirs were on another stratosphere.

  "So, his hands and mouth were being lured under her almighty gift?" She gritted her teeth.

  The knife might have been in her lap but it felt as if it was lodged deep into her chest. It would have been a better sensation to become numb, and to not deal with the see-saw of his affections.

  "Nephilim’s can't use their gifts on each other," he informed her.

  A slap of betrayal had her throat constricting and she swallowed hard. She held onto her side, her stomach clenching at the thought. It made it all the worse, meant he willingly did it.

  “Besides did you see the act?”

  “I don’t enjoy voyeurism.”

  “I’ll take that as a no.” Theo displayed a saddened expression. "Do you think it's easy seeing a girl you've loved all your life love somebody else? And what's worse, it's your brother," he told her despondently.

  "Why do you love her, she's dead set crazy?" Luxor said. That was putting it mildly, there was a whole litany of words she wanted to spew out but that topped the list.

  He sighed tilting his lips to the side. "Aren't they the best kind? You could say she's had a traumatic childhood."

  "That's no excuse." Especially when you show no regard for anything, she wanted to add.

  Theo raised an eyebrow and scoffed. "Really? Considering your perfect upbringing, what's to blame for your actions?" he said. "You are infuriating, and I'm not even with you. But I mean I can see why Hunter loves you."

  Luxor ceased to fiddle around with the hem of her dress at the mention of that four lettered word. "Hunter doesn't love me, he likes me a lot, but love is a too strong of a word."

  Theo gripped firmly onto the steering wheel, and this action had Luxor holding onto the blade. "If only you knew the depths he's gone for your so-called-likes-me-a-lot theory you'd change your mind. That boy has been gone the moment he saw you in that hospital bed," his voice softened at the end.

  The Hummer stopped at a set of traffic lights. Theo relaxed his posture and switched multiple radio stations, only to find mindless chatter, but it filled in the blank noise.

  "Yeah, because I was at my prettiest then." She laughed loosening up a little bit.

  "Looks are superficial. Before you uttered a single word, something clicked inside of him, he'd found the missing link," Theo told her nostalgically. It wasn't his story, yet it appeared as if it had a profound effect on him.

  "If you say it was fate or I complete him I'll gag. There's no such thing, it's a tactic writers make up for novels and movies to lure those singles to believe into something special. And guess what? People gobble it up like…like Skittles," she said, aware of the irony. The Notebook was her all-time favourite movie and the foundation and ever-lasting love was fate.

  He smiled slightly. "It goes deep beyond that, and I’m surprised her hasn’t told you about it.”

  “Told me what?”

  “It’s not my place, but remember this, everything he feels for you, it’s real,” he said softly. “Let me ask you something? What was your first feeling when you saw him?"

  Electricity. It was the perfect way to describe that first charge he'd given her when he entered the petrol station. She was left breathless. And Alive. Two opposite emotions fused together to create an almighty reaction.

  "Oh, he's hot. Must be a player," Luxor said the first thing that came to mind because they did play their fair share of games.

  He's still playing the game.

  Theo rolled his eyes and it was apparent she'd been caught out in a lie. "Remember what I once told you? In the end it'll always be him, it's not a statement, that's a fact."

  Luxor was rendered speechless. What was she supposed to say? Did this have to do with what yet another thing Hunter held back from her. If he wanted them to be together why did he keep sabotaging them and hurting her?

  Despite suggesting Theo park at the back of the property he ignored Luxor and parked right outside of the house. It was no surprise Meredith wasn't home, but then again, she figured he'd use his gift to help her out. As much as she never wanted them to do it again, she’s conceded it was a way of life.

  In her haste Luxor had forgotten her satchel which meant climbing the tree and entering through the balcony. Lately she'd been leaving it open because half the time unexpected incidents arose which meant entering the house the normal way wasn't ideal.

  She fumbled around in the dimly lit room, using the wall as a support and a guide. All she wanted was a long hot shower and to forget everything wasn't a disaster. But in the end, it boiled down to one simple conclusion. Tonight was entirely her fault.

  Luxor hopped into the shower she washed away her sins, scrubbing away the dirt from each and every pore and fibre. Steam wafted off her body when she got out and tightly wrapped the towel around her body. She sifted through her chest of drawers when she felt a presence, lingering behind her.

  The bedroom light was flicked on, turning around she jumped back and shrieked. "For fucks sake and all things holy and demonic, what are you doing here?"

  "Who else would be in your bedroom?" He lounged against the doorframe at the door, and secured a chair underneath the knob. He was freshly showered, in a pair of grey tracksuits and a plain black T-shirt, running his fingers through his damp ebony locks.

  Doing a quick scan of the room, Luxor realised she had nothing to protect herself against, not that it would make a difference, he was bigger and stronger than she was. Oh, and she was basically naked.

  "Get out," she demanded, holding tightly onto her towel with one hand, and pointing to the door with the other.

  Hunter furrowed his forehead. "You're angry." He ventured forward and made himself comfortable on the bed, stretching his legs out. He held an arm up, the satchel dangling from his wrist. holding his hands up in surrender. It was then she noticed he had her satchel.

  Her mouth gaped open that he could not even comprehend his actions. She quickly composed herself, apart from the return of her bag there was more at stake than her bruised heart. "Where's Evie?"

  "At home. Asleep."

  "Liar," she growled out, throwing a perfume bottle at him.

  He ducked his head, and the glass smashed against the wall beside her bed, the sweet liquid dripping down. "Call her, but aren't you supposed to be at the festival?" He moved off the bed.

  He was right. It was midnight. If she called not only would she be lying about where she was but also, she would be outing Evie on her whereabouts. But if it meant making sure he wasn't lying wouldn't it be worth it?

  Luxor moved across the room, she'd be able to easily get to the satchel now he was a bit further away. "Leave now, I hate you. Just because you helped with my life, I don't owe you anything," she hissed.

  Hunter clenched his jaw, his mood changing from placid to aggravated. "What exactly do you think I did?"

  "Oh my God, stop just stop! I saw you, don't even try to deny it?" she screamed like a banshee. "Kiss Melita?"

  Hunter furrowed his brow, and swiftly moved off the bed. The closer he came, the more Luxor retreated. She was up against the wall, slowly she removed the chair, moving the chair to create space between them. "Aren't your lips sore from all the lies...or sucking face." She wanted it to come out harsh b
ut even then, she couldn't manage to fake her emotions.

  Recognition registered, and his lips set in a grim line. "You actually think I kissed her? Are you crazy? I made her think that to give you time to escape," he explained, moving to the middle of the room. “How many times do I have to tell you, it’s you who I want.” He walked over to the middle of the room.

  She held up a palm. "Are you actually listening to yourself?"

  "Why do you think I told you to run? She would have gone after you and hurt you and I refused for that to happen. I gave her what she wanted and did the only thing that would make you run."

  The voice, could it have been him? Or was it another one of his lies?

  Before she fled the line between different thoughts were becoming increasingly muddled. Hers, Hunters, Canes, her mothers, all were able to penetrate her mind at any opportunity. All she wanted was for own thoughts to be solely for her where nobody can access them. But it was a double-edged sword because then she wouldn’t be able to experience any communication with her mother. When Cane attacked, and Hunter had the power to split her apart, she felt like a fool to have believed everything.

  When was the pinnacle point where I’d become so completely gullible?

  Luxor stared lifelessly at those toffee orbs, and hated him. He'd stolen her spark. "Even if you did it for my sake, you let her drug Evie, so someone else could fix her up," her voice cracked. She wanted to bawl, but it would have to wait until he left.

  "She gave her a mild sedative in her coffee behind my back. I would never hurt Evie, just like I'd never hurt you. She was buying time until Theo got there, he'd create new memories." Hunter grabbed a towel in hand, and knelt down beside her. She flinched at his proximity, shrugging her shoulder away. Not one to be deterred he held them down and scrunched up the moisture, wiping her face. "We should get tattoos of an apple and Skittles. I'm yours, only yours. My methods suck but it worked, she's content."

  "Content. Over a promise?” she said, arching an eyebrow.