“What?” I asked, and all I wanted was for him to be able to say he had needed me to. His eyes met mine and they said it. That was enough, “I’m sorry I saw it in your face that you hated doing it.”
I reached my hand out and pulled him up to lay behind me.
“I needed to know that you didn’t believe it was some kind of power trip,” Hunter sighed, and his breath moved my hair away from my neck.
I pulled his arm around me and tucked myself into his chest.
“Despite your arrogance I know you aren’t one to go on a power trip to hurt someone—only to make me feel like an idiot,” I teased, kissing his forearm.
“I only do that because I—”
“Yes?”
“I like to tease you,” he sighed again, “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“This,” he explained, pulling me closer to him.
~~~
The next morning Hunter woke me up just as the sun was creeping up the horizon. He didn’t say anything, but smiled at me as he pulled the blanket off the love seat. He led me outside and down the steps to the hanging chair on the lower porch. He wrapped the blanket and his arms around me as we sat down.
I looked over my shoulder when I heard the rest of the tribe beginning to stir as the sun began to paint the sky.
“What will they think?” I asked, resting my head on his shoulder.
He put his chin on top of my head, “Let them think what they will—it will never change what’s really going on.”
I snuggled in closer to him, and I could feel his lips gently kiss the top of my hair. I knew it was more than just the training that they would disapprove of. I only could wonder in content what it all meant when nothing seemed to matter.
Chapter 32
“So,” Mara walked into the laundry room and jumped onto the washer as I folded clothes, “I saw you two on the porch.”
“And?” I retorted, kicking the door shut behind me.
“It was nice. You guys looked very content,” she commented, grabbing one of my shirts from the bin and folding it.
“Did everyone else see it?” I asked as I tried not to look like my stomach was feeling.
“Obviously you guys didn’t care if anyone saw?” she observed, taking the towel from me and folding it in her lap.
“We all do stupid things in the heat of the moment,” I explained as I looked up at the ceiling. It just wasn’t like Hunter to do something without thinking. I wondered if I was impairing his judgment and what that could mean.
“I told everyone I was making a big breakfast in the kitchen. I involved everyone—I can be quite the bossy bitch when I want to be, so no one noticed you two on the porch,” Mara shrugged, “You’re welcome.”
“I still don’t get why you’re helping me, or why Rob is helping Hunter,” I replied, searching her face for any sort of clue. It was nice to feel that someone was on our side, even if we didn’t know why.
“Don’t get too excited. We aren’t doing anything that we don’t feel benefits us—befriending the leaders always helps the peons,” She explained, and I wasn’t sure if it was because I wanted it to mean something else, or if it did, but her eyes seemed softer than her words.
“So did Rob get flattened out?” I asked as I picked up another towel to resume folding.
“Not at all, as far as I know they didn’t talk, but talking is more of a girl thing. Rob told me that Hunter gave him a personalized training session, which was quite useful. It’s hard for anyone to get as good as Hunter because he’s so guarded with why he’s so talented,” Mara explained.
“Well, good for Rob, someday we’ll all need a bit of his training,” I responded, picking up the last pair of jeans and folding it.
“You think there’s something coming for us?” Mara asked with her tone of voice changing to worry.
I locked eyes with her praying they said something else, “No.”
“Of course not,” she said as she nodded her head.
There was a knock at the door and Rob peeked his head in, “Hunter let us off for lunch— I swear you’re a miracle worker Kate.”
“I’m sure it had nothing to do with me,” I responded, but I was still looking at Mara.
Rob looked between the two of us. Mara’s eyes were still on me and mine darted down to the towel in my hand. She had understood what I had said.
“Did I interrupt a girlie talk?” Rob asked, his brow furrowing.
“Not at all,” I picked up the basket of laundry, “Just gossiping a bit.”
Rob didn’t look convinced as I pushed past him out the door.
Chapter 33
“Now that smells great,” Hunter commented, coming into the kitchen and pulling off his sweaty t-shirt.
I rolled my eyes trying to concentrate on the tomato I was cutting, “My cooking always smells great.”
“Do I have time for a quick shower?” Hunter asked as he threw his shirt over his shoulder.
I turned to look at him, “Of course, oh shirtless wonder.”
He winked at me as he left the room. When he came back into the kitchen he was still shirtless.
“It’s bad enough I have to sleep in the same bed with you half-naked,” I commented, stirring the rice and pointing the spoon at him.
“I can’t help that you like it,” he teased as he took a cucumber from the salad and popped it in his mouth.
I rolled my eyes and sighed.
He raised an eyebrow, “What’s wrong?”
“I was thinking about Mara and Rob.”
“Yes?” he said, sitting down and stretching his arms over his head.
“They’re kind of strange,” I replied as I put the food on the plates.
“I thought Mara was your friend?” he asked, leaning forward as I put his plate in front of him.
“She is—I mean she really loves Rob. You can tell he loves her too, but everyone else here—”
“Hates each other,” he interrupted as he took a bite of the salmon.
“It’s like a leech feeding on a leech.”
“That’s a good comparison,” Hunter commented, pointing his finger at me.
“So what’s different about them?” I asked.
Hunter shrugged as he took a sip of water, “What’s different about us?”
“Everything,” I responded, moving my rice around my plate.
“Let’s say you’re not the only runway I’ve taken in,” Hunter explained.
“You kidnapped them?”
“No,” he furrowed his eyebrows in amusement, “They really were runaways…I was young. The newly appointed general, but not hardened like I am now. They were a package deal.”
“So you found them together?” I pried.
“Their parents were government and were killed in the final riots. They somehow managed to find each other. Maybe I didn’t ask enough questions then, but my instinct told me to help them. I snuck them in—my dad never even noticed. Back then we didn’t have head counts. It was all about strength in numbers not skills. There wasn’t anyone spying on someone else either.”
“You’re not suspicious of them?” I questioned, watching his eyes.
“Are you?” he asked, studying me just as intently as I was studying him.
“Not really—I just felt like there was something more to the story.”
“It’s been a very long time and they were teenagers then. If they had some sort of plan to destroy us I think they would have already.”
“I don’t think they would hurt either of us now, but I’ve been wrong before,” I replied with a sigh.
“It’s like Victoria and Craig. I’m never sure if someone is on someone else’s side. It could have been a mistake that got us all killed back then. I know better now, but I can’t punish them now, especially not now,” he replied, tapping his hand against the table.
“If I had been a real runaway what would have happened?” I asked, looking into his eyes.
“I would have
looked at you and seen the same thing and done the same thing.”
“Risked it all because of one look?” I asked.
Hunter nodded his head.
“What will happen to them when the shit hits the fan here?” I asked, and I wanted to know what he truly thought, and if there was any way to protect them.
“I don’t know, but I hope they run in the opposite direction of us. Then we can all be safe,” Hunter replied as he pursed his lips.
I took a deep breath and he reached his hand across the table to squeeze mine. I really wanted them to make it out alive. No matter whom they really were.
Chapter 34
Losing track of time was something I was becoming very good at. At my parent’s tribe it had been easy to lose myself in whatever I was doing, but I always knew what day, what year, and what time it was. Here everything blurred together, one day into the next, one hour into the next. It was all a matter of waiting. We were constantly waiting for something, but there were times when it all came to a standstill. When I walked into the common room and Mara practically tackled me I realized today was going to be one of those days.
“Kate, finally you came to join us!” Mara exclaimed.
“Am I missing something?” I asked as she dragged me into the living room.
“She’s here, now we can go,” Mara yelled to the crowd of displeased women.
Amy stood up from the couch, “Yippee, let’s get on with it then.”
“What’s going on?” I asked, and Mara linked her arm in mine. She marched me out the front door and down the steps with the other women trailing us.
“It’s time to pick the Christmas tree,” she replied, and I found myself stopped in my tracks.
“What?”
“Christmas tree—don’t look so upset. We just mark it with this little ribbon here, and then Hunter and the boys go and get it and bring it in for us to decorate later,” Mara explained, dangling the ribbon in my face.
“Yeah, sounds fun.”
“I think now I’ve missed something,” Mara squeezed my arm and pulled me forward as the group wove around us.
“No, you’re not missing anything,” I tried to reassure her as I steadied my voice.
She sighed, but didn’t press the subject. I went through the movements with them, but I didn’t feel like I was all there. It was just a tree. That’s what I kept reminding myself as Mara put the bow on the tree that the women had finally agreed on. As soon as we got back to the house I excused myself to go up stairs and freshen up, but what I ended up doing was sitting on the bed and staring at the wall.
“The tree’s up,” Hunter announced as he walked in the door.
“Great,” I responded, jumping at the sound of his voice.
“Are you coming down to decorate it?” Hunter asked, his vein in his head beginning to show he was picking up on my mood.
“Of course,” I answered, and I flashed him a brilliant smile. He wasn’t convinced, but followed me out the door anyways.
“Right in here—the tree replaces a pool table or two for a bit, but it’s worth it,” Hunter explained as we walked in the door to the common room.
When I saw the tree in the room already strung with lights I realized I couldn’t handle it. I turned and raced out the door past Hunter into the woods. I didn’t stop until I found myself looking up at the wall that led out of the base.
“Kate, what the hell?” Hunter demanded when he caught up to me with his hands on his knees.
My hands were in my hair and my breath was coming out in heavy puffs, “I can’t do it.”
“Can’t do what Kate?” Hunter stood and pointed at the house, “It sure as hell looks like you’re running away…that you would have kept running if that wall wasn’t there.”
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“Why are you running from me all of a sudden?” he asked, and his voice was broken.
“I’m not running from you,” I replied, turning and putting my fists on the wall.
“What are you running from then—a Christmas tree?” Hunter retorted as his voice cracked with anger or hurt. I wasn’t sure which.
“Yes,” I managed to say. It was silly, but it was so much more than a stupid tree.
“We’re already playing in the fire Kate…you have to explain to me what this is about,” Hunter demanded as he reached out and touched between my shoulders.
I turned to him my face stained with silent tears, “It’s almost Christmas.”
“You miss your family?” he asked, his voice a whisper against the rustling of the trees in the wind.
“No—it’s hard to explain.”
“I need you to.”
“If it’s almost Christmas, it’s almost New Year’s,” I tried to explain.
“2012 already passed, so what are you so afraid of?” he continued, putting his hands on either side of my head on the cold stone wall as I leaned against it.
“Another year in the fire.”
“I don’t get what you’re saying, Kate and it’s really starting to freak me out,” Hunter replied, and his voice showed the sentiment.
“My birthday—it’s New Year’s Day.”
Hunter turned his face into his shoulder as he laughed, “You’re afraid of being another year older?”
“Another year older and no closer to the truth then the last year…and no more less trapped.”
Hunter swallowed, “So I make you feel trapped?”
“Don’t you feel trapped? With this god damned wall,” I replied as I pounded my fists against it.
“No, when I’m with you I don’t feel trapped. I feel like I know the truth, and I thought it was the same for you,” he retorted, turning and walking away from me.
“Hunter, that’s not what I meant,” I said, starting after him.
He put his hand up, but didn’t turn around, “If I’m not enough then scale that wall. The truth without me is just as irrelevant as the truth with me.”
I wanted to tell him that he was everything, but I just wanted out of the things that reminded me of my past life.
“I’m scared Hunter, okay? Every day we get closer to God knows what. I hadn’t realized how long we had been here until now. I remember what I asked my dad for last Christmas,” I sighed, “I’m still dealing with that—the fact that my family desperately wants me dead.”
“Why couldn’t you just say that?” Hunter asked, turning to face me once more.
“I don’t want you to think I want to go back. I don’t want you to think that I loved them better,” I replied with a shrug.
“What did you ask for?”
“It was silly,” I answered.
“Yeah?” Hunter pressed.
“I wanted something that no one else had…something that made me feel different—special. Jewelry,” I took a deep breath, “No one had any jewelry except my mom. I always liked the pictures in some of the few magazines my dad let us see.”
“What kind of jewelry?”
“Some sort of necklace—I think I would break a bracelet or lose a ring,” I explained, “It doesn’t seem like anyone has any jewelry here besides their wedding rings—so I guess they don’t make stuff like that anymore.”
“And what did your father say to that request?” Hunter asked as he ran his hand through his hair, deep in thought.
“If I had it than everyone would want it and he would have to get it for everyone else—that there wasn’t enough to go around in the first place.”
“He was right. Most metal went into forging ammunition,” Hunter explained, holding his hand out.
“Figures…war,” I put my hand in his.
“No more running?” he asked into my ear.
“I’ll never run from you Hunter—not without wanting you to come after me.”
“Good, now can you handle the tree?”
“I’ll do my best,” I replied with a laugh. It was a bit ridiculous.
“So, a New Year’s birthday girl, huh?”
/> “I guess the year went out with a bang.”
“I should tell you that Christmas and New Year’s is a pretty big thing around here,” Hunter commented as we began walking back to the house.
“Really? Why?”
“Most of us still remember what Christmas used to be like. My dad thinks it’s important to bring people together at this time of year, so there is always a big party here with all the bases. Those that still have parents that are alive get to see them and catch up,” Hunter explained.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if that was the only time you saw your dad?”
“It would be…It seems everyone gets excited for the party. My dad usually does something special for everyone like getting nice outfits for all the women,” Hunter knocked his shoulders against mine, “I’m sure you’ll enjoy that.”
“How does he know what the women like?”
“Don’t ask me—I don’t understand that man in any way,” He commented as he smiled down at me.
“How far are we away from the house?” I asked as I tripped over a branch.
“About another mile and a half.”
“How did I manage to run that far without falling straight on my face?” I wondered, grabbing a tree as I stumbled over a root.
Hunter’s laugh echoed against the silence of the night, “Don’t ask me. I never understood how you could dance and fight as well as you can when you can barely walk without hurting yourself.”
I took a deep breath and ignored his comment, “So what was Christmas like for you—before all this?”
“Most of the memories I have are of my mother. She really meant the world to me…she understood me the best. My dad dressed up like Santa, which I’m glad he doesn’t do anymore. Can you imagine how scary that would be?” Hunter joked.
“I don’t want to—you’re dad scares me enough without a fake beard,” I replied.
“What was it like for you?”
I took a deep breath, “I don’t remember what it was before living in the mountain—but last year and all years before were like the Charlie Brown Christmas tree without any meaning.”
In Between Seasons (The Fall) Page 13
