Chapter 85

85 Chapter Eighty Five

Katie looked between the two men as they stared each other down. She didn’t quite understand what was going on... Jeremiah’s face was indecipherable while Cole stared back with a look of annoyance. “Who might this be?” Cole asked.

“This is...”

“The name’s Jeremiah Lawson. I believe we met at the Archery range but weren’t properly introduced,” Jeremiah interfered with Katie’s introduction.

“Ah, that was you... What are you doing here then?”

“I am one of the VIPs receiving a tour guided by a hunter. I must say, I feel so safe in the arms of the Head of Security,” Jeremiah said, his eyes lighting up.

“Let’s go, Jeremiah,” she said to him before any of this went far. However much she would rather have a second tour with Cole, she’d rather the two didn’t start some kind of rivalry which seemed to be Jeremiah’s intention.

“But we only Just met...”

“Keep moving...” Katie cut him off, pushing him away from the Royal. Right before she vanished into the crowd, she placed her hand upon the sapphire gem that lay on her chest and winked at the Royal...

A gesture that immediately set Cole’s heart to rest. “Is there something going on between the two of you?” Jeremiah asked the hunter when she was done pushing him into the fair.

.....

“No, not... ugh, it’s complicated,” she said to him.

“How is it complicated? He’s a werewolf. They’ve got these things they call mates and they are very possessive of them. I don’t see how that can get complicated,” he said.

“Let’s take our minds off that for now... The festival has a lot to offer...”

“We used to come here as kids... well, by then we weren’t friends yet, so I used to come here with my friends and not with you and Sandra. You don’t have to explain anything to me,” he said, cutting her distraction in half.

“Well then, what did you have in mind?” she asked.

“I was thinking we could take a walk and catch up on what we missed. I’m sure you have questions for why I left,” the man beside Katie spoke.

“You cut straight to the chase, don’t you?”

“Most times, yes... I was more curious when I heard the title that you go by these days,” he chuckled, looking into her eyes while he did. He genuinely looked happy, like hunters did when they were sure werewolves no longer posed them a threat.

“Well, that’s quite simple. I could detect the rogues the moment they were three miles away from Brigadia and that’s where the trip would end,” she explained. The same way she detected rogues was the same way she could tell that she could feel uneasy revealing that she was a werewolf to the man.

“What about you? What got you back into being a hunter?” she asked.

“You...”

Katie was frozen for a bit, trying to follow what the man had just said... “What’s that supposed to mean? I don’t remember doing anything much...”

“Well, there is weight in watching a young girl stand up to someone almost twice as big as her, trying her best and yet she was in no condition to fight. I was embarrassed to face you ever again, to be honest... But I wasn’t going to give up. So I came up with that phoney story so that we would move away. When we got to the next place, I did not stop training,” he explained.

The story had Katie completely taken... Jeremiah had listened to what she’d said those many years ago. It was clear that a rogue wouldn’t stand a chance against him. From what she’d seen at the archery range, his strength Prometheus gift had been improved as well and sharpened. He was stronger than the average hunter with a strength Prometheus gift.

“What is it that’s running through that beautiful mind of yours?” the man’s deep voice cut through her thoughts.

“Nothing really, I was just thinking of how rude I was to you that day. I looked for you to apologize,” she said.

“I got the message. I just never sent a reply. That’s how I was sure that you weren’t going to forget me even if I left for this long. You’ve got such a warm heart,” he complimented, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. Katie didn’t mind something as minuscule as her hair when in the presence of someone other than... ‘What’s happening? Wait... What’s Jeremiah doing?’

“Ummm...”

“Hey, Katie, I have something for you,” Jeremiah cut her off.

“Okay,” Katie complied following him, a familiar gut feeling of guilt came into her mind. This time she knew what it meant all too well and wasn’t surprised when Jeremiah led her to the stall she’d visited earlier with Cole.

The stall owner came out and looked in between the two of them. “It wasn’t easy to find them, but I got them. I don’t usually stock up on the same colour you know.”

“It’s okay... As long as you found what I asked,” Jeremiah said.

“I did, but it’s going to cost you...” the stall owner said to him, putting on her poker face while talking to the hunter.

“Do I look like I care about the cost?” he asked the lady. Her face softened and for a brief moment, Katie could tell that she was only trying to get the boy out of buying the jewellery. Katie herself was still stuck in her thoughts trying to figure out how to do the same cruel thing for the second time in a single day.

“Very well... Here they are...” the stall owner said, placing a small white box in the boy’s palm. She stopped him from retrieving the money he had from his pocket, “They are my gift to you. You don’t have to pay for them...”

“No, I wouldn’t do that... I know how much these are worth. I won’t take advantage of such kindness,” he said, placing the cash on the counter and bidding the stall owner farewell. Even as they walked away, Katie looked back and saw the stall owner staring at the money with a worried expression on her face. She couldn’t do much, but send her an apologetic look. Hunters were paid a monthly wage and from what Jeremiah had paid, it didn’t look like he would have any financial problems. Not to mention his family was nobility.

Opening the box, there was a beautiful pair of earrings. A sapphire jewel surrounded by a grandiose silver design of a flower. “Try them on...” Katie was still stunned until this point. ‘Getting Lionel off my back was something easy, but Jeremiah is different. I can’t say yes... But it will hurt him both... Why couldn’t he be back to just be my friend...’

“I can’t accept this, Jeremiah,” she said to him...

“Why is that?” he asked, “Is it because of him? He’s toying with you. You know it’s not rare for an alpha to sleep around before finding their...”

The distinct sound of a slap echoed through the grounds. Katie realized what she’d done seconds later after seeing her handprint on the man’s cheek turning red... Despite the guilt that threatened to consume her, she couldn’t hold back when he’d attempted to accuse Cole of the heinous crimes of an undignified alpha. “I’m sorry, Jeremiah. I just can’t accept this gift...”

Jeremiah stood still, silence taking over the vicinity. He’d made an error in judgement... a grave error. One that the vendor who’d given him the earrings had tried to show him. Unlike Lionel, he wasn’t one to back down while his dignity was still intact and gracefully give up. The hunter walked back to the stall, his fists clenched. Those that saw him knew not to get in his way.

‘It’s all that alpha’s thought. He’s got her twisted in his lies. She cannot be with someone like that when he’s only going to break her heart. Some of those damned werewolves make me sick...’ his thoughts ran. He reached the jewellery stall and threw the trinkets onto the counter.

“Didn’t go so well? I tried to...”

“Thanks for the warning. I noticed it... and yet I went through with what I was doing,” he replied, his eyes pinned to the ground.

“I’m sorry... I saw her here with someone else... the Royal, his eyes were bright blue unlike her dark blue. So I assumed they were an item from the way they acted. She had the same look that told me that you were making a mistake... You can have your money back,” the lady tried to hand him his money.

“No, you keep it. Take it as thanks for trying to warn me,” he said before leaving the stall, fists clenched, a sign that kept the stall from calling him back. Her words remained lingering thoughts, ‘You gave me twice the price that you were supposed to pay for them...’

She couldn’t bring herself to touch the earrings that had caused a man to lose his cool that bad. In the eyes of this vendor, the beautiful pieces of jewellery could just as well be cursed to always bring bad luck to their wearer.