HUNTED

Ajax caught both of her hands and faced her; all jest was gone from his features.

"You didn\'t want to talk about it earlier, Chiara." His voice deepened while his thumbs began trailing along her knuckles. "But if you must know my deepest, darkest thoughts, then ask away.." His eyes flickered between hers. Even though his words seemed like another joke, his eyes showed volumes of emotions, all at the mercy of the woman before him. 

Chiara couldn\'t help but stare back into his emerald orbs, even after feeling the soothing motions of his thumbs on her skin, sending flickers of fire rippling up her arms and straight to her heart, her eyes remained on his. She gulped subtly, "Then tell me. Why do you.."

"Act? Joke? Mess around?" He finished. Chiara stared at him with her mouth slightly ajar. "Because I\'ve lived a good deal of my life, well my twenties, being trapped in a situation I couldn\'t get out of. A situation that in between getting tortured, experimented on and not annoying Finn and Gabriel… I was left alone with my thoughts... My memories. Which," He pointed a single finger up, "is not a very nice place to be. It takes my mind off of everything." 

He rested his hand on hers again, making her drop her head and look down at them. Chiara suddenly became aware of how close they were to each other; she could feel the heat radiating off him and the breath leaving his lungs. Her lips parted again in shock as his fingers gripped her chin lightly to look up into his eyes again. 

"I am just a sad story walking on two legs, Chiara. You do not need to open this book to understand me. I would rather play the fool and act out on what I feel inside, whether that comes out.. flirty in some cases, dramatic in others.. Because you never know when each day is your last, and if in that day I made someone smile.." His hand caressed the side of her face, and she felt as though she was in a trance. "If I made YOU smile.. then I\'d die a happy man." 

Chiara\'s breath hitched at his words, and her heart rate slowly began to climb as he smoothly closed the distance between their faces. His eyes gazed into hers, seeking permission before he planted his lips against hers so tenderly that she felt herself melt into him. The moment her body reacted, he didn\'t hold back as he wrapped his free hand around her waist and pulled her into him. He deepened the kiss as his hand slid from her chin and into the back of her hair.

Chiara\'s hands automatically slid up his chest to his neck, along his stubbled jawline until they clung into his dark locks as she sighed and allowed his tongue entry to explore her mouth. Mini fireworks were exploding in her stomach, and her body burned with desire as his tender touch suddenly became rougher. She moaned into his mouth, enjoying the taste of him and the feel of him. 

Her nails had scratched into the nape of his neck, but he didn\'t complain; instead, he kissed her more fervently. Chiara felt amazing, she hadn\'t been touched in years, and he was making her feel so alive, even after the gloomy day, and even after feeling lost for so long without.. Xander.

Xander. 

Chiara\'s eyes snapped open, and she felt the harsh reality of what she was doing hit her like a ton of bricks. Her heart pinched inside her chest as she pulled her head away from Ajax abruptly, separating them as their chests heaved with the burning need for more air. Tears began to trickle down her face, and she gasped as she placed her hand on her lips, looking anywhere but at Ajax. 

His hand was still wrapped around her, and the other rested on her shoulder now. She didn\'t immediately shake him off; his touch was comforting as she felt the overwhelming emotions of guilt and pain crash into her like a wave on a stony shore. 

"Chiara," Ajax whispered. She clenched her eyes shut at how the caress of his whisper affected her so. 

Chiara inhaled sharply and opened her eyes once more, feeling herself becoming numb to the sensations he incited in her. She whipped her head back to look into the softness of his eyes and gently placed her hands on his chest, and began pushing him away. He let her and dropped his hands as he did so. 

"I can\'t.." She breathed and bit her lip at the sound of her trembling voice. 

"I can\'t, Ajax. I\'d be betraying my mate.. my heart.." Her voice cracked at the end. She hated herself for sounding so weak, but there was no one else there except for a man that made her both uneasy and comfortable. 

Ajax nodded his head, "I understand-"

"NO. You don\'t," Chiara snapped. She hated it when people said that. Unless they lost their soul mate, then they had no idea how she felt.

Suddenly his hands gripped her wrists, she tried to rip them away from him and intended to storm off, but he tightened his grip showing how strong he actually was. She was reminded that although he wasn\'t a werewolf, he was still another being with incredible strength and speed. 

"Let go," She said through gritted teeth. Her eyes had hardened now, and she wanted to be rid of the man who made her betray her love.

"NO." Chiara looked up at the steel behind Ajax\' voice; the sudden change shocked her. But although his voice was stern, his eyes were full of sadness. "I DO understand, Chiara. I honestly do." 

The pair searched each other\'s eyes for what felt like hours, but it was a mere few seconds. Chiara\'s brows knitted together as she waited for Ajax to expand further on what he said. She parted her lips to speak, but Ajax sighed and raked his hand through his hair, looking away momentarily. "I didn\'t think we\'d have the \'ex\'s chat\' so soon," He chuckled, but there was no humour behind his dry remark.

His eyes flickered back to hers; expectation was written over her face as she held her breath. "My fiancé died.. Was killed." He barely uttered the words as he stared into the depths of her eyes. "She died because of me."