The Hunting: Ch 20

Instructions

TW: bl00d, mentions of poison and abuse “Are you okay?” “I’m-ugh-fine,” Winter says through clenched teeth. “Your arm is bleeding like crazy.” “It’s-just-a scratch.” “Let me help,” Nadia presses. “I found a first-aid kit in the van.” “I’m fine! Really!” Winter protests, covering the bleeding wound on his arm with one hand. Nadia gives him the evil eye. “Look here, buddy,” she snarls. “I did not come here so you could bleed to death. Stop being such an idiot and let. Me. Help you.” I can’t help but smile at them. Me and Amber were like that, back when we lived in a nice suburban neighborhood. /It was only three days ago that we had to run, but it feels like an eternity has passed./ She was the protective one, always protecting me from bullies, helping me hide my gear from my anti-therian parents. Now I have to protect her. I’m so close. So close to the Wilds. So close to Amber. “Juniper?” I jump. “Gah! Sorry. I must have zoned out.” “Nah,” Onyx smiles. “It’s okay, I do that too.” “I said I don’t need-ow!” “Hold still. I need to clean the blood off.” “That hurts so bad-I SAID I WAS FINE!” “You’re clearly not, you little-” “Nadia’s very protective,” Onyx muses. “She got so concerned when Winter started dating. That was two years ago.” “Why would she be concerned?” “I don’t know,” Onyx says. “None of us had ever dated before, me being aromantic, and Nadia just wasn’t that interested. They seemed like such a cute couple, but…he was acting weird. He wasn’t his usual confident self. He started getting nervous, hiding things from us. That kind of stuff.” I think back to the conversation Winter and Zara had after Camile and Amos were poisoned. /Please, I don’t want to do this anymore./ Something about that sentence bothers me. “Do you think…Zara was…” “Hurting him?” Onyx shrugs. “Winter is tougher than anyone I’ve ever met. How would Zara hurt him? He could kill her in an instant if he wanted to.” “Juniper! Onyx!” Nadia calls. A very grumpy Winter is sitting in the passenger seat, cradling his now bandaged arm. Nadia honks at us. “It’s time to go!” The hunter vans are unusual. There are four seats in total. Behind those is the back, made of solid steel and separated from the passengers with steel wire, intended to bring captured prey to the Wilds. I think of Amber. We’re so close. In only a few hours, we’ll be at the small village bordering the vast Washington forest called the Wilds. Amber is somewhere in there, and Zara too. I hope they’re not dead yet. What if I’m too late? What if Amber is… Onyx takes my hand, interlacing her fingers through mine in a comforting grip. “Don’t worry. We can do this.” Somehow, the fact that she’s saying it has the power to make me feel like we really could do this. Like we have a chance.