Chapter 2 DOWNHILL

~JADE~

I am not sure why I didn't move, even though it was pretty apparent that Hunter had lunged for an attack.

That's a lie. I know pretty well the reason I didn't move. My body had frozen in place when I saw him lunge, and a part of me thought my mate wouldn't ever attack me.

It was impossible that Hunter would want to attack me, given how he has never raised a hand at me for the past two years we've been together.

But I was deluding myself. Maybe the reason he never hit me for the past two years was because I never gave him a reason to, and now. Now, I gave him every viable reason to want to hurt me, but I still tried convincing myself that he wouldn't.

The realisation dawned on me too late. Before I could get my body to move out of the way, Hunter came barreling forward, his hand outstretched, his palm striking me in the face, and his claws cutting a deep wound across my cheek.

My head swings sideways, and echoes of sounds ring repeatedly in my ear. My hands moved out of reflex to grab the cheek Hunter struck, and I let out a wince at the sharp sting that followed. I was not quite sure what happened next, as I remained stuck between getting the ringing sound in my head to stop and hoping the deep cut on my cheeks healed without leaving a scar.

I pull my hand away from my cheek, staring down at my bloodied palm, while I try to comprehend everything that has happened since I opened my eyes in this room. Also, I was trying to fathom how my mate, who had never gotten physically violent with me in the last two years, didn't even stop to think twice before lunging at me.

My eyes watered, and my head was a mess. I heard the commotion all around me but felt stuck in my daze. I heard someone scream; I heard growls; I heard someone yelling. I listened to what sounded like punches-the sound of a bone breaking. Yet I couldn't move; I just couldn't get myself to do anything as I stared at the blood staining my palm.

I think I had expected Hunter to hit me again. His attacking me wouldn't have ended with just one slap. Which was why I flinched and jumped in place when I felt a sudden slap to my back and someone grabbing my shoulder to shake me.

"Will you fucking do something?" The person yells in my face as I turn to them. It was my elder sister, the one whose boyfriend I had slept with. I stare at her, dazed and confused, for a moment until she slaps me again.

"Get your mate off my boyfriend; he's going to kill him," Arya screams again, and this time, I could make out and understand what she was saying amidst all the recurring noise in my head.

I shift on the bed, turning to look behind me to see my mate Hunter, dealing punch after punch to Darren's face while Darren actively tries to block them with his fist, but there is only much he can do to stop the onslaught.

Hunter is an Alpha who has trained almost all his life. I know his strengths and how he is in combat. Darren was no match for him, and we all know that.

"Are you just going to keep staring at them?" Arya yells, slapping my shoulder as I stare blankly at the duo, Hunter letting out his anger and Darren doing what he could to save his face. "Do something; Hunter is going to kill him, and it's going to be your fault, you cheating bitch!" Arya screamed in my face, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me vehemently while hurling every insult she could think of at me.

She is right; this was my fault. If something happens to Darren and Hunter kills him, it will become my sin and my fault. I need to do something. I have to stop him. Another slap from my sister seemed to do the trick, snapping me out of the mess in my head. I scramble off the bed, running towards them, and I grab my mate's hand.

"Hunter, please stop. You'll kill him. Please stop; this is just a misunderstanding; nothing happened. I swear--" Hunter denies me the liberty of completing my sentence as he strikes me across the face.

The force of his slap knocks me backwards, an anguished groan slipping past my lips as I fall sideways, and the foot of the bed frame connects with my left side. Impacting my ribs with a force that cuts all the air out of my lungs momentarily, a silent gasp of pain escapes my airways.

I wasn't awarded the liberty to process the pain spreading through my left side as Arya comes dragging me up, yelling at me to stop my mate from killing her boyfriend, once again reminding me that this was all my fault.

How is it my fault when I have not the slightest memory of what happened between Darren and me? I stagger on my feet, biting back a groan as the pain travels to my chest.

"Hunter, please... Please, you're hurting him. Nothing happened between us; I swear nothing.

I clamp my lips together as Hunter turns to me with burning hatred in his eyes. "Nothing happened? You are fucking naked; I found you naked in bed with him, and you're telling me nothing happened." Hunter bellowed; his voice bounced off the walls of the room, and it took everything in me not to fall flat on my ass out of fear.

"I swear I... Nothing..." I couldn't get the words out; he wouldn't let me speak.

"Then explain to me why you're naked. Explain to me why my mate is fucking naked in bed with a fucking Delta, your sister's boyfriend." He grabs my shoulder, his claws breaking through my skin as he shakes me vehemently with every word he says, and I stand there, unable to form a coherent sentence.

"Bloody hell, man, you're hurting her." Darren's voice filters through Hunter's scream, and I shift my gaze to see him standing up on his feet to yank Hunter's hand away from my shoulder.

"How about you take that anger out on me, man to man? Uhh, what a coward you are, hitting your mate." Darren yells at Hunter, which earns him a hard punch from Hunter, and the chaos ensues again.

"What now? You're standing up for her? Do you want to prove to her that you're a competent man? You fucked her once, and you're ready to fight for her. Is her pussy that sweet?" Hunter sneers as he throws punch after punch at Darren, who tries his best to defend himself but ends up failing.

He was never a match for Hunter. No one in this pack is a match for Hunter except for his father.

Arya slaps my shoulder again, and my legs move before my brain can register anything she says.

"Hunter... Hunter, baby, please let him go. You'll- you'll kill him, please."

"Yes, I intend to kill him, and his blood will be on your hands because it's your bloody fault." He snaps at me with blazing red eyes. "How dare you beg me to let him go? So, you're also ready to fight for him, uhh?"

I shake my head, taking fearful steps back as Hunter turns entirely, advancing toward me. "You want to take his place; how brave of you to fight for your new darling. Did you enjoy it?" He grabs my wrist, dragging me closer as I try to put more distance between us.

"I asked you a question: did you bloody enjoy it?" he growls, tugging on my arm, causing my body to slam into his chest.

"You can't speak." He grabs my jaw, gripping it with a force that has tears clouding my eyes. "Have you gone mute and can't talk back anymore? Answer my fucking questions." He slaps me across the face, and I stagger back without being given the liberty to process the pain before he yanks me close again.

"Did he fuck you that well? Is he a better fuck than I am? Is that why you're begging me not to kill him? How good was it, uhh? Did your filthy pussy suck him in good? Answer me." he snarls in my face, and I shake my head frantically, unable to keep my tears locked in.

"No... I don't.... I don't remember." I break down in tears, shaking my head as he doesn't stop shouting.

Hunter's depraved laughter echoes in the room at my response.

"You don't remember?" he asked, laughing with a look of disgust spreading across his face. "You want him to fuck you again; is that why you say you can't remember? Did he fuck you into oblivion?"

I shake my head. No, that wasn't what I meant. I don't remember anything that happened between us. I don't even know if anything happened. How can I answer his questions when I don't know what happened and don't feel like something has happened?

"No, no... That's not..."

"How about I help you? Let me help you remember; then maybe you can finally have the answers to my questions."

"What? Hunter, what are you?" The rest of my sentence got cut off as he shoved me back with so much force, and I stumbled, falling onto the bed.

"I'll help you... Let me remind you what it's like to have your mate fucked. You spend one night with another man and suddenly lose your memory. Don't worry, I'll help."

I don't know if it is my shock that glues me in place. My body trembles with dread as Hunter unbuttons his pants and draws out his cock.

"Hunter. This is... Do you seriously think this is right?" I all but yell as he steps forward, and I scramble to get out of bed.

"The fuck you're running for." He snarls, his hands gripping my ankle, and he yanks me back. My head slams into the edge of the bed frame, and a cloud of darkness blurs my vision for a minute as Hunter drags me, turning me onto my stomach, and positions himself behind me.

"Since you've conveniently lost your memory and can't remember what happened last night, let me remind you what it's like to be fucked by an Alpha. When I am done with you, you'll tell me who fucks you better. Me or that filthy Delta?" Hunter whispers in a sinister voice that has my entire body trembling.

"Hunter..." I hear Arya and Darren call him.

"Come on, man, don't do..."

"STAND DOWN." Hunter snarls, commanding them in his Alpha voice, and I hear them whimper.

I was trembling, tears freely flowing down my cheeks, and my throat feeling clogged, unable to breathe as the stench of his pheromones permeated through the room.

"Hunter, please you... Arkk." Everything I was about to say was trapped between my airways as my mate rams into me with such force that it rocks me forward.

"SHUT THE HELL UP." He growls as his hands come forward to grip my throat in a chokehold. Even if I wanted to speak, there was no way I could make a sound or do anything against the Alpha command in his voice.