Changed (The Hunters #1)

by Rose J. Bell

  Rosa could feel the pain begin to lessen, slowly easing away the bloodlust, but then she heard a familiar voice.

  “Rosa?”

  Matt slowly approached her. After Rosa had stormed out of the classroom, Matt followed her. He knew exactly what was wrong with her. Her gift triggered when Philip had touched her.

  It was dangerous to follow Rosa in this situation, but he could not leave her alone. Matt wanted to be with her, even if it was dangerous.

  Matt took a step closer. Rosa sat on her knees on the ground, her fingers embedded in the dirt; her face distorted with pain. He could see her mark glow like a burning flame.

  “Rosa,” Matt said again, louder this time.

  “Go away,” Rosa gasped, refusing to look at him.

  Matt stepped a little closer. It broke his heart to see Rosa like that—full of pain. He wanted to help her.

  “Rosa, you have to stick it out,” he said.

  “Matt,” she croaked and grimaced. “Get away from me.”

  He shook his head. “No. Do you think I would leave you here alone?”

  Rosa stood up suddenly and was quickly in front of him. She grabbed him by the neck and pushed him against a tree.

  Pain shot through him as his back collided with the tree trunk. Her hand was around his throat and she squeezed roughly. He looked at her in fear.

  He could tell by looking at her this was not the Rosa he knew; her face raged, and her ice blue eyes told him that she wanted to kill him. He tried to catch his breath.

  “Rosa,” he gasped. “Don’t let your gift have the control over your body. Fight against it.”

  “That was a mistake to follow me, Matt. A big mistake,” she growled. Her voice was cold and angry.

  Matt consumed less and less air. He could already feel the pressure in his head. He raised his hand, and put it on Rosa’s cheek. It felt hot.

  “Rosa, don’t do it,” he croaked. “I know that you can defeat it.”

  A shock ran through Rosa as he touched her cheek. His touch broke into her like something she had never felt before. A warm tingle spread from her cheek, feeling the tingle throughout her body. She felt the pain subside, but the bloodlust was still there. Rosa knew who stood before her—it was her best friend, Matt.

  Then she saw her hand around his neck. A shock ran through her a second time. She could not kill Matt, her best friend. She tried to pull her hand, but it would not obey.

  Matt put his other hand on Rosa’s cheek.

  “Rosa, you can do it. Come on,” Matt gasped.

  Rosa shook her head. No, she could not fight against it. It was just too strong.

  “I can’t,” she said.

  “You can! Don’t let it win.” Matt’s voice was so soft that Rosa’s eyes filled with tears.

  “Come on, Rosa.”

  Rosa blinked, but she could not halt the burning sensation. A pair of tears, hot and unwanted, slid down her cheeks.

  Matt’s eyes widened. Rosa never cried, not when anyone could witness it.

  A thick lump formed in Rosa’s throat. The bloodlust went by slowly. Rosa noted that she had defeated her gift. She had survived it without hurting anyone here—with the help of Matt. She was happy and this filled her eyes with more tears.

  Matt could feel her grip loosen around his neck. Rosa began to cry. She let her hands drop. Her shoulders shook. Matt filled his lungs with air and the pressure in his head diminished.

  Rosa sobbed loudly. She couldn’t stand on her feet and so she let herself slide onto the ground as she buried her face into her hands.

  Matt sat on the ground beside her, and pulled her into his arms. Rosa’s hands gripped him tightly as she shook, sobbing into his chest.

  He stroked her hair, whispering soothing words to her as he cradled her in his arms.

  After a while, Rosa slid out of Matt’s arms and wiped the tears from her cheeks. She hated to cry in front of anyone. She felt weak and vulnerable.

  But you are, Rosa, said a voice in her head.

  “Ah, shut up,” Rosa whispered back at the voice.

  “What?” Matt asked her.

  Rosa looked at him as he sat in front of her. His blue eyes were gentle and his curly, brown hair that shimmered gold under the sun framed his face. His hair was always so ruffled. Rosa had once asked him why his hair was so messy. His reply was, “I wish I knew the answer to that, Rosa. I think my hair just has a character all its own, and will do what it wants to do.”

  Matt was six feet tall, and his body was lean and strong. He really was a sweet boy

  Her eyes wandered to his neck where some places were red. Suddenly she realized what she had done. She had almost killed him.

  I am really a bad friend, Rosa thought.

  She sighed. “Matt, I’m so sorry for what I did. I didn’t want to do that.”

  Matt smiled at her. “Rosa, you don’t need to apologize. I know that you didn’t want that and that it wasn’t you.”

  His smile, for her, was like a little ray of sunshine in her dark world. It did not make the dark disappear completely, but let the light in it for a moment, so her world was a little brighter.

  Rosa sighed with relief. She was glad Matt was not angry with her.

  “I’m certain I look like crap,” Rosa said.

  “You always look beautiful, Rosa,” Matt said.

  Rosa paused in her movement, gazing at Matt. The way he said it was somehow ... different. And the way he was staring at her was different, too. His gaze was intense, but something else shadowed in his eyes, something Rosa couldn’t interpret. She didn’t know for a moment what to say, so she simply said, “Thank you. You look good, too.”

  Matt grinned. “With this hair, I’m not so sure,” he said as he ran his fingers through his own hair.

  Rosa smiled. “Your hair is great. I like it—so soft and fluffy.”

  Matt got up and offered Rosa his hand. “Come on, let’s go. The teacher is probably wondering where we went.” Rosa took his hand and stood. His face only inches from hers; she could feel his breath on her cheek. His eyes looked intently at her.

  Matt smiled and took a step back. “Let’s go,” he said as he led her out of the woods.

  There was a new tension between them that made Rosa confused–why did it feel so different? Rosa glanced down at Matt’s hand that had closed around hers; it was warm and strong.

  Matt had felt Rosa’s eyes on him. He turned his head and threw her one of his beautiful smiles. “Why are you watching me, Petrova? Or are you just staring at my tight ass?”

  Rosa laughed. “You wish, Blair!”

  He grinned and turned his head forward again. They traveled the rest of the way in silence.

  “I must go to the toilet,” Rosa said as they entered the school.

  He nodded. “Okay. I’ll wait at the door for you.”

  Rosa let go of his hand, going in to the girls’ bathroom, and disappeared through the door. She stopped in front of the sink and looked in the mirror.

  Meeting her own gaze in the mirror, she saw what she could only describe as a complete mess. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, and there were splotches all over her normally clear skin. She moved in closer to the mirror, searching for the revenge and anger she knew was there, hooded behind her blue eyes. Her mouth formed a distinct frown when she found what she was looking for. If only she could avenger her father, maybe then that shadow would go away, and she could finally be happy.

  Rosa sighed as she looked away. She turned on the faucet, splashing cold water on her face, scrubbing away the dirt caked on her hands. She wiped her wet hands on her clothes, not caring to find the dryer as she left the bathroom.

  Matt grinned at her, “You look nice, Rosa.”

  She gave him a punch on the arm. “Don’t make fun of me, or it may end horribly for you.”

  He raised his eyebrow. “Oh, are you threatening me?”

  She walked past him. “I’m just telling the truth.”

  He
fell into step beside her. “Do you think you can beat me in a fight?”

  She smiled, “Of course. I’m a hunter and I have the gift to fight. Fighting is in my blood.”

  “Then let us fight,” he suggested.

  She stopped and looked at him. “You aren’t serious?”

  He did not smile, which told her he was serious.

  She shook her head. “Matt, this isn’t a good idea. I’ll hurt you.”

  “No, you won’t.”

  Rosa crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. “Why do you want to fight against me?”

  Matt shrugged. “I want to know which of us is stronger. Besides, you have provoked me by telling me you will beat me. You know, Rosa, a boy doesn’t like to hear that from a girl.”

  Rosa smiled. “And what if I don’t play?”

  Matt grinned now. “Then I will provoke you until you hit me, and then the fight can begin”

  “I can’t talk you out of this?”

  “Nope.”

  She sighed. “Okay, but if I hurt you, or you break something, then you can’t blame me.”

  He patted her shoulder. “It won’t come to that, Rosa.”

  When they reached the classroom, the bell rang for break. Rosa was glad the lesson was over, and she would not have to suffer under the stares of her classmates. As the students filed out of the classroom, a few of them threw Rosa curious glances, of which she ignored. After everyone had cleared out, Matt entered and began explaining to Mr. Black in a hush as to why Rosa had run from the room.

  As Rosa approached her seat, she saw the two Nephilim. Suddenly her already bad mood soured, but she didn’t show it. She grabbed her bag.

  “Are you okay?” Philip asked.

  Rosa tried to smile, but she didn’t accomplish it as well as she hoped.

  “Yes, I’m alright.”

  “I am glad you’re ok,” he said as he reached his hand out to her again.

  Rosa jumped back. “Don’t touch me, please.”

  Philip looked at her, confused.

  “Don’t take it personally, Philip,” Matt said as he stepped up behind Rosa.

  She shouldered her bag and said to the three, “Come on, let’s go.” Rosa started to turn around when she heard the voice of the other Nephilim.

  “Are you a hunter?”

  Rosa froze as Matt held his breath. She turned around and looked at the boy who had asked her. It was Jason.

  He had his arms across his chest, holding something in his hand that looked like a drawing pad.

  Jason looked damn sexy and he knew it. His blue eyes glittered with self-assurance as he leveled his gaze at Rosa. The glint in his eyes made Rosa nervous. He was dangerous, and his scar reinforced this fact. His eyes seemed to penetrate to her soul.

  Rosa swallowed her fear, as she kept her face serene and void of any kind of emotion. She would not show him that his question had frightened her.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “Why do you ask?”

  Jason smiled a straight toothed, pearly white smile. Everything about the Nephilim was perfect except their character.

  He flipped open the drawing pad as Rosa suddenly realized was her own.

  “I leafed through this and there are a lot of drawings of hunters killing Nephilim,” he replied and turned the page.

  “Do you always look through other people’s belongings?” she asked, as she clenched her fist at her side. She didn’t like anyone touching her things without permission.

  He grinned again. “I’m a very curious person—it’s one of my better qualities,” he said as he winked at Rosa.

  Rosa held out her left hand without the mark. “Give it back. It belongs to me.”

  He hid it behind his back. “First you have to answer my question.” Rosa could see from the look on his face, that he was amused with his little game.

  “I don´t have to do anything. Come on, give it to me.” Rosa took a step toward him. She felt the urge to hit him, but she couldn’t allow further skin contact with the Nephilim.

  “Jason, give her the book,” Philip said. He seemed to be bored. Apparently, he’d become accustomed to his friend playing these games.

  “Answer my question,” Jason said to Rosa as he ignored Philips words.

  She sighed. “I’m not a hunter. You have your answer. Give me my notepad.”

  The smile that graced his face made Rosa uneasy. It made her realize that he did not believe her, and he had something else up his sleeve. She knew he was toying with her.

  She held out her hand. “Please.”

  Jason looked at her for a while, then handed her the pad. “You can draw very well, Ice Princess,” he said as he walked past her without touching. She stared angry after him.

  How in the hell does he know my nickname?

  However, that was the least of her concerns. Jason had seen her drawings. Of course, he became suspicious that she was a hunter. She had to be more careful, and keep an eye on him. Something inside told her Jason could learn her secrets.

  “Rosa,” Matt said, and brought her out of her thoughts. She looked at him and saw him watching her anxiously. He knew how dangerous it was for Jason to be suspicious.

  “Yes?” She asked as she put her notepad in her schoolbag.

  “Let’s go,” Matt said.

  “Rosa, I’m sorry. Jason’s like that sometimes,” Philip apologized.

  She just nodded as they all went to the canteen.

  Jason sat on the bench with three girls surrounded him. They were laughing at something he had said when Rosa approached the table. Jason gave Rosa an amused smile as she threw him a dirty look.

  “I’ll see you later, Jason,” one of the girls said, as she and the others walked away. Philip sat beside Jason as Matt and Rosa sat on the other bench. Somehow, Rosa had managed to sit directly across from the black-haired Nephilim.

  “Man, Matt. You didn’t tell me that there are really hot girls here,” he said without taking his eyes from Rosa.

  “Now you know,” Matt answered shortly. He did not like the way Jason looked at Rosa.

  Rosa sighed before turning her attention to Philip. “And how do you like it here in Boston?” she asked.

  “It’s nice. Thanks for asking,” Jason replied.

  “I didn’t ask you,” Rosa muttered.

  “Well, that’s direct,” he said as he took a swing from his cola.

  “I’m pretty direct. It’s one of my best qualities,” Rosa said, smiling at him.

  Jason snorted. “Good countered.”

  “I already can see that there will be a wonderful friendship between you two,” Philip said.

  Rosa took a bite of her sandwich, “I don’t think that we’ll become friends,” she said coolly.

  Jason gave her a look. “Why not?”

  “Our characters don’t match. We would always argue.”

  “Well, I was told that my friendship is a really great gift.”

  She rolled her eyes. “You’re arrogant. I hate arrogant people.”

  Matt stood up suddenly. “Shit,” he swore. “I need to go to the statutory committee.” He looked at Rosa. “I’ll be back in sports.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and started walking away.

  “Hey! Wait!” Philip called. Matt turned around.

  “Yeah?”

  “May I come along? I’ve always wanted to be on a committee.”

  Matt smiled. “Sure.” Philip said. He waved to Rosa and Jason as he followed Matt.

  Rosa did not want to be alone with Jason. He made her nervous, and she knew he was dangerous. She took a deep breath and then took one of the chips on Jason’s untouched tray.

  “And you call me rude,” Jason said, grinning.

  “I never said that you were rude,” Rosa said as she took another chip. She felt his gaze on her.

  “Why are you staring at me?” she asked.

  He smirked, “How do you know that I am staring at you?”

  “I could feel it.”

&
nbsp; He raised an eyebrow. “Did you like it?”

  Rosa looked at him. “What? That you have been staring at me?”

  He nodded to her.

  She snorted. “If I’d liked it, then I wouldn’t have told you to stop.”

  Jason leaned forward. With his blue eyes fixed on her, a smile played across his full lips.

  “You haven’t said that I should stop. You asked me why I was staring at you. I guess I can conclude that you enjoyed it.”

  Rosa stared at him, her anger welling up inside her. It took all she had not to punch him.

  “Do you want to provoke me?” she asked angrily.

  Jason leaned closer, making it difficult for Rosa to take her eyes from his. His eyes really are nice…

  “I want many things, love,” Jason said.

  Rosa took one of the chips and threw it in his face.

  “You suck.”

  Jason took the chip from the table and put it in his mouth. “You know, you’re easy to provoke.”

  Rosa pointed her forefinger angrily at him. “If you say 'provoke' again, I’ll kill you. And don’t call me Ice Princess, either.” Actually, she didn’t mind the nickname, but she did not want him to use it.

  Jason leaned back, “You don’t like it?”

  “No.”

  “Then it stays, Ice Princess.”

  “You’re an arrogant, narcissistic, sarcastic, and rude Nephilim,” Rosa said.

  “Wow, you’re the first to describe me with just four words. Congratulations,” he said. “But that’s not correct with the Nephilim, honey.”

  Rosa laughed. “I know you’re a Nephilim. I can see your eyes through the contact lenses.”

  Jason’s mouth twitched as he tried to hide his irritation at being caught.

  “Would you like to be friends with me, even though I’m a Nephilim?”

  “No.”

  Jason sighed. “Well, you’ve caught me. I should really work on my disguise.”

  Rosa shot him a look. “You only changed your eye color—that’s not much of a disguise. Not to mention, you picked the worst eye color possible. Who doesn’t know that bright colors don´t cover anything properly? You ought to get dark colors.”