Getting eaten by some weird creatures from the pit of hell was looking more admirable than running. I mean..we'd been running for hours (more like minutes) and my legs were already feeling like logs of wood, my breath coming out as gasps.

If this was really the job then I'd rather stay at home with my step mother and her daughters at least they would never chase after me to eat me for dinner. They may always act like dicks to Roddy and I but--

Wait!

Roddy!

I screeched to a stop. How could I forget him? I turned on my heels ready to run back to the camp when I was grabbed and turned around at the same time by some hand. I screamed, thrashing around, i was dropped immediately and looked up to the face of my attacker...oh

"I'm sorry Lucas, I have to go look for Roddy."

"Who's Roddy?" He asked with a frown, he had dropped Irena and was resting against a tree trunk breathing from his mouth and looking ready to pass out. Irena too was looking wide eyed around, probably waiting for some demon like creature to pounce on us.

"My dog." I answered. I tried to blink tears away but I failed miserably just as I failed Roddy. Oh Roddy where are you?

Lucas cleared his throat.

"I'm sorry but I can't let you go back in there, we have to keep moving till we've put a great distance between us and those...things. Your dog will be fine." I glared at him at his obvious lie which made him shrug and add a "I guess".

"You don't have to let me do anything. I can do whatever the fuck I want." I knew I wasn't being reasonable but I didn't care at the moment. What type of friend would I be if i didn't even try to look for him, considering I lost him due to my carelessness.

Lucas and Irena exchanged a look before nodding at themselves. It only took a second for me to understand what passed between them but even that was too late. The only thing I got out was a "noo" before I was thrown on one shoulder by Lucas.

I kicked and thrashed but none affected him. The last punch caught him at the ribs and he gasped, I stopped attacking him after that. After all he was only trying to keep me from getting eaten I should be grateful for his help. He could have ran and left us behind but he didn't neither, in fact we slowed him down a great deal but he didn't seem to mind.

A sob tore out of my throat, I tried so much to keep it in but can't. I felt Lucas tense under me.

"Maya?" I heard him call. His voice was laced with regret.

"I'm sorry." I shook my head, he had nothing to he sorry for. He wasn't at fault at all so why was he apologizing.

"No! I should be the one saying that. You did nothing wrong!" He sighed but continued the run which gradually slowed to a jog.

"We should rest here." I opened my mouth to argue but closed it right back. I didn't have any right to go against whatever he says, I probably would have died if I was on my own and the cave he was pointing at was good enough to hide. The creatures would never find us except they were dog like and had great sense of smell.

"Sure." Irena agreed readily.

He dropped me and stretched then motioned for us to wait while he went into the cave to check of it was safe to stay in.

Irena came up to me and rested her head on my shoulder, her face was tearstained and it tugged at my heart. Her lids were drooping and she yawned. It was a good idea that we were resting too. I wrapped my hands around her and squeezed, letting most of her weight rest on me.

"We're not going to die. Lucas is here with us." She murmured. I wasn't sure about that, there was little Lucas could when against a group of demon like creatures but I nodded anyway. Scaring her was definitely getting us nowhere.

Lucas came back outside and nodded for us to follow. Inside of the cave was dark and cold, I shivered. The Stalactites and stalagmites were just forming so we bent a little to avoid getting a stab in the head.

We went a little further and Lucas suggested we stayed close to the entrance incase we need to fled. We agreed.

Irena was smart enough to grab a huge blanket a water bottle and a short knife, Lucas too had managed to have three small guns. Guess who had nothing....yeah me.

We spread the blanket on the dirty floor of the cage and laid down on it with Irena at the middle. She was the first to drift off, then Lucas.

I couldn't sleep, not because I wasn't tired but something kept pulling at me. I didn't know exactly what it wanted me to do but I just knew there's be no sleep for me if I didn't do it.

Standing up, I tiptoed towards the entrance careful not to wake the others. The fresh slapped me across the face and I breath it in, the cave was humid and there was this tiny fear of being buried alive.

I took the first step and another. This was a dangerous mission but I didn't care at that moment. I realised that it didn't start just when I entered the forest with 9 other people. It started when I decided to come for a job interview without knowing what it entails when it so clearly stated that it'd be a dangerous job.

I might as well die now and relieve Lucas of the burden of having to look after two people. It'd give him and Irena more chance of leaving here alive.

I stopped in my tracks and looked back. I couldn't see the cave anymore. In fact i didn't know where exactly I was coming from. I panicked.

That's when the leaves started to rustle. Just great.

I felt like those characters in a horror movie. Who was I kidding? I obviously was and I was just as dumb as they all are, running towards what will be the source of my death.

I felt his presence before I saw him. It was calming yet left the hair at the back of my neck standing erect. I could feel his body temperature even though we were likely feets apart and it was could so inhuman. I turned slowly, taking a deep breath. If I could endure seeing my step mother's face for years without dying then surely I'll survive after this. No face can be as ugly as my step mom's anyways.

I lifted my face to an undescribable sight.

I released the breath I was holding. It was just a human but something told me he was more.

"You scared me." I rolled my eyes at godlike man in front of me, I looked lower and blanched. "What the hell man? Why are you naked?" I said then quickly took my eyes off him. He shrugged as if it was normal to be walking around a hunted forest naked. And gods, he was handsome.

"Anyways you should go back to wherever you came from, there are some creatures lurking around here, they eat humans and I don't think that leaves you out even though you're probably the most good looking man on earth." I murmured the last part, sure that he wouldn't hear.

"I know." I almost fainted at his voice. He'd definitely make a lot of money from just talking to females with that voice of his.

"And you aren't scared of them?" I asked. Something kept telling me that maybe this man knew a lot about them than I did.

He snorted." They are, of me." It took a minute for what he said to sink in. The hairs which had settled down before stood again.

"What are you?" I asked softly weary of the answer.

"A Carpathian." I bolted.

****

This is the second to the last chapter in the first book of the Carpathian's lifemate series.