HUNTED

Aila held her breath, and she could tell Dam Dam also stopped breathing. The scene before them chilled her to the bone, and her body began to tremble as she watched the man approach her mother. Dam Dam pulled her back into him and covered her mouth with his hand. Aila unknowingly had begun to whimper from what she was witnessing. Her mother watched the man warily, though she looked tired and clasped at her stomach, breathing heavily.

"I hear you have a daughter.. If you give her to me, I will make sure she goes unharmed.." Said the blond-haired man.

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"Ha! You said that so seriously, but I would never believe the words of a hunter. Especially someone like you.." Alexandra tilted her head to the side, assessing the man in front of her. "I\'ve heard rumours about you.. I won\'t let you anywhere near my daughter.. How many mothers, daughters, sisters, and wives have you killed? Or do you kill men also?"

The man chuckled darkly, pulling out a knife as he approached her mother slowly. Aila tensed, and Dam Dam used his other hand to cover her eyes.

"Women are much sweeter to kill.. They are so delicate.. If you tell me where your daughter is.. I will make this quick.."

Alexandra was the one to chuckle next, "You really don\'t know anything about love.. I would do anything for my family. Torture me, do what you wish, but I will not tell you where she is. For one thing, I do not know.."

"You don\'t know.. That\'s a lie-"

"She fled with some guards through the mountains. We had intel that you were coming.." Her mother continued.

There was a moment of silence before Aila could hear some shuffling, the sound of a radio and the man in the room connecting to another, "Search the mountains. And also search the house."

It seemed the man did not fall for her mother\'s lie entirely.

"Well, Luna.. I won\'t drag this out.. But as it is just us.. I won\'t hold back.."

Aila heard the sound of a blade cut through flesh, and her mother\'s breath hitch and shudder. The sound of a struggle could be heard, making Aila\'s heart race and her fisted hands clammy, she cried into Dam Dam\'s hand, and it came out muffled.

"Shh, I know.. Please.." Dam Dam\'s voice cracked. He sounded like he was holding back a cry; the prince was watching everything.

The sound of a glass smashing on the floor pierced Aila\'s ears, and Dam Dam\'s hand covering her eyes faltered before pulling away, so he covered his own mouth after gasping. Aila\'s eyes widened, and her wolf cried out in her head. Malia wanted to rip through and attack the man, but they needed to stay quiet.. they needed to; otherwise, he would find them next..

Before them, her mother lay on the ground, the blond-haired man hovering above her as he stabbed her continuously. The violence and anger in each hit caused a bloody scene. Each stab was like a stab to her heart, and the crazed look behind the monster\'s eyes made her tremble and want to lash out. Her mother had long passed, her body stopped breathing, yet the man continued to stab her. His breathing was harsh before a chuckle escaped his lips.

Aila stepped forwards, but Dam Dam seemed to get a grip on himself and pulled her back, turning her tear-stained face into his chest. He whispered words of comfort to her, though she heard the roughness in his voice, it helped ease her. She did not know how; maybe it was because his words covered the sound of the blade going in and out of her mother\'s body or the laugh that escaped him occasionally.

But after some time, the sounds seemed to stop, yet she did not pull away from Dam Dam. Aila could not face the surreal reality of what lay outside the wardrobe doors. She was still shaking in his arms even as she heard the man\'s breaths calm down and his footsteps retreating until the sound of a door closed. The pair did not move from their position, afraid that it might be a trap. They waited in the wardrobe for another ten minutes, still embracing each other, unwilling to move as the gunshots firing slowly died down.

Dam Dam finally released Aila; he pulled away and looked down at her. She had stared into the darkness of his hoody the whole while, the tears long dried up, and her little trembling body now still. Dam Dam touched her forehead after inspecting her; she felt so cold. Her friend grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her slightly; her dazed eyes looked up at his concerned face.

"We have to go, A. We can\'t keep staying in here," Dam Dam\'s stormy gaze was locked with hers. She could see the determination on his face to protect her and take her away.

"Dam Dam.." She whispered, "You\'re all I have left.."

Her crystal blue eyes welled up with tears, and Dam Dam pulled her into a hug, patting her back roughly, his own way of comforting her. "Shh, I\'ve got you. I\'ve got you.."

"P-promise me.." She sniffled, "Nothing will," Hiccup, "Will happen.. to you."

"I pinky promise to protect you.." He replied instead, with his little finger out to which she curled hers around.

"And I pinky promise to protect you.." Aila whispered back, afraid to speak louder for fear of crying again.

"Come on, we have to go," Dam Dam murmured after a few more moments of comforting Aila. He never promised her nothing would happen to him, though, which made her chest tighten even more. Aila sighed and pulled away from her friend, she felt exhausted, but the sounds of fighting were still going.

They needed to get out of there. That man was after her, and he terrified her. Dam Dam reached his hand out, and she placed her small hand into his as he peeked out from the wardrobe door. "Follow me, please. Your mum showed me a way to get out of here.." Dam Dam whispered; he waited for her confirmation to follow his orders. He knew what he was asking of her, but she saw it as putting her trust in him more than anything. 

Aila nodded her head, "I trust you."