Changed (The Hunters #1) (44 page)

She was aware of his presence as
strong as ever. She could feel the tension between them, but there
was also something else. Was it anger? Or hate?

Rosa didn’t dare to look at him. She
was too scared to be caught in his gaze again.

Instead, she regarded the forest. A
few people walked through the forest, but none paid them any
attention.

“
Well,” Jason began. Rosa
felt his burning gaze on her.

“
Why did you steal the
book?”

She sighed deeply. It wouldn’t make
any sense to deny that she had done it. Therefore, she decided to
tell him the truth.

“
I broke in your house,
because I thought you and Philip had a plan, and I wanted to find
out what it was. I searched your apartment for possible information
and found the book. So I took it,” she explained without looking at
him.

“
And how did you know that
we have a plan?” Jason wanted to know.

Now she looked at him. The sunlight
fell directly on him and made him seem like an angel. Rosa bit her
lower lip to handle her suddenly longing for him. She wanted to
feel his skin, trace her fingers along his beautiful face, and
taste his lips…

Shit!
What am I thinking?
She gave herself a
mental slap. She had to get her feelings for Jason under
control.

Rosa noted that Jason had noticed her
staring at him. She blushed and looked away; suddenly the stones on
the ground were very interesting.

“
Why would you be in
Boston then?” Rosa asked.

From the corner of her eye, she saw
Jason smile slightly.

“
Clever,” he said. The
desire to touch him increased, so she pressed her thighs tightly
together so that her hands weren’t tempted to touch him.

“
Am I right?” Rosa
asked.

“
I think it would be
better if you would look at me when we’re talking.”

Her heart quickened. She couldn’t look
at him again.

“
You know, Jason. I’ve
seen your face so often that I need a break from it,” Rosa
said.

It was a
complete lie. She
loved
to look at him. His handsome face fascinated her
every time. Sometimes she wondered why it took her so long to
recognize his beauty. Maybe it was because all the Nephilim were
beautiful, and Rosa had put Jason’s beauty in a drawer with the
others, without realizing that he had his own
beauty.

“
But I cannot get enough
of your face,” Jason said in a low, husky voice.

Her heart threatened to explode. Rosa
felt a tingling joy that spread all over her body.

She laughed to conceal her joy at his
compliment. “Many people say that to me. My face is just
beautiful.”

“
And how
beautiful.”

She had to look at him.

Jason looked at her intently and his
eyes glared with heat.

Could it really be that Jason felt the
same for her, as Rosa did for him?

Could it be that he was attracted to
her as much as she was to him?

His eyes, his every posture, pointed
to a yes, but Rosa could not imagine it.

Both knew that their relationship was
forbidden. Why would he take the risk and fall in love with her?
Anyone with common sense knew that this love had no chance.
Besides, Jason was a Nephilim. How could she know that he wouldn’t
play with her, and betray her?

It didn’t seem to her that he was
playing with her.

Don’t
trust him, Rosa! He’s an angel. They have killed your father. They
are your enemy,
her inner voice told
her.

To change the subject Rosa repeated
her question, “And I was right?”

Jason nodded slowly. “Yes, you were
right.”

Suddenly, all her feelings for Jason
disappeared and made room for her hunter instincts.

Rosa tilted slightly her head. “And
what is your plan?” she asked.

“
I don’t know if I can
trust you,” Jason replied seriously.

You can
trust me
, Rosa wanted to say, but
restrained herself. Of course, she understood why Jason didn’t
trust her. She had done nothing to gain his trust. On the contrary,
she had made sure that he didn’t trust her.

“
You’re right,” Rosa
admitted and leaned back. “You have no reason to trust me.” Then
she looked at him. “But don’t expect me to give back the book. Give
and take. That’s the way it runs.”

Jason folded his hands on his lap and
curled his lips together. “I should have guessed. Well, if you
don’t give me the book, I won’t tell you my plan.”

Jason looked at Rosa defiantly as he
challenged her.

Rosa returned his gaze.

Once again, they held a staring
contest.

“
How long should we look
at each other, Jason?” Rosa asked.

“
This time I won’t look
away,” Jason said. His face was serious.

Rosa sighed and looked
away.

“
How about if we just
start over?” Jason suggested as he leaned his elbow on the
armrest.

She rolled her eyes. “What’s the
point?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Maybe I’ll
know the real Rosa then.”

“
I am the real Rosa.” She
glared at him.

“
I don’t believe you.
You’re under the influence of clan fighters. You act as if they
have a hold on you.”

Anger rose in Rosa. “Oh
yeah? And you’re not the real Jason,” she said angrily. “You stand
under the influence of the archangel.”

Jason leaned forward. “But I’ve more
freedom than you.”

Rosa clenched her teeth.
“I’m a born hunter.” She held out her wrists. “The mark shows
it.”

He leaned forward and regarded her
mark. When he lifted his head, his golden eyes glittered
strangely.

“
So you’re the huntress
with the gift of fight,” he said. It was more than a statement then
a question.

She nodded and crossed her arms over
her chest.

Jason moved closer. He still had the
strange gleam in his eyes. Rosa frowned and was not sure how she
should interpret the sparkle.

“
It means that if a hunter
has the gift of fight, you cannot touch a Nephilim.”

“
That’s right.”

“
So, you cannot take hold
of me without killing me?”

She looked at him. “That’s right,
too”

“
But I have touched you.
Back in Madison’s apartment. But nothing has happened.”

“
I have taken a magic
potion that paralyzes my gift for a couple of hours. During that
time, I can touch you.”

“
Have you taken this drink
now?”

“
Yes.”

“
Can I touch you
then?”

“
Yes.”

“
Without you trying to
kill me?”

“
Yes.”

Jason’s mouth curled into a small
smile. “Can you also say something else than yes?”

“
Yes.”

They both looked at each other and
burst into laughter. It felt good to laugh. Rosa realized that she
laughed quite often in Jason’s presence.

Jason suddenly stretched out his hand
and touched her hair. Rosa winced in surprise.

“
A streak has broken away
from your hair,” he said.

Suddenly, she was too nervous to say
anything.

Jason placed her hair between his
fingers. “Your hair is beautiful,” he whispered, looking at
her.

So many feeling rose in her, and the
heat between them grew.

“
Thank you,” Rosa
replied.

She waited for Jason to pull his hand
away, but he didn’t. Instead, he gently touched her
cheek.

Fireworks exploded in Rosa’s chest.
She stood very still, but the turmoil inside her chastised her calm
exterior.

No one had ever looked at her as Jason
did, full of tenderness in his eyes. Rosa had no control over her
feelings. They beat on her like a wave—powerful and
unstoppable.

Jason’s warm hand wandered to her
neck, and sent a pain of desire through her body. Rosa felt like
she would melt away under his touch.

She had no control over her
body.

Jason moved very close now.

Would he kiss her now?

She wanted him to kiss her.

His face was so close that Rosa saw
his black pupils. Jason looked at her as if she was a miraculous
discovery.

His lips came closer and
closer...

Rosa closed her eyes and her lips
opened slightly.

“
Jason!” a voice called
suddenly.

Both froze. Rosa opened her eyes.
Jason moved back and turned around.

“
What?” he shouted back
harshly. It was clear that he didn’t like the
interruption.

Philip stepped between the trees.
“Dude, where are you?” he asked annoyed. “I looked for you. Matt
told me that you were with Rosa outside—”

Philip paused, and looked at Jason and
Rosa, who sat very close together.

“
Oh,” he said with a grin.
“Have I interrupted something?”

Rosa stood up abruptly, extremely
embarrassed.

“
No, no, you haven’t
interrupted us. We were just having a conversation.”

He raised his eyebrows skeptically.
“That was probably a very intimate conversation.”

“
Philip,” Jason growled
and stood up. “Shut up.”

His friend grinned mischievously.
“Tell me where you are next time, and I won’t bother
you.”

Jason sighed in exasperation. “You
could have just spoken to me through our minds, instead of going on
a man-hunt.”

Philip put his arm around Jason’s
shoulder. “Yeah, I could do that.” Jason snorted but said
nothing.

Rosa was glad that Philip didn’t
bother to ask about their “conversation,” but she was sure that he
sensed something was going on between them.

When they walked back to the hotel
Jason looked at her, but Rosa ignored him. Their almost kiss, and
her strong emotions, had made it clear she had fallen in love with
Jason—her enemy.

This love didn’t have a chance. It was
dangerous, risky, and forbidden. It would get both of them
killed.

It would
be best to keep my distance from him
, Rosa
thought.

Although it would be the most
difficult thing she had ever done.

Rosa ran.

She was trapped in a dark
tunnel. Her goal was the light at the end, but the light just kept
getting further away.

No! I have to reach the
light!

Rosa ran faster, but hands
were grabbing her, dragging her back, away from the light. She
screamed, trying to free herself, but the hands moved her more and
more into the darkness.

She heard her name like a
mantra in her ear.

Rosa. Rosa.
Rosa.

Then she fell.

No sound came from her
mouth as she tried to scream. She landed hard on her back, without
feeling any pain.

When Rosa sat up, she was
in a courtroom. Hundreds of people sat around her; Lord Constantine
and her Uncle Sergei were at the forefront.

“
Rosa Petrova,” said Lord
Constantine, fixing her with his cold eyes. “You betrayed the
hunter clan by revealing your identity to a Nephilim. This is now
your second betrayal.”

“
What?” Rosa asked in
confusion. “What is this all about?”

“
This is your trial,
Rosa,” Lord Constantine replied. “You have disappointed me as a
huntress. We had such great plans for you. You were our best
hunter. And now? Now you are a traitor.” He shook his head in
disbelief.