Guilty or Innocent- Closed

[Perplexia]

Chloe kept her eye on Constance and when she made the gesture to her biker escort. An arrow pierced his skull. She didn't wait for a response. Instead she took out the remaining escorts, picking off those that were beginning to emerge from the building they had fallen into. Strapping an explosive arrow on she shot it into the suv causing it to shoot up into the air in a fiery explosion. She knew that Nathan wanted to take out Constance himself. She also let his guards have their fun.

To Chloe this was entertainment, it was like shooting the plastic ducks at a carnival. With a couple more explosive arrows she hit the buildings ensuring there weren't any survivors straggling behind. Taking out her side arm, she picked off the few that were trying to climb to her.

Prior to arriving she had called in the hit on 'nathans family' at her compound. Standing in the middle of the quarry remained Nathan, his two men, and Constance. Other then the crackling of the fire and some bending metal, there was silence. Switching back to her crossbow she affixed the laser to it and pointed it at Constance's head.

 

[Gabe619]

"Did you really think it would be that easy, Constance? Have 250 years on this planet taught you nothing?" Raynes snarled, angry now at the waste of vampire life here tonight because this woman wanted to rise on the vampire hierarchy. "Your House is dying as we speak, wiped out of existence because of your lust for power."

"You are one to talk, Raynes. You who abuse your position, who sully all vampires by even talking with a Hunter, our mortal enemies. You disgust me!" She spat as she reached behind her under her jacket and pulled out a short sword.

Nathan nodded. This would be decided one on one as it should be. She would never understand his desire for peace, his way of trying to allow vampires and humans to live and work together for a greater future. But then his views were in the minority and he fought centuries, millennia even of ingrained vampiric lore. He pulled his own sword, a curved Turkish blade, from it's hidden sheath inside his jacket.

"Then lets end this once and for all, Constance."

With a snarl she leapt forward and the clang of the blades meeting filled the night air. She was good, very good and on several occasions she almost had him, but where as Nathan fought in a cold emotionless calm, Constance Gregory fought with anger, rage and emotion ... and eventually made a mistake. Nathan straightened and sighed as her head bounced twice on the clay and mud ground before erupting into fire and ash, as her body did. He wiped the blade clean on a nearby rag and sheathed it before turning to look up at where he knew Chloe to be. He raised one hand in thankful acknowledgement of her help then let it drop, his eyes still looking at her position. He couldn't see her, but he could feel her somehow. With a last smile he got back into the limo with his men and drove away.

 

[Perplexia]

He had asked her to let him have Constance. She had agreed. As she sat in silence unable to hear their words she hoped he would signal her to just end it. But he didn't. They pulled out their weapons. She fought with herself to not just end the woman. But this was his fight, and she had to honor that.

To watch them fight was a thing of beauty. She was close in skill to Nathan, but she swung with anger. In the end it was her downfall as Chloe watched the womans head tumble into fiery oblivion. Now he stood there, it was if he was staring into her eyes. But she was well hidden and knew that he couldn't see her. She watched his wave, and watched him walk away to their truck.

Chloe found herself staring at the dusty cloud that now remained. Shaking her head she gathered her gear and climbed down the rocks. Putting in her coms she cleared her throat as she wiped dirt over her. "Requesting a clean up, vehicle, buildings and the ashes of the mark." she gave the directions and got the affirmitive before taking off the coms. She placed a flag next to the ashes of Constance. Taking out her knife she cut some places on her clothes and gouged her shoulder, deep enough to require stitches but not tear any muscles.

She tussled her hair and made herself look as though she had been in a battle of a life time. While she waited she collected the arrows and kicked away some of the ashes. The fight scene had to look doable. The team came with the medic and stitched her up. Once she was done she left and went back to her hotel.

Tomorrow she would fly to NewYork and make her report. They had never said where in Italy, but somehow, she knew that whereever she went he would find her. A hot shower and sleep was what she needed as she formed her report in her head.

 

[Gabe619]

A few months later Nathan Raynes found himself in the Sardinian town of Chia. Not exactly Italy as he had promised Chloe, but close enough he considered as he stood on the balcony of one of the high class bars in this exclusive get away resort. One thing it did have that he had promised the lady Hunter were beaches. Long curves of pristine white sand backed by lagoons and trees and crystal clear waters. As he looked out over the gorgeous expanse of nature below the bar and sipped his martini he wondered where Chloe was. He had tried to keep track of her but after losing his main base of operations he had spent the last few months in exile at a rented property on the this island. Not that he didn't enjoy it, it was a well deserved vacation he considered. But still, he wondered where in the world she might be right now.

He turned and headed back into the bar, the sound level was quite nice, not to loud, not to low, the murmur of quite conversations hung in the air. Dressed in a loose white shirt, cream coloured pants and black shoes, his short dark hair freshly barbered and wearing an expensive cologne he had purchased in town he was not exactly without female attention this night. But none compared or touched him the way Chloe Heart had. So as he knew these women who watched him, hoping for eye contact, could never compare he decided to stay secluded from them. He took a seat on a bar stool, finished his drink and ordered another one.

 

[Perplexia]

Eyes were upon her from the moment she returned. First of course she was chastised for going dark. Then they tested the ashes. That was her first clue that she hadn't been paranoid. Somewhere, somehow there had been a revelation that Chloe Heart didn't believe in The Leagues rules any longer. They just needed to prove it. Luckily the ashes came close enough within scope for them to mark them as Nathan's.

Riots in the Northern US and Canada kept her too busy to make it to Italy. Still she thought of him often, and it caused her to visit the gym a lot more often then she use to. There had to be more to life then this she thought as she stood covered in dust from her latest job.

The only way out for a hunter was to go to an office job for the League. There wasn't a quit or retire option. She knew she couldn't in good conscious continue being a heartless killer. So she was going to have to die. It wasn't the first time she staged a death. Though a hunters death was going to be a bit harder. The first step would to create a new alias with solid documentation that went back at least ten years.

Within a month she had managed to cover every angle possible. A corpse was located that was a close enough match to her. With a combination of battery acid and being compressed into an automobile compressed cube. She staged the riot that would be her death. Her hair was not cut short and died black as she went off grid for a couple of weeks waiting for the rumor of her death to circle the globe. Chloe heart was no more.

By now she knew Nathan would have heard of her death. There was only one way she knew to find him. He had asked her to leave maria alone. She had abided his wish. But something told her she had to find him. Perhaps he would be safer thinking she was gone, but something still nagged at her that she had to find him.

The plane landed in Italy, and she checked into a low rent hotel. Definitely not the type of establishment Chloe Heart like to stay in. Through her time she had randomly scouted out different agents in different regions. It was part of the job to memorize contacts in the event work took her there. Maria had a habit of visiting a local cafe' on sunday mornings. Writing a cripic message that only she would understand she slipped the napkin in front of her while she was looking in her purse. Then she was gone. When Maria would read the napkin it would say 'Il mio cuore lo ama quando piove al Santuario della Madonna del Mare' which translates to 'my heart loves when it rains at Santuario della Maddonna del Mare. Which was a Catholic church in the south of Italy.

Chloe made her way south from Rome and stayed at a villla near by. Every night at midnight she would visit the church with the hope he got her message.

 

[Gabe619]

The news of Chloe's death hit him harder then he thought. He felt gut punched. But then he wondered. She had made vague references to them both getting out from under the Leagues shadow ... was this the only way Chloe could make it. For a few days he wondered, then Maria got word to him with the message and his heart soared. He made his way from Chia to the south of Italy, to the church mentioned. The night he chose to visit was dark, no moon, the place looked deserted other than the glow of candles through the windows. He sat outside the church for an hour, watching to see if this was some kind of set up, but then not able to wait any longer he stepped from his rented car and made his way into the church.

It was quiet inside, cool, the solid stone of the walls keeping the temperature down. The interior was aglow from the candles set up all over the chapel and he could see the alter at the front. Being a vampire he felt unease at being in such a place but fought it down as he walked the aisle looking around for any sign Chloe was here. Finally at the front of the church Nathan looked up at the cross hanging above the alter and then turned his eyes searching the shadows.

 

[Perplexia]

Chloe blended in a dark corner wearing an over sized black hoodie and hippy like shirt. When he walked through the door it took all she had to be silent. But she had to be sure her eyes weren't deceiving her. "I see you got my message" she finally said softly waiting for his head to turn to her.

Slowly she walked out from the corner. "I wasn't sure you would come. I hoped you would. I'm sorry I had to go through your contact. I know i said I wouldn't. But I didn't have access to any resources that would help me find you. I don't know why, but I thought i should let you know i was alive. Unemployed, but alive" She gave a cheeky grin with a shrug as she searched his eyes and realized she was babbling a bit.

"we should probably go" she then added looking around and not liking the idea of being in enclosed relic of a building.

 

[Gabe619]

He moved toward her slowly as if to make sure she wasn't a figment of his imagination. He reached out and cupped her face softly.

"I wanted to believe they couldn't kill you, that you were better than them ... but I wasn't sure. I have never been happier to see someone in my life Chloe." Then he pulled her into a hug, his arms around her, one cupping the back of her head over the hoodie. He just wanted to feel her against him as he had that brief moment back in the night club months before when they danced.

"Come with me. I'll take you somewhere safe." He held her hand and led her from the church, to his car, opening the door for her before quickly sliding in the drivers seat and driving away.

He had rented an apartment in town, not sure how long he would be here. It wasn't to his usual high standards of living, but it most certainly wasn't cheap. He drove into the underground parking garage for the building, something he always tried to have in places he stayed and a must for any vampire wishing to drive around during the day. Finally parking he turned the engine off and turned to look at her again.

"I missed you."

 

[Perplexia]

Slowly she walked to him as well. The moment she felt his hand on her touch that electricity sprang to life. His harms holding her tightly against him made her feel alive. "I'm sorry I had to leave you in the dark, I had to be sure it was safe and I didn't want to risk bringing them to you."

Taking his hand she followed him and got in his car. She watched to be sure they weren't followed as he zoomed through the streets. "I missed you too." she said softly as they exited the car. "I've thought of you often, the riots kept me from a vacation, they were starting to dissect everything I did. So I died. Even that they tried to pull apart. But once they were done, it was safe to reach out."

As they entered his apartment she looked around and smiled. "I like this, it suits you. So how have you been? Any trouble?"

 

[Gabe619]

"None at all." He said smiling at her as he walked to the balcony and opened the doors to let in the cool night air. "From what little I have managed to find out it would seem our misdirection of the League over my death has been a success. With you to now out from under their clutches I guess we are both free."

He turned to look at her, his expression warm, his eyes penetrating as he slowly walked toward her until he stood right in front. He took both her hands in his, watching her face, her eyes.

"Chloe, I need to know ... do you feel for me what I feel for you? When we were together before I thought ... maybe, we had a connection, that there was something there. There was for me at least but I can understand if the fact I am a vampire, something you have spent your entire life hunting and killing, prevents anything more than friendship." He stroked the side of her face gently. "But if I am right, about us, then I would like to start my new life with you beside me."

 

[Perplexia]

"Good" she said watching him walk toward her. She inhaled deeply as he put both of his hands on her face and looked into her eyes. "I didn't grow up like the average person. I don't know how to filter the way that I feel when i'm around you. I've never had a relationship, or even a friendship. I know how to act, how to seduce, how to manipulate and how to kill." She took another deep breath as her brow furrowed.

Tears formed in her eyes as she tried to deal with the overwhelming emotions that were bubbling with in her. "I know that I want to be near you. I just need you to take things a day at a time. Can you be patient with me.. Nathan"

Her eyes searched his as her fingers traced his cheek bones giving her that rush of electricity. She didn't even think about distrusting him. They had only had a couple brief encounters and they really didn't know much else about eachother, other then what the files said. It seemed like it had been forever since she had felt this thing he caused with in her.

"You being what you are doesn't have a thing to do with it." she added. "I know what I was brought up to be, but I made a decision not to let it define my ability to think for myself. Hence ultimately why i'm here. Just as being a vampire doesn't make you the boogie man in the night. If I couldn't define that, well we would have never met because i would have simply killed you." She gave him a cheeky grin trying to lighten up the mood.

 

[Gabe619]

"Well ... you would try to kill me." He gave her a cheeky smile, but still kept her close. "I understand your life has been different to anyone else, I suppose really we are more similar in that regard than we are different. Neither of us has exactly had an easy, regular, normal life.." He caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers. "We will go at whatever pace is good for you, Chloe ... I just don't want to lose you now I have found you. Whatever you need from me I will do. In three hundred years I have learnt to be very patient."

He stepped away from her and walked to a nearby table where there stood a half empty bottle of wine and a glass. He half filled it and brought it back to her. Almost in a solemn manner he drank some of the wine then handed it to the woman.

"To seal our partnership, you once refused a drink from me, please take this to seal our life together?"

 

[Perplexia]

His words helped to sooth her anxiousness. She was lost in his eyes and caressing of his fingers. When he stepped back from her, it reminded her of that moment in his office. It was almost as if a part of her had been ripped away. Her eyes followed him as he went to the table.

Taking the glass from him she smiled, "Yes i did, but I did drink your coffee the next day" she pointed out taking a sip of the wine. She savored the taste for a moment before swallowing it. "Well one reason to stay with you, is your impeccable taste when it comes to beverages." she teased. "mixed this with the right cheese and you'll have me drunk in no time." she grinned.

Stepping over to the table she set down the glass and unzipped her hoodie, revealing her tank top underneath. "Just to be safe we should probably move. But first you promised me a moonlit walk. I'll also need to pick up my stuff from the hotel. The room is trapped so we can't send anyone to do it for us." She shrugged slinging her hoodie over the back of a chair. Then looking up at him.

Slowly she walked over to him and ran her fingers up his shirt covered chest. "Thank you for your patience."

 

[Gabe619]

Nathan's body shivers as her hands slid up his chest, having taken off her hoody he could see her curves again and remember clearly why he had been attracted to her from the start. He slipped his arms around her waist, fingers spread on her lower back as he looked down at her.

"I did indeed offer you a moonlight walk, and I promise I will take my time ... in fact you can set the pace we take this at, but I have to warn you, Chloe ... you are making it very hard for me." His lips quivered between a smile and a light hearted smirk. He could feel his body reacting to her touch. "Would you like to go get your stuff now then go for a walk ... or spend some more time here? I could give you a tour ... the kitchen, the bathroom .... the bedroom?"

Again the little smirk. He had promised to be patient and he would be. His mental focus had always been a source of pride to him. But it hurt nothing for her to know how she affected him, how much he wanted her.

 

[Perplexia]

Stretching up on her tip toes she brought her face close to his and kissed his nose lightly then a closed soft kiss on his lips before going back down the flats of her feet. "Lets go get my stuff first, then we can walk on the beach" she said softly in a husky voice. Her face was flush and her heart was racing.

She was glad that he was willing to take things slowly. But she truly had no reference to how relations worked. She just knew she had to be with him. For the first time. She had a place to call home, and it was wherever he was. Slowly she stepped back taking his hand and grabbing her hoodie. "I didn't exactly choose the best part of town. I was known for liking high end hotels, so i'm trying to blend in a bit. Not that i'm at any particular risk, but most women would be i think."

Chloe found herself making idol chit chat to try to diffuse the fire that was burning inside of her. "Shall we go?"

 

[Gabe619]

"After you." Nathan said with a smile as he followed Chloe out of his apartment to his car.

She gave him directions to a particularly seedy part of town, he certainly understood what she meant by dangerous as more than a few groups of men and women watched him drive by in his high end car which stood out like a sore thumb. he turned to Chloe with a raised eyebrow.

"When you go deep undercover you really do go ... deep." He stated pulling up outside a rundown hotel that she pointed out. "Well, if you trapped your room it would seem no one broke in ... or this building probably wouldn't be here still."

He was joking of course. However her past history showed she was as able to use sledge hammer methods to get a result such as explosives as she was likely to be more surgical and anonymous. he doubted she would of set C4 at her hotel door to stop would be thieves, but that didn't stop him playfully digging at her.

"I'll stay in the car if you don't mind. I would hate to come back and find it ripped to pieces so these ... people, can sell the parts off." He glanced around seeing people still watching them curiously, even at this time of night.

 

[Perplexia]

She smirked. "The average person develops habits and comes to depend on things they can't live without." She shrugged. "I like my jacuzzi tubs, and tend to order the same thing on roomservice. Remove the roomservice option, and downgrade problem solved" She gave him a cheeky grin and opened the door to step out. With one final look at at him she exited the car and stuck her hands in her pocket walking to the hotel.

Chloe was a stickler for details. She had slit the mattress open to hide her cash and had sewed it meticulously shut. She had also gutted a section of the wall and placed the safe in it and plastered it back. It held her weapons and ID's.

She watched carefully as she got to her room, waiting for a couple people to pass by before she entered. Releasing the traps she set, she entered and locked the door behind her. She was use to exiting in a hurry, so it took about 10 minutes to gather everything.

With her backpack on and a suitcase, she made her way out to the car. Of course she had to be harassed by some people hanging out front. She ignored them in the effort to keep a low profile. Eventually she made it to the car and tossed her bags in the back seat and got in next to Nathan.

"Any ideas where you'd like to move to Mr.. Nathan?"

 

[Gabe619]

He gave her a surprised look as she used his first name, then laughed as he started the car. "Well, I only rented that apartment so I could come down here to see if you really were alive. My current abode is slightly more to your standards I think. Still in Italy, in the Apennines, out of the way. Belonged to an old friend of mine before he ... well, lets just say he had a run in with the Mafioso for not paying his debts. As his house was standing empty I made a deal with them to look after it for the foreseeable future." He glanced her way and smiled. "But first, that walk on the beach."

It took around half an hour but finally he drove the car down this gravel track through some light tree cover and stopped at the end. Ahead of them, through the opening of the trees, was a white sandy beach and the endless blue of the Mediterranean. He slipped from the car and walked around to open her door, helping her out before shutting the door and locking it, then holding her hand they walked through the thin boundary of trees and out onto the sand. Above them the sky opened up in a dark blue canopy spotted with stars and a crescent moon.

"Beautiful ... " Nathan stated, but not looking at the sky, instead looking at Chloe as her face was bathed in the silvery light of the moon.

 

[Perplexia]

"well if it has a jacuzzi tub I may never leave" she teased him regarding the main place he was staying. As he drove to the beach she stole glances at him. Studying his face and body. Finding that she wanted to know all there was about him. This was a new occurence for her. She had never bothered to learn anything about anyone. Personal details lead to empathy and understanding. Of which she wasn't required to have as a hunter.

As they pulled into the parking area she slipped off her boots and left them in the car. She loved the feel of the white sand between her toes as they stopped to gaze at the view. She looked up to him when he said 'beautiful' and found his gaze upon her. She gave him a smile, admiring how the shadows and light played across his features.

"Yes you are" she said almost breathless, finding herself losing herself in his eyes. He was unlike an person not to mention vampire she'd ever known. "I'm glad you came to find me, though I wish you had sent someone else to check out the church first. Maybe i'm a bit over paranoid about them finding us. It would be nice if they excepted things. I'm sure if we keep a low enough profile we'll be fine."

She found herself babbling again. A nervous energy perhaps in being so close to him in such a setting. Giving his hand a squeeze she started walking forward.

 

[Gabe619]

As they made their way out onto the beach proper and the night sky opened above them, Nathan actually felt himself relaxing as he held Chloe's hand. The sand was soft, still oddly warm from the being heated by the sun all day. The sea lapped at the beach softly in hypnotic waves as the trees off to the right swayed in the breeze. The entire scene could have been straight out of a romance movie, but instead this was his and Chloe's night. They walked for around a mile seeing no one else and the sea was empty of boats. Suddenly he stopped and grinned. He began to strip off his clothes, dropping them to a pile on the sand.

"I'm going skinny dipping." He announced with a huge grin as his boxers hit the sand leaving him totally naked now.

Having lost any semblance of shyness centuries ago he stood exposed to Chloe with his smile and a look almost that of a young boy finding a super fun thing to do that he had never tried before.

"Come on, Chloe, the water will be perfect." He said as he walked to the sea letting the water cover his feet as he looked back at her.

 

[Perplexia]

Chloe watched with amusement as he began taking off his clothes. He was like a kid in a candy store. Her eyebrow raised slightly watching his boxers drop to the sand. He was indeed a fine specimen of a man. She found herself thinking about licking that 'V' that was so fitting to his form. His six back begging to to have her hand run over it. This was the first time she had ever had a sexual notion such as this for anyone.

Slowly she unzipped her hoodie and folded it before placing it on top of his boxers. Then her skirt, carefully taking out her weapons tied with her garters. She stood looking at him and the sea in her boy shorts and bra before slowly unclasping it, and adding to the pile and removing her panties. Now she stood completely naked and walked into the water to join him.

She hadn't been raised to have modesty. Your body was a weapon, and served no other purpose. You fed it, you honored it with exercise, and you trained it to be flexible. Chloe liked the feeling of the wet sand mushing between her toes. She walked in till the water covered her chest and dove under coming up before him with her short hair slicked back. "Good suggestion" she purred.

 

[Gabe619]

"I love a moonlight swim ... obviously it's slightly hard for me to take sunlit ones." Nathan laughed as he swam on the spot, treading water, Chloe about a foot away.

He had watched her undress, the exacting way she did it, each item of clothing neatly folded and placed, her weapons laid down somewhere they could be lost or be damaged. The her feline grace as she walked into the water and dived forward. Everything about her, the way she moved, the way she smelt, the lilt in her voice, it all mixed to become this intense arousing element that hit him like a thunderstorm. In the cool water his erect cock was hidden from her eyes right now, but the water was not cooler his ardour for her one bit.

He swam up to her, one hand stroking over her left shoulder where a particularly vicious looking scar stood out in white. His finger followed the jagged scar. It was about four inches long he guess, running down to her collarbone.

"You have led a violent life, Chloe Heart." He whispered as his eyes went back to hers. "My scars I carry on the inside. Vampires heal to fast to let them show on our bodies. But you wear yours as badges of courage and skill. But now is the time to lay down your burdens, at least for a little, and let me protect you."

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into the kiss he had wanted to give her since they met. His lips met hers, softly, but the growing passion inside him forced them together harder, his arms around her back holding her naked form against his as he lost himself inside this warrior woman.

 

[Perplexia]

Chloe's mind was fluttering a million miles a minute as his finger traced one of her battle scars. The words he whispered to her were sweet and sincere. The last line about letting him protect her stunned her. She wasn't quite sure how to react to such a request.

Then his mouth was on hers and he was kissing her which shut her mind up and set her body on fire. Her arms went around his neck and her mouth returned the passionate kiss with the same hunger and desire that had caused her such confusion before. This. This made sense to her.

All the frustration she had felt near him was sexual tension. Something no one had ever brought out in her before. For the first time her confidence was at a loss. She didn't know how to be in a relationship, how to be a good lover, or how to be a regular civilian.

Carefully she pulled back from their kiss moving her hands to his shoulders as she looked up at him. Her heart was racing as she found her breath and voice. "We should probably get going, before the sun rises and ruins this perfect moment" she smirked at him. "After all you don't want to ruin my first kiss by turning into dust do you?"

 

[Gabe619]

Nathan pulled away from her unwillingly but nodded. he could of stayed a few more hours, at was still early and far from sunrise, but he knew this was a delicate time for Chloe, he felt it as they kissed, almost a trembling in her body. As they dressed on the beach, he taking as many opportunities to admire her naked or semi naked body as he could, her earlier remark made him stop and look at her.

"First kiss?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Surly not. I thought part of the Leagues training for their Hunters was seduction, so you could get information ... that must had included more than a few kissed in your time, no?"

As he said it he smiled softly and was surprised to feel a small flash of jealousy inside him, that other men has kissed those lips, touched her body. Still, she was his now, for as long as she wanted to be. Never being a possessive man, Nathan Raynes went after what he wanted and usually got it, but in the case of people he never bound them to his side if they wished to fly. Yes, if Chloe left he knew now it would hurt, badly, but he would not stop her. As they made their way back to his car, he slipped his arm around her slim waist.

 

[Perplexia]

Chloe stopped walking as he put his arm around her waist and lowered her gaze to the ground. Slowly she turned to face him. Her eyes gazing up from beneath her lashes, her teeth lightly biting her bottom lip, her breasts pushed forward just enough for him to feel their firmness against his chest and yet not obvious that she was doing it on purpose. Her voice almost breathlessly reaching is ears as her fingers lightly caressed the back of his neck.

"The art of seduction, is to make you want me so much that your mind gets fuzzy. It's to make you want the touch of my lips so much that just a light brush of them will make you stumble over yourself to try to procure more." She gave him a cheeky grin and gave him a quick peck on the lips while removing her hand now that her little example was over.

"My instructor told me i was gifted. There are very few women hunters, we were encouraged not to kiss etc, They said we were emotionally susceptible to irrational decisions if we allowed ourselves to make it too personal." she shrugged. "For those of us woman that were pretty much born into being a hunter we were required at 18 to remove our virginity. We picked a male hunter to copulate with. This isn't done like the movies show it. There's no romance, or hearts, or flowers, or even kissing. We lay on a table with stirrups only nude from the waist down. The male preps himself, shoves it in and then you're done."

The way she said it was as if it was simply a formality without any regret or sadness about it. For Chloe it was simply the way her world had worked. "We are taught that our bodies are but a shell, a mere tool to obtain an outcome. We are taught how to use it to blend or stick out. This world that I've entered into is foreign to me. I don't know how to be a human woman in a relationship. Or how to let someone take care of me."