Hunter ignored the high-pitched sound as the cars escorting them came to a screeching halt. He heard the sound of the doors clicking open and slammed shut, followed by hurried footsteps. None of it mattered, his attention fixed solely on Hera. 

He placed one hand behind her on the seat, and the palm of his other hand rested on the door, caging her in. Mouth agape, eyes widened to their full size, holding her breath, Hera stared in stunned silence. His face was mere inches away from hers. “If you don’t shut this pretty little mouth of yours, Goddess, I’m going to do it with you, right now, right here, in this very car,” he said slowly through his gritted teeth. 

Pulling her mind out of the shock, Hera blinked a few times rapidly. Glaring at him, she tried to say something, but he cut her off as soon as she opened her mouth. 

“I swear, Hera, I mean it,” he said in warning, his minty hot breath fanning her face. He would never do that to her, but he lied anyway because he wanted to shut her up, and it worked. Hera swallowed hard and tried to appear unaffected by their proximity.. She didn’t want him to know how intimidated she felt about him. 

Still shooting daggers at him through her murderous eyes, Hera tried to push him off her. When he didn’t budge from his position, she flipped him the bird before she mouthed, “Fine,” gritting her teeth. 

A knock on the window pulled his eyes off her. Moving back to his seat, Hunter pushed a button to slide the window down. Before Mathew could question him, Hunter said everything was fine in a dismissing tone, and resumed his driving. Hera kept her mouth shut for her own good, and Hunter didn’t make any attempt to speak either. 

Hera felt hot and sweaty. Her heart was still beating crazily. She crossed her arms and ran her palms over her arms absent-mindedly, through the Jacket she wore. His scent, the heat emanating through his body, his minty breath, everything still lingered around her. His earlier words and actions made her nervous. 

She didn’t know how to describe her feelings, whether it was fear or disgust or excitement. Or maybe she felt all of them at once. The air-condition running in the car didn’t help to cool the heat she felt. 

When she couldn’t handle the awkward silence anymore, Hera turned on the radio. 

“I know I’ve done wrong, 

I left your heart torn,

Is that what devils do?” 

‘Are you fucking kidding me?’ 

Hera scowled as the song ‘Love Me Again’ by John Newman played on the radio. She didn’t even listen halfway through the song before she turned it off by jabbing her finger harshly when it played the part where the singer’s voice buzzed asking, 

“I need to know now, 

Know now, can you love me again?”

To her annoyance, Hunter turned it on again. It only irked her more because she knew it’s one of his favourite songs. Hera ignored him and turned to the window, looking out. She scoffed inwardly. 

‘As if the stupid lyrics in the song would make me forget how you left my heart torn.’ 

As Hera kept her eyes on the passing road, despite the electric lights, London seemed like an ‘alien city’ to her at night. The images through the window appeared blurry as Hunter was driving too fast, and soon Hera felt her eyelids getting heavy and dozed off with little effort. 

Hunter glanced at her when he sensed her head hitting the window and slowed down the speed of his driving as he noticed her sleeping. Managing the steering wheel with one hand, he pulled her by the arm and made her sit properly. Pressing a button for the seat settings on his door, he adjusted her seat for her to sleep comfortably. 

After driving for another thirty minutes, they reached the place. Hunter followed Dave’s car into the gate, and the car came to a halt as he hit the brakes. He got out of the car and came round to Hera’s side. He opened the door slowly trying not to startle Hera, but she woke up with a jolt at the sound of the door opening. 

“Where are we?” She asked, clueless while checking her surroundings. He helped her get down from the car and walked ahead, taking her hand in his. Hera observed his guards as they listened to whatever Mathew was instructing them. “We’re staying here,” Hunter announced and Hera’s surprised eyes asked, ‘We are?’ 

“Yeah, a slight change of plans. I only wanted to show you this place earlier, but you wanted to spend more time at the resort, and now we’re late because of that. So we’re staying the night here,” he explained while looking down at her as though scolding a spoiled little brat. 

Ignoring him, Hera gave the building a quick once-over, and the first thought that crossed her mind was that the old house belonged in a storybook. 

“Wow! It looks like a fairy book castle.” Hera voiced her thoughts out, admiring the two-storey, Stone house with a rectangle main body and grey peaked rooftops. The top was a gentle arch rather than flat. It had an outdoor stone staircase to the main door in the front and the outside patio covered in grey tiles over concrete. The traditional garden completed the look complimenting perfectly. 

“I have a surprise for you. Come, I want you to meet someone,” Hunter said, taking her hand in his and walking her to the backyard. Hera eyed the premises protected with perimeter security with cameras everywhere as Hunter brought her to the garden in the backyard. It was bigger than the one in the front. 

“It looks lovely in the morning,” Hunter said, watching her, watch the premises. Hera nodded and asked, “Whom did you want me to meet?” 

Hunter grinned, and Hera watched him, placing his right index finger into his mouth. He whistled loudly, and Hera squealed in surprise as she heard loud barking. 

Four dogs rushed towards them out of nowhere, tackling them to the ground. “Oh, my God!” Hera exclaimed in between her giggles as the dogs licked every inch of her face. “I missed you too, my babies,” she said, hugging and kissing them all one by one. 

“I didn’t see them in the mansion last time,” Hera said, scratching one of the dogs behind the ears and looked at Hunter for an explanation. “I figured they love it here more than in the mansion,” he replied, with a shrug. 

Hunter had five dogs in total, two black and white English Shepherds, named Sparkle and Flash. One brown and white Retriever named Dazzle and one black Flat-coated Retriever named Shimmer. Hera chose the names for them. 

“Where’s Shine?” Hera asked Hunter looking everywhere for the Golden Retriever. It was the same puppy they rescued together years ago, because of whom they met. Hera remembered asking him to help find his owner, but Hunter never tried to find his owner. He kept the puppy for himself as a reminder of Hera. He named him Shine because she liked shiny things. 

Hera remembered the day when Dazzle and Shimmer were born. They were Shine’s offsprings. 

Hunter walked to the side and opened the gate of the first kennel. Hera heard the low whining and watched as Shine came out jumping on him. It ran to her, wagging its tail as she called his name. 

“He looks so weak. Is he sick, Hunter?” She asked in a soft voice filled with worry, and Hunter could tell that she was afraid to hear the answer. “He’s getting old, Goddess, and he needs to rest. He’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Hunter’s smile was assuring as he answered her question. 

He watched, smiling at Hera as Shine attacked her showing his affection. Hunter sat down, leaning against one of the kennels, with his one leg resting on the ground while he had the other one drawn up. Taking his phone out, he started filming the scene unfolding before him. 

Hera looked at him, a cheerful grin adorned her face as mischief danced in her eyes, and she shouted to the dogs, “Let’s eat him up.” Hunter didn’t have the time to brace himself as the dogs jumped on him. Hera laughed wholeheartedly and snatched his phone to click pictures. 

She squealed when Hunter’s hand came forward and pulled her to him, making her land straight on his chest. The entire upper part of her body was laying on him, with her legs on the ground. His arms snaked around her middle, pressing her to him with a tight hold. 

“I want to see you like this, always,” Hunter said, kissing her eyelids. Confused, Hera asked, “Like what?” 

“Smiling and happy, and not fighting with me,” he said, and Hera rewarded him with a warm smile. “I don’t like it either when we fight,” she admitted, wounding her hands around his middle. Faking anger, he asked, “And whose fault is it that we always end up fighting?” 

Hera rolled her eyes before grinning broadly.