Hunter's Mate

by Becca Jameson

  Anders Johansen approached slowly, hands opening and closing at his sides. His expression was unlike Hunter had ever seen it. Instead of his usual scowl, he looked nervous, concerned, hopeful. Hunter couldn’t blame him.

  When Anders reached the bottom of the three steps that led up to the porch, he stopped. He ran a hand through his nearly white hair. His gaze darted back and forth between Hunter and Layla. “I’m sorry. I couldn’t wait any longer. And it was unfair of you to ask me to.”

  “I know,” Hunter agreed, praying to whatever god in the universe would listen that he wasn’t about to lose the only woman he would ever love. The irony wasn’t lost on him. He held Layla closely, surprised she was permitting him to instead of fighting him. “Layla, this is Anders Johansen.”

  Anders kept his gaze on Layla. “Layla…” He let the name roll off his tongue. “I can’t believe how stunning you are.”

  Layla flinched.

  Anders spoke again, his words directed at Hunter, his gaze still on Layla. “You haven’t told her.”

  “Not yet. I just finished explaining she’s half shifter. She’s not even close to over that revelation.”

  Anders nodded. “Sorry. She deserves to know. And I should be the one to tell her. This isn’t her fault.”

  Layla shuddered. “Tell me what?”

  Anders came up the steps but stopped several feet away. “I’m your father.”

  Layla’s knees buckled. Luckily Hunter had a hold of her. He kept his arm under her chest and held her upright. His other hand came to hers, threading their fingers together to give her every inch of support he could.

  Anders shuffled toward one of the wood-slatted rocking chairs and lowered himself onto it. He looked as close to collapsing as Layla. He stared at the porch in front of him and rubbed the wooden plank with one foot absently.

  Hunter knew he was letting this all sink in. He guided Layla to the porch swing and settled her next to him, keeping a grip on her hand.

  Anders finally continued. “Your mother came to Canyon Springs in the summer of 1995. She and I… Well, she was my mate.”

  Layla flinched. Hunter could feel her shock. Her heart was beating faster too. He couldn’t stop the onslaught of emotions. She jerked her gaze to his. “You knew this?”

  He nodded. “Yes.”

  She stared at him for several seconds while his heart sank. Finally, she jerked her attention back to Anders. She was overwhelmed. “My mother came here? To Canyon Springs?”

  Anders nodded. “She told your Grandmother Mabel that she was visiting a friend in Denver. She was curious and wanted to meet the aunt she’d never even seen. The two of them had an amazing two weeks together. On the third day, they came into town. I was at the coffee shop when Sara walked in.”

  Layla sucked in a breath. “And you knew.”

  “Yes. Instantly.”

  “She didn’t.”

  “Right.”

  “So what happened?”

  “I stood. Every cell in my body alert. I watched as she got in line and ordered. I memorized everything about her as she sipped her iced latte and left the shop. She met back up with Marge across the street while I was still too dumbfounded to move a single inch.”

  Layla nodded slowly.

  “Marge never knew about us. I realized who she was staying with of course and then waited until she was alone to confront her. We met in secret several times that week, mostly late at night.”

  Layla licked her lips and closed her eyes. “How did you know?” she asked, and Hunter knew that question was directed at him.

  Anders answered the question. “I told Hunter a few years ago. I’ve never told another soul. Unless Hunter did, you’re the third person to find out.”

  Hunter shook his head. “I never told anyone. You were my client. I hold that responsibility sacred.”

  “Even from me apparently,” Layla pointed out.

  “Yes.” He cringed.

  Layla met Anders gaze again. “I have your hair. Well, so does Elena. Have you told her yet?”

  “No. I came here first. Since Hunter at least was aware. I didn’t even know which of you was which.”

  “What happened with my mother? Why did she leave? Why did you let her? Why didn’t you find us before? You should have been with her.” Layla fired those questions in quick succession, her body tensing.

  Anders sat up straighter. “I didn’t know you existed until Friday night when you walked into McGregor’s. I swear. I spent an amazing week with Sara, and she wouldn’t listen to reason. She left. I refused to take away her free will. She was fighting her own demons. She knew her own mother wouldn’t approve of me. She had also been told her entire life a pile of misconceptions about shifters that caused her to be ingrained with the notion that she never should have come to Canyon Springs in the first place. Her mother had warned her to stay away from shifters. As far as she was concerned, her mother had been right.” His voice faded away at the end.

  A tear ran down Layla’s cheek, stabbing into Hunter’s chest. Her pain was palpable. She wiped it away with her fingers. “Yeah, grandma would have done that. She tried to do the same to Elena and me. Convince us shifters had some sort of ability to brainwash humans and force them to stay.” Layla sobbed.

  Hunter slid his arm around her and pulled her against his chest, praying the same fate would not befall him this week. He felt like he was losing ground fast. Circumstances were not in his favor.

  “I hate that one person’s prejudice has created so much havoc for three generations in your family. I hope you’ll make sure the buck stops here. With you.” Anders stared at her intently, making this point either for himself or for Hunter. Perhaps both. It didn’t matter.

  She wiped another tear away.

  “You’re my daughter,” Anders stated softly. “I learned two nights ago that I have two children I never knew about.”

  “How did you know?” she asked.

  “Oh, I scented you as my own the moment you two walked into the bar. I nearly fell off my stool. And then I saw Caleb and Hunter following you. I would have approached, but their claim took precedence over mine. It’s been hard staying away though. I was out of patience this afternoon.”

  Hunter cleared his throat. “Thank you for giving me these two days. I know that wasn’t easy.”

  Layla took a deep breath and shoved off the swing, breaking the contact Hunter was so desperate for. She took several steps out of his reach and turned around to face them both. “This is beyond overwhelming. I haven’t wrapped my head around anything. Every time someone tells me something new, I feel like it just piles up. I haven’t even grasped the idea that I’m half shifter yet. Now I have a father?” She took several small steps backward again, her butt running into the railing to stop her.

  “I can’t imagine your confusion,” Anders stated gently. “It must be monumental. I hope you and your sister will grant me the privilege of getting to know you both. I have no idea where you’ve come from or how long you planned on staying in Canyon Springs, but I won’t hesitate to beg you to stay. I’ve lost so much already. Twenty-four years of your lives. My mate. My heart. I’ve been a fool for too many years pining over your mother and everything I lost. I took the last two days to think about my options and how I should react to finding out I have two daughters I never knew about. I want to be a better person. I want to let the past go. I can’t change what happened, but I can promise to be someone you and your sister can be proud of from now on.”

  Hunter sucked in a breath. “Don’t let Anders fool you. He’s a great man. One of the best. He acts like he’s been living a life of crime or something. He has every right to have been sad and remorseful. No one can take that from him. But he’s still got a lot of love to give.”

  Layla shifted her gaze from Anders to Hunter. “You have a rather steep vested interest in standing up for him.” She looked like she was fighting a smile. “Don’t try to combine these two issues. The fact that I just found out I h
ave a living breathing father I never knew about is unrelated to my relationship with you. Just so we’re clear.”

  Hunter blew out a breath and nodded. One step forward. Two steps back. All he cared about was Layla agreeing to stay in town. If she did, she would not be able to avoid Hunter or her feelings for him forever.

  Anders spoke again. “I know you must be furious with Hunter. I can hear it in your voice. And I get that. You have every right to be confused and angry. I would be worried if you weren’t. But please consider this from our perspective. We both met you Friday night. We both knew in an instant who you were to us. We both also knew that you were totally innocent about the ways of shifters. It would have been premature to spring every detail on you at the same time. The overload would have driven you from town.”

  She glanced back and forth between them. “So what did you do? Have a meeting and decide who got to be first to confuse the new human in town?”

  Hunter shook his head alongside Anders. “Not at all. We exchanged a glance and a few words Friday night. Nothing more. Until that moment, I had no idea you were Anders’s daughter. I only knew he had a mate who passed through town many years ago and left him.”

  “When we made eye contact Friday night, I knew I needed to cool my heels and step back. Let Hunter talk to you first. Nothing can change the fact that you’re my daughter. But relationships between shifters and humans can be dicey. I know that better than anyone in town.”

  “Why do you always refer to me as human when you’ve finally informed me I’m half shifter?”

  Hunter decided to answer that one. “Because you thought you were human. And you are, babe. For all intents and purposes, you’re human. What you got in your DNA gave you some extra senses, but I doubt anyone you’ve ever come in contact with would have noticed. Not in the human world.”

  “Most people just assume the weird idiosyncrasies Elena and I share have something to do with us being identical twins,” Layla responded.

  Anders nodded. “Makes sense. That assumption probably also kept you safe.”

  She nodded and turned around and ran a hand through her hair. Her stress was palpable, and Hunter knew he needed to give her some space. Let her spend some time with Anders.

  Hunter rose from the swing. Walking away from his mate wasn’t on his short list of things to do today, but he would do it anyway. More than anything, it was time to back off and let her come to him. He had no idea what he would do if she didn’t before the end of the day, but he needed to find the strength to let her pull her thoughts together.

  He wouldn’t leave her without touching her one more time to remind her what they were to each other. He came up behind her and gently set his hands on her shoulders before sliding them down her arms and around her middle, pulling her back against his chest. He leaned his face in to her neck and inhaled her scent before whispering. “I know this is hard, and I’m so sorry. I’m going to go inside so you can have some time with your father. I’m here for you when you’re ready.”

  She sighed. “You should have told me about Anders.”

  “Maybe. It was a tough decision. I bombarded you with information. You couldn’t have absorbed it all at once.”

  “You didn’t give me a choice.”

  He nodded against her shoulder. “I’m sorry.” He released her and padded into the house, not looking back. He didn’t want to see the look on her face or the frustration in her eyes.

  Maybe he should have told her sooner. Maybe not. He’d made a judgement call. For better or for worse, it was done. She had all the information. It was time to let her process it while he begged the universe to ensure she managed to see things through his eyes.

  Chapter 17

  Layla immediately missed the feel of Hunter’s touch on her skin. The scent of his body against hers. The warmth of his breath on her neck. The tone of his voice as he tried to soothe her. She also knew she needed some space, and he was giving it to her.

  When she turned around, she found Anders—my father—resting his elbows on his knees. He was watching her. His expression was serious, but there was a hint of a smile at the corners of his mouth.

  “I can’t believe you even exist,” she murmured.

  “Nor I you,” he responded. “I can’t believe I went twenty-four years without knowing I had two beautiful daughters.”

  “Why didn’t you look for us? For my mother at least?”

  He sighed. “I knew she was no longer with us. She was my mate. I sensed her passing even from far away. It was the worst time in my life, so much harder than when she left me physically. A part of me spent that nine months hoping she would feel the pull and come back to me.”

  “You could sense when she died?”

  He nodded. “I woke up on a gasp, bolted awake. My chest hurt. The loss was profound. Inexplicable. I couldn’t shake the burning dread. I knew she was gone. How did she die?”

  “In childbirth. She lost too much blood. They couldn’t save her.” Layla’s heart ached for the loss. Not her own for once, but for Anders. Her mother’s mate. How cruel life could be. “You’re not wrong. We were born in the middle of the night. She died in the early hours of the morning.”

  “And your grandmother raised you?”

  She nodded.

  His brow was furrowed. “I assume she filled your heads with the same shit as your mother’s.”

  “Yes. But she wasn’t as successful. Times are different. We don’t hold the same prejudices as our grandmother.”

  “But you’re scared. You feel the pull toward Hunter, and it makes you question the wisdom in your grandmother’s words.”

  She nodded again. “It’s hard not to acknowledge that basically Grandma Mabel wasn’t wrong. She was simply uninformed, unwilling to explore other possibilities, and stubborn as a mule.”

  “Apparently, considering she cut off her own twin for the rest of their lives.”

  A tear slid down Layla’s cheek, and she wiped it away, drawing in a breath. “The entire story is so very sad. It hurts.” She placed a hand over her chest and pressed against her sternum. “Sometimes I feel like I can’t even catch my breath thinking about all the loss and pain. And that loss just compounded incrementally when you arrived.” She took a step forward.

  She wanted to touch him. She wanted to throw her arms around this father she’d never known a single thing about and hug him.

  He rose to his feet slowly and held out a hand. “Come here, sweet girl.”

  She ran the few steps toward him and wrapped her arms around his middle, planting her face against his cheek as he hugged her fiercely. For long moments they stood there, rocking back and forth while he rubbed her back and told her everything would be okay.

  Finally, she released him and took a step back. Her legs were wobbly, so she lowered herself onto the porch swing once again. “Elena is going to flip.”

  He smiled. “I can’t wait to tell her. I’ll go there next.”

  Layla shook her head slowly, her mind racing. “If we’d had a single clue…”

  “I know, hon.”

  “We knew nothing. We thought mom had gone to Denver that week. At least that’s what our grandma told us. Denver’s a big place. How the hell would we ever find a father?”

  “And you wouldn’t have, because I was here.”

  She stared at him. “We look more like you than mom.”

  He smiled. “I don’t know… You look a lot like Sara. I nearly dropped my drink when you stepped into the bar the other night. My heart stopped. I spun around in my seat so fast, my eyes finding and landing on you two in less than a second.”

  “That’s so weird. I can’t wrap my head around recognizing blood relatives by scent.”

  “It was surreal. I don’t have other children.”

  “Why didn’t you…find someone else or whatever? It’s been so long.”

  He shrugged. “I never got over Sara, or I never allowed myself to get over her. She was my whole world. My everything. W
hen she left, she took the best of me with her.”

  Layla swallowed as she slowly nodded understanding. She lowered her gaze. “That’s about how Hunter describes it.”

  Anders sighed. “I know this is overwhelming. I can’t blame you at all. So much has been thrust on you in two days. I get that. But please, please consider your options carefully. I don’t care what you left behind when you came here, it’s not worth throwing away your mate over. I promise.”

  “I didn’t leave anything. Not really. I was trying to make a life as an actress in Los Angeles and failing miserably. It was hard to even pay the rent. I quit my job at the local pub and broke my lease when I came here. I don’t have family anywhere anymore. With the exception of Elena, who lives in Chicago.”

  Anders reached out a hand and set it on top of hers. “You do have family, Layla. You have me. And you have Hunter. Elena too. And God willing, Caleb. That’s a lot of family, and all if it is here in Canyon Springs. Fate brought you here at just the right time. I have to believe that.”

  Layla nodded. He was right. She knew that. Accepting it was another thing.

  “Stay. Give this town a chance. I promise it will grow on you. I lost you once twenty-four years ago. Don’t make me lose you again.”

  She turned to face the mountains, staring at the amazing view. There was no denying what Anders was saying was correct. Part of her instinctively knew she belonged here in Canyon Springs. She wondered if Elena had come to the same conclusion.

  Two days. It seemed like a lifetime.

  Anders spoke again. “Please don’t be angry with Hunter. He had a very difficult decision to make.”

  “So he chose himself,” she pointed out, lifting a brow. “Maybe he should have immediately introduced me to you Friday night and taken a step back while I got reacquainted with my own father.”

  “I know logically that seems reasonable, but trust me, I’m not so old that I can’t remember the day I met your mother. The pull is fierce. It wraps itself around a shifter’s chest and won’t let go. I died a thousand deaths when she left me.”