Hunter took another sip. “You went out there even though I warned you how dangerous it was. You’re not stupid, so what? Did you think I was lying?”
“No. I just didn’t care. I wanted to get away from you.”
He rolled his lips into his mouth and exhaled through his nose. “You hate the idea of being mated to me that much.”
“And finally, the penny drops.”
“Sarcasm doesn’t become you.”
“And kidnapping looks really shitty on you.”
The corners of his mouth dimpled in displeasure.
“Look, I don’t want to be tied to someone who wants to own me like a possession. You have no respect for me or what I want, and that’s a huge red flag for me in a relationship.”
“And Grayson does?”
“Grayson gave me a choice. He asked me to mate with him, and when I said I wasn’t ready, he backed off. He’s strong and kind, and he makes me feel safe.”
My eyes stung with the threat of stupid tears at the thought of the golden-haired alpha. Fuck, I should have mated with him all those weeks ago when he’d asked. I should have given my Loup to him. I missed him.
“Grayson never tried to force himself on me, but you…You fucking kidnapped me.”
His knuckles were white where he gripped his glass. “I just saved your life.”
Oh, God, he was impossible. “From a situation you forced me into, and just for the record, I saved your furry ass too.”
“Yes, you did. You could have run, but you stayed. You wanted to protect me because I’m your fated mate.”
I was sick to death of that term. “I don’t give a crap about the fated mate shit. I stayed because I’m not a fucking asshole.”
He ran a hand over his face and sat back in his seat, finally looking directly at me. The buzz in my veins amped up a notch, and I grit my teeth, willing it to go away.
“I needed to buy some time alone with you,” he said softly.
“Time to coerce me, you mean.”
His lips thinned. “I found out you were about to mate with my brother, and I…I lost it.”
“Because you want to win. You want me because you don’t want Grayson to have me. I mean, what is the deal with that? Why do you hate him so much?”
Hunter stood abruptly, shoving his chair back so it clattered to the floor. I guess we were done with calm.
“Why do I hate him?” His eyes narrowed to slits. “He stole my life.”
“What?”
Hunter leaned forward, palms braced on the table. “Have you any idea how it feels to be outside looking in. To be the shunned one, the black sheep, the pup that killed his mother?”
“What?”
His lips twisted bitterly. “Giving birth to me killed my mother, and my father couldn’t bear to look at me. He never once held me, but Grayson…Grayson was the golden son. And all because he was born first. How different things would have been if I’d been born first, eh? Ten minutes, that was all it took to set the course of my life. Ten minutes from Grayson’s flawless delivery to mine, fraught with difficulties, that ended my mother’s life.” He closed his eyes, and I could see the struggle play out across his face as he reined in his emotions. “I accepted it all. I worked hard for my pack. I wanted my father to be proud. To look at me… really look at me just once.” His voice vibrated with passion. “I was good at everything. I made sure to excel. I was a better fighter and a better negotiator than Grayson. The Regency Pack alpha spot would have been mine, but my father cheated me out of that too.”
His emotions pressed in on me, spearing me with their sincerity. His pain was a knife peeling back the shield of don’t-give-a-fuck I’d wrapped myself in.
“I don’t understand.”
Hunter’s shoulders rose and fell, and he blinked as if realizing he’d said too much. He wandered over to the counter and topped up his glass with more whiskey.
I needed to know more. I wanted to know more. “What do you mean, he cheated you?”
He sipped his drink, and for a moment, I thought he’d shut me out again, that he’d withdrawn back to his arrogant shell. But then he spoke, his tone a calm vibration that was at odds with his words.
“He had me drugged before the fight for alpha spot. Wolfsbane. But in a small amount, enough to slow me down and hinder my reflexes but not enough to kill me.” His smile was wry. “He should have killed me. It would have been kinder.”
“Grayson won.”
“Yes, and I left the pack.”
“Does Grayson know?”
Hunter made a sound of derision. “The truth came out a few years after our father died. Petra, the Regency Pack shaman, confessed to drugging me on my father’s orders.”
Petra…I couldn’t imagine her doing something so awful, but her warnings and her conflicted words when it came to Hunter made sense now. “Why didn’t you say something before then?”
“And look like a sore loser?” He gave me a not-likely look. “Grayson invited me back to the pack, but the Regency Pack was never a happy place for me, and the last thing I want is anyone’s pity. I only want what’s rightfully mine.”
Me…He wanted me. I was a prize that fate had marked for him, and he didn’t want Grayson to have me, because that would mean he’d lost again. How could I not feel a pang of pity for this man? What his father did to him was despicable. Blaming a child for something that was out of his control, punishing him by withholding affection. It was abuse. By alienating Hunter, he’d not only fucked with Hunter’s head, but he’d also forced a wedge between brothers, allowing resentment to fester.
Yes, I felt sorry for Hunter, but that didn’t mean I forgave him for kidnapping me. It didn’t mean I wanted him.
He was doing the not-looking at me thing again, and I swear it was out of embarrassment. His body was stiff and tense as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He was regretting opening up. He probably thought it made him seem weak, but it was the first true glimpse of him I’d seen, and it was revelatory.
“I’m sorry for what happened between you and Grayson.” I kept my tone soft. “What your father did was wrong, but it’s unfair to use me to settle some kind of score or balance some kind of scale.”
His throat bobbed, but he didn’t reply.
“I won’t be used as a trophy to satisfy the pain of your past. What you need is a good therapist.”
He snorted again, but his mouth lifted in half a smile, and my heart did a little pitter-patter when his gaze slid my way. “I see why Grayson wants you as his mate. You’re a straight talker, and you won’t take any shit. Not even from me.”
“That’s right, so I’ll tell you once again, and I need you to listen to me this time. I don’t want you, Hunter.” His eyes flinched at my words, but I forged on. “I don’t care about this fated mate bollocks, and if I have to be a part of this Loup world, then I choose Grayson.”
A pained look flashed across his face, but he masked it quickly.
I lifted my chin, ignoring the fire flickering to life inside me at the sight of his beautiful features, so much like Grayson’s. “Hunter, you need to let me go.”
He downed his drink and set the glass on the counter behind him. “It seems like Grayson wins again.”
My heartbeat sped up. Did that mean yes?
He scanned my face as if reading the hope scrawled across it, and then his mouth twisted in defeat. “We’ll need to leave soon, before the storm hits.”
My shoulders dropped in relief.
“But remember, mating with Grayson might fool the heat, but it won’t change the fact that your Loup chose me, that it mated with me. You might be able to mate with Grayson in human form, but given a choice, your Loup will always choose me, and there’s a reason for that, Fee. Don’t you think you owe it to yourself to find out what it could be like between us?”
“I might have, Hunter, but the things you’ve said and done put me off even before I met you.”
“What things?” Hunter
Was he being serious? “I was there at the outlier meeting when you sent Larson to demand the females from Grayson’s pack. Grayson pleaded that the girls were only fourteen, and Larson told us your response was, if they can bleed, they can breed.” Even recalling it made me sick. “What kind of decent male feels that way?”
But Hunter was looking at me with confusion and horror. “What? Larson told you I said that?” His brows pinched earnestly. “I didn’t say that.”
Eldrick had wondered the same thing, but, “Larson was speaking for you.”
“Maybe.” Hunter frowned. “But I would never say something so vile.” He canted his head. “Is that why you hate me? Over something you thought I said? Why didn’t you just ask me?”
“It’s not just that, Hunter. It’s everything. Your reputation precedes you. The fear, the dislike…everything.”
He looked confused, and my conviction cracked a little.
“Fee,” Hunter said. “Larson’s words were not my words. I’m not a monster.”
Fuck, why did I believe him all of a sudden?
His attention flicked over my head, and I glanced over my shoulder to see a figure in the kitchen doorway.
“No, Hunter,” Larson said. “You’re not. I speak for you, and I like to get creative.” The beta shrugged, looking sheepish. “It has been fun creating an evil villain persona for you, Hunter.”
“Larson… I don’t understand.” Hunter pushed away from the counter and moved instinctively toward me. “What are you doing here? How did you find this place?”
“I never lost you, Hunter. I always keep a close eye on the competition.”
“What?”
“You, Hunter, with your little charities, your do-good attitude, and Eldrick’s ear. You, coming into my pack and taking my spot.” He sneered. “You didn’t think I’d take it lying down, did you?”
I stood up, sensing that I needed to be ready to act, and Hunter stepped in front of me in a gesture that was pure primal instinct.
“What have you done, Larson?” he demanded.
“Oh, I haven’t done anything. It’s all been you. You’re the mastermind. While you were off setting up charities, I used the fact that you didn’t want anyone knowing about your philanthropic exploits to tarnish your name. Why do you think Loup fear you? Why do you think your own brother despises you?” He jabbed his thumb at his own chest. “Me. I created you, Hunter, and now even Eldrick sees what a monster you are.”
Hunter’s fists clenched. “What have you fucking done?”
“Arranged a little coup under the Hunter banner. I needed a fall guy if things didn’t work out, and just as well. The Regency Pack knows about the coup. That fucker Logan leaving us was unexpected, and I almost thought I’d have to abandon my plans, but you pulling this stunt has given me the perfect opportunity to fix things. You see, Grayson thinks you’re the mastermind behind the coup, and if you die, then he’ll stop digging, and I can finish what I’ve started in peace.”
Die? He planned to kill Hunter. My limbs tingled with the need for action.
“You can’t take me in a fight, Larson,” Hunter said calmly. “You know it.”
Larson gave him a closed-lipped smile. “Oh, I’m not going to fight you.”
He stepped back, and two hulking males entered the kitchen space. Two Loup.
“Meet a tiny faction of my coup,” Larson said. “Members of one of the new rogue packs under my control. I gave them this territory, you know, and you killed several of their pack members.” His lips turned down, faux sad. “They’re not happy about that.”
“We get to keep the female,” the Loup on the left said.
Hunter reached back and tugged me to him. I braced my palm on his ribcage as he pressed his mouth to my ear. “61582.”
What?
“I’m afraid I can’t let her live, either,” Larson said apologetically. “She knows too much, but feel free to have some fun before you break her pretty neck.”
The Loup closed in, and a low rumbling growl reverberated in Hunter’s chest. The vibration tingled through my palm. He shoved me toward the fridge and fell into a defensive stance.
What was he doing? We could take these two. But then two more Loup became visible in the hallway beyond.
Crap.
“Fee, the numbers,” Hunter rasped, his jaw elongating as he morphed to half shift.
The numbers…The combination to the safe! The car keys and my daggers were in there.
The Loup hadn’t considered the side door hidden behind the fridge.
Hunter was telling me to run.
To take the car and go.
But I couldn’t leave him to fend for himself in the woods, and I definitely couldn’t do it now. The guy was troubled, damaged. He needed help. Help he wouldn’t be able to get if he was dead.
I reached down to my Loup power, but the surge didn’t come. I guess there was a limit to how long and how often I could go half shift.
Daggers it was.
The Loup attacked, and I ran.
I burst through the side door and into the dining room before sprinting into the hallway, careening to the left and into the lounge, boots skidding on the laminate flooring. There was a growl behind me, and I made it to the painting, managing to knock it off the wall just before hands grabbed me and hauled me back.
I landed on the sofa and rolled to avoid the Loup lunging for me. He snagged the back of my shirt, and I elbowed him in the face, relishing in his howl of pain. Fuck this. I might not be able to shift, but I was preternaturally strong.
I could take this fucker because my Loup had no attachment to him.
Azazel had trained me for this.
Before the Loup could recover, I punched him in the nose. Blood squirted everywhere, and I followed up with a kick to his knee that had him howling and hitting the ground. I grabbed the first ornament that came to hand, a pretty vase on the mantelpiece, and smashed that over his head.
Fuck, I’d always wanted to try that, and it was just as satisfying as I’d thought it would be.
He went down with a groan. Not unconscious but close to it.
The sound of boots headed this way had me scrabbling for the safe. I punched in the numbers and yanked the thing open.
“You bitch!”
My hands closed over my weapons, and a grin painted my face. “Sorry? What did you call me?”
I spun around, daggers in hand, to face the new Loup. The one on the ground stood slowly, cupping his nose, a lethal look in his eyes.
“Put the knives down,” the Loup without the broken nose said. “Put them down, and we’ll make sure you have a good time before we kill you.”
“My idea of a good time isn’t getting raped by rogues.” I spun the daggers in my hand the way Azazel had taught me and fell into a fighting stance. “I prefer to dance.”
The Loup sneered, and then their mouths dropped open in shock.
Hell, yes. Be afraid, motherfuc—
“What is that?” The one with the intact nose pointed.
For fucksake, really? “Do you think I’m stupid?”
The other one backed up, and then I sensed it, a cold presence skimming up my back as if someone was running an icy finger up my spine.
“Fuck. Fuck this shit.” They both backed up and ran.
My breath came faster. There was something behind me.
A crash resounded from the kitchen.
Hunter.
I had to get to Hunter, but I couldn’t move. My limbs were paralyzed. And then fingers curled around my nape.
“Seraphina Dawn, we seeee you.” The voice was jagged slivers of glass and the deathly bite of frost. It was emptiness and oblivion.
Terror expanded in my chest like a helium balloon, and then it was gone. I staggered forward and spun to face the spot where the thing had been. Nothing. Shit, what the hell?
Hunter’s bellow of pain shook the final residue of confusion from my mind. I hurried back to the safe and grabbed my dagger belt and car keys, then leapt over the sofa and ran for the kitchen, ready to kill.
Chapter Eight
Cora
I’ve had so much coffee my hands are bloody shaking. Where the hell is Jasper. I’m tempted to call him again, but when it comes to threats, the malevolent bastard follows through, and the idea of spending any more time in bed with him than I already have to makes my stomach clench.
Dean joins me at the table and takes the seat next to me. Surprisingly, his presence is an instant comfort. But then anxiety edges in. What if he asks me about Jasper again?
“Are you all right?” he asks.
I look up at him, thrown off guard by the question. He’s the first person to ask me how I’m feeling. To give a shit about what I’m going through.
My throat pinches. “I’ll be better once we get Fee back.”
Dean fiddles with the arm of his coffee mug. “Hunter won’t hurt her.”
I make a sound of disbelief.
But Dean’s expression is serious. “He won’t hurt her because his instinct will be to protect her.”
“Forcing this mating on her will hurt her. Maybe not physically but emotionally.”
“I know,” Dean says with a sigh. “But it won’t come to that.”
He looks over at Grayson, who’s deep in conversation with Azazel. Everyone is on standby. Vehicles prepped to go as soon as we have a location from Jasper. Vi sits alone in a corner, looking lost. I should go and speak to her, but right now, I just can’t summon the benevolence required to be nice to her. She’s the reason Fee’s been taken, the reason why, for the first time in forever, I can’t sense my friend. There’s a strange emptiness inside me, a disconnect as if I’ll float away at any moment, and it’s freaking me out. She’s my anchor, and I need her back.
Dean slips his hand over mine on the table. His palm is warm and his grip reassuring. I exhale and nod to let him know I’m cool.
“It’ll be all right,” he says with conviction.
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