Dire

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  “She’s got both Chet and Semi. I would never leave her unprotected.”

  “Good.” The only upside of Hunter’s obsession with Mary Anne was that he’d do what it took to keep her safe.

  “And the witches aren’t going there anyway. They are going to need time to regroup after that.”

  “Then why do we need to leave so soon?”

  “Because that fire is going to be noticed by both humans and paranormals. Because the witches aren’t hiding us anymore. We can’t be here when the investigation starts. We’ve lost our cover. Do you need more reasons than that?”

  “No.” I didn’t regret my decision. Even if the surviving witches started hurting people again, it wouldn’t be as easy. It was probably wishful thinking, but maybe without the influence of their leader, they’d take a different path.

  “Pack and get ready. We are leaving within the half hour. I need to find the nomads.”

  “I can do that, Hunter,” Marni said softy. She never spoke softly which meant she was trying to tread carefully with Hunter.

  “Good. I’ll see to everything else.” He took off ahead of us.

  “Is the rest of the punishment coming later?” I asked Marni.

  “I think he understands why we did it. He agreed in his own way, so I think he’s letting this slide.”

  “Can he really do that? Let his ‘inferiors’ as he calls us get away with disobeying him?”

  “Did we technically disobey? He never told us not to burn down the house.”

  “I guess that’s true. It was just implied.”

  “Implied doesn’t mean anything to Dires.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  “Unless it comes to a mate. Then it’s implied that everyone else needs to stay far away.”

  “Hunter’s choice has been more than implied.”

  “Yes it has.” Marni stopped short as we reached the clearing. “I have to find the others. Go grab anything of yours you want to bring with you.”

  “You don’t want me to come with you?”

  “The nomads are skittish already. Bringing a baby Dire with me isn’t going to help things.”

  “A baby?”

  “You were just changed after all.”

  “Right.”

  Marni disappeared, and I shifted back to my human form. I wasn’t sure where we were going next, but it couldn’t be worse than this frozen farm. I hoped Mary Anne agreed.

  Chapter Nine

  Mary Anne

  Lunatic. Hunter was a lunatic. Sex dreams that told the future? I pretended to go along with it so he’d keep talking, but none of it made any sense. Especially not the Vanessa part. How did the similarities in our appearance tie in? I was positive there was a connection. Dating her had to have played into the image of the girl in his dreams.

  I rolled over in the bed, surprised that I was able to. I was expecting Hunter to have me wrapped up in his cocoon again. I knew it wasn’t an accident. I sat up, wishing I could see something in the complete darkness that engulfed the room. “Hunter?” I called out tentatively. Had he really left me all alone? “Hunter?”

  I didn’t hear a response, and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to go back to sleep. I had a bad feeling about the silence.

  I’d finally set my mind to facing the cold and getting out of bed when I heard the howls. There were several of them off in the distance. I was right. Something was wrong.

  The footsteps on the stairs was the next indication that something was going down. The door burst open. “Mary Anne!” Hunter flipped on the light.

  I blinked a few times, taking in the breathless figure of Hunter. “What’s going on?”

  “We need to go. Get your coat and boots on. We don’t have time to waste.”

  “What do you mean? What’s going on?” My chest clenched. Had something happened to Gage?

  “Your friend made the witches mad. Unbelievably mad, and he did it in a way that’s going to get attention. We’re going to be found if we don’t act fast.” He held out my coat to me.

  “I’m not even wearing a bra. I need a minute.”

  His eyes went right to my chest. “We can get you whatever you need later, but we don’t have a second to lose.”

  I accepted the coat and stuffed my bra into the pocket. I was putting it on later. I slid into my boots. “Is everyone going?” He’d know exactly who I was asking about.

  “Yes. We’re not leaving anyone behind.” He grabbed my hand and headed for the door. “We’re going to be fine, but we need to get on the road immediately.”

  “Got it.” I was still sleepy and in no position to argue. I had no idea what would happen if we were found by their enemies, but I didn’t want to find out.

  A line of trucks and an SUV were idling outside. Hunter opened the passenger door to one of the trucks. “This is us.”

  I looked over my shoulder hoping to catch a glimpse of Gage.

  “He’s coming.” Hunter helped me up into the small cab. “I promise.”

  “Where is he?”

  “I’m right here. It’s okay.” Gage’s voice came from somewhere nearby. It was too dark to see him, but I’d know that voice anywhere.

  I nodded. “Ok.” I buckled absently, waiting for Hunter to take his seat.

  “You can go back to sleep. I have everything under control.” He buckled his seatbelt and pulled away from the house.

  “Sleep? How am I supposed to sleep right now?”

  “It’s going to be a long ride. You might as well sleep to make it go faster.”

  “How long are we talking?” I tried not to panic. Where were we going now?

  “Long. We can’t risk staying in this area at all. The king’s men will be combing the entire Northeast for us once they figure out we were involved.”

  “So where are we going?”

  Hunter smiled. “We’re going right under their noses.”

  “What do you mean?” I turned in my seat.

  “We’re going to the one city where they’d never expect us to be.”

  “What city is that?”

  “New Orleans.”

  “New Orleans?” I asked with surprise.

  “Yes. It’s where the king lives. He’d never expect us to show up there.”

  “Isn’t this dangerous?” Wasn’t it reckless to show up exactly where the king lived? I understood Hunter’s point that the king wouldn’t expect it, but that didn’t make it any less dangerous.

  Hunter put his arm behind me. “Probably, but it makes sense right now. I already have a contact taking care of all the details for us. We’ll be fine.”

  “I’ve never been to New Orleans before.”

  “Well, that makes it even better. I’m sure it will be an eye opening experience for you.”

  I leaned back against his arm. “I’m not sure I’m ready for any more eye opening experiences.”

  “Too bad, Firefly.” He ran his hand down my arm. “You’re going to have a lifetime full of them.”

  “Lovely.”

  “What? You don’t enjoy new experiences?” He drove around in the forest behind the house. I assumed there was a road for us to use. At least I hoped there was. I wasn’t sure how Hunter expected me to sleep with all the bumping from being off road.

  “I do in moderation.” I spoke loudly to be heard over the noise of the snow crunching underneath us.

  “Moderation, huh?” He eventually pulled out onto the smooth pavement of a country road that had been plowed.

  “If that bothers you, maybe you should have spent more time getting to know me before claiming me as your mate.”

  “Who says it bothers me?” He glanced in the rear view mirror. He was probably double checking to make sure the other vehicles were right behind us. “I’m just trying to make sure I understand.”

  “There isn’t much to understand. I like things calm when possible, although I don’t mind shaking things up once and awhile.” There had to be a better way to explain it, but I f
igured it didn’t really matter.

  “Who did you date before Gage?” He kept his eyes on the road, but I could tell it took him effort not to look over.

  “No one worth telling you about.”

  “Because they weren’t worthy men for you, or because there were none?”

  “Why? Would a lack of a dating history make me more or less desirable to you?”

  He laughed. “I’m going to pretend I’m not offended by your attempts to get rid of me.”

  “How can you be so concerned with my dating life at a time like this?”

  “A time like what? You think this is the first time we’ve had to leave with no notice?”

  I shifted in my seat trying to get comfortable. “I’m guessing it isn’t.”

  “We move every year or so. Usually we aren’t in such a rush, but it’s happened before.”

  “Wait. You’d been on that property less than a year?”

  “Does that surprise you?” He watched me.

  “It lowers the probability that I’d have ever run into you. What were the chances?”

  “We were in Boston before this, but I take it you weren’t there yet?”

  “No. I just started. Gage was there all last year though.”

  Hunter nodded. “I’m so disappointed I never met him while I was there.”

  It was my turn to laugh. “I’m sure you are.”

  “Are you ready to tell me? Any other men in your past?”

  “Not really. I dated one guy for a while in high school.”

  “He’s who you lost your virginity to.”

  “Yes.” I hadn’t thought about my high school boyfriend in a while. Our relationship hadn’t ended badly, but we really didn’t have any reason to stay in touch.

  “And then just Gage?”

  “I went on a few dates.”

  “With Gage?”

  “No. With some other guys.”

  “When was your first date with Gage?”

  “Why do you care?” I sighed. “How can any of this possibly matter to you?”

  “Because I want to understand your relationship with him. I need to be able to keep him in line as his Alpha, and part of that requires understanding exactly how deep things go with you two.”

  “What does it matter? You’re not going to let me be with him anyway.” I stretched out my legs. Cold, tired, and stressed, I couldn’t get comfortable.

  “It matters. I need to understand.”

  I played it safe, hoping it would be enough for him. “I’ve already told you we’ve known each other for years.”

  “Yes. I understand that, but how long have you been romantically involved?”

  “It hasn’t been official for long.”

  “But you’ve been seeing each other a long time?” He paused. “Unofficially?”

  I could feel the blood rushing to my face. “You could say that.” Did dreams count?

  “Firefly, what aren’t you telling me?” He gently touched my arm.

  “I think I’m going to take that nap.”

  He laughed his deep throaty laugh. “Nice try.”

  “We haven’t actually had a date unless you count a night camped out together in the snow.” If there was any chance he’d ask Gage, I didn’t want to get caught making things up. Hunter wouldn’t take well to that. No matter what my future held for me, I needed to hold onto Hunter’s trust. It was important for both me and Gage.

  “That’s what I thought. It means I was right about him using you.”

  “No.” I brushed off his arm. “You have no right to say that when you’re using me.”

  “Using you?” He put a hand to his chest. “Me? How have I used you?”

  “Why do you want me as your mate?”

  “No. First tell me. How have I used you? Have I forced myself on you?”

  “Not fully, but you make me sleep with you.”

  “And that’s using you? If I was going to use you, I’d be enjoying the benefits more.”

  “Then why bother with me? Dreams aside, I shouldn’t even be on your radar. I’m just a girl.”

  “Dreams aside? How can I put those aside? You’re meant to be my mate. You will be my mate.”

  “For all you know the sex is going to suck.”

  “The sex will not suck.” He put his hand on my leg. “But it isn’t all about the sex. There’s other benefits.”

  “Oh yes, because I’m somehow supposed to help you stop the hunt.”

  “You will.”

  “How? How could I possibly do anything to help?”

  “It’s not just you. Like it’s not just me. It’s us together. When we’re together it’s going to work.”

  “What if it doesn’t? Huh? What happens if we go through this whole mating ritual thing and I’m not the right girl. What if nothing happens?”

  “Then I still have the mate of my dreams.” He grinned. “Nice one, huh?”

  “No more corny jokes, please.”

  “Some would call it sweet and not corny.” He continued to drive down the country road.

  “It’s corny. If you were sweet you wouldn’t push for personal details from me.”

  He squeezed my thigh. “I’m going to know every personal detail about you eventually.”

  “But not about my past. That’s still mine to keep private.”

  “Nothing is going to stay private between us. I need to know everything.” He finally turned onto the interstate.

  “Everyone needs to keep some things private.”

  He released my leg and took my hand. “I want to be your best friend as much as your lover. Maybe when you accept that idea you’ll understand.”

  “My best friend? Are you serious?” Where did this guy come up with the things he said?

  “Isn’t that what you want from the man you spend your life with? Passion is important. Don’t get me wrong.” He traced his finger over my hand. It sent a chill through me. How could even such a light touch elicit a reaction? I was spending too much time with him.

  “I’m eighteen. I hadn’t given any thought to spending my life with anyone yet.”

  “Not even Gage?”

  “Stop it.”

  “Stop what?”

  “Stop trying to convince me that what’s between Gage and me is nothing. Please. Let me at least have the memories.” I could feel the tears starting. Why was I crying? After everything I’d been through I shouldn’t have been crying over this.

  “Don’t cry.”

  “Don’t make me cry.”

  He shook his head. “I’m not making you cry. You’re over tired, and that makes you emotional.”

  “Stop!”

  “Here, now?” he asked with alarm.

  “Not the car.” I sighed. “Stop trying to analyze me.”

  “What do you want me to do? I’m trying my best here.”

  “Your best?”

  “Yes. I can tell you want this to feel more natural.” He merged onto another interstate.

  “This meaning us?”

  “Yes. I’ll tell you anything you want to know about me. My past.”

  “The only thing I want to know about you is why you’re so convinced I’m the girl from your dreams.”

  “Because it is you.”

  “Then why didn’t I have the dreams?”

  “Because you weren’t subject to the magic. Besides, weren’t you too busy dreaming about Gage?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “Yes, I was. Is that what you want me to say? I was obsessed and dreamed about him all the time. I’m not embarrassed to say it because you were obsessed with a girl who only existed in your dreams.”

  “That’s not true.” He moved our hands to my leg. “You’re right here with me.”

  I shook my head. “No. I’m not. How can I make you understand that?”

  “You like the name Firefly. You fill me with such intense feelings it’s hard to breathe sometimes, and we have a connection. We have the connection.”

  “The
connection?” I glanced out at the dimly lit road. There was still snow piled up on the sides.

  “Yeah. Can’t you feel it?”

  “No.” I had absolutely no clue what he was talking about.

  “You will.” He glanced in his rearview mirror.

  “If you say so.”

  Chapter Ten

  Hunter

  Leaving at four a.m. wasn’t ideal, but at least we’d gotten moving before trouble came. I didn’t mind driving in the dark, and it was even better with Mary Anne curled up in the seat next to me. She seemed so content and comfortable in my presence¸ exactly the way it needed to be.

  “Hunter?” She said my name softly.

  “Yes?”

  “Are you the one making me sleepy?”

  “Making you sleepy?”

  “I feel like I went from wide awake to tired out of nowhere. You don’t have any weird powers like that, do you?”

  “What do you think?” I could play around with her even though I was doing absolutely nothing.

  “I don’t know. Sometimes I feel like I don’t know which way is up anymore.” She closed her eyes again, and eventually her breathing evened out.

  After I was sure she was sleeping, and I wouldn’t wake her up, I placed a call to Chet. We hadn’t had a chance to talk much about our plan, and I knew it was always better to be prepared.

  Chet answered right away. “Having fun?”

  “I do have good company.”

  He laughed. “I bet. What’s the plan? Where are we stopping?”

  “I need to get some documents from Isaac and Jocelyn in Chattanooga.”

  “Ok. We stop there then.”

  “You up for another stretch?”

  “I’m up for whatever, boss.” His words sounded off. He was hiding something.

  “What aren’t you saying?”

  “Am I that easy to read?”

  “Yes.” He was horrible at hiding his true feelings.

  “The kid did what we all wanted to do.”

  “He was sloppy. We weren’t going to have to move for another few months.”

  “And a few months would have changed things?” His skepticism was clear in his voice.

  “He could have exposed us all.”

  “But he didn’t. And he got the leader. Jerry’s gone.”