Hunter

by Kym Grosso

  “You know all this magick here, whatever spurred these plants, it could be from Hell.”

  “I suppose that’s a valid theory. They did engage in human sacrifices. The bones of the victims are sometimes found in the cenotes.”

  “And you drank the water?”

  “Stop it already. None of that is important. What’s important is that I destroy the formula, so no one will know how I did what I did.”

  “Okay, on with it.”

  “Over here.” Willa made her way to a stone hearth. A structure within a structure, the bricked area stood off to the side. “They used to make fire in this pit. This Zumpul-ché. A Temescal. Inside there are rocks that would have been heated. It’s like a sauna. They still have them today.”

  “Right on. Sweat it out.”

  “All kinds of people used them. The sick. Athletes. Mothers who’d given birth.”

  “I do love a good steam bath.”

  “Jules. Focus. Don’t you see? This structure. It may have been used to heal. The plants. The steam bath.”

  “All very interesting, but time is of the essence. Perhaps you don’t realize the implications of leaving the ranch,” he said in his best southern accent. “Your boyfriend is going to lose his shit when he finds out you’re missing. I don’t mean to point out the obvious, but he’s an Alpha. And I know you don’t want to hear the m word but it’s on the tip of my tongue.”

  Willa whipped around wagging her finger at him. “Don’t you say it.”

  “Mmmm….” He laughed.

  “Stop. He doesn’t even know where we went.” She quickly withdrew her hand, with a shudder, suspecting her brother was right.

  “Let’s just put it this way. If he marked you while you were doing the dirty deed then….”

  “I don’t bear his mark because we aren’t…” Willa couldn’t bring herself to say the dreaded word.

  “Just because you can’t admit what’s happening doesn’t mean it’s not true. It may have been a long while since I’ve been pack but I’m sure as hell that Hunter’s coming after you. He’ll make it his business to find you and it won’t be hard to get here because he’s got Viktor the super vamp at his beck and call.”

  “Even if he gets here, I’d dare him to find me. We don’t even know he’s my…why are we even talking about this? I need to do what I came here to do. Just hold on a minute while I get the formula.”

  Willa reached inside a hole next to a mantle and retrieved a wooden container, a horned creature intricately carved into its surface. She lifted its lid and peered inside it.

  “You kept a locker?”

  “It’s just a few things. I told you I spent a lot of time here. I found this artifact and I used it.”

  “You should have been an archeologist instead of a doctor.”

  “I may do that someday but for now it’s more of a hobby. I’ve read these types of boxes were sometimes used in rituals for the dead, often filled with gems.”

  “Now you’re talking.”

  “Don’t get too excited. The only thing in here is…ah…” She set the lid aside and retrieved a piece of paper and unfolded it. Her handwriting was scrawled across its surface in crimson ink. She glanced at her work, sadness in her eyes. “I had good intentions. I should have known better.”

  “It’s not your fault. You’ve always had a good heart. It’s why you’re a healer. Watching the humans die. It’s never easy. But you know more than anyone it’s why we need to limit contact. At the very least we need to attempt to keep relationships purely professional.”

  “I just wanted to help,” she said, a reflective lilt in her voice. “I loved working in Guatemala. Living here was perfect. Almost.”

  “I know you’re trying to do the right thing but if you torch this place, the stone will hold, and you’ll leave no trace of your energy or these damn plants.”

  “I’m not destroying the interior of this ancient structure. Are you insane?”

  “I’m not the one who spent time in Hell. Just sayin’.”

  Willa retrieved a lighter from the box and held the paper between her fingertips. “This had a small spell in it too.”

  “What?” He raised his eyebrows at her.

  She cringed, her nose wrinkled, the corner of her lips turning upward. “Well. It’s not like I’m a witch. It’s just an amplifying spell I’d learned a really long time ago in Peru. Whatever your intention is, it’s supposed to draw the forces from the universe. Helps give it a kick.”

  “Dear Goddess above, your Alpha is going to have the time of his life with you.” Julian laughed, shaking his head as he paced. “Wolves aren’t supposed to mess with magick.”

  “I’m a scientist. A healer. It’s all magick to me.”

  “You’re dangerous.”

  “I’m brilliant,” she laughed. “I simply made a mistake. We all make mistakes.”

  “Let’s get on with it. Your Alpha will be here soon. I’m not looking to get into another fight with him.”

  The pad of Willa’s thumb rolled over the rippled edge of the lighter, igniting the flame. She took a deep breath, ready to destroy her discovery. “I release the magick back into the universe with good intention.”

  Willa gasped as the paper caught fire. As the flames grew closer to her fingertips, she let go of it, watching as it curled into ash.

  Julian smiled and clapped his hands together. “Well that’s that. Shall we go?”

  “Yeah. I guess that’s it so…” She lost her words as the earth shook beneath her feet. Rocks shifted above, raining rubble down onto the floor. “This isn’t good. We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “Earthquake,” Julian explained.

  “No…” Panic rose in her chest as she caught sight of black smoke billowing out of the domed sweat lodge, the scent of sulfur fresh in the air. Demons.

  “We’ve got to get out of here. Now!” She dropped the lighter and ran to the wall of plants, gently uprooting a sapling. “Can you flash?”

  Julian moved to Willa and set his hand on her shoulder. “It’s not working. Must have been right about those wards.”

  “Could be the demons.”

  “Let’s not stick around to find out.”

  They ran through the passageway toward the vestibule. “You go first,” Julian insisted, gesturing to the hole.

  “No. This is my mess not yours.”

  “I’ll be fine. Just go, Willa. We don’t have time.”

  “Jules, please.” Moisture welled in her eyes as the smoke grew thicker. She coughed, the scent of Hell growing stronger.

  “Stop arguing. The demons are going to be here any minute. I’m gonna use that spring water over there to help ward them off.”

  “Water?” Tears streamed down her face as she shuffled forward in confusion.

  “You’re not the only one who plays with magick, minha querida irmã. Now go,” he growled.

  “I thought you said we shouldn’t play with…” Willa’s words trailed off as Julian lifted her by the waist, shoving her headfirst into the dark opening. With barely room to turn, she glanced back to her brother, the black smoke creeping up around her shoulders. “Julian! Hurry!”

  “Don’t stop moving! Go! Go!” he yelled at her.

  She scurried faster as Julian’s powerful energy touched her mind, urging her to flee. No, no, no. This can’t be happening.

  Willa’s heart pounded against her ribs as she scrambled through the stone tunnel. A stabbing pain shot through her as a jagged rock tore through her jeans, slicing her knee. Her adrenaline kicked in, blocking the pain. Light blinded her eyes, fresh air rushing into her lungs as she emerged from the passageway. She tumbled into the brush, her hands plowing into the muddy earth.

  Willa quickly shoved to her feet and peered back inside the hole, screaming for Julian. Thick smoke billowed from within, and she choked back the sulfur-tainted fumes. In a futile attempt to illuminate the tunnel, she forced her power to her hands. “Julian! Where are you? I can’t
see you. Julian!”

  Her stomach rolled as seconds ticked by. A deafening scream emanated from within, the dark howl of the demon beckoning her to Hell. The deathly sound overwhelmed her, and her head began to spin. Disoriented, she lifted her head, smacking it onto the passageway’s stone ceiling. Stumbling backwards, she struggled to stay conscious.

  “You’re goin’ to be okay.” Hunter’s words registered as her vision blurred. Falling, she gasped as his strong arms caught her. Her limbs went limp within his embrace.

  Julian. Help him. She screamed in her mind, but as the dizziness slammed into her, no words left her lips.

  “Demons.” Hunter shook his head at Viktor.

  Demons. The sting of the tears streaming down her face and her throbbing skull were the only things reminding her she was still alive. As the darkness tunneled in, she succumbed, unable to fight. Julian. Hell had taken him.

  “Why, Willa?” Hunter whispered.

  Willa’s heavy eyes refused to open but the Alpha’s calming presence surrounded her. The weight of his strong arms around her kept her grounded. Safe. Skin to skin, the warmth of her Alpha protected her.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you run. I shouldn’t have left you alone.”

  Where is Julian? Demons. The jungle. Where am I? A fire of panic burned through her thoughts as she struggled to awaken. She attempted to shake off the fog.

  You’re in my home. New Orleans. Hunter pressed his lips to the back of her head. “You’re safe.”

  “Julian,” she managed in a whispered cry, blinking her eyes open.

  “He’s going to be fine.”

  “No,” she moaned. “They’ll kill him. We have to go back to Hell.”

  “I promise we’ll find him. We can’t go back right now but I swear we will.”

  Willa’s swollen eyes burned as she opened them. The gentle flame of the candlelit room made it easier to adjust to the dark. With no memory of leaving the jungle, she didn’t know where she was, but the comfort of his body surrounding her soothed her wolf. With her bare skin against his, she was reluctant to move.

  “I destroyed the formula, but he wouldn’t come with me. He said something about the water. And magick. Why didn’t he just come with me?’

  “Because he was protecting you.”

  “But he could have escaped.”

  “Viktor has gone to look for him. But Willa, you should have waited for me,” Hunter told her, his voice firm.

  A streak of anger shot through Willa, recalling how he’d left the house without saying a word. “Wait for you? Are you kidding me? You left me with a stranger.”

  “There was a fae in my territory. A dangerous one. I had to take care of it. Leaving you with Remus…”

  “He attacked me. He tried to rape me. If it weren’t for Julian….” Willa spun around to face him, her palms flat on his chest. “We had to leave.”

  “He was gone when I got back. The room was torn up, but I assumed Julian…”

  “Julian saved me. He threw him out the window. Then we left for Guatemala to destroy the formula.”

  “I can’t believe this. I’ve trusted him with the pack in the past and I’ve never had any issues. He’s always been a little hardheaded, but he’s never attacked anyone before. I specifically ordered him to leave you alone. And Julian. This doesn’t make any sense.” Hunter’s expression softened. “I’m really sorry, Willa. If I had known…”

  “I’m fine but Julian…” Guilt twisted in her gut at the thought of him fighting the demons alone, dragged into Hell.

  “Your brother’s strong. He’s going to be okay. Viktor sensed the magick he used to flash you. It’s how we found you. When I first saw you with him, I thought you were…”

  “Lovers?” she interrupted, regretting her choice not to divulge their relationship. She’d been less than candid with regards to her brother’s identity.

  “I want to believe you, but little wolf, you’ve got all kinds of secrets. I know you haven’t told me everything. Julian flashed. How does a wolf do something like that, Willa? It’s not something we do. Not ever. If I’m going to help you, help him, I’ve got to know the truth.”

  “Are you sure you can handle the truth?” He’ll reject me.

  “I can handle anything if you just let me in,” Hunter promised.

  Willa’s heart raced as his fingers gently cuffed her wrists, and his eyes peered into her soul. There was something about this man. He’d saved her and asked for nothing in return.

  “You ask for the truth but what if it changed how you felt about me?” Tears welled in her eyes as the loss seized her chest. “Julian is the only one left in my family.”

  “We’ll find him. If he didn’t get out, I’ll go back to Hell and get him. But you have to tell me the truth about what’s happening. There’s too much at risk. I just had a dangerous fae, one reeking of Hell, show up on my land. I can’t have that. If you don’t tell me what’s going on, I’m going to have a hard time helping you and keeping everyone else safe. No more lies.”

  “The truth?”

  “Yes. The truth. I swear on my life you can trust me.”

  Willa took a cleansing breath and summoned the courage to tell him. “I am Aline Ermenjarta Lobo. Princess Aline Ermenjarta Lobo. I am from the ancient clan of Lobo. Lupine origin. For years, the pack remained largely isolated in the heart of Brazil. With caution they allowed other packs to splinter off and prosper, to dilute the genes of the original wolves. The people of my pack dispersed long ago, realizing the danger of their strength, and their numbers dwindled. My parents were murdered. My brother and I, the purest of breeds, are rare. Rare is coveted. Rare is hunted. We separated and disappeared.”

  “Are you telling me that you’re from Lobo? Now wait. There’s no way. Lobo is dead.”

  “Lobo is hidden.”

  “Lobo is first of the wolves. Royalty. The stories…Willa…”

  “I have been reinventing myself throughout the years, but I belong to no pack. Our family broke apart because when we are together our blood draws the attention of others.” Please believe me. Her stomach tightened as the truth spilled from her lips. “The magick of the wolves. Shifters. Its origins come from both the Goddess and the glow of the underworld. Through generations of breeding, only the pure magick of the wolf remains. But the Lobo. The elemental wolf. Our blood remains different.” Willa closed her eyes, terrified to say the words, to admit the forbidden truth.

  Hunter took her shaking hands into his, rubbing her palms. “Whatever this is. This truth. There is nothing we cannot handle together.”

  “Why do you do all this? We just met. I…” Willa’s heart squeezed. He’d come for her and wasn’t running despite what she’d told him. Trust. It was a concept she’d long abandoned…until now.

  “It’s okay,” he encouraged.

  “Wolves. I’m sure you’ve heard the lore from your parents, pack elders. Wolves are born of the Goddess, you’ve been told. A wolf shaped into its human form. The magick is strong. Pure. This.” She wiggled her fingers, eliciting a glow on her skin. “This…is…” She took a deep breath and blew it out. “This is hellfire.”

  “You aren’t fae,” the Alpha responded, not flinching at her statement.

  “No, but the hellfire lives within my blood. It’s not something I can change or stop. This is an elemental ability. It’s why my blood heals. It’s why I glow. It’s the reason my brother has the power to dematerialize. It’s also the reason why the demons can sense me. And all of this is why a pack of rogues think they can make a buck off of kidnapping me or any member of my family.”

  “You aren’t a demon.” Hunter kissed the tips of her luminescent fingers.

  “Aren’t you hearing me? My blood. It’s tainted with the same magick the fae uses. Hellfire. I’m pure but to you…I’m like a demon.”

  “Sooooo, you’re saying I’m dating a princess?” A broad smile broke across Hunter’s face.

  “Is there something wron
g with your hearing? I just told you about the hellfire.”

  “Do you get a crown or is it just a rumor?”

  “No. Wait. What is wrong with you?” A curious smile curled onto her lips. “I have hellfire in my veins. You know. From Hell.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I got that part. I have to say I always thought Lobos was some kind of a mythology.”

  “Hellfire,” she repeated louder, her eyes widened. “Why aren’t you running for your life?”

  “Run for my life? You do remember I broke in and out of Hell, right? Hell is my bitch.”

  “Your bitch, huh?” she laughed.

  “So what? My girl’s got a little extra fire in her blood. No big deal. You’re royalty, Willa. You’ve given a lifetime of sacrifice for something that was beyond your control.”

  Willa searched his eyes, thinking there had to be a catch. If any other wolf knew, they’d be leery of the trouble she’d attract.

  “You can’t possibly want me.” Her smile faded, emotion twisting inside her chest. Her wolf howled in protest. Mate.

  “Being immortal gives us a lot of time to think about what’s really important. And despite knowing the Goddess has the final say, we often try to control fate. It’s a fool’s game. We’re no better than the humans when it comes to controlling destiny.”

  Her heart beat faster as Hunter wrapped his hand around her waist, drawing her closer until their lips nearly touched. She lowered her gaze. “You have better choices than me. I’m ancient. I’m royal. I bear the sins of our creation.”

  “I think you already know the answers. Search your wolf and she’ll tell you what you need to know.”

  “What kind of man sees nothing of my past? Who are you?” Her pulse raced, his powerful energy rushing through her.

  “I’m your Alpha.” As his mouth claimed hers, Willa melted against him. The electricity in the air sizzled as their bared bodies wrapped together. He tore his mouth away, resting his forehead against hers.

  “You belong to me, Willamina,” he growled.

  “It’s impossible.” She denied it, but her wolf rejoiced.

  “The truth lies within you. No matter what you’ve been told, it’s true. Something about you. It’s as if I’ve always known you.”