The Hunter: A Sinful Supes Novel (Red Crescent Book 3)

by Xandrie Kovak

  Fuck. I’d made a mess of things…

  “I could make you my Queen,” he whispered. “Just say the word, baby.”

  “Lucas…” I whispered, feeling like utter shit. “I… it’s…”

  God, how could I explain it without freaking him out? Obviously, he knew the hunters were on to me, but did he know the vamps most likely had a contract out for me too? Who knew if Beckett could really broker a truce, or if it was bullshit so I’d let him go? I sensed my days were numbered, and giving Lucas the impression that this could last was wrong. Holding back was for the best, even if every molecule of my being wanted to say yes.

  “You’re not ready, I get it.” He gave me a soft smile and lifted his hands in surrender. “I’ll stop pushing.”

  “Did you stop listening to my thoughts?” Because that so wasn’t what I was thinking. I was very much ready to jump his bones, I just didn’t know if forever was in the cards for us. I didn’t know if I’d live past tomorrow. I was pretty sure Vicks was out for blood after what I’d done.

  “I stopped eavesdropping once I realized our…miscommunication.” He shyly rubbed the back of his neck. An odd sight, considering he seemed at ease standing in his birthday suit with a massive boner jutting out proudly.

  “Miscommunication,” I replied dryly. “You mean the part where this entire time you thought I was a heartless harpy who jumped at the first chance to leave you.”

  “Something to that effect.” He pulled me into a hug, closed his eyes, and tilted his head down to rest his forehead against mine. “There’s also the part where I royally fucked up by using your friend for my bluff. Not my finest hour.”

  Yes, there was that.

  “Why did you do it?” I whispered, careful to keep the accusation out of my voice. God knows, I’d made my fair share of screw ups.

  He pulled his head back to stare at me. He was hard to read, but I think I saw shame there.

  “I wanted you to hurt,” he admitted. “That’s why I let you think that.”

  I pulled away as far as I could with his arms wrapped around me. “Why would you want to hurt me, Lucas? I thought ferals were protective of their mates.”

  “We are. I am. It’s just…” He let go of me, looking haunted. “I’ve gone through some messed up things, Claire. I came out the other side with wounds that will never heal. I was dumb and thought I’d patched up the bleeding, but when you, my one and only mate, pulled away…it ripped it all open again. People tend to die on me. I guess you could say I have abandonment issues.”

  My God, did his family really die? So many things were running through my head I didn’t know where to start. I felt ill.

  “It’s a shitty excuse,” he continued. “All I can say is I was in a dark place and I’m sorry for misleading you like that. And I deeply apologize for neutering you too. I didn’t know that claiming you as my mate would make it impossible for you to feed yourself without me. At the time, I thought you were trying to kill yourself.”

  I lifted my eyebrows. That was almost laughable considering how hard I fought to stay alive during the Fort Lawrence Massacre. Instead, I let it slide and asked the question that was niggling me. “When did you find out I’d been neutered?”

  “That night on the kitchen counter. Seeing you like that…” his voice deepened with emotion. “That’s when I realized something more was at play. That’s why I started doing research and found out how badly I damaged you.”

  “You didn’t do this to me. The fervor did. That’s the catalyst for everything that’s gone wrong since.” I said with conviction. All of this, all the shit that’s piled on our doors was because of me. Because I never took the time to get laid. That’s the tragedy of the thing. It was all avoidable. If I had just let one guy in my pants the pheromones would have never been unleashed so violently. How fucked up was that?

  Lucas reached for my hand. “And everything that’s gone right. We’re mates because of it.” He kissed my knuckles, sending a zing of pleasure up my nerve endings. “Obviously, it wasn’t all bad.”

  I didn’t know if I should stare at him like he was an idiot or melt into a puddle. I decided to just blurt it out, “People died. It’s a little concerning how dismissive you are about that.”

  Lucas shrugged, “You think I’m bad? You should have met my predecessor.”

  The one who gave the Red Crescent Pack its current reputation? No thanks.

  Before I could say anything, Lucas scaled a tree like it was nothing and disappeared into the branches. A couple seconds later he landed next to me, clothed in a pair of basketball shorts. Damn, he would look good on the court, but where the hell did the shorts come from?

  “We have caches of clothes and supplies hidden all over the woods,” he said. “And before you ask, no, I was not reading your mind.”

  My mouth clicked shut.

  He grinned at me and darted in for a quick kiss. He pulled back and ruffled my hair. “You’re so cute! I just want to pick you up and squeeze you.” And fuck you against that tree.

  I gaped at him. “I heard that!” And it made me incredibly wet.

  “Good.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Now you know what’s on the table.”

  “Did you change your mind about your ultimatum?”

  He lifted a brow, “Not even a little bit.”

  “That’s too bad,” I adopted a nonchalant tone. “We could have had acrobatic monkey sex in the trees.”

  Lucas stared at me for a moment before he busted out laughing. It was so deep and melodic it made my toes curl.

  He wiped some moisture from the corner of his eye. “You know this little game of ours is going to give me constant blue balls, right?”

  “Then stop cock blocking yourself and have some tree fun with me,” I countered. “Mama’s hungry.”

  We both laughed, and it felt amazing. Compared to the pure hell of starvation, this was paradise. Just teasing each other. I’d never in my life flirted with a guy like this, and it had me soaring, even though I was being nerdy about it. I needed to ask Camilla how to dirty talk.

  But first, I was curious about something.

  “Lucas?” I asked tentatively when the laughter died down. “What went through your head when you found out I was neutered?”

  The amusement vanished from his face. “Do you really want to know? The truth isn’t pretty.”

  “Yes.” I said, needing to hear it. “I don’t need pretty words, just honesty.”

  “Try not to be scared of me.” Lucas looked me dead in the eye.

  I nodded, though his words gave me major misgivings.

  “Even though it sickens me to my core that you couldn’t eat, a dark, possessive part of me relished in being the only man who can touch you, be inside you.” He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear and caressed my jaw with his thumb. “I don’t share, Claire. It’s a good thing nobody put their hands on you, cause I’d tear them off.”

  The way he said it sent chills shooting across my body. Strangely, my core heated up to an inferno. It was both scary and completely flattering to know he wanted me that much. That he’d go through great lengths to ensure that I was his, and his alone. Even though the logical part of my brain told me it was batshit insane. And I might be a little crazy for thinking that’s hot.

  “I can’t tell if you’re a good guy or a bad guy,” I muttered, leaning my cheek in to the warmth of his hand.

  Lucas tilted my chin up to meet my eyes. “I’m whatever I need to be to keep me and my own safe.”

  It made sense, but at the same time…

  “That’s what bad guys say to justify their actions,” I whispered.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “Come,” he held his hand to me. “I want to show you something.”

  I stared at his large palm. I was under no disillusions. I knew it belonged to someone dangerous, but was it part of a villain? I was under the impression that he considered himself a monster in the same way I thought of myself as poison. We are ou
r harshest critics, and yet it’s a lot easier to accept one’s faults when they’re not your own.

  I lifted my hand and placed it in his.

  Good, bad, or complicated — it didn’t matter. Fact is, he was my mate and I’m pretty sure I’d always be irresistibly attracted to him, unconditionally. Even when I thought the worst of him. It was a frightening thought; the mate bond could so easily be used as a weapon or a leash. What if I’d ended up tied to someone like Vicks instead? What if that rapist hyena or any other ferals that night got to me before Lucas did?

  Maybe Lucas Masters really was a monster and I couldn’t tell due to rose-tinted, mate glasses? That was a question I preferred not to know the answer to. Instead of digging, I decided to trust him.

  He pulled me through the forest, and for a second I had deja vu of the classroom. Of me focusing on the center point of his broad back so I wouldn’t fall apart into a panic attack. Though this time, it was bare and had an odd backpack slung across one shoulder. He hadn’t been lying when he said they kept supplies all over the place.

  The last of the trees gave way to an open clearing. I gaped at the massive wolf statue that pierced the sky — it was even larger in person.

  He grinned back at me, “When was the last time you stayed up all night to watch the sunrise?”

  “I don’t think I’ve ever done that, actually.”

  He rose his eyebrows, “Really? We’ve got to rectify that immediately. Come on, baby.”

  His grin was infectious. He seemed excited to share this with me, so I didn’t resist when he led the way to the staircase along the wolf statue’s spine. We paused right at the top. “Close your eyes.”

  I laughed, “Really?”

  “Humor me,” he said while he gave me adorable puppy eyes. How the hell was I supposed to say no to that?

  “You’re dangerous, you know that?” This man was going to give me a heart condition.

  He bent down and kissed my eyelids closed. “Only when I need to be. Keep them closed.” With that he gently picked me up and carried me to the nose of the wolf statue.

  “Is this our titanic moment?” I asked, still keeping my eyes closed.

  “Titanic? I assure you we don’t have any shipwrecks in the Colorado mountains, babe.”

  I shook my head smiling, apparently he’s never seen the movie, but if he starts yelling he’s king of the world, I’m definitely calling him out on it. “Can I open my eyes now?”

  “Just give it another minute, trust me,” he whispered into my ear. I shivered when he began licking my mark. His teeth barely grazed my neck and the sensation nearly made my knees buckle. Lucas caught me and pulled me against him with a soft chuckle, “I guess you don’t object to my methods of killing time.”

  I tilted my head to give him better access.

  He chuckled again, “Good answer.”

  Over the course of the next few minutes, I both melted into a puddle and was pulled tight like a bowstring. My God, Lucas knew how to play me just right. I’m pretty sure my ardor was starting to get a little out of control when he whispered in my ear, “Open your eyes.”

  I blinked them open and gaped.

  My eyes immediately watered at the brightness and beauty. Bright pinks, oranges, and reds splashed across the sky, highlighting the mountainous horizon. It was absolutely stunning, made even more so by the fact that we stood high up with what felt like the whole world before us.

  “Beautiful,” I whispered. I turned toward him, “Thank you for sharing this with me.”

  He grinned down at me, “I want to share everything with you, Claire. I want countless more sunrises and sunsets together.”

  “You are so cheesy!” I accused. Even so, my heart pounded like crazy. His words touched me and my hands shook.

  The bond slipped and all of a sudden it felt like the sunrise was in my chest. Our emotions pushed forth and mingled together. I gasped and Lucas’ eyes widened.

  “What was that?” I breathed, clutching my chest. It was incredible. It was awe-inspiring. It was…

  “Claire,” he leaned in and kissed me. “That’s love.”

  ***

  I felt so overwhelmed, I thought I was going to cry. “Please close it.”

  He frowned and shut down our bond, “What’s wrong?”

  “I’m just not ready for that right now,” I lied. The truth was it hurt too much, knowing it couldn’t last. Like I was about to touch the sun, only to burst into flames. We were doomed from the start and feeling these things, knowing it was all going to blow up in our faces just made it that much harder to bear. I couldn’t focus on it or I’d end up bawling. I had to distract myself. I pointed to a section of scorched earth in the distance. “What happened there?”

  It hadn’t been a part of the dreamscape, though I guess it fit with the ruined arena motif.

  “Oh that,” Lucas said as he picked at his fingernails. “Someone tried to assassinate me. Can we talk about what just happened though?”

  I gawked at him. “You want to talk about my feelings when someone tried to kill you?”

  “It happens—”

  “—No, babe. That does not happen to normal people,” I interrupted. “Who the hell is fine with…did someone try to blow you up? Cause that looks like the aftermath of an explosion.”

  I turned, only to find him staring at me with a big, goofy grin.

  “Lucas!”

  He chuckled, “Sorry, but I’m pretty sure that was the first time you’ve called me ‘babe’. I like it.”

  I shook my head, “You’re crazy, you know that?”

  “Only for you, babe.” He sat down and began riffling through the contents of his backpack.

  I stared at my crazy man for a few more seconds before deciding to sit down next to him. Without him standing next to me, the fact that we were really high off the ground with no safety railings hit me. He handed me a bag of chips.

  I examined the bag, “Are you trying to bribe me with junk food?”

  “Not at all, I’m just feeding my woman.” He grinned and took a big bite out of his candy bar.

  “Fine, I’ll eat.” I pointed toward the blackened area. “When you tell me what happened.”

  Lucas shrugged, “Deal.”

  I opened the bag and inhaled the greasy, salty slice of heaven. My stomach rumbled as I liberated a chip and pressed it to my lips, waiting for him to speak.

  “It’s actually kind of a funny story.”

  “Oh?” I popped the chip into my mouth and chewed. He stared at my lips.

  “Well, when you get past how messed up it is,” he said. “A couple days ago, this pipsqueak came marching onto our lands, mind you, I’m pretty sure this chick never broke five feet. Turns out, she was a suicide bomber tasked with killing yours truly. Except, she didn’t know that I can manipulate my scent to smell like an omega. She figured Dom was her target since he’s strong enough to be an Alpha in his own right.”

  “Who’s Dom?” I asked.

  “He’s one of the people I’d trust with my life. A good guy, but a little rough around the edges. The arena down there, that used to be The Pit — Dom was forced to fight there. Anyway, that girl came here to eliminate me, but ended up with a mate instead.”

  “Who the hell would mate that psycho?” And can he protect her from me? The bitch tried to kill my man. Not cool.

  “That’s the crazy part,” he shook his head. “Dom.”

  I coughed on a chip. “You’re joking.”

  “I wish I was. It’s been crazy lately.” He pulled me close to his side with a one-armed hug and kissed my forehead. “Welcome to the circus, Claire.”

  The rest of the morning was spent on the snout of the statue as we scarfed down the backpack provisions. It was strangely attractive to find someone who had a bigger appetite than me. I’d always been embarrassed about my gluttonous eating habits, but there was no shame anymore considering he was just as ravenous as I, if not more so.

  We grinned at each
other with our chipmunk cheeks. I don’t know how he did it, but he managed to flip my mood completely. Maybe it was the way his face would light up when he told me stories about his pack mates. Or the fact that warm fuzzy feelings escaped from the bond when he gazed at me.

  I almost choked on my food when he blew a dorky, chubby-cheeked air kiss my way. He was so cute! It’s weird to think how intimidating he was in our first meeting. But at the same time, that dominating role fit him too. It’s rather astonishing how easily he could set me on edge or put me at ease. I felt like putty in his hands…and it wasn’t a bad feeling.

  I wanted to surprise him and push him off-kilter just like he so effortlessly affected me. Hell, I’m pretty sure all I had to do is whip out my chameleon trick and show him New Claire. I definitely had to talk to Camilla about it. She’s the beauty guru after all. If anyone knows how to knock a man’s socks off, it would be her.

  I frowned.

  “Lucas,” I asked tentatively. “Why did Camilla stay here if she wasn’t being kept against her will?”

  My mate sent me a wary look. He nervously rubbed his hands on his thighs, “About that…”

  “What aren’t you telling me?” I narrowed my eyes.

  Lucas sighed, “Before we get into this, you should know your brother was here.”

  “What!?” I yelled. What the hell was Brandt doing in Colorado?

  Lucas lifted his hands in surrender. “Look, he’s fine, and already headed home. Not a scratch.”

  “What the hell is going on?” I asked. “Am I in the twilight zone right now?”

  “Calm down. Nothing bad happened.” He shrank back from my death glare. “Well, he didn’t get hurt, OK? It was all just a misunderstanding.”

  “Lucas…”

  “Long story short, he helped your friend Camilla kidnap my Second in Command—”

  “—Wait, what???” I shouted.

  What. The. Fuck.

  I always knew my bestie was crazy, but what on earth was she thinking?

  “I’m sure she can fill you in about all of that,” Lucas said, “the main thing is she left your brother back in California so he wouldn’t get involved, but he ended up tracking her down and showed up here anyway. Don’t worry, he’s already being escorted home and he’s fine.”