The Hunter’s Awakening

by Bryce Evans

  Chapter Nine

  Cosmo scented Haven’s fear as she handed her sketch book to Quinn. This was little Haven. He thought of her like a little sister. She got on their nerves when she wanted to go with them. Except she wasn’t little anymore. Now a beautiful woman who took his breath away every time her hazel eyes stared back at him. Innocent, that’s what he kept telling himself. Off limits.

  He felt different around her. He only wanted to make her happy and other things. It was the other things he tried to make go away. Lennox would break every bone in his body if he heard his thoughts about his little sister.

  When she looked at him, all he saw was fear in her eyes. He felt sure she would take off running as soon as she could. This wasn’t the same little hellion that would tackle him to the floor. She played hard and expected them to play hard back.

  A small smile crossed her lips when Quinn told her the drawings were good. In fact, as good as a professional drew them. Haven always sat around drawing when she was little, and she wasn’t just good, but talented even then.

  Cosmo had seen the spell performed before and knew how painful it would be. He didn’t know if she would be strong enough to take it. Hell, he had doubts he could control himself when it started. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and protect her from the pain he knew was coming. It was time she found out the truth.

  The guys were in the woods watching. They didn’t want to spook her, so they stood out of sight until they were needed. Nobody knew what would happen. Her bear had been pent up for fifteen long years and he knew how angry his got when he didn’t let him out to play. This was going to be one furious female bear. There wasn’t any telling who she would attack first.

  Her body fought the change. “Let her out, Haven.” Cosmo wanted to help her, but Lennox leaned forward ready to pounce. The pain evident on her beautiful face. Her whole body shook as the spell continued to work. “Let it go.”

  Her screaming turned to snarls until finally, she shifted. “Damn, that was fast.” Cosmo jumped back as the big black bear roared at the top of her lungs. Her big paw swiped out, missing him by an inch. “She’s pissed.”

  “You think?” Lennox said, backing up. “We need to keep her in the territory.”

  “Forgot to tell you, but she might be fast. I wouldn’t get too close—” Scarlett said, moving quickly to the porch.

  As Haven jumped on top of Cosmo, he fell onto his back. Her eyes flashed. Puffs of air blew across his face. He could feel the sharpness of her claws as they tapped against his chest. He thought she was playing with biting him then her jaws snapped in front of his face. Yeah, this wasn’t going as planned.

  Shifting, Cosmo pushed forward throwing her off. Her bear rolled then took off toward the river and he followed. Scarlett said it—Haven was fast. He had a hard time keeping up, but the trail she left became easy to spot. She had no practice at hiding herself in the woods. Where was she going?

  She had crisscrossed log after log, trying to lose him. If he hadn’t shifted when she did, he would have. He slowed when he heard her jump into the river. He thought for sure she would keep going, but she didn’t. Instead, she lay down letting the water roll across her. He didn’t want to spook her, so he lay at the edge of the woods, watching.

  He heard Lennox barreling through the woods behind him. The alpha slowed when he saw Cosmo. They both sat and stared at Haven’s bear as she jumped up and down in the water splashing around. Then she came up with a fish in her mouth. Walking slowly out of the creek, she plopped on the ground and ate until she finished then jumped into the water again. He had to admit, the more he watched, the funnier she became. She leaped frog around and around until she came back up with another fish in her mouth.

  Cosmo didn’t know how long she had done this, but he knew once her belly became full, she would go to sleep and shift back. At least, that’s what he hoped. Watching her made him want to join in on the fun. His bear wanted her as much as the man. He let out a big sigh, his body wanting more. His best friend and her brother would gut him for sure and he couldn’t blame him. In his eyes, Haven was still his little sister. Emphasize the little part. No matter how old she was now and how much she had changed.

  Finally, Haven rolled over onto her side and went to sleep. Her bear on alert, raised her head and looked in his and Lennox’s direction, but didn’t think too much of them and lay her head down. She stayed like that for a couple more hours until, finally, she shifted. She never woke, instead rolled into a little ball.

  He couldn’t take her body shivering on the ground anymore. Before Lennox moved, he shifted, picked her up and held her tightly against his chest. Oh crap, his body immediately took notice. Swallowing hard, he had to look away from the sweet line of her arm that covered her breasts. Her skin glistened as she shivered. He tried not to breathe, but his bear wasn’t having it. Lifting her body closer, he inhaled. She smelled like the same little girl he used to know, but now the scent was different—sweet like cotton candy. Something he wanted to eat. His breath blew out harshly.

  Damn, he had to get a control of his body. She was his best friend’s little sister and she had never been touched before. Kidnapped and taken from Lennox, she was watched and told what to do. As she sat around the table, she watched how everyone acted and then copied it. He became mesmerized by her. Was it because of how close they used to be and wanting to know more about her?

  No, she was different now. Not a young child anymore. Now a grown adult with curves that pushed against him. Shit, he needed to get away from her before Lennox saw him from the front. Her sweet scent made it harder to control the bear. When he made it to the back porch, he laid her on the swing and backed away.

  Lennox followed and he couldn’t chance her brother seeing how she turned him on. Quickly, he shifted and jumped off the porch, running toward the woods. His best friend stopped and watched as he ran past him. He had to get control of himself. This was Haven, little Haven.

  Annoyed by the whole thing, Cosmo ran as fast as he could until he made it to the mountain side. He needed some time alone. Should he be reacting to Haven this way? Lennox would never understand, and he had no clue why this started happening to him now.

  Cosmo ran up the steep mountain. He had a place at the top he liked to sit and watch everyone below. It always gave him peace up here and allowed all the anxieties of the job to flow away. He felt like a new man when he came down. Hopefully, today, he would get that peace. If not, he was in a load of trouble. This would definitely cause problems between him and his alpha. Plus, he would die if he went further with her.

  The scent of sausage and bacon woke her. When she opened her eyes, she had to close them again to realize she wasn’t in hell with the coven. She smiled and stretched out in a king-size bed like she was queen of the jungle. This had to be heaven.

  Memories flooded in as she stared down at the plush comforter. She loved purple. Her childhood bedroom had been the same color at her parent’s house. Lennox always teased her saying she acted like a girl. To be tough, you needed blue or red. And of course, his room had been blue.

  The blue dress. Haven smiled recalling the images. Her big brother gave her a blue dress with white bears on it. He said it reminded him of her. She frowned remembering how Laris burned the dress. She could see it all now, her mother and father.

  Then she remembered jumping on Cosmo. Everything that happened came back to her quickly. All the times in the past when she jumped on top of her brother’s best friend. He would always fall to the ground. He was so fun. Always made her smile. Jeez, she actually jumped on top of him. The look he gave her wasn’t what she expected. She feared he would kill her for knocking him down, but the look said he was proud of her. Strange, strange man.

  She recollected everything. Jumping into the river and catching fish. The most fun she’d ever had. Scarlett said her bear would be pissed, but once she got to the river, that anger went away, or at least it did for a while. Now she needed to figure out whos
e beautiful bed she lay in and thank them.

  The best sleep…ever.

  Leaning up on her elbows, she noticed her pack hooked to the back of a chair and her clothes were neatly folded on top. The room was decorated in dark purples and grays. She loved it. The comforter so soft and plush. Sleeping in the clouds was the best way to describe it. When the sheet slipped down her chest, she realized she was naked underneath.

  “Jeez.” Quickly, she jerked the sheet back up. Her father would have a stroke if he’d seen her without any clothes on. Probably would call her a filthy, disgusting animal for lying in the bed, nude. Most of the time, she had to share a room with him and never in a million years would have gone without clothes on. In fact, he always had on pajamas too.

  All of this seemed so strange to her, but she felt free here. As if she could do anything. Someone knocked on the bedroom door. Haven jerked the comforter around her as Lennox peeked in. “Good, you’re awake. Are you hungry?”

  Just as the words came out of his mouth, her stomach growled. She giggled, then covered her mouth with her hand. “Sorry, yes, I’m starving.”

  “We figured you would be, so Jade made a ton of food. Your clothes have been washed and when we go into town today, I will get you some new ones.”

  “No…” Haven stopped with how harsh she sounded. Her brother tilted his head, studying her. “Sorry, I don’t want you to think that you need to take care of me. I can buy my own clothes, and once I get a job, I can find a place to live.”

  “You’re not taking advantage of me, Haven. You’re my sister and I want to do this. I won’t sleep or rest until I know you are taken care of and buying you clothes isn’t a bother to me. In fact, you have an inheritance. Over the years it has grown. Once you get settled in, I can switch it over to your personal account.”

  “What? Account? I’ve never had an account. I have money?”

  Lennox sat at the bottom of the bed. “Yes, you do. Our parents had set it up for each of us a long time ago, and over time, I’ve invested it and it’s grown. Now that you are back, your part will go to you.”

  “I just…” Haven pushed her hair out of her face. “This is so…unreal. I’ve never had money of my own. I’ve never had a home of my own. I don’t want you to think I’m not grateful, but it’s just—”

  “I know. A lot to take in,” Lennox answered.

  “Yes,” she said, blowing out a deep breath.

  “Haven, you realize you’re my sister, right, and you were kidnapped when you were young? Laris Winter had a part in that. I won’t. . . I can’t let that go. He took you away from your family and he put a spell on you that put your bear into a deep sleep. He has to pay for that. I don’t know all of what your life has been, but I can only imagine how terrifying it was when they killed shifters and animals, taking their magic from them.” Shaking his head, he blew out a harsh breath. “They all have to pay for what they have done.”

  “I remember all of it. Mom, dad, and little Jacob. I…I’m just…scared of what the coven will do if they find me. You don’t know how much magic they have,” Haven said, pulling her feet closer to her, wrapping her arms around them. Just thinking about it made her sick to her stomach.

  “Haven, what happened to your arm?” Lennox asked, picking up her scared hand. “We’re you in a fire?”

  Jerking her hand back, Haven hid it under the comforter. “It’s nothing.”

  “Remember when I said I would never lie to you? I meant it. Me and you are kin. We stick together and we don’t lie to each other. No matter if it hurts.” Lennox put his hand on her forearm. “So, I’ll ask again, little sister, what happened to your arm?”

  Haven loved it when he called her little sister. She desperately wanted to be part of a family and now she had a chance, but she needed to tell Lennox everything. Maybe now he would understand just how dangerous the coven was.

  Swallowing hard, Haven told the story of Blair’s torture on her eighteenth birthday and Laris’s warning.

  “He’s not your father, Haven.” Lennox snarled as anger sparked in his eyes. She could tell that his bear was close to the surface. “He’s not your family, period, and when I find him, I’m going to knock that into him over and over.”

  “Lennox, please don’t go looking for them. Just let them go. I’m free now and I don’t want them around any of you. Please?”

  “I can’t make that promise, Haven. Let’s eat and we can discuss this later,” Lennox said getting up and walking out the door. He didn’t even give her time to say anything. If he went looking for the coven, they would try their best to kill him and all the Death Hunters. Cosmo…She couldn’t let that happen. They had just found each other.

  Found each other! What the heck was she fanaticizing about now? No, get these thoughts out of your head. He could be killed because of her. Nobody took her seriously about the coven. She couldn’t let anything happen to Cosmo. He was special. Good grief, Haven get out of bed.

  Pushing the comforter away, she jumped up and jerked the clothes off the chair. Quickly, before anyone else came into the room, she dressed. Glancing into the mirror, she smiled at the white bears on the shirt. The shirt color was different from her dress, but Lennox must’ve bought this for her. She loved it, and one day she would pay him back.

  When she went into the bathroom, her eyes grew large at what she saw. Everything a girl would need lay on the counter waiting for her or whoever lived in this room. Hair brush, curling irons, makeup. She would use the brush and that had to be it. Running her fingers over all the makeup, she smiled. She had never had her own cosmetics. Laris told her she didn’t need all the paint on her face. She didn’t know who this belonged to, but she would buy them a new brush.

  A new toothbrush and paste sat beside the sink. Excellent. As soon as she got food in her, she would talk to Lennox about the B&B and if he thought Cosmo would hire her to work in his nursery. Just saying his name made her think dirty thoughts. All she had been exposed to were books from the library and TV.

  But the man had the most perfect lips, fat plump. And if she were brave, she would reach up and skim her finger across the soft flesh. His tongue would slip out before his mouth covered the tip, sucking the digit into his moist heat. It would be the craziest thing she had ever done.

  Even the little slips of hair that curled over his ears, she could nuzzle back as she nipped at his lobe. His soft locks trapped in her hand as she pulled his head back to swirl her tongue down his neck. Taking control and pressing against him to feel his hardened length stroke her where she needed him. Closing her eyes, her hand slipped down her stomach—

  Another knock came from the door. “Did you find everything you needed?” Jade asked, standing at the door. Nobody believed in privacy here. Haven grabbed the edge of the counter.

  “Oh…yes. I will buy a new brush because I used this one.” Haven held up the brush.

  “Why? You don’t like it?”

  “Yes, but I know some females get angry when you use their stuff.”

  Jade snickered, pointing at the brush and makeup. “Haven, all of this is yours. I put it in here for you. I didn’t know what you would want so I kinda bought a lot of different stuff. When we get to town you can pick out what you want if this isn’t it.”

  “Mine? Jade, I can’t possibly take this. I will pay you for it.”

  “You will not. This is my gift to you and there is a lot more to come.”

  “But…I couldn’t.”

  “Yes, you can.” Jade pulled on Haven’s arm. “Come, let’s eat and we can talk about how you are just going to nod and say thank you.”

  Haven couldn’t help but smile at Jade. She had to be the sweetest woman ever, and she understood why her brother chose her as his mate. Jade had the ability to make anyone feel happy around her.

  She walked down the hallway and into the kitchen. The smell of breakfast cooking made her eyes close and take a deep breath. Falling into the seat, she held her stomach. Her bear pushed ag
ainst her. Apparently, she needed to eat too.

  “It’s your animal. She needs to eat more than you can imagine. You will get used to it. She will be your personal alarm system and she will definitely tell you when to chow down. Later, you can shift and let her out again, so she can roam. Lennox said she fished yesterday and then fell asleep. I think Cosmo and he enjoyed watching you as she caught the fish.”

  Every time she thought of the beta, the panging in her chest strengthened. “Does he not live here too?”

  “Cosmo? No, he has his own cabin.” Jade moved to the back window and pointed. “That’s his home…over there.”

  Haven knew her mouth hung open, but she had never seen something so spectacular. His cabin wasn’t like the others. His had a lighter color and a wraparound porch. Flowers of every color grew in pots and were planted in front of the house. When her focus trained on Cosmo digging in the dirt, she could tell he enjoyed this. “Beautiful.”

  “Yeah, I think so too. It makes this area come alive. I was worried how I would feel moving here, but Lennox allows me to bring in as much girly stuff as I want, and Cosmo is a master with flowers and plants. He has a gift for it and all I had to do was tell him what I liked and as you can see, he delivered.”

  Haven couldn’t take her eyes away from this man outside the window. Oh dear, he had his shirt off. Heat filtered down her body as his muscles flexed. She watched as he pushed on the dirt, patting around the bushes. She imagined those hands on her body. His fingers pressing and dancing over her skin. Exploring her depths.

  He had no clue she watched him, but when he stopped, turned, and glanced at her through the distance, she couldn’t breathe. Neither moved their eyes from the other.

  “Do you see something you like?” Jade asked, standing beside her.

  Stepping backward, Haven looked away. “No…no…I just…you know, was watching him plant the flowers. You’re right, he has exceptional taste.” Haven tried to sound nonchalant but when Jade smiled and walked back to the table, she knew she hadn’t fooled her.