Huntsmen (The Better to Kiss You With Book 2)

by Michelle Osgood

  “And you’re pretty sure they didn’t follow you here?”

  Kiara nodded. “Fairly sure.”

  “All right.” Nathan set down his pen and chewed on his lip. “We called your dad—your Alpha—he said he’d talk to GNAAW, and now we’re here.”

  “We are,” Cole agreed. “And I think the best thing we can do is wait. Dad will get back to us today, probably. But until we know more, I think what Kiara said last night is still our best option—we stay here.”

  “The werewolves at least, yeah.” Nathan nodded. “From what you’ve told me, I don’t think the Huntsmen would hurt a human. After all, their whole thing is to, like, protect us from you. So Deanna and I can probably come and go as we please.”

  “Deanna was with us at the club,” Jamie pointed out. “They had no problem holding her at gunpoint. I don’t know if it’s safe for her to leave. Not when they know she knows us.”

  Nathan rubbed at his eyebrows. “Okay, so I can leave. Probably. Because we’re hoping they don’t know we are here. Does anyone need anything?” he offered.

  “My bike,” Ryn said, at the same time as Deanna said “My computer.”

  Nathan nodded at Deanna, then switched his focus to Ryn. “Where’s your bike?”

  “It was outside the club, locked up. If it’s still there.”

  Nathan nodded. “Got it. Okay. Here’s what we are going to do. I’m going to shower, get dressed, and go grab Deanna’s computer and Ryn’s bike. I’ll also buy groceries, because I don’t have enough food in the house for this many people.”

  “Sugar,” Kiara put in.

  Nathan shot her a glance. “While I’m in the shower, you can make a list of whatever you want or might need. I’ll only be a couple hours, max, and maybe we’ll have heard from your dad when I get back. Sound good?”

  Everyone nodded.

  “Great.” Nathan went into the bathroom. Deanna picked up his notebook and ripped out a page to begin making a grocery list.

  “Sugar,” Kiara said again, unnecessarily, judging from Deanna’s eye roll.

  Deanna passed the list to Ryn, who jotted something on the bottom and then held it out for Kiara. Kiara took it and decided she had nothing else to add—Deanna had written “SUGAR” in all caps across the top half of the page—so passed it to Cole.

  “All right, kids,” Cole said, glancing at the list. “What do you want to do today?”

  Ryn’s bike was parked haphazardly in the front hallway, and Kiara scowled at it as she walked out of the bathroom. Though Nathan’s apartment wasn’t tiny, having six people and one dog in a space with walls or doors only for the bathroom, made privacy impossible. It hadn’t been twenty-four hours, but already Kiara was ready to jump out of her skin.

  The apartment was a bit like Vancouver itself, Kiara thought ruefully. Even in the two-bedroom apartment she shared with Cole in the neighboring Olympic Village, they were one unit in a building of hundreds. No matter where you went in the city, people were everywhere. Kiara longed for the solitude of her parents’ acreage and the quiet woods that surrounded them.

  In the kitchen, Jamie and Nathan bickered good-naturedly over what to make for dinner. Deanna and Ryn were on the couch with controllers clutched in their hands as they played Borderlands on Nathan’s PS4. No one looked up as Kiara reentered the main room, and Kiara kept her head down to avoid eye contact as she went to the stairs.

  Cole sat on Nathan’s bed, propped up with pillows against the headboard, and read a paperback. Kiara sank beside him, and he lifted an arm so she could snuggle in. “The Lord of the Fading Lands?” She asked skeptically, reading the cover of what could only be a lurid paranormal romance with a snarling larger-than-life black cat and a “mystical” looking male cover model on the front.

  “It’s not that bad.” Cole closed the book, and on the back Kiara caught a glimpse of what was presumably the same cat, but wearing wings and breathing fire.

  “Did you bring that with you?”

  “No.” Cole gestured at the bookcase that took up the far wall of Nathan’s bedroom. “I thought it looked interesting.”

  “You have the weirdest taste.”

  Cole just smiled, pulled her close, and rested his chin on the top of her head. “How are you doing?”

  Though she doubted anyone downstairs could hear her—Ryn and Jamie could probably tell that the two of them were talking, but unless they focused wouldn’t be able to make out their words—Kiara lowered her voice before she answered. “I’m okay. It’s… I never thought I’d see her again.”

  “And now that you have?”

  Kiara shrugged against his side, unwilling, unable, to answer. Untangling her emotions about Ryn had always been an impossible task, one that hadn’t gotten easier with time.

  “I wish it wasn’t like this,” Kiara responded finally. She wished she wasn’t seeing Ryn when everything was a mess, when Kiara had absolutely no idea how to get them out of it or why they were in it in the first place.

  Cole stroked his sister’s arm. Kiara allowed herself to relax fully into his side, and Cole shifted slightly so that he could resume reading his book. Kiara let her eyes slide shut. She’d never been much for naps, hated them, in fact, but her lack of sleep from the night before was catching up with her and she could feel herself beginning to doze off.

  Abruptly, she was yanked out of it. Something had cut through the noise, and everyone ceased talking at the same time. Downstairs, a phone buzzed against the counter for a second time.

  Kiara scrambled off the bed and down the stairs; Cole moved with slightly more dignity on her heels. Jamie met her at the bottom and handed Kiara her phone. There were two texts from Dad, and Kiara hastily unlocked the phone and pulled them up.

  Have a call with GNAAW rep tonight.

  Stay put. Will call you after.

  Kiara read them out loud and tried not to grit her teeth. The tension in the room deflated.

  “So we keep doing nothing.” Ryn tossed her controller to the couch beside her with more force than necessary. “I can’t lose another day of work, or reschedule another set of appointments. I’m going to lose clients I can’t afford.”

  “I know,” Kiara replied wearily. “I’m sorry.”

  “Sorry doesn’t pay my rent.” Ryn stalked out the living room. Kiara’s hand shot out and caught her arm as she passed.

  “You can’t leave,” Kiara reminded her, hating herself for doing it when Ryn sent her a withering glare and yanked her arm free.

  “Yeah. I got that. I’m going to the roof for some air. Unless that’s not allowed either?” She arched a mocking eyebrow.

  “No, that’s fine.” Kiara stepped back, the fleeting heat of Ryn’s skin still warm against her palm.

  Nathan turned to the kitchen and busied himself grating ginger.

  “Dinner will be in thirty minutes,” he called after Ryn. She raised her hand in a salute and slammed the front door behind her.

  “Do you think one of us should maybe go after her?” Deanna gnawed on her bottom lip. “She forgot her shoes. And, I mean, I know how frustrating it can be to get thrown into all this pack stuff…”

  “Sure. Whatever,” Kiara said. “If you want to get your head bit off, be my guest.”

  Deanna exchanged a cautious side-eye with Jamie and went to the door, where she scooped up both her flats and Ryn’s oxfords.

  Once the door had closed for the second time, Kiara slumped on the couch and put her head in her hands. Cole went to help Nathan in the kitchen and tied the extra apron around his waist. Beside Kiara the couch shifted as Jamie sat.

  “This better not be another heart to heart,” Kiara warned, not lifting her head.

  “Yeah, no. We’ve all had enough of that.” Jamie shoved Deanna’s neglected controller into Kiara’s lap and picked up Ryn’s abandoned one. “Let’s play.”<
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  Chapter Ten |

  Kiara didn’t sleep any better the second night, and was up at six to call her father. Actually, she’d woken up at four-thirty, but had waited an hour and a half until she figured he’d be up. She wasn’t sure why he hadn’t called her back last night, and her multiple texts and then calls—both to his cell and the house—had gone unanswered. Cole had urged her not to worry, but the line between his eyes had betrayed his own concern.

  Kiara stepped out into the hallway and eased the door shut behind her, not wanting to wake up the other members of the pack or Ryn. She called home.

  “Kiara.” Her father answered on the second ring; his voice was hoarser than usual. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you. After our meeting it was late—well, early, really—and I wanted to let you get some sleep.”

  “I didn’t,” Kiara responded shortly. “What happened?”

  “It’s good news, sort of.” A door clicked shut on his end of the line, and Kiara suspected that he’d stepped outside, too. “It’s not you they’re after. Not our pack.”

  “So we’re safe.” Relief left Kiara weak, and she sagged against the far wall of the hallway. She could go back home, Ryn could go back home, and everything could go back to normal, normal meaning without Ryn. Which, Kiara reminded herself, was good. “Hang on—so GNAAW knows about the Huntsmen? And not only knows about them, but is in contact with them?”

  “Yes.” Her father’s voice was weary. “Apparently there’s a line of communication between the two, for situations such as this.”

  “Why didn’t we know about that?”

  “I asked the same question. Apparently it’s bad publicity—GNAAW wants its members to trust the Assembly. Confirming the existence of the Huntsmen would raise too many questions about GNAAW’s ability to police itself.”

  “It doesn’t really matter, I guess. Now that we’re done with them.” The relief of it was immense.

  “They want Taryn Lee.”

  Kiara flew off the wall. “What? Why? She hasn’t done anything.”

  “Apparently the incident last year with Jamie wasn’t kept as quiet as GNAAW had hoped. Their man says the Huntsmen caught wind, and now they’re going after any lone wolves. They think that’s what caused crywolf to go rogue. They’re insisting that any wolf without a pack is unsafe, a danger.”

  “Ryn—Taryn—isn’t a danger. She’s never hurt anyone. She wouldn’t.”

  “I believe that. But this isn’t something we can decide. GNAAW has offered to protect her—”

  “She won’t accept.” Kiara shook her head.

  “That’s between her and GNAAW. But this is good news. This means you don’t have to stay in hiding anymore.”

  “And R—Taryn? She’s just supposed to, what, go out and hope she doesn’t run into the Huntsmen? How does GNAAW even contact them? And how did they know about Ryn in the first place? She’s not exactly involved in werewolf society.”

  “I don’t know. The GNAAW representative, Davis, wasn’t sure about that either.”

  “And he’s not concerned? Ryn’s a werewolf. She’s one of us. Shouldn’t GNAAW want to keep all of us safe?”

  “He says—”

  “And what are they going to do with her if they find her? They attacked us two nights ago. Attacked us, Dad. One of them had a gun, with who knows what kind of bullets. Am I supposed to just let Ryn get killed because she’s by herself?”

  “No, Kiara, of course not. We’re not ‘letting’ anyone get killed.”

  “It sounds like that’s what you’re suggesting.”

  “I’m not.” Her father’s voice was curt. “You know I wouldn’t condone that. But this is a whole hell of a lot bigger than us. The Huntsmen are—”

  “Apparently in charge of us now.” Kiara was too furious to stand still and paced down the long hallway with her bare feet slapping against the concrete. “I can’t believe you’re just backing down like this.”

  “I’m not backing down,” her father snapped. “I’m protecting our pack. Which is what you should be doing. Mr. Davis will be reaching out to you today, and I expect you to treat him with far more respect than you’re currently showing me.”

  “Right, because that’s a two-way road.”

  “Kiara, you will do what’s best for our pack. Our priority, first and foremost, is always to keep our family safe. If you have problems with how GNAAW is run, we can discuss that after this current situation has been dealt with. But right now is no time for your stubborn—”

  “It sounds like we could use a little more ‘stubborn,’ Dad, considering you were willing to just roll over and give up Ryn without—”

  “Watch your tone.” There was a low warning growl in her father’s voice, his wolf leaking through his normally ironclad control.

  “Yes, sir, Alpha, sir.” Kiara mocked a salute with her middle finger. “Thanks for the call. You’ve been really helpful.” She hung up before he could respond.

  She got to the end of the hallway and dropped her forehead against the cool metal of the fire door to the stairs. Exhaustion weighed heavily on her shoulders, and she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed—her own bed—and sleep for twelve hours. Unfortunately, she couldn’t say when she’d have that chance again. There was no world in which she would leave Ryn to face the Huntsmen, and maybe GNAAW, alone. She would have to tell the others what her father had said. He was their Alpha, and Jamie and Cole would be duty-bound to listen to him. Kiara could see the logic if they did. Ryn was nothing to them except a problem, which is all she should be to Kiara.

  Lifting her head from the door, Kiara turned around and squared her shoulders.

  “What did he say?”

  Too busy rehearsing what she was going to say, Kiara wasn’t prepared for Ryn to be waiting just inside Nathan’s doorway.

  “Jesus.” Kiara pressed a hand to her chest to still her startled heart and scowled. “Give me some space.”

  “I didn’t catch all of it, but I caught enough.” Ryn stepped back, but was clearly unwilling to wait. “What did your dad say? What did GNAAW say?”

  Kiara pushed past her. “I’ll tell you when everyone is up. We can all—”

  “No.” Ryn followed Kiara into the kitchen. “No,” she repeated. “I heard my name. I didn’t hear what your dad said, but I heard what you said. I know it’s about me. That’s who they’re after, isn’t it?” She ran a frustrated hand through her long hair. “Your perfect little pack is playing by all the rules, but not me.” Her smile was defiant, but it couldn’t completely mask the vulnerability beneath. “And now you’re caught up in my mess again.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “It’s always been like that.”

  “Taryn—”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll get out of your hair. This obviously isn’t your problem.” Ryn was already moving out of the kitchen. “I’ll get my stuff and go.”

  “Stop it. You’re not going anywhere. I’m not just going to let you—”

  “You don’t get to let me do anything.” Ryn started to make her way up the stairs but was stopped by a sleepy but cheerful Deanna, who was attempting to twist her bedhead into a bun.

  “Good morning!” Deanna kept coming down the stairs, forcing Ryn back. “It’s probably too early to start arguing, since none of us have had coffee. Let’s have coffee first and then we can argue.”

  “We’re not arguing,” Ryn began. “I’m leaving, and that’s the end of it.”

  “Oh, come on.” Now it was Jamie’s turn to block Ryn’s access up the stairs. “You can’t go without breakfast. Cole is going to make French toast and he makes really good French toast. It’s like the only thing he can make.”

  “I can make other stuff,” Cole objected from upstairs.

  Jamie shook her head. “He can’t,” she mouthed.

  “This
is all very sweet, but I’m serious.” Ryn attempted the stairs a third time, but Nathan stumbled halfway down and sat.

  “Someone bring me coffee,” he mumbled, squinting as he cleaned his glasses on his T-shirt. “Cole is a cuddler, did anyone know that? He cuddles. All night. It’s suffocating. I don’t think I slept for more than five minutes at a time.”

  “You cuddled right back.” Cole ruffled Nathan’s hair fondly on his way down. Nathan made a disgusted noise and tried to squirm out of the way.

  “I didn’t!” Nathan protested. “If anything, I was trying to get away from you.”

  “Guys!” Ryn shouted. “This isn’t a joke! I’m the one they’re after, so I’m going to leave.”

  “I feel like we’ve done this before. Haven’t we done this before?” Nathan tossed the question to Jamie.

  “We have done this before,” Jamie agreed. “It’s becoming a pattern.”

  “Okay, that was a bit different,” Deanna argued. “I mean, I left, but not to deal with it on my own. I left you to deal with it. Sorry,” she added with a guilty wince at Jamie.

  “It’s fine; if anything, that made more sense than what Ryn is trying to do.” Jamie gave Deanna a kiss on the cheek as she started making coffee.

  “For fuck’s sake,” Ryn growled. “What are you talking about?”

  “Last year someone was after Deanna. Just Deanna,” Nathan began.

  “All the other Wolf’s Run players too,” Deanna corrected.

  “Right, but, like, out of us it was just Deanna. And did we send Deanna off on her own to deal with the horrible rogue werewolf? No, we did not. We—well, Jamie—called in the cavalry.” Nathan gestured theatrically at Cole and Kiara.

  “Because it was ludicrous for you to try and stop him by yourself.” Kiara crossed her arms over her chest.

  “Totally agreed,” Nathan said cheerfully. “Completely idiotic to think we could do it on our own.”

  Ryn rolled her eyes. “This is a bit different.”

  “It’s not.” Deanna shook her head. “Not really. Let us help, Ryn.”